ISL 2020-21 | Ashique Kuruniyan should have been shown the red card, asserts Csaba Laszlo

Chennaiyin FC were unbeaten ahead of their match against Bengaluru FC, going into the game with a positive mindset. In spite of playing with an equal footing with their rivals, a 56th-minute strike from Sunil Chhetri via a penalty kick meant they suffered their first defeat of the season. But Chennaiyin FC were dealt with a major blow in the 16th minute of the game, when their midfielder Anirudh Thapa suffered an injury and, as a result, had to be benched for the rest of the game. Their coach Csaba Laszlo was furious with the referee for not showing a red to Ashique Kuruniyan, who knocked down the Chennaiyin FC star in an illegal manner.

“Anirudh Thapa's injury, I think, he will be okay but I'm angry just because it looks like this player No.22 (Ashique) made three fouls in five minutes. This season I'm also angry about what happened because for most of it you can give a yellow or red card. I don't think it was the right decision," said Csaba Laszlo, during the post-match press conference.

The Chennaiyin FC head coach made three changes in the second half, which helped them play with more intent and create chances at the same time. The ‘Marina Machans’ kept the pressure till the last minute of the game, even though they failed to find the back of the net, allowing Bengaluru FC to walk away with three points.

"We were the better team (in the second half) mostly because we changed the system. And we tried to run and score. We tried. In the second half I think we played one-way football," added the manager.