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The 10th week of ISL 2017 has come to an end and in the six games we witnessed, there were some superb performances from various teams.
NorthEast United recorded their second home win while Jamshedpur FC won back to back matches for the first time. Also, there were wins for FC Pune City, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa as well.
In this article, we look at 5 midfielders whose performances stood out among the rest.
#5 Edu Bedia
The quiet and unassuming Edu Bedia hasn’t earned the plaudits his performances have deserved due to the presence of Coro, Lanzarote and to a lesser extent Ahmed Jahouh. But he made everyone sit up and take notice by scoring a last-minute winner against Kerala Blasters.
The Spaniard has formed a superb partnership with Ahmed Jahouh at the heart of the midfield and has helped FC Goa take control of the match with his passing, technique and intelligence. The 28-year-old sets the tempo of FC Goa’s play speeding and slowing down the play as the situation demands. He has attempted 689 passes so far, only Ahmed Jahouh has attempted more passes in ISL 2017/18.
#4 Ashim Biswas
Ashim Biswas proved to be an unlikely hero for Jamshedpur FC against Kerala Blasters assisting Jerry’s opening to give his team the lead and also proved to be the matchwinner scoring their secnd goal. As a result, Jamshedpur FC to claim three crucial points in their quest to reach the semi-finals.
Ashim’s goal meant the 35-year-old became the oldest Indian to score in ISL 2017/18. He also became the first Jamshedpur FC player to score and assist in the same match. His feats are remarkable given the fact that he has been a bit part player for Jamshedpur FC so far and only played in the match as Mehtab Hossain was unfit to start the match.
#3 Adil Khan
Adil Khan’s incredible season continued when the defensive midfielder opened the scoring against ATK. It was the 29-year-old’s 4th goal of the season making him the joint top scoring Indian in ISL 2017/18.
The energetic midfielder’s performance in front of the defence played a big part in FC Pune City keeping their second clean sheet on the trot. He was superb, snapping into tackles and covering the spaces in front of the defence. The curly-haired midfielder has attempted 30 tackles in 9 matches, the most by an Indian midfielder so far and has been one of India’s brightest midfielders of ISL 2017/18.
#2 Nandhakumar Sekar
Nandhakumar Sekar is the third Indian to make our list after producing an outstanding display against Jamshedpur FC providing two assists. He was very unlucky to be on the losing side as Jamshedpur came back to register a 3-2 win. However, the 22-year-old was superb causing trouble to Jamshedpur’s backline with his pace, trickery and pinpoint crossing.
The left winger provided two superb crosses for Kalu Uche to head home two identical goals. He has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Delhi Dynamos. Despite featuring in just six matches he has assisted three goals, the most by a Delhi Dynamo player in ISL 2017/18.
#1 Len Doungel
Len Doungel scored a brilliant hattrick helping NorthEast United claim a shock 3-1 win over top of the table Chennaiyin FC and thus became the became the first Indian to score a hattrick in ISL 2017/18.
Doungel’s clever movement and clinical finishing helped NorthEast United to register their second win in three matches and keep their faint hopes of making the semifinals alive. He has now scored four goals, the most by a NorthEast United player. He is also the joint top scorer among Indian midfielders in ISL 2017/18. The 24-year old has impressed with his energy and work rate, he has attempted 20 tackles, the most by a NorthEast United midfielder.
