Alvaro Vazquez, Pratik star in ISL 2021-22 Team of Gameweek 17

There were a number of other top performers who sadly missed out in this week's playing XI.

Yet another interesting Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 gameweek concluded yesterday, with a thriller between Hyderabad FC and ATK Mohun Bagan. The week started with Kerala Blasters' 2-1 win over NorthEast United, where we witnessed that Patrick Shick-esque long-ranger. This was followed by a playoffs fight between Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC, where the former snatched three vital points with a 3-1 win. Mumbai City's winless streak ended and SC East Bengal suffered a narrow loss to Odisha FC.

Finally, it concluded with the HFC and ATKMB battle, as the table-toppers finally dropped points after their red-hot form. Amidst all these games, some players stood out for their exemplary performances. On that note, here are our picks for the ISL 2021-22 Team of the Week for Gameweek 17:

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Goalkeeper: Debjit Majumder (Chennaiyin FC)

Although defending champions Mumbai City ended their seven-game winless run against Chennaiyin FC, goalkeeper Debjit Majumder had a spectacular night.

Despite the Islanders' 1.53xG (expected goals) and 12 shots throughout, Debjit kept the Marina Machans alive until the 85th minute — as he made four saves, including three diving ones. However, substitute Vikram Pratap Singh's goal meant MCFC took all the points, despite Debjit's brilliance.

Right-Back: Parag Shrivas (Bengaluru FC)

Bengaluru FC are currently on a nine-match unbeaten run. A lot of the credit goes to brilliance on the flanks on both sides — with Roshan Singh and Parag Shrivas delivering stunners each week. The game against Jamshedpur was no different.

Despite not being able to do much for Daniel Chima's early opener, BFC's defence was compact from then on. Parag especially had one of his best games that night. In the second half, he made vital clearances and runs into the box, thereby denying the duo of Chima and Greg Stewart multiple chances. Overall, he made five clearances, four recoveries and won seven duels.

Centre-Back: Pratik Chaudhari (Bengaluru FC)

Similar to Parag, Pratik Chaudhari excelled in his defensive duties; in this case, as a centre-back. Most significantly, he got a vital touch inside the box in the second half, neutralizing an important Jamshedpur offensive threat.

Totally, he had 82 touches — the highest in BFC's defensive line. Alongside, he made seven clearances and was brilliant in the air, winning all three of his attempted aerial duels.

Centre-Back: Ruivah Hormipam (Kerala Blasters)

Ruivah Hormipam has clocked a total of 624 minutes in ISL 2021-22. Alongside Marko Leskovic, he's formed a brilliant centre-back pairing under head coach Ivan Vukomanovic. He's currently a regular starter for KBFC — having done so in the last seven games. Continuing his form, he had yet another brilliant outing against NorthEast United.

In the 88 minutes he played, he made six interceptions, eight recoveries and committed two tackles, one of which was perhaps a mistake, rectified by the man himself.

Left-Back: Hira Mondal (SC East Bengal)

Against Odisha FC, Mario Rivera's men picked up their third loss in four games. This time, however, despite an improved team performance, individual brilliance by OFC meant SCEB's loss late in the game. Speaking of individuals, 25-year-old Hira Mondal was back at it again for his side.

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Another consistent performance saw him make six out of eight successful duels. He also blocked two shots and made an outstanding goal-line clearance in the 82nd minute. In short, he's been one of the best finds for SC East Bengal in ISL 2021-22.

Central Midfielder: Hernan Santana (NorthEast United)

Despite losing to Kerala Blasters, Hernan Santana simply delivered a sensational performance that night. He made multiple dribbles into the box, won 15 duels and also landed the assist for Mohammed Irshad's stoppage-time consolation goal.

Santana particularly used his space brilliantly for a gliding run instead of a pass -- which could've led to different results. In short, the Spaniard was a breath of fresh air, despite NEUFC's poor form.

Central Midfielder: Lalengmawia (Mumbai City)

All throughout, Lalengmawia has been a treat to watch. He’s regularly demonstrated immaculate positioning and a sharp ability on the ball. What stands out especially is his impressive close touches and ability to setup multiple fast breaks. As mentioned earlier, Mumbai City ended their seven-game winless run with a win against Chennaiyin FC this week.

For this, some of the major credits go to their midfield duo of Ahmed Jahouh and Apuia himself. Here, apart from these abilities, he made five recoveries, four interceptions and completed 75% of his passes as five of his nine long balls found the target.

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Right Winger: Manvir Singh (ATK Mohun Bagan)

ATK Mohun Bagan extended their unbeaten run to nine games by defeating table-toppers Hyderabad FC. It was a gruelling contest, with several notable individual performances. This included both moments of brilliance as well errors. Nonetheless, the Mariners took home all three points. One of the standout performers, as well as goalscorers, was Manvir Singh.

Manvir finally broke his 10-match goal drought, scoring a smart strike by rounding the goalkeeper and putting the ball past two defenders. He also moved the ball forward smartly and was more ruthless, finally seeing his hard work pay off. Alongside, he created four chances; the most in the game — thereby ranking this one amongst his best in ISL 2021-22.

Central Attacking Midfielder: Javi Hernandez (Odisha FC)

The duo of Javi Hernandez and Jonathas de Jesus were the main reason for Odisha FC's win against SC East Bengal. Both had a goal individually and assisted each other's goals that night in the three-game thriller. Javi particularly was phenomenal, in that he had a 100% shot accuracy and 83% pass accuracy, while also winning six duels in the game.

Subsequently, Javi almost scored another a few minutes later, but Mondal managed to make a goal-line clearance to deny him the goal. Nonetheless, it was the Spanish talisman's striker that made the difference, as he now ranks joint-fifth in ISL 2021-22 for top scorers this season.

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Left Winger: Alvaro Vazquez (Kerala Blasters)

The duo of Alvaro Vazquez and Jorge Pereyra Diaz had a total of six shots against NEUFC. They toyed with the Highlanders' defence throughout — calling the backline into action multiple times in the game. Subsequently, both got a goal each, in the 82nd and 62nd minute respectively. However, Vazquez makes it into our team because of his outrageous strike.

With Kerala Blasters a man down and with only a slender lead to protect, Vazquez turned up. His longer-ranger will perhaps still fall short in front of his own volley against Mumbai City for the Goal of the Season, but KBFC fans will remember it in the days to come. Nonetheless, it was the reason for their three important points, before Mohammed Irshad's consolation — which would've otherwise been an equalizer.

Striker: Cleiton Silva (Bengaluru FC)

Cleiton Silva has been the Blues' top scorer throughout the season so far. In terms of the league, he ranks third behind Bartholomew Ogbeche and Igor Angulo. In the game against Jamshedpur, despite a relatively dull first half except for some set-piece chances, the Brazilian had a complete turnaround in the second. He scored twice – in the 62nd and 94th minute to seal all three points for his side.

He also burst forward multiple times to either cut it in or cross it towards Sunil Chhetri. Overall, he had four shots, but his two that counted as goals were obviously the differentiators. Subsequently, that broke his four-match drought and reinstated his position as BFC's best attacker.

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