Matchweek 5 of the Indian Super League (ISL) did not see a single draw as the away teams ruled the roost emerging as the winners in four out of the six fixtures.

There were plenty of goals scored with an average of almost three goals per game in MW5 with just two clean sheets being kept.

Chennaiyin FC’s dramatic 3-2 success at NorthEast United FC kicked things off in Matchweek 5 before Bengaluru FC reigned supreme at the Sree Kanteerava stadium again against Punjab FC. Mumbai City FC picked up their first win of the campaign with a 2-1 success away to FC Goa before Mohun Bagan Super Giant claimed the bragging rights in the Kolkata derby.

Kerala Blasters FC came from behind to beat Mohammedan SC in Kolkata before the matchweek concluded with Jamshedpur FC’s victory against Hyderabad FC.

With a quick turnaround between Matchweek 5 and Matchweek 6, we take a look at the key takeaways from the week gone by.

Kerala Blasters FC break a jinx

Second-half goals from Kwame Peprah and Jesus Jimenez helped Mikel Stahre’s side turn an one-goal deficit around against Mohammedan SC in Kolkata. The win helped the Blasters end a 27-match winless streak away from home after having conceded the first goal. The Kochi outfit had lost 21 times and drawn five after conceding the first goal away from home in the last 27 games, a jinx they broke against Mohammedan SC on Sunday.

This win also marked their third straight win in Kolkata, a first in the club’s ISL journey. However, there are improvements to be made for the Blasters on the road as they remain the only side not to have kept a clean sheet on the road in 2024.

Jamshedpur FC’s best-ever start

After last season’s disappointment where Jamshedpur FC failed to build on their promising start under Khalid Jamil, the Indian coach has managed to rebuild the team and get them firing on all cylinders. After five games, the Men of Steel are second in the ISL table with 12 points and are currently enjoying their best-ever start to an ISL season after five matches.

Jamil’s men have been prolific in every game so far and have scored more than a goal in four out of their five matches. Jordan Murray leads the club sharts with three goals followed by Rei Tachikawa who has two to his name.

There is still a long way to go in the ISL but Jamil’s men seem spirited and determined to go the distance this time around.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s Kolkata dominance

The Mariners extended their unbeaten run against East Bengal FC with a solid 2-0 win in the Kolkata derby which came on the back of a 3-0 success against Mohammedan SC. When it comes to facing their city rivals, Mohun Bagan SG have always had the upper hand in the ISL. They have now scored at least two goals in each of their last ten matches against other Kolkata teams.

Dimitri Petratos has been their go-to man in Kolkata derbies and he delivered again on Saturday taking his goal contribution tally against East Bengal FC to six. Manvir Singh is another player who enjoys the Kolkata derby and made his fifth goal contribution in this fixture.

Defensive woes hurt FC Goa

The Gaurs suffered their second defeat of the season when they went down 1-2 to Mumbai City FC. Manolo Marquez’s side fought back in the second half after conceding a 0-2 lead to the Islanders but could not make enough ground to affect the result.

FC Goa have conceded two or more goals in four out of their five fixtures this season and are yet to keep a clean sheet. The Spanish head coach raised this concern in the post-match press conference.

“We are not consistent. When a team concedes two goals every game, it's impossible to have a good season. We need to improve as a team in the defensive aspect. The teams that are at the top right now have conceded the fewest goals,” he added.

Bengaluru FC bring their resilience on show

Bengaluru FC continued their impressive start to the season with a 1-0 victory against high-flying Punjab FC. While the scoreline doesn’t reflect how excellent the result is, the fact that Blues played 32 minutes with ten men shows how solid they are defensively.

Gerard Zaragoza’s team are yet to concede a goal this season setting up a club record of 481 minutes without conceding a goal which they could better when they travel to Kochi to face Kerala Blasters FC.

However, this is not the first time the Blues have held on for a victory despite playing with ten men. On two previous occasions when Bengaluru FC went down to ten men at home, they recorded wins. On Friday they extended that streak to two and became the outright leaders in the ISL.

NorthEast United FC’s bad habit

Only two teams have scored more goals than NorthEast United FC but yet the Highlanders find themselves in ninth position. Juan Pedro Benali’s team concede too many goals and do so when in ascendancy in games.

NorthEast United FC have already dropped ten points from winning positions this season and their 2-3 loss to Chennaiyin FC was the latest instance of them doing so. In Alaeddine Ajaraie, they have a prolific striker who is supported well by Nestor Albiach but the Highlanders need to be more meaner at the back and not lose focus when in the lead. If they can manage the game better after taking the lead, Benali’s side can be a serious threat.