Talking Points: Is Pedro Manzi the best foreign striker on Indian shores currently?

The Spaniard is the second-highest scorer in the I-League with seven goals so far. 

Chennai City FC roared back to form in the 10th round of the I-League as they drubbed Shillong Lajong 6-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Coimbatore on Saturday. Forward Pedro Manzi netted a hat-trick, midfielder Nestor Jesus scored a brace and defender Roberto Eslava headed in from a corner as the home side ran riot through Lajong’s defence.

Midfielder Samuel Lalmuanpuia scored from a glorious free-kick, but it turned out to be nothing more than a consolation goal for the visitors who are rooted firmly to the bottom of the table, with only four points from 10 games.

Here are the talking points from the game:

5. Will the I-League see another brand new winner this season?

Each of the past two editions of the I-League have seen fairytale victories, with Aizawl FC and Minerva Punjab winning the league in breathtaking fashion respectively. This season is set to be no different either, with all the teams in the top six in contention to win the title.

However, Chennai City, NEROCA and Real Kashmir are the top seeds to win the league with regular contenders East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers breathing down their necks. There is a high possibility that the league will come down to the last gameweek and it is will be a tightly-contested affair, as it usually is.

4. Is Pedro Manzi the best foreign striker in India currently?

Pedro Manzi has been one of the best recruits in the league this season, with the Spanish striker currently leading the scoring charts with seven goals from 10 appearances. He had not scored for almost two months before the game, but he ended his drought in spectacular fashion against Shillong Lajong.

Manzi netted thrice on Saturday and was involved in almost every goalbound move. Willis Plaza and Ansumana Kromah have also been very impressive this season, but it is Manzi who is by far the most complete overseas forward in the league.

3. Was Shillong Lajong’s decision to field only academy graduates wrong?

Before the season kicked off, Shillong Lajong gained much applause for deciding to field only players from their academy in their matchday squad. They did not have any recognizable names, be it Indian or foreign and while it was assumed that the decision was taken to expose a promising batch of graduates to the I-League, that has not been the case for them.

Lajong have turned out to be the most underperforming side in the league, having conceded 30 goals in 10 games already. There have been glimpses of promise, especially from the likes of Samuel and Khongsit, but they have been too few and far between. With Indian Arrows guaranteed to stay up and Aizawl nine points ahead of them, it is most likely that Lajong will go down this season.

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2. Could we see Vanspaul and Bora in the Indian national team setup soon?

With their impressive performances in the I-League this season and the Indian team's need of particular changes in certain positions, Gaurav Bora and Edwin Vanspaul can be expected to make the national team soon.

Both Bora and Vanspaul have been immense this season, with the former marshalling the Chennai backline with maturity alongside Eslava and the latter being pivotal to their offensive threat. To top it off, Vanspaul had three assists to his name on Saturday, including the penalty which was awarded to the home side after he was taken down in the Lajong box.

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1. With their Spanish contingent back in form, can Chennai City arrest their slump?

Chennai City started the season brightly, brushing aside teams with ease before they suffered a mid-season slump. That has been overcome now, with their Spanish contingent firing on all cylinders. The southerners face Gokulam Kerala, East Bengal and Aizawl- all at home in their next games. This set of fixtures could potentially decide their title aspirations, so the timing could not have been any better for Akbar Nawaz and his men to arrest their dip in form and get back to winning ways.