Panaji, Dec 2 (Agency) The match between ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City FC was a big one for various reasons. It was a re-match of last season’s final and it pitted probably two of the strongest teams in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) against one another. The 5-1 result in favour of Mumbai City FC was unexpected but not the number of goals that were scored in the match. This season, it has rained goals in the Hero ISL and Wednesday’s match ensured a new record was set. The Hero ISL 2021-22 saw its goal tally go past the 50-goal mark and it was achieved in record time.
With just 14 games into the league, the Hero ISL 2021-22 has been the quickest season to reach the figure, beating the previous best of 19 games in the 2018-19 season. To put things in perspective, the inaugural season took 21 matches to reach the 50 goal mark. Constrastingly, it took 27 matches to reach 50 goals in the 2016 season, the most number of matches needed to reach that figure whereas it took 24 matches for the 50th goal to arrive last campaign. Matches taken to score 50 goals in every Hero ISL season so far: 2014: 21 2015: 21 2016: 27 2017-18: 19 2018-19: 19 2019-20: 20 2020-21: 24 2021-22: 14 Barring just a single goalless draw between NorthEast United FC and Kerala Blasters FC, this season has witnessed a goal in every single match. Current champions Mumbai City FC, and Odisha FC are the joint-toppers for the most goals scored, nine apiece.
The topscorer of the league is shared by these two teams as well, with Aridai Suarez (Odisha FC), Javier Hernandez (Odisha FC), and Igor Angulo (Mumbai City FC), all three scoring three goals each. The match between SC East Bengal and Odisha FC that finished 6-4 in the latter’s favour was the highest-scoring game in the season and the second highest goalscoring match ever in the history of the Hero ISL. The Hero ISl 2021-22 season also had the highest goal tally after the first ten matches with 33 goals. And in the next four games that have followed, 21 more goals have been added to the tally. The Hero ISL fans will hope that the trend continues and they are served with some cracking entertainment.