How often do we see a football team reduced to nine men and still manage to hold onto a clean sheet? Almost never, right?

Yet, East Bengal FC defied the odds with a display of remarkable determination and defensive resilience, earning a goalless draw against Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Sunday.

What made East Bengal’s feat even more impressive was the fact that both of their red cards came within the first 30 minutes; Nandhakumar Sekar and Naorem Mahesh Singh were sent off within a minute of each other.

Despite this, the team stood firm in the second half, keeping the Black and White Brigade at bay and securing a crucial point.

This draw marked East Bengal FC’s first point of the season, following a string of losses, and was also their first under head coach Oscar Bruzon’s tenure.

Here’s a look at some key stats from East Bengal FC’s gritty performance.

• With their 0-0 draw on Sunday, East Bengal FC have not lost any of their last seven games when meeting a side for the first time in the ISL, having won twice and drawn on five occasions.
  
  
• East Bengal FC have drawn each of their four ISL games when they received a red card with scores level in the league’s history.
  
  
• East Bengal FC's four red cards this season is one more than their last three seasons combined (0 in 2023/24, 2 is 2022/23 and 1 in 2021/22). In fact, this is the joint highest tally for them in a single season (also 2020-21 season).
  
  
• East Bengal FC had 25.3% possession against Mohammedan SC, the lowest by any team in a single game in the ongoing ISL season and sixth lowest overall.
  
  
• Mohammedan SC created 16 chances, compared to just 4 by East Bengal FC. Andrey Chernyshov’s side also recorded 50 touches inside the opposition penalty box—five times more than East Bengal FC’s 10.
  
  
• Hijazi Maher (East Bengal FC) recorded 13 clearances in today’s game, the joint most in a single game in the ongoing ISL season (also Stephen Eze – 13 each vs Mumbai City FC on 21 September 2024 and vs Hyderabad FC on 21 October 2024). His eight headed clearances against Mohammedan SC is the joint highest such tally by any player in a single game this season (also Ryan Edwards vs NorthEast United FC on 17 October 2024 and Tiri vs Jamshedpur FC on 21 September 2024).
  
  
• Prabhsukhan Gill made five saves against Mohammedan SC, just one shy of his personal best of six saves in a single match (His highest save tally of 6 was achieved twice: once for East Bengal FC against FC Goa on March 6 2024, and previously for Kerala Blasters FC against Odisha FC on October 23 2022).