Another exhilarating season culminated with Mumbai City FC beating ATK Mohun Bagan to claim the prestigious Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) trophy at the Fatorda Stadium on Saturday. It was a closely fought 2-1 victory with the Islanders edging their opponents in the last minutes of the game to secure their maiden Hero ISL trophy, also their second silverware this season after the League Winners Shield. There was a lot of talent on display all through the 2020-21 campaign, however, all major season award winners belonged to the teams that made it to the top four. As we bring the curtains down on what was the biggest season yet with a whopping 115 matches on view, let’s check out who these award winners are.

Hero of the League - Roy Krishna

Although Roy Krishna was unable to help ATK Mohun Bagan to the title, his 14 goals and eight assists were enough to earn him the Hero of the League award. The Fijian was among the best players for his team and also ended as the runner-up in the Golden Boot contest. 

Golden Boot - Igor Angulo

Igor Angulo scored a number of crucial goals for the Gaurs in his first season with the club. His 14 goals ensured that FC Goa qualified for their sixth Hero ISL semi-finals appearance. The Spanish striker faced close competition from Krishna but won the trophy because of his lower minutes per goal scored (117.50) compared to the Fijian’s 147.28.

Golden Glove - Arindam Bhattacharja

ATK Mohun Bagan’s Arindam Bhattacharja won the Golden Glove award after a close battle with Mumbai City FC’s Amrinder Singh. Arindam conceded only 19 goals this season, the least by any of the goalkeepers. Both players notched up 10 clean sheets for their respective sides but the ATK Mohun Bagan custodian edged his Mumbai City FC counterpart with his higher minutes per goals conceded (108.94).

DHL Winning Pass of the League - Alberto Noguera

Alberto Noguera was one of FC Goa’s main creative sparks in their run to the semi-finals, where they lost to Mumbai City FC. Noguera picked up eight assists for his side, and also scored a goal. Although Krishna equalled the Spaniard’s tally with an assist in the grand finale on Saturday night, Noguera had lower minutes per assist (191.62) than the ATK Mohun Bagan forward (257.75).

ISL Emerging Player of the League - Lalengmawia

Lalengmawia’s performances helped NorthEast United FC to the semi-finals, their second ever.  Appearing in all the 22 matches for the Highlanders this season, the 20-year-old midfielder was also a solid defensive presence, making 93 tackles and 46 interceptions for his side. He scored one goal as well and had a strong passing accuracy of 74.47%. He was Hero of the Month as well as Emerging Player of the Month for February.