East Bengal 1-1 Kerala Blasters Player Ratings: Muhammad Ajsal's Header Denies East Bengal All Three Points As Manjappada Pick Their First Point Of The Season

Matchday 5 of the Indian Super League 2025/26 season saw East Bengal host Kerala Blasters at the Salt Lake Stadium. While East Bengal were in the top half of the table, Kerala have struggled to even open their account and were still searching for their first win of the season.

The game was a cagey affair, with both teams fighting hard for the ball. It was end-to-end stuff, as neither of the two teams wanted to give an inch of space to each other. The Red and Yellow Brigade found a bit of fortune as striker Youssef Ezzejjari was brought down in the penalty box illegally by Aibanbha Dohling, resulting in a spot kick.

The Spanish forward stepped up and put it past Arsh Shaikh to give the hosts the lead. Kerala bombarded the East Bengal box, but their efforts were thwarted diligently by the backline.

It seemed that the three points were in East Bengal's pocket until Muhammad Ajsal popped up to score the equalizer in the 92nd minute of the game from a delightful ball from Ebindas Yesudasan, breaking the hearts of the home fans.

Key Takeaways

• East Bengal saw more of the ball (57%) and had a better xG of 1.13 in the game. They created three big chances while Kerala failed to create even one.
• Miguel Figueira won the most number of duels in this match (8).
• Naocha Huidrom Singh had the most successful interceptions (4).

East Bengal Player Ratings vs Kerala Blasters

Here are the East Bengal Player Ratings from the East Bengal vs Kerala Blasters Player Ratings.

Kerala Blasters Player Ratings vs East Bengal

Here are the Kerala Blasters Player Ratings from the East Bengal vs Kerala Blasters Player Ratings.

Man of the Match

Muhammad Ajsal was the man of the match in this ISL game.

Worst Performer

Edmund Lalrindika was the worst performer from the East Bengal vs Kerala Blasters match.