ATK Mohun Bagan are one of the most potent attacking forces in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL). However, the Kolkata side haven’t really elevated their standard so far, scoring only 20 goals from 16 games.

The Mariners are 16 points behind unbeaten leaders Mumbai City FC and are fourth in the league standings, holding an extremely slim chance of making the top two i.e. gaining a direct entry into the semi-finals.

Despite their underwhelming form, their new foreign signing, Dimitri Petratos has been in red-hot form in his debut Hero ISL season and has shown no signs of stopping so far. Petratos is not only leading the goal-scoring charts for the Mariners but is also their top assist provider this season.

To everyone’s surprise, ATK Mohun Bagan decided not to extend the services of Roy Krishna for the ongoing season. The departure of Krishna as well as David Williams filled a void in the attack, as the duo were a vital cog, forming their frontline in the past years. There were doubts surrounding Petratos when ATK Mohun Bagan announced his arrival on a free transfer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Wehda in the summer. However, the 30-year-old has since emphatically silenced the critics that questioned his ability to fill the voids of Krishna and Williams with immediate impact in the forward line.

The Kolkata-based side were looking for a reliable figure in their attack who had both - experience as well as quality, and in the Australian, they found one. In 15 matches this season, the forward has had a significant chunk of goal contributions for his side. He has already bagged eight goals and six assists and is proving to be an excellent addition to Ferrando’s side. Only Roy Krishna (14) has scored more goals for ATK Mohun Bagan in a single season than Petratos.

A match-winning double in #Kolkata won @atkmohunbaganfc all 3️⃣ points and #DimitriPetratos the Hero of the Match Award! 🥇🟢🔴#ATKMBOFC #HeroISL #LetsFootball #ATKMohunBagan pic.twitter.com/XWD0NVb0e9

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) January 29, 2023

Currently his second season with the Green and Maroons, Ferrando has been able to play his own brand of football with his set of players and has efficiently brought the best out of Petratos. Under Ferrando, the forward has created 43 chances this season, the second highest by an ATK Mohun Bagan player in the Hero ISL 2022-23. Only Hugo Boumous (45) has created more chances for the Mariners so far.

The 30-year-old has been the focal point for the Mariners when it comes to scoring goals. At times, the side has been over-reliant on him for goals. He has scored five of the last eight goals scored by ATK Mohun Bagan in the league.

Petratos has formed a fluid combination with Hugo Boumous, and his versatility has given more flexibility to Ferrando’s attack. The attacker has the ability to hold the ball up, win headers, create openings, run down the channel, score goals, and provide assists as well. To summarize his contributions in the attack, he is ranked second for most number of shots (43) as well as for most number of shots on target (15) for ATK Mohun Bagan this season.

While he has been clinical with his finishing, he has also dropped down into deeper areas to help the midfield and move the ball forward. Juan Ferrando has used his strengths well and the Australian has become the focal point of the team. With his stoppage time goal against Bengaluru FC in the previous game, he has now scored in two matches in a row.

The attacker has scored goals on five occasions so far this season. ATK Mohun Bagan have won four of their five matches when he has scored a goal. He is only the second player from his side, after Kiyan Nassiri, to score a hat-trick in the Hero ISL. He achieved this feat in Matchweek 2 against Kerala Blasters FC.

Despite their underperforming attack, the forward has proven himself as a vital figure in Ferrando’s unit, and given the consistency, he surely has the potential to live up to the name and break records at his new club.

With the presence of a prolific attacker like Dimitri Petratos in the team, the Mariners can surely aim at clinching their maiden Hero ISL title.