I-League 2017/18: Indian Arrows vs Mohun Bagan - 5 Talking Points

The Indian Arrows finished their I-League campaign with a loss as Mohun Bagan easily beat them 2-0 at the Tilak Maidan in Goa.

Bagan scored both goals in the first half, in the 26th and 41st minutes, to stroll to a comfortable win in a match where they weren't really troubled by their opponents. The win sees Bagan stay in fourth place in the table and close within two points of city rivals East Bengal.

Here are the talking points from the game.

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#1 Dicka eclipses his previous best

Dicka was adjudged the man of the match

Dipanda Dicka was the top scorer in last season's I-League. Mohun Bagan made the move for the Cameroonian striker in the summer expecting him to lead the line for them.

Today he scored his 12th goal of the season, bettering his tally from last year when he had 11. He opened the scoring in today's game for Bagan with a very well-taken goal. Cameron Watson's long ball from midfield managed to beat the Arrows defenders and Dicka managed to get on the end of it.

He was off balance but showed great composure to connect with an overhead kick to send it looping over the Arrows keeper.

You could see him looking where his effort was headed as he fell to the ground. In the end, it was a superb finish. He had a slow start to the season with critics getting on his back for his performances, but he's found his groove and has been consistently finding the back of the net since.

#2 Naorem tries to do too much

Naorem was all over the place

Nongdamba Naorem scored one of the goals of the season with his stunning solo effort against Shillong Lajong where he twisted, turned, feined and dinked his way past multiple defenders before scoring.

As good as that goal was, the likelihood of it happening again is very remote. Naorem is no doubt a very skilled player, but it's not always possible to take on multiple defenders and beat them. Today he was wasteful in possession; at almost every given turn he tried to dribble and trick his way past one too many defenders, eventually surrendering the ball.

Luis Norton de Matos would surely not have been happy to see that. Passing the ball along and keeping it moving is something that Naorem will have to inculcate into his game.

#3 Akram scores yet again, but injures himself in the process

Akram Moghrabi (right) was on the scoresheet again

Lebanese striker Akram Moghrabi scored Mohun Bagan's second goal of the game.

It came from a Gurjinder Kumar cross from the left. None of the Indian Arrows players looked like they were expecting Gurjinder to cross and Moghrabi was left with a very simple tap-in to net his third goal since joining the Mariners in the mid-season transfer window.

In his attempt to get the ball though, Moghrabi twisted his knee and was seen stuttering. He was in visible discomfort but managed to soldier on till half-time. Shankarlal Chakraborty opted to rest his forward though in the second half, choosing to introduce Sk. Faiaz in his place for the second half.

#4 Shilton Paul is tested once the whole game

Mohun Bagan keeper Shilton Paul (second from right) remained rather untested throughout the game

When these two sides met earlier in the season, the Indian Arrows staged a memorable comeback to snatch a 1-1 draw away in Kolkata.

Today was an altogether different affair though. None of the promises that the Arrows showed earlier in the season was visible this evening. This was illustrated best by the fact that Shilton Paul in the Bagan goal was really tested only once.

That was from an effort by Arrows captain Amarjit Singh Kiyam and it was the first chance of the game for either side. Rahim Ali laid the ball off for his skipper Amarjit inside the box who hit a low shot towards goal. Paul did well to get down low to make the save.

Sadly for the Arrows, it was also their last chance of the game.

#5 Bagan still with an outside chance while Arrows' campaign ends

Mohun Bagan have an outside chance of title triumph

This was the Indian Arrows' last game of the season. They finished bottom of the table with 15 points from their campaign.

The developmental side from the AIFF started the season on a bright note and put in promising performances, but they faded as the competition progressed. Their penchant for keeping possession and playing good football eventually gave way to sitting back, absorbing pressure and playing on the counter. Today they didn't offer Mohun Bagan much resistance. We'll now see how these youngsters push on from here.

For Mohun Bagan, the three points see them go to 27 points as they continue their impressive away form this season - the Mariners are unbeaten away from home. It keeps them with an outside chance, albeit a very slim one, of stealing the championship with two games remaining. They will, of course, need the others above them to slip up, but they've kept their hopes alive.