An 85th-minute goal from Vikram Pratap Singh proved to be the difference between Mumbai City and Chennaiyin on Sunday night at the Fatorda. In doing so, Vikram helped the champions snap a seven-game winless run in the 2021/22 Indian Super League.
From first to sixth in a matter of weeks, Mumbai City FC’s winless run had seen their playoff hopes take a massive blow. Des Buckingham’s men were desperate for a win on Sunday night when they faced Chennaiyin, and a victory was what they got, thanks to Vikram Pratap Singh’s goal five minutes from full-time.
Crucially, though, the three points earned at the Fatorda put the Islanders right on the tails of the top four; MCFC finished the night level on points with fourth-placed Jamshedpur FC (22), albeit having played a game more.
Chennaiyin failed to register a single shot on target in the ninety minutes, summing up the rut they currently find themselves in: the Marina Machans have lost two of their last three and won only one of their last six matches.
Mumbai, on the contrary, looked revitalized, and created plenty, despite truly troubling Debjit Majumder in goal. Nevertheless, the signs of promise were there from the start, with Igor Angulo and Lallianzuala Chhangte testing their luck on a couple of occasions each during the first half.
Mumbai maintained their dominance on the other side of the break. Chhangte carved up the game’s first major opportunity in the 61st minute by beating Narayan Das to the touchline and pulling the ball back for Angulo, who missed his shot. A few minutes later, Angulo played Bipin Singh in behind the Chennaiyin defence but, the winger, facing only the goalkeeper, failed to convert the chance.
The breakthrough arrived in the 85th minute. Brad Inman, forced wide by the Chennaiyin defence, refused to let the opportunity pass and delivered a cross to the back post for Vikram.
The attacker brought the ball down, sorted his feet out, and pushed it past Debjit for the game’s only goal.
A late opportunity presented itself to Chennaiyin’s Lukasz Gikiewicz, but the forward blazed his effort over the bar from a few yards out – summing up his team’s night.
