On an all-time I-League record of 20 games unbeaten in a row, Gokulam Kerala FC are just four points away from winning the I-League 2022 trophy.
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On an all-time I-League record of 20 games unbeaten in a row, Gokulam Kerala FC are now just four points away from defending the title they won last season. With just three games remaining, only a colossal collapse would deny Vincenzo Alberto Annese’s side their second successive league trophy. The Kozhikode-based side are three points clear of their nearest rivals Mohammedan SC, who defeated Churchill Brothers 2-0 on Friday to put pressure on the leaders. GKFC has been the most dominant side in the league this term. They have been mightily impressive upfront and at the same time has one of the best defence in the competition.
League table! ?
Malabarians are unbeaten so far in the season with 37 points from 15 matches. ?
⚡️11 Wins
⚽️40 Goals
?6 Clean sheets. #Malabarians #GKFC #ILeague pic.twitter.com/4T6kxBUq0P— Gokulam Kerala FC (@GokulamKeralaFC) May 6, 2022
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GKFC started their title defence with a 1-0 win over Churchill Brothers and went on to clinch four wins from their opening five games. Although Mohammedan SC and Rajasthan United FC managed to take points from them, GKFC was a class apart winning seven of their next eight games and leapfrogged Mohammedan SC to the summit of the standings. Vincenzo Alberto’s side has scored 40 goals so far, the most in the league, in 15 games and the second best attacking side is Mohammedan, who have found the back of the net 31 times. Apart from scoring goals, GKFC has been pretty solid at the back, having conceded the least number of goals (11), at this point of time.
Mohammedan started brightly by winning the first four games and went on to occupy the top spot until gameweek 10. But GKFC were always hot on their heels and got better as the league progressed, not losing a single game and registered 11 wins and 4 draws from their 15 games to accumulate a whopping 37 points. Annese’s side were held to s 1-1 draw against Churchill Brothers last Saturday but responded in commanding fashion with a 4-0 thrashing of Neroca FC three days later, that too without top-scorer Luka Majcen. Now, GKFC is just four points away from becoming the first ever club in the I-League era to successfully defend their title. Should they maintain their unbeaten run in the remaining games, they could also become the first-ever invincible champions in NFL/ I-League history.
Meanwhile the football fans in Malabar have more reasons to be excited about this season as GKFC is set to make its debut at the continental stage, featuring in the AFC cup group stage in Kolkata later this month. Annese’s side is placed in Group D alongside fellow Indian club ATK Mohun Bagan, Bangladeshi champions Bashundhara Kings and Maldivian champions Maziya. For the Malabarians, winning the league would be the perfect preparation for the Asian challenge. GKFC’s first match would be against ATKMB on May 18 before taking on Maziya three days later and then will face Bashundhara Kings in the final group match on May 24.
