Five years back on a January evening, just a few hours after the merger of ATK and Mohun Bagan was announced, Sanjiv Goenka, the RPSG top boss, said he wanted to take the football entity to a level where winning would be par for the course and a loss would grab eyeballs.

Post-merger ATK Mohun Bagan — later rechristened Mohun Bagan Super Giant — have tasted success, but there was no complete domination over their rivals.

It was finally in this season what Goenka had wished for took wings. At their fantastic best, Bagan — with 46 points from 20 matches — are on the cusp of retaining the ISL-XI League Shield and could seal the deal even before February ends. So what made Bagan click this season?

“The work of the players is the secret. Everyone’s hard work — that of the coaching staff, supporting staff, management, and owner — is helping the team. Everybody is pushing in the same direction,” coach Jose Molina said after Bagan’s 3-0 romp against Punjab FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.

There are a lot of factors that made Bagan look invincible. The miserly defence, bench strength, Lalengmawia ‘Apuia’ Ralte’s presence as the No. 6 in the midfield, late goals, maximum conversions from set-pieces and the foreign brigade. Molina’s Bagan had all the bases covered.

For example, defenders — Subhasish Bose (six), Alberto Rodriguez (four), Tom Aldred (two) and Dippendu Biswas (one) — have netted 13 out of the 39 Bagan have scored till now and they had 12 clean sheets. It’s a rarity in Indian football.

“The players are doing a great job. Being successful in front of the goal, defending, and keeping clean sheets. There’s no other secret. It’s everybody’s work in the same direction,” Molina said.

When defender Anwar Ali switched over to East Bengal, there were doubts if the Bagan defence could hold shape. As it turned out, it was a blessing in disguise. The foreign central defender duo of Rodriguez and Aldred, after the initial teething problems, grew from strength to strength. “Their presence gave me confidence,” goalkeeper Vishal Kaith said, effusive in praise of the defence.

Apuia seamlessly integrated into Molina’s scheme of things. Coming from Mumbai City FC last summer, days after he helped his former club beat his present club to win the ISL trophy, the talented midfielder held the Bagan midfield together. During the Bengaluru FC match on January 27, he saw a yellow card early, regained himself, did not have a single wrong step from then on and was adjudged Player of the Match. “I curse myself whenever I make a stupid tackle,” he said. In the 17 matches he played, Apuia had 39 successful tackles.

Molina also has such an enviable bench that even when there were injuries or loss of form, it did not matter. When Jamie Maclaren was not firing, Dimitri Petratos stepped up, and when Greg Stewart was sidelined due to injury, Jason Cummings delivered. Add to that Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh’s presence. “We are at a good advantage,” Molina was honest.

The Bagan boat is cruising.