After facing a drubbing at the hands of FC Goa, there was just one thing JC demanded from his players – a response. And the Islanders delivered one.
After a comfortable 2-0 win over Delhi Dynamos, Mumbai City FC make the trip to the home of the defending champions Chennaiyin FC on Saturday, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, here in Chennai.
Going into what will be a challenging outing for the Islanders, the key point on the agenda will be to maintain the momentum from the victory against Delhi. The Islanders haven’t registered consecutive wins yet in this season and this encounter against a beleaguered Chennaiyin side offers a chance to tick off that box.
John Gregory, who is at the helm in Chennai now for the second season running, will have the task cut out for his side after a poor start to their title defence. The Machans, who lost their influential captain Sereno after a title-winning 2017-18 season, have struggled to perform with just one point on the board after five games.
While one will want to maintain the winning run, the other will be looking to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and kickstart their season. A test of grit and character awaits us on Saturday.
Where to watch it:
The game will kick off at 7.30pm IST and will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, Hotstar and Jio TV for all viewers in India. For our global fans, you can follow live action on our official Twitter account  - @MumbaiCityFC.
Team News:
A notable absentee from the last game, Amrinder Singh, is fit for tomorrow’s clash and could be in contention for a start over Ravi Kumar who will be fighting to keep his place after a solid full debut for the Islanders.
Chennaiyin FC’s full back Francis Fernandes, who suffered from a broken nose in their game against ATK, could feature for John Gregory’s side albeit with some facial protection.
Who said what:
Jorge Costa: They have some good quality players and a great coach. If they get one win, Chennaiyin are the kind of a side that can go on winning.
Paulo Machado: We had to show after the FC Goa to our fans that we want to fight hard for this club. We did that against Delhi and we want to do it again.
Arnold Issoko: The only thing we’re focused on is maintaining this confidence and giving consistent peformances. We want to come back with all 3 points.
League Watch
Results:
31 Oct: ATK 1-2 Bengaluru FC (Thatal 15 Miku 45’, Paartalu 47’)
1 Nov: Jamshedpur FC 4-1 FC Goa (Soosairaj 17’, 50’, Memo 77’, Passi 78’ Fall 33’)
Fixtures coming up:
2 Nov: FC Pune City vs Kerala Blasters FC (Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune 7.30pm)
4 Nov: Delhi Dynamos FC vs Jamshedpur FC (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi 7.30pm)
5 Nov: Kerala Blasters FC vs Bengaluru FC (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi 7.30pm)
