The Indian Super League (ISL) season has taken a pause after four weeks of pulsating action that saw plenty of drama unfold.

A total of 69 goals have been scored in the first four matchweeks where just one team has managed to keep a perfect record and just one more being unbeaten.

Last season’s top six have suffered early setbacks while the prime challengers to their spots have started brightly.

As we slowly gear up for the restart of the league after the international break, here’s a brief analysis of every team’s performance so far

Bengaluru FC (Pos: 1st, Pl: 4, Pts: 10, GF: +7)

Positives: The early pace setters have been near-perfect and are yet to see their defence breached in four games. The Blues have taken on formidable opponents in Mohun Bagan SG and Mumbai City FC and the four clean sheets thus stand out as the biggest positive of their season. Captain Sunil Chhetri has begun the season in free-scoring form, netting thrice in four games. Their incredible home record has continued into the new campaign and could form the base of their title tilt this season.

Negatives: It’s hard to pick any negatives from Bengaluru FC’s season so far who have executed Gerard Zaragoza’s plan to perfection so far. The fact that Jorge Pereyra Diaz is yet to get going in a Bengaluru FC shirt shows that Bengaluru FC still have room for improvement. That’s a scary thought if you are not a Blues supporter.

Punjab FC (Pos: 2nd, Pl: 3, Pts: 9, GF: +4)

Positives: The Shers are the only team in the ISL with a 100% record at the end of four matchweeks. They have been excellent in all departments and have secured big wins against Kerala Blasters FC and Odisha FC. Indian players like Leon Augustine, Nihal Sudeesh and Nikhil Prabhu have surprised everyone with the start to their respective campaigns. In midfield Filip Mrzljak, has been the heartbeat of the team and has three goal contributions to his name already. The head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis too deserves a lot of credit for his tactical approach that has got the best out of his players.

Negatives: The only negative in their season so far has been the injury to forward Luka Majcen that has ruled him out for 6-8 weeks. The Slovenian is an inspiration figure in the squad and has proven his quality in the ISL. The Shers are sure to miss him in his absence.

Jamshedpur FC (Pos: 3rd, Pl: 4, Pts: 9, GF: +3)

Positives: Khalid Jamil’s side have made a brilliant start to the season with three wins in four games. Two of those wins came against Mumbai City FC and FC Goa, who finished last season in the top three. The Men of Steel have shown great resilience in games to turn the tables on their opponents despite seeing less of the ball. They have come from behind to win twice this season which just highlights the character of the team.

Negatives: Despite the promising start to the season, Jamshedpur FC have been conceding plenty of chances to the opponents. In their latest win against East Bengal FC, the opponents hit the woodwork twice and missed a penalty, allowing Jamshedpur FC to claim the win. They have conceded the first goal in three out of the first four games and that will have to change if they are to sustain this bright start to the season.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant (Pos: 4, Pl: 4, Pts: 7, GD: +1)

Positives: The Mariners have had a sketchy start to the season and the biggest positive is that they have more points on the board than what their performances have warranted. This is a big positive for any team chasing the championship that they can pick up points even without being at their best. The Mariners also have an incredible amount of quality in their squad and it’s fair to say that none of the players have quite hit their stride. Yet, their big guns – Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings, Jamie Maclaren and Greg Stewart have all recorded goal contributions so far this season. They showed signs of putting it all together in their 3-0 win against Mohammedan SC and we might see a different Mariners after the break.

Negatives: Jose Molina won’t be happy with the team’s defensive performance so far. They have conceded seven goals in four matches and only three other teams have conceded more. Mohun Bagan SG will have to tighten up at the back if they are to repeat the heroics of last season.

FC Goa (Pos: 5th, Pl: 4, Pts: 5, GD: 0)

Positives: The Gaurs haven’t had the best of starts to the season and have been bailed out by their foreign attackers – Armando Sadiku and Borja Herrera. The two attackers have scored seven out of FC Goa’s eight goals this season and have carried a team that have performed only in bursts so far this season. The positive for the Gaurs is that key players like Iker Guarrotxena and Sandesh Jhingan are closing in on a return to action.

Negatives: FC Goa have conceded eight goals which is the joint worst record in the league. Manolo Marquez’s team have looked disjointed in parts and the Spaniard needs to figure out his best combination. The inconsistencies have haunted FC Goa this season and cost them crucial points.

NorthEast United FC (Pos: 6th, Pl: 4, Pts: 5, GD: 0)

Positives: The Highlanders like the Gaurs have been plagued by inconsistency. The bright spot though has been the form of Moroccan striker Alaeddine Ajaraie who has scored in each of their games so far and his goals have directly contributed four points to their tally. The foreign players like Mohammed Ali Bemmamer and Nestor Albiach have also impressed this season.

Negatives: Juan Pedro Benali’s team have conceded seven goals this season and that will be a reason for concern for the Spaniard. The performance of the Indian players would also need to be better for the Durand Cup winners to climb up the ISL table in the upcoming matchweeks.

Kerala Blasters FC (Pos: 7th, Pl: 4, Pts: 5, GD: 0)

Positives: The Kerala Blasters have shown signs of improvement after the heartbreaking loss to Punjab FC in the opening match. Noah Sadaoui has been excellent for the Blasters came from behind against East Bengal FC and NorthEast United FC to pick up crucial points. Mikel Stahre’s team have scored in every game and thus have always been in contention for points in every game that they have played.

Negatives: The Yellow army are yet to keep a clean sheet this season and have conceded the first goal in three out of the four matches so far. An Indian player is yet to find the back of the net for the Blasters and that’s something Stahre would be keen to have going into the upcoming matchweeks.

Chennaiyin FC (Pos: 8th, Pl: 3, Pts: 4, GD: 0)

Positives: The wind has been knocked out of Chennaiyin FC’s sails after an impressive win at Odisha FC to kickstart the season with a defeat at home against Mohammedan SC and a draw away to Hyderabad FC. Farukh CHoudhary has looked bright and looks to have rediscovered his pre-injury form and could be a big player for Owen Coyle’s team.

Negatives: Chennaiyin FC failed to score a goal in their last two games against Mohammedan SC and Hyderabad FC and will be concerned by the lack of spark upfront despite plenty of firepower in their ranks.

Odisha FC (Pos: 9th, Pl: 4, Pts: 4, GD: -1)

Positives: The Kalinga Warriors haven’t had things go their way so far this season but an impressive win over Jamshedpur FC would have restored confidence after defeats against Chennaiyin FC and Punjab FC. Hugo Boumous have made an excellent start to life in Bhubaneswar providing three assists in four games. Diego Mauricio has also found the back of the net a couple of times and looks in great shape. Ahmed Jahouh has been at his consistent best again.

Negatives: Odisha FC have the joint worst defence in the league and that has been their Achilles Heel. They have conceded two or more goals in three out of the four games so far. Their home form which formed the backbone of their march to the semi-finals last season hasn’t been as strong with the Kalinga Warriors winning one, losing one and drawing one at the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar.

Mohammedan SC (Pos: 10th, Pl: 4, Pts: 4, GD: -3)

Positives: There have been plenty of positives about Mohammedan SC’s start to life in ISL. A memorable win against Chennaiyin FC aside, the Kolkata side were seconds away from claiming a win against FC Goa and minutes away from securing a point against NorthEast United FC. Alexis Gomez has been excellent in midfield and has been involved in everything the team have created,

Negatives: Andey Chernyshov’s side have found it hard to breach the opponents’ defence and have only scored twice so far this season. The problem for the Black and Whites has been finishing their chances rather than creating them and will have to work on it, to convert their performances into points.

Mumbai City FC (Pos: 11th, Pl: 3, Pts: 2, GD: -1)

Positives: The Islanders have had a difficult start to the season and are without a win in three games so far this season. The fixtures haven’t been easy for Petr Kratky’s men who have faced three out of the top four teams so far this season, but the team hasn’t been playing the free-flowing football that is associated with it. Tiri has been excellent for the Islanders and there have been some good performances from the likes of PN Noufal and Yoell van Nieff, but Kratky’s team are yet to get going this season.

Negatives: Mumbai City FC have struggled to defend their wide areas and have conceded all their goals from crosses or curbacks from the wide areas. The Islanders did tighten up against Bengaluru FC, but it’s a weakness that they will have to quickly plug if they are to mount a challenge for the League Shield again.

Hyderabad FC (Pos: 12th, Pl: 3, Pts: 1, GD: -5)

Positives: There are few positives for Hyderabad FC to take from the season so far as they have struggled to get ready for the start of the ISL season. As the Yellow and the Blacks build their squad, the challenge of the ISL has proved to be too much for Thangboi Singto’s side. But with the international break, Hyderabad FC will get a chance to reset, gel their new players and make a fresh start to the season.

Negatives: Hyderabad FC are yet to score a goal this season and haven’t carried much of a threat. They lack experience in forward areas and will have to plug that gap in order to cause teams problems.

East Bengal FC (Pos: 13, Pl: 4, Pts: 0, GD: -5)

Positives: There are almost no positives for East Bengal FC to take from the season so far which is yet to yield a point for the Kolkata Giants. East Bengal FC assembled a solid squad in the summer but the players haven’t played as a unit so far. With that amount of quality at their disposal, expect the Red and Gold brigade to improve but there is a lot of work to be done.

Negatives: East Bengal FC have been misfiring at both ends of the pitching conceding eight goals and just scoring three in response. The poor early form cost Carles Cuadrat his job and the Kolkata side will now look to make a fresh start under Oscar Bruzon.