ISL 2017: Best midfielders of Round 7

The seventh week of ISL 2017 has come to an end and in the four games we witnessed, there were some superb performances from various teams.

Chennaiyin FC, FC Pune City, Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC all recorded wins, while NorthEast United and Delhi Dynamos continued their dismal start to the campaign.

In this article, we look at 5 midfielders whose performances stood out from the rest!

Edu Garcia: While the likes of Miku, Sunil Chhetri and Erik Paartalu grab the limelight, Edu Garcia, the man who makes Bengaluru FC tick has not got the plaudits his superb performances have deserved. The Spaniard is the glue which holds Bengaluru FC’s attack together. He dictates their attack with his vision and his ability to drift past challenges effortlessly. He was once again superb against Kerala Blasters providing an assist and was instrumental in helping Bengaluru FC move forward with his probing passing. The 27-year old has recorded four assists so far, the joint most in ISL 2017 and has been arguably the best playmaker so far.

Everton Santos: The Brazilian returned to form after a few below par performances. The Brazilian winger scored a fine goal doubling Mumbai City FC’s lead against Delhi Dynamos. The Brazilian impressed with his work rate and ball control going forward and was a threat throughout the match. The 31-year-old combined well with his fellow attackers helping Mumbai City FC to register their fourth win of the campaign. He has had a hand in four goals so far (2 goals and 2 assists) and his speed and willingness to run in behind the defences offers Mumbai City FC a different dimension going forward. His 10 shots on target is the joint most by a Mumbai City FC player so far.

Achille Emana: Mumbai's dominating win against the Dynamos means the Cameroonian is the second Mumbai player to make the list. Achille Emana once again produced a superb performance against Delhi Dynamos dominating the midfield with his ball carrying ability and physicality. The burly midfielder assisted 2 out of the 4 goals that Mumbai City FC scored, and his technique and range of passing was too much to handle for Delhi Dynamos. The fact that the 35-year-old makes Mumbai City FC tick is highlighted by his tally of 4 assists, the joint most in ISL 2017, plus his 304 passes are also the most by a Mumbai City FC player. He has also contributed defensively making 17 tackles so far.

Marcos Tebar: The Spanish midfielder has gone somewhat under the radar due to the presence of Marcelinho and Emiliano Alfaro. But Tebar has been excellent in the season controlling the midfield. The former Real Madrid midfielder was at the top of his game against NorthEast United dictating play from the deep with his incisive passing. His quality of passing can be gauged by the fact that despite playing as the defensive midfielder he provided his second assist of the campaign. The former Delhi Dynamos star has completed the most passes by a FC Pune player. The 31-year-old has also shown intelligence to cut out opposition attacks and has made the most tackles by a FC Pune City player so far.

Adil Khan: Adil Khan was once again terrific scoring one goal in the last week to take his tally of goals to three, the most by an Indian midfielder in ISL 2017/18. The energetic midfielder’s performance in front of the defence played a big part in FC Pune City keeping their first clean sheet at home against NorthEast United. Adil was superb while snapping into tackles and covering the spaces in front of his team's backline. His brilliant performance meant NorthEast United’s chief playmaker Marcinho couldn’t get into his stride and dictate play. The 29-year old has attempted 19 tackles in 6 matches and has been one of India’s brightest midfielders of ISL 2017/18.

Edited by Argha Bhattacharya