Top five unbeaten streaks in a single ISL season

Although Mumbai City had to settle for a draw last night against Chennaiyin FC in a match that they probably should have won, it was enough to extend their unbeaten run to 12 games. This eclipses the previous unbeaten streak by Bengaluru FC in the 2018-19 season and sets a new benchmark for everyone else in the league. Here we take a look at the new top five unbeaten streaks in a single season of the Indian Super League (ISL) and it features some terrific sides from the years gone by.

Mumbai City FC (12 matches; 2020-21 season)

What is most impressive about the Mumbai City side under Sergio Lobera is that each and every player knows his role perfectly. It is very rare in Indian football that you see a side that believes in playing a free-flowing, attacking game but is also mindful of its defensive discipline. The Islanders have barely put a foot wrong in the current campaign since their opening defeat against NorthEast United and deservedly sit atop the table with a comfortable six-point lead. With their second leg clash against ATK Mohun Bagan scheduled for the last matchday of the campaign, the top spot may just be decided even before that.

Bengaluru FC (11 matches; 2018-19 season)

Bengaluru FC went on an 11-match unbeaten spree in 2018-19 under the newly brought in Carles Cuadrat. They started the season with a victory over Chennaiyin FC and stayed unbeaten till matchday 13 when a determined Mumbai City got the better of them. However, that wasn’t going to stop the Blues from bagging their first ever ISL title which they did by beating FC Goa in the final. It was an incredible feat considering that they had entered the league just the previous season and had also suffered heartbreak in the final.

https://twitter.com/bengalurufc/status/1241744394622885888

FC Goa (10 matches; 2014 season)

The Gaurs were the first team to go on a 10-match unbeaten streak which they achieved in the inaugural edition of the ISL in 2014. They held the record for more than three years before Bengaluru equalled the feat during the 2017-18 campaign. What makes their achievement even more praiseworthy is that they took four games to register their first victory of the season. After that, they were a different team altogether under the tutelage of Brazilian legend Zico as the likes of Robert Pires, Ranti Martins, Tolgay Ozbay and Clifford Miranda wreaked havoc in opposition defences. They would eventually bow out against ATK in the semifinals.

Bengaluru FC (10 matches; 2017-18 season)

In their debut ISL season, Bengaluru FC announced themselves to the league with an impressive 10-match unbeaten run that went deep into the season. Having competed in the I-League thus far, other sides were left wondering how to stop the likes of Sunil Chhetri and Miku upfront as the Blues bulldozed their way into the final. However, the Albert Roca coached side lost to Chennaiyin FC on the biggest stage and that too on their home turf as the Marina Machans picked up their second title.

https://twitter.com/IndSuperLeague/status/975049042693517312

Mumbai City FC (9 matches; 2018-19 season)

The Islanders performed immensely well in the 2018-19 season as they went nine matches unbeaten. This run was preceded by a thumping 5-0 loss against FC Goa and the same team would stop their streak with a 2-0 victory three months later. Jorge Costa’s men finished third on the table behind Bengaluru FC and FC Goa and went out in the semifinals after a 5-2 aggregate loss against, you guessed it, FC Goa. Significantly, they also halted Bengaluru’s 10-match streak in the same season.