Follow former Hero ISL star Arata Izumi as he gives you a player’s perspective on all things ISL over the course of the 2018-19 season. New posts every week exclusively on indiansuperleague.com. Connect with Arata on Instagram @arataizumi or Twitter @neel0731

It has been an eventful week in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 but now with the league taking a break for a few days, I had the opportunity to reflect on some of the best performances over the past week. Chennaiyin FC finally turned up after a series of poor results while Kerala Blasters FC seem to have big problems in midfield. Looking at the past six matches, I have singled out 11 players who really stood out for their teams.

DEFENCE

Even though Kerala ended up on the losing side and conceded six goals against Bengaluru FC and FC Goa, I have opted for Naveen Kumar as my goalkeeper for the week. I felt he made some crucial saves especially against Bengaluru, which kept Kerala in contention for the majority of the game. Ultimately, I felt that it was the defence that let him down.

At right back, Rahul Bheke undoubtedly gets the nod. He was instrumental against Kerala Blasters, displaying plenty of energy running down the flanks and also chipping in upfront whenever required. Bheke’s teammate Albert Serran was a rock in defence for the Blues as well. With both these players in the squad, Bengaluru look like a formidable defensive force.

My second centre-back choice is Chennaiyin’s captain Mailson Alves. The Brazilian is a tough defender and certainly makes life difficult for his opponents with his hard-tackling and smart positioning. Upfront he can cause problems with his aerial prowess and also turn up when his side need him the most as his goal and assist against FC Pune City demonstrated.

Keegan Pereira of NorthEast United takes the left-back spot in my team. He came on a substitute against Mumbai City and was immediately a threat with his pin-point crosses from the flank.

MIDFIELD

My first pick for the midfield spots goes to Sahal Abdul Samad. I have been extremely impressed with his confidence, motivation and aggression on the pitch. The fact that he consistently finds himself a place in the starting line-up speaks volumes about his ability. He is one of the few Indian players who has been consistent in midfield this season.

After his heroics against Delhi Dynamos, Edu Bedia left me no choice but to pick him in my team. Presently, he is the most dangerous attacking midfielder in the league and his combination with Ferran Corominas can be a real nightmare for opposition defenders.

I especially enjoyed Lenny Rodrigues’ performance for FC Goa as well this week. He might not be the flashiest player, but his smart runs behind the Delhi backline seemed to work well for his side.

ATTACK

Ferran Corominas once again lands a spot in my team of the week. He was at his usual best against Kerala Blasters, scoring a magnificent brace. He has this innate ability to convert half-chances which other strikers in the league would not be capable of.

Corominas’ former teammate Manuel Lanzarote has also been phenomenal this season. Looking at ATK’s performances this campaign, Lanzarote has been in the thick of things and will be a pivotal figure for the team going forward.

Mumbai City’s Arnold Issoko completes my team for this week. I feel that the Islanders have had to rely on individual brilliance rather than teamwork and Issoko has been the one providing the goods.

COACH

John Gregory deserves praise for sticking by his players and showing faith in them during troubling times for the defending champions. I was glad that the players put in a good performance to prove their worth to the manager. It just goes to show you the kind of unity present in the club and the credit has to go to the man-management skills of Gregory. Hopefully Chennaiyin’s victory over Pune will give them the confidence to perform well going forward.

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