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Chennaiyin's forgettable season has come to an end with a forgettable 1-0 loss against an all-Indian Mumbai City FC despite playing at full strength at the Manjeri Payyanad Stadium on Wednesday, April 19.
Youngster Ayush Chhikara's first-half strike proved to be the separation point between the two sides, who have failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Super Cup.
It was an even first half with neither side creating any chances to threaten their opponent's goalkeepers. However, the Islanders were off to a flyer in the second half when they broke away on a counter-attack through Bipin Singh's lung-bursting run through the left wing to set up Chhikara for a tap-in to slot the ball past the hapless Samik Mitra.
The reigning ISL shield winners were organized at the back, making life tougher for the Marina Machans forwards. Kwame Karikari and Fallu Diagne had glorious chances to level the scoring but were unable to hit the target.
Chennaiyin FC fans will be distraught to watch their side go trophyless for the fifth straight season. Des Buckingham, on the other hand, will be happy with the performances of the domestic players despite bowing out of the Super Cup.
We shall look at three takeaways from Chennaiyin FC's 1-0 defeat to Mumbai City FC:
#3 Chennaiyin FC need a revamp
The fact that Chennaiyin FC finished third in a group they were supposed to lead is a disastrous outcome. Although they blew NorthEast United away on the opening day, their failure to beat the Churchill Brothers and Mumbai City FC will haunt them until the start of next season.
It was inexcusable for a full-strength squad to lose to an all-Indian squad. To make things worse, Mumbai City FC were the better side on the night despite lacking experience and the assistance of overseas players.
The two-time Indian Super League champions have already been left behind by many ISL clubs. Only smart recruitment will put them back on track.
#2 Mumbai City FC has a fantastic bunch of domestic youngsters
Although Mumbai City FC are blessed with experienced domestic campaigners including Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahul Bheke, Mehtab Singh, Mohammad Nawaz, Rowlin Borges, Vinit Rai, and Bipin Singh -- other players such as Halen Nongtdu, Vikram Pratap Singh and Ayush Chhikara stepped up to the plate to procure two victories from three games.
With the Islanders taking part in four competitions, a big squad will be required to challenge on all fronts. The aforementioned players will certainly have a big part to play in the near future.
#1 Mumbai City's defensive resilience paid off
Mumbai City FC were defensively strong to thwart Chennaiyin FC's attack. The likes of Rahul Bheke and Mehtab Singh showed exceptional awareness to nullify the threat possessed by Nasser El Khayati, Rahim Ali, and Kwame Karikari.
Their ability to play out from the back and Chennaiyin's failure to press properly aided the Islanders to make several runs behind their opponent's midfield.
Chennaiyin FC were tactically and physically ousted from start to end. Des Buckingham will take plenty of positives from their narrow 1-0 victory.
