ATK Mohun Bagan is on a roll, as it has reclaimed the top spot in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 table. The side beat NorthEast United FC 2-0 in Bengaluru on Sunday, thanks to the lone strike from Roy Krishna, along with an own goal.
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Krishna was goalless for a long time but is now delighted to be back on the scoring list. Meanwhile, following the game, he spoke about his performance against the side.
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“I was a little disappointed as I was not able to score. The opposition’s defenders are keeping me in a close marking. The goal of the first match at the beginning of the year has really relieved me. It feels good to think that the drought of goals did not last long. The scorer’s job is to score goals. If I can’t do that, there is pressure,” he told ATKMB.
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“Even though we are at the top of the league, it is not the right time to say that we will go to the playoffs. There are still 11 matches to go. One or two matches in the league can turn everything upside down. But, we started the league with a goal. Everyone is working hard to fulfil that. I don’t think it will be a problem to go to the playoffs if we can maintain our consistency.”
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On being asked about who he would dedicate his goal to, Krishna did so to his wife. “I would like to give my Sunday’s goal as a gift to my wife, Nazia. She is my biggest supporter and critic. When I don’t score, she gives me support. She is not happy when I do not score. This time I was surprised by her, as she came here from Fiji to celebrate Christmas,” he replied.
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Speaking on his team’s performance, Krishna said, “Not just set pieces, our team has a variety of ‘weapons’ to score goals. We regularly sharpen that weapon during practice. Both goals against the NorthEast have come from set-pieces. So, it proves that our team is also good at scoring goals from set-pieces. We have a number of tall defenders in our squad. Which will benefit to make the set-piece effective.”
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Nonetheless, Krishna was wary of Mumbai City FC’s threat, who is in the bid for the top spot and is in good form of late. “Being at the top of the league table, I don’t think we will get any extra advantage against Mumbai City FC. Mumbai is playing very well this time. The team is fighting neck to neck in the league table from the beginning. Extremely strong opponent. It will be a great and exciting match. Our goal will be to keep our focus right. The mistakes we made in the match against NorthEast need to be corrected,” he asserted.
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“Our team is stronger this time than last year. Because the power of our defence has increased a lot. The team has become stronger with the addition of several new good footballers. I have faith that our team will keep the consistency, which is needed to reach the target.,’ he concluded.
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