ISL Week 6 Talking Points: Is Brandon Fernandes the best playmaker in the league?

The previous week in the league saw many changes being made to the standings.

There was quite a lot of movement in the Indian Super League (ISL) table in the last week, with the teams embracing the winter’s chill to give them hot-blooded performances. Drama ensued all around with Bengaluru FC being handed their first loss of the campaign, while FC Goa dethroned ATK at the top of the league.

Mumbai City and Odisha FC made a lot of progress with their big wins, making the playoff race even more heated. As the league starts getting more and more unpredictable with each passing week, here we look at the ISL GW talking points.

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5. Are Odisha FC dark horses for a playoff spot?

Odisha FC had a difficult start to their campaign with a string of early losses, but have shown real signs of improvement as the season wears on. The newest entrants to the ISL 2019-20 faced Hyderabad City FC on Wednesday, which they came out on top, thanks to the brilliance from their Spanish contingent.

They capitalized on Hyderabad’s defensive vulnerabilities, piling pressure on them by packing men forward with their pacy, incisive attacking moves. While defensive issues remain, Odisha FC are now only four points behind fourth placed Jamshedpur FC. There’s still the second half of fixtures remaining and if they maintain their smooth improvement with each game, Odisha could end up reaching the playoffs in their first-ever season.

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Watch: ISL 2019-20 Week 6 Top 10 Goals

4. Is Jamshedpur FC’s inexperience defence costing them points?

Jamshedpur FC now find themselves quite a bit behind the top-spot, which they held onto in the early part of the season. The Men of Steel played out two frustrating draws against lowly Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters last week, in which their disappointments were almost self-inflicted. Staying in line with their philosophy, coach Antonio Iriondo persisted with playing youngsters Narender Gahlot and Jitendra Singh in defence.

While the youngsters were strong in dealing with unique threats, lapses in concentration from Jamshedpur FC’s defensive line caused them problems. They clinched a point against Chennaiyin FC, but gave away a two-goal lead to drop two against Kerala Blasters. Tiri or Subrata Pal couldn’t influence either results, as persisting defensive mistakes could seriously threaten their ambitions for a maiden playoff spot.

3. Does ATK lack a quality defensive midfielder?

ATK’s six-match unbeaten run was snapped by Sergio Lobera’s FC Goa on Saturday, with the Gaurs shutting down Antonio Lopez Habas’ side’s threat by taking the game right to the Kolkata outfit. FC Goa dominated the game with controlling the major chunk of possession and put their defenders under incredible pressure with their attacking onslaught.

ATK’s midfielders couldn’t do anything to press the hosts or win back possession, with Sehnaj Singh especially looking out of his depth. As the dominance reverted towards a win for Goa, ATK's lack of steel in midfield cost them in this high-intense atmosphere. With Carl McHugh and Pronay Halder injured, while Sehnaj not being the rock-solid cog they needed, Antonio Habas probably needs to rethink how he’ll protect his defence better against strong oppositions.

2. Is Brandon Fernandes the most impactful playmaker in ISL?

He might not have scored a single goal so far, but Brandon Fernandes has been handing goal-scoring chances on a plate for FC Goa on every single occasion. The 25-year-old has been their most impactful playmaker this season, overshadowing Edu Bedia and Hugo Boumous in that department.

Fernandes put in another inspired display against ATK, getting into all the right areas to try and break their defensive line. He got his assist when his pitch-perfect cross found Mourtada Fall’s header for the opener, while his set-piece delivery was as dangerous as always. Fernandes is shaping himself as the most creative player in the ISL this season, as he keeps on winning points for his side.

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1. Are Mumbai City FC finally on the upwards curve towards challenging for the playoffs?

Mumbai City FC were going through a really rough period having faced a lot of frustration thanks to successive draws from games they should’ve won. However, Jorge Costa side retained their unpredictability cloak against high-flying Bengaluru FC to bring the defending champions back to reality at their own yard.

The Islanders put on an inspiring performance at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, thriving under the pressure and coming out with a dramatic last-minute win. They finally broke their winless streak to get an important win on the road, putting them three points behind the nearest playoffs spot. If Mumbai City can continue this momentum to get a string of important wins, a spot in the knockout stages can soon be in their grasp.