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East Bengal were handed their second consecutive defeat and fourth loss of the season as Chennaiyin FC returned from the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan with a 1-0 victory on Friday, November 4.
Vafa Hakhamaneshi's second-half strike was enough to down the Red and Gold Brigade. The Iranian defender thumped home a 69th-minute corner from Akash Sangwan.
Earlier in the first half, Stephen Constantine's side had two golden opportunities to pull ahead. However, Cleiton Silva and Suhair VP squandered those chances.
Although the Marina Machans lacked an attacking punch, they made sure to make the best of their opportunities and bag the three points.
On that note, let's look at the three main talking points from the game.
#3 Lalchungnunga a shining light for East Bengal amidst all the gloom
Lalchungnunga put in another reassuring performance in his debut ISL season.
On loan from Sreenidi Deccan, Chungnunga had an impressive outing against Chennaiyin. He registered six clearances, two blocks, and one tackle.
The young defender's passing accuracy was the only area of concern. But Chungnunga remains a rare bright spot for East Bengal, who are seemingly in shambles.
#2 Jiteshwor Singh proving to be an absolute metronome in the Chennaiyin FC midfield
Jiteshwor Singh is another player who has made an instant impact in the ISL since switching from the I-League.
Tonight, yet again, he ran the show for the Marina Machans in the middle of the park.
The 20-year-old had 99 touches on the ball and completed 83.6 percent of his passes.
Jiteshwor also stepped in with four crucial interceptions and three tackles.
#1 East Bengal's striking woes intensify
For the Red and Gold Brigade, a lot of seemingly gaping cracks are emerging in the squad. However, the lack of a consistent goalscorer is the most obvious.
Cleiton Silva has so far scored just two goals this season, one of which came from the penalty spot.
Forwards Semboi Haokip and Suhair VP are yet to get off the mark. Silva and Suhair had two glorious opportunities in the first half but both wasted their chances in one-on-one situations.
