Ashutosh Mehta: Gerard Nus is leading from the front for NorthEast United

The Highlanders' defender opened up after his side's victory against mighty Mumbai City FC.

"I think the resilience of the team and the defensive discipline is what cracked it against Mumbai," said NorthEast United defender Ashutosh Mehta after a hard-fought 1-0 win against mighty Mumbai City FC in their opening match of the Indian Super League (ISL). The 28-year-old defender hailing from Mumbai in an exclusive chat with Khel Now expressed his thoughts on the first match.

Asked about his views about the win, he said, "Mumbai had majority of the ball in the first half, but we got our 'A' game on the table as a unit and showed character and personality throughout."

Things have been quite different for the players this pre-season due to the COVID-19 situation and the bio-bubble. The compulsory quarantine further shrunk the pre-season time to around 2-3 weeks. Inspite of all these odds, Ashutosh Mehta seemed to be at his fittest as he said, "We haven't played competitive football for the last eight months. The situation for everyone was pretty difficult, but it is what it was. The right nutrition, sleep, hydration and taking good care of my body was what I strictly followed and will remain the key for me."

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Initially, Mumbai came out with a lot of pressing game, as they continued to play the ball in the Highlanders' box. But, the NEUFC defence seemed to be surprisingly calm and composed to withstand all the pressure. Speaking about the philosophy, Mehta gave a detailed insight saying, "The defensive discipline and concentration we showed throughout the match was our main plan. After the break, we turned up to be even more resilient than we already were. When I talk about the defensive discipline, I talk about the entire unit starting from the strikers. We were very particular and alert on denying Mumbai City space to operate and that probably helped us to bag the win," he added.

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In his first interaction with the media, NorthEast United head coach Gerard Nus showed great positivity and an indomitable spirit. The 35-year-old said, "We will show the fighting character till the final whistle. We may win some games, we may draw some. But, we will not like to lose one."

A day after the remarkable result the mood seemed to be resonating across the whole NEUFC squad, as Ashutosh Mehta said, "He (Gerard Nus) is the man leading from the front, the sailor of the ship. He knew the attacking threat that Mumbai posed and so he setup the team to soak up the pressure, wear down the opponents and then look for opportunities upfront. He definitely motivated us to be composed, work as per the gameplan and fight in the same level all through the game."

After the game against Mumbai City, the Highlanders are now all set to face Kerala Blasters on 26th November at the GMC Athletic Stadium, Bambolim. On his thoughts for the upcoming game Ashutosh Mehta said while signing off, "There is a lot of work yet to be done by us. The league has just started and now we focus on the next game."