Robson's Early Strike and Kaith's Heroics Power Mohun Bagan to Top of ISL Table With Hard-Fought Win in Guwahati

Champions find ways to win. On a stormy Sunday evening at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, with rain lashing the surface and conditions making controlled football close to impossible, Mohun Bagan Super Giant found their way. A fifth-minute strike from Robson and a series of match-saving interventions from Vishal Kaith were enough to give the defending champions a hard-earned 1-0 victory over NorthEast United FC and, with it, top spot in the Indian Super League 2025-26 standings.

With 20 points from nine matches, Mohun Bagan now sit two points clear of Mumbai City FC at the summit. It is exactly the kind of position the Mariners would have targeted heading into the business end of the season, and the manner in which they secured these three points composed, disciplined, resilient speaks to a squad that knows what it takes to win a title.

NorthEast United, meanwhile, remain 12th with seven points from nine matches, their evening summed up by a stoppage-time chance that should have brought an equaliser but was ultimately denied by Kaith's sharp reflexes and Mehtab Singh's heroic goal-line interventions. On another night, in different conditions, the contest might have played out very differently. On this one, the better side won.

Mohun Bagan wasted little time announcing their intentions. Jamie Maclaren made a surging run down the right in the third minute, immediately putting the NorthEast defence on alert. The goal that followed two minutes later was a thing of beauty a fluid, quick-thinking combination that cut through the Highlanders' backline with ease. Liston Colaco initiated the move from the right, finding Sahal Abdul Samad, who drove purposefully into the box before cutting a precise ball back into the centre. Robson timed his run with expert precision, meeting the pass with a composed right-footed finish into the top of the net. Five minutes played, one goal scored, and the evening's narrative effectively written.

The defending champions continued to press their advantage through the first half, with Jason Cummings, Sahal and Robinho all testing NorthEast goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh, who produced a series of solid saves to keep the margin at one. The rain, which had been falling steadily, intensified as the half progressed making the ball skid unpredictably across the surface and turning clean passing and movement into a far more demanding proposition for both sides.

NorthEast grew into the game as the half wore on. Parthib Gogoi was played clean through in the 36th minute, threatening to level the contest, but Kaith's decision-making was excellent coming off his line quickly to narrow the angle and force Gogoi's effort wide. It was the kind of save that is easy to overlook but critical in its timing, preserving what would ultimately prove to be the match-winning lead.

The second half resumed after an extended delay caused by the severity of the rainfall, and when play did restart, the conditions showed no signs of relenting. Both teams struggled to sustain any meaningful attacking rhythm, with the surface making controlled, incisive football a significant challenge. NorthEast showed greater urgency in their search for an equaliser, with Macarton Nickson and Thoi Singh both trying their luck from distance, while Kaith remained attentive throughout, dealing with everything that came his way with quiet authority.

The Highlanders threw increasing numbers forward as the game entered its final stages, sensing that a point was there to be taken. Their best opportunity arrived in stoppage time when substitute Ankith Padmanabhan found space inside the box and forced Kaith into a sharp, low save. The rebound fell invitingly to Jairo Samperio but Mehtab Singh threw himself in the way to produce a crucial block that kept Mohun Bagan's lead intact. Seconds later, Mehtab was required again, producing another vital clearance to deny Andy Rodríguez as NorthEast threw everything at the Mariners in the dying moments.

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The final whistle brought relief as much as celebration. Robson's clinical early finish had set the platform, and the collective defensive effort marshalled brilliantly by Kaith and Mehtab had protected it through some genuinely anxious final moments. In a title race, points secured in conditions like these, against opponents who pushed hard until the end, carry extra weight.

Mohun Bagan are top of the table. And they look every inch like champions defending their crown.