Coach Oscar Bruzon suffered another setback when East Bengal conceded a late equaliser and allowed Kerala Blasters to leave the city with a point in an ISL-12 match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
Later, Mohun Bagan Super Giant were held goalless by Bengaluru FC at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Bagan's four-match winning run thus ended. They are still at the top of the table with 13 points from five games.
Jamshedpur FC can dislodge them from the pole position if they win against NorthEast United FC on Sunday.
Costly mistake
The 1-1 result left East Bengal winless for three matches on the trot, and in a truncated league, one loss and two drawn games could prove costly.
Leading 1-0, thanks to Youssef Ezzejjari's goal from a penalty in the 10th minute, East Bengal's defence was stranded when a corner kick was floated into the box in the second minute of the second half injury time. A diminutive Muhammad Ajsal made the most from the free header.
After five matches, East Bengal have eight points. Kerala Blasters earned their first point in ISL-12.
"Lack of concentration at the fag end of the match cost us two points," rued Bruzon in the post-match news conference.
Bruzon courted controversy when he launched a veiled attack at the club officials on match eve. The draw on Saturday made life difficult for the Spaniard, and he seemed to be walking on thin ice.