The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 has been a riveting season so far, with teams being equally matched in terms of the competitiveness for the top six.

Following intense eleven Matchweeks that witnessed beautiful goals, epic celebrations, a deluge of quality footballing action, extension of rivalries, fans have witnessed a spectacular spectacle of the league after a break of two seasons. 

Reaching the midpoint of the season after 55 games, Mumbai City FC lead the league standings with 24 points ahead of defending Hero ISL champions Hyderabad FC, who sit in second place with 22 points.

With a miniscule difference of two to six points, the fight for the top six has been cutthroat. While there has been no shortage of goals, the return of teams to their home turfs has added to the entertainment of the fans while some teams have also benefited from playing at home.

However, in terms of points difference between the first-placed and the last-placed team, this season is the least competitive Hero ISL season in the league’s history.

Season	First Place	Last Place	Points Difference
2014	Chennaiyin FC (23)	NorthEast United FC (14)	9
2015	ATK (23)	Kerala Blasters FC (13)	10
2016	Mumbai City FC (23)	FC Goa (14)	9
2017-18	FC Pune City (22)	Delhi Dynamos (7)	15
2018-19	Bengaluru FC (24)	Delhi Dynamos (4)	20
2019-20	FC Goa (24)	Hyderabad FC (5)	19
2020-21	Mumbai City FC (25)	Odisha FC (6)	19
2021-22	Kerala Blasters FC (17)	East Bengal FC (6)	11
2022-23	Mumbai City FC (24)	NorthEast United FC (0)	24

As seen in the table above, there is a staggering 24-point gap between the first and the last team, the highest ever after 55 matches of a season.

To put that into context, the 2018-19 season saw a gap of 20 points between the top and bottom team after 55 matches and that was the highest gap after the completion of 55 matches. Bengaluru FC, in the first place collected 24 points whereas Delhi Dynamos FC were at the bottom of the table with only four points.

Additionally, the upturn of more goals has resulted in a lesser number of draws. Odisha FC’s match versus ATK Mohun Bagan was the first goalless draw and the sixth draw of the season.

The six draws this season has been the lowest number of draws after 55 matches across all seasons in the Hero ISL.

Season	Number of draws after 55 matches
2014	19
2015	12
2016	19
2017-18	10
2018-19	19
2019-20	18
2020-21	18
2021-22	18
2022-23	6

While there is a glaring difference between the top-placed and the bottom-placed team, there is also a contrasting scenario that signifies the fighting spirit and competitiveness of the teams. While NorthEast United FC remain the only winless side this season, nine out of the eleven teams have registered three or more wins from 10 games. 

Overall, an action-packed first half of the season displayed the fighting spirit of the teams that will hopefully continue to follow in the second half of the season as teams progress towards reaching the top six and competing for top honours.