Cleiton Silva wins it for East Bengal FC!

Sounds familiar? It should.

The Brazilian forward did what he does best on Saturday as he won his team, East Bengal FC, a game all by himself as the Red and Gold brigade posted their first win of the Indian Super League (ISL) season with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Hyderabad FC.

Silva netted both goals to send the crowd in Kolkata into delirium as a stunning late free-kick won the game for the Red and Gold brigade.

Points and especially wins have been hard to come by for East Bengal FC in the ISL. The Kolkata giants have won just eleven out of the 62 matches they have played in the league. But on the rare occasions that they have found a way to three points, one man has often been the team’s hero: Cleiton Silva.

Since joining the team ahead of the 2022-23 season, Silva has scored 14 goals for the Red and Gold brigade. That accounts for 58% of the team’s goals in this period. The Brazilian has also had the knack of producing the goods at crucial times. Nine out of his 14 goals have helped East Bengal FC secure points.

Silva has won 13 points for East Bengal FC thanks to his goals since the start of last season which is the highest by any player in the league in this period.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s Dimitri Petratos is second on the list but has won his team three points fewer than the Brazilian.

No	Player	Team	Goals	Points Won
1	Cleiton Silva	East Bengal FC	14	13
2	Dimitri Petratos	Mohun Bagan Super Giant	13	10
3	Lallianzuala Chhangte	Mumbai City FC	10	10
4	Diego Mauricio	Odisha FC	13	9
5	Hugo Boumous	Mohun Bagan Super Giant	6	8
6	Dimitrios Diamantakos	Kerala Blasters FC	10	8
7	Bartholomew Ogbeche	Hyderabad FC	10	8
8	Kwame Karikari	Chennaiyin FC	5	7
9	Iker Guarrotxena	FC Goa	11	7
10	Roy Krishna	Bengaluru FC	7	6

Head coach Carles Cuadrat who first brought him into the ISL when he was the head coach of Bengaluru FC, suggested there is still more to come from his talismanic forward having started his season with a brace.

“I brought Cleiton to India. I was the coach that signed him (at Bengaluru FC). He is an incredibly talented player. After Bengaluru FC, he decided to sign with East Bengal FC and I am with him again. We all know what he was doing for the team last season and we expect him to produce the same this season,” he added.

With East Bengal FC significantly strengthening their attack with the additions of Javi Siverio, Borja Herrera and Nadhakumar Sekar, Silva will have more support this season. While it could mean that the goals could be divided among the forwards, it could also mean more chances for the Brazilian.

There is a vibe of positivity around East Bengal FC after their Durand Cup run and this may be the season that they break into the playoff spots. If they do so, their talisman Silva as he showed on Saturday night, would have definitely played a big part.