MATCH REPORT: Led by Chhetri's hat-trick, Mumbai run riot over NE to secure massive win

A MEMORABLE HAT-TRICK from Sunil Chhetri and one goal apiece from Sony Norde and Frantz Bertin saw Mumbai City run riot over visitors NorthEast United all night to secure a massive 5-1 win and ascend to the second spot in the ISL points table.

Mumbai City came in with two changes to their side; Subash Singh and Frantz Bertin given a start over Gabriel Fernandes and Juan Aguilera. For NorthEast United, the changes were more aggressive; Silas, Simao Sabrosa, Nicolas Velez and Boithang Haokip all came into the starting line-up as coach Cesar Farias had the whole squad fully fit and available for him to pick from for the first time. 

The match saw end to end action from the very outset as NorthEast United started on an aggressive posture, but Mumbai City were more than capable of making fitting replies with counters and moves of their own. 

Norde, being a danger man, attracted fouls early on, and Bikey worked hard to put some pressure on the Mumbai City defence. Chhetri lingered ominously near the NEUFC box as the defenders threw themselves around making multiple blocks.

But the deadlock broke in the 25th minute when Carlos Lopez handled the ball inside the penalty box, gifting Mumbai City a penalty. Sunil Chhetri took it, completely fooled keeper Rehenesh and sent the home team 1-0 up.

But the lead didn't last long as a defensive error of Mumbai's own allowed the Highlanders to draw level. It was a free kick taken by Boithang Haokip that swung slightly in the air and came in at an angle towards the goal. Subrata Paul should really have made the save, but the ball eluded him and found its way into the net. A great free kick by all means, but a goal due to the keeper's error. It was 1-1 and the tussle went a notch up.

Both sides had their chances. Nicolas Velez sent a great cross to Mehta who failed to reach the ball and Pavel cleared it. Then Norde's shot was punched away by Rehenesh, going straight to Pavel whose header hit the crossbar. 

But then Mumbai had struck again. A brilliant header from Subash Singh who was running up the right flank saw the ball curve its way over the keeper and a defender to meet an onrushing Sunil Chhetri who put the finishing move on the ball from a tight angle with a high left foot and the ball went into the net like a bullet. It was 2-1 to Mumbai City.

The fight reached a fever pitch as the game approached half-time. Bikey made a nasty foul on Bertin and got booked. When the referee blew the whistle, Mumbai City were firmly in the lead, meeting NEUFC's aggression with like-for-like assertiveness and skillfulness. And when the second half began, the floodgates burst open as Mumbai got two more goals in quick succession. 

It was yet another handball. Andre Bikey's forearm blocked the ball inside the penalty box again and Mumbai City were once again awarded a penalty. Sunil Chhetri stepped up to take his second penalty of the match and duly slotted it in to complete his hat-trick. He became the first Indian to score a hat-trick in the ISL and joined Chennaiyin's Stiven Mendoza as the joint leading top scorers in the ISL with 6 goals each. 

Then within two minutes, another of Mumbai's trusted soldiers got his hard work rewarded. Sony Norde, the Haitian winger on loan from Mohun Bagan, finally got his first ISL goal when Aguilera sent a brilliant through ball to him with a lot of space ahead, and he made full use of it to fool Rehenesh and get the goal. 

Mumbai City kept making onslaughts at the NEUFC box throughout the remainer of the game and there was little flow from the other end of the pitch.

Sunil Chhetri came close to scoring multiple times. Once his header hit the crossbar and another time Rehenesh just about managed to deflect the shot with his leg from a one-on-one situation. A couple of times that NEUFC got close enough, Subrata Paul stood tall to deny them.

Then came the fifth goal for Mumbai City. It came from a corner, through a combination of two Haitians. Sony Norde delivered the corner straight to Frantz Bertin at the goalmouth whose whip of a header took a deflection off Aibot's waist and went straight in. Mumbai were 5-1 up and had just stopped the much-touted Highlanders' comeback run right on its tracks.

The win takes Mumbai City straight up to the second position in the ISL table with 10 points from 6 matches. They now also have a +4 goal difference; the most among all eight teams in the tournament. Three back to back home wins have seen them jump 6 places and ensured that when they take on Atletico de Kolkata at home on Sunday, it will be as a firesome opponent rather than a branded underdog.

NorthEast United will be worried by the way their defenders continued making error after error that gifted goals to Mumbai City. The two handballs that gave away penalties were utterly unnecessary and downright silly. And the Sony Norde goal happened because of Cedric Hengbart who failed to keep up with the rest of the NEUFC defensive line and instead hung back, thus allowing Norde to get behind the other defenders and still remain onside. These kinds of mistakes are unacceptable at any level of professional football, let alone a tight game where the revival of one's campaign is at stake. Now stuck at the 7th place with 6 points from 6 matches with a -6 goal difference, the Highlanders have not only ended up with the number of the Devil next to their name, but also the metaphorical hell of knowing that they have lost 4 away matches in a row as they prepare to take on Delhi Dynamos on Monday; another difficult away fixture.

While Nicolas Anelka will feel justified with the way he has led the team back to strength, it's now or never for Cesar Farias to pull off a similar turnaround soon. With the sacking of Kerala coach Peter Taylor earlier in the day, the air surrounding ISL couln't be more nervy for the under-performers.