Twenty-three matches have been played since Mohun Bagan SG faced Mumbai City FC on the opening day of the 11th edition of the ISL.
Bengaluru FC currently leads the standings with 10 points from four games, while East Bengal finds themselves at the bottom of the table, yet to earn a point.
With all teams having played at least three matches and the league now on pause for the international break, let’s examine some early statistical trends beginning to take shape across the competition.
Most xG accumulated – Punjab FC
Last season, Punjab managed a total of 22.5 xG, ranking 10th in the league for this metric, and had to wait until their eleventh game to secure their first win in the top tier.
However, with another year of experience comes greater wisdom, and Punjab has learned quickly.
They are now the only remaining team with a 100% win record in the league, and they top the xG accumulation charts, making them arguably the most potent attacking force.
Punjab has generated 6.61 xG from 50 shots, scoring 6 goals—meaning they are slightly underperforming in their goal-scoring despite sitting at the top.
On the other hand, Northeast United leads the league in xG overperformance, scoring 7 goals from an expected goal tally of just 3.17—a remarkable return of +3.82.
Least xGA allowed – Mumbai City FC
Mumbai City FC conceded just 19 goals last season, making them the best defensive side in the league.
Although they are currently struggling, winless in three games, and sitting in the lower part of the table, their defensive strength seems intact.
In their three matches so far, Mumbai has allowed chances worth only 1.2 xG but has conceded 5 goals.
Based on the theory that over-performances and under-performances tend to balance out over time, Mumbai’s defense should be expected to regain its form as a strong point moving forward—much like in their solid display against Bengaluru FC.
Meanwhile, Jamshedpur FC has been the most overperforming side defensively, conceding just 5 goals despite being expected to concede 6.4 based on xG.
This means they’ve conceded 1.4 fewer goals than expected, a strong defensive showing early on.
Best finishing quality – Bengaluru FC
In this context, finishing is distinct from goalscoring.
While goalscoring refers to the actual number of goals scored, finishing quality refers to a team’s ability to increase the likelihood of their chances becoming goals by placing their shots in areas that are difficult for the goalkeeper to reach—essentially taking high-quality, well-placed shots on target.
Bengaluru FC leads the league in this regard, and by a significant margin
The Blues have improved the probability of their shots resulting in goals by an impressive 74% through exceptional finishing.
Sunil Chhetri’s expert penalty-taking and Mendez’s world-class strike against Mohun Bagan have played key roles in this.
Bengaluru FC are also the most efficient goal-scoring team in the league, boasting a 15% conversion rate, having netted 7 goals from 47 attempts.
Best Shotstopper – Samik Mitra (Chennaiyin FC)
Samik may have conceded 3 goals in his three games, but the underlying statistics suggest he should have conceded more based on the quality of chances Chennaiyin faced.
His shot-stopping abilities have been exceptional, preventing at least one more goal that seemed likely to go in.
Considering that Chennai’s only win so far, at Kalinga, came by a one-goal margin, it’s fair to say Samik has single-handedly secured the Marina Machans a couple of crucial points.
Considering that Chennai’s only win so far, at Kalinga, came by a one-goal margin, it’s fair to say Samik has single-handedly secured the Marina Machans a couple of crucial points.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is not far behind, and with 4 consecutive clean sheets, he is undoubtedly in the conversation as one of the league’s top-performing goalkeepers.
Best Finisher & Best Goalscorer – Noah Sadaoui (Kerala Blasters) & Alaeddine Ajaraie (Northeast United)
There’s plenty of talent on display this season, but two Moroccans are leading the charge.
Noah’s performances with Kerala have been a continuation of his time at Goa, but now he’s far more clinical.
He’s significantly overperforming his xG, converting chances worth just 0.53 xG into an on-target xG of 1.4, and scoring 3 goals from it.
While such overperformance may not be sustainable over the course of the season, his past numbers suggest this sharp form may not fade anytime soon.
Northeast United’s Moroccan forward, Alaeddine, has had a similarly impressive impact.
He’s scored 4 non-penalty goals (joint-top with Borja Herrera) with a 20% conversion rate from an xG of 1.76.
Although Borja was edged out based on xG performance, an argument could be made in his favor on the basis of his efficiency, boasting a 27% conversion rate.
Borja certainly deserves to be in the conversation alongside these standout performers.
Football statistical terminologies:
xG (Expected Goals): This metric estimates how many goals a team or player is expected to score based on the quality of the chances they have. Each shot is assigned a value between 0 and 1 based on various factors like distance from the goal, angle of the shot, whether it was a header or a foot shot, and how many defenders are between the shooter and the goal. The higher the xG value, the better the chance of scoring.
xGA (Expected Goals Against): This represents the number of goals a team is expected to concede based on the quality of chances they allow their opponents. Just as with xG, xGA is calculated using factors such as the position, type, and difficulty of the shots the opposing team takes.