A-League Roundup: Sydney FC left for dead by bitter rivals

[h2]The numbers that matter[/h2][image alt="A-League Round 22 Results" id="9d2c201f-519f-4b4e-8b77-ebc652e486ae" credit-line="Flashscore / Enetpulse" guid="6cadfa53-84e6-44ba-bdfb-f7217f3d5d5f" original-width="1200" original-height="900" /][image alt="A-League Ladder" id="7e84c4fc-fd31-46fd-b424-98fc00365e18" credit-line="Flashscore / Enetpulse" guid="a5bb5b71-2987-4209-89f9-eb9dbbac2b8f" original-width="1200" original-height="900" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/australia/a-league/"]Catch up on all A-League results and statistics on Flashscore.com.au here.[/a][/b][/p][h2]Golden Boot race[/h2][image alt="A-League Golden Boot" id="dd7fff7c-a910-40ef-871f-21189ee39bfc" credit-line="Flashscore / Getty Images via AFP" guid="588005da-3476-475f-9722-f63bb82e4319" original-width="1024" original-height="768" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/western-sydney-wanderers/l00pXxBN/"]Western Sydney[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jovanovic-luka/bZQR7tR5/"]Luka Jovanovic[/a] struck his fifth goal in six games to shoot right up to equal-second in the leaderboard, whilst [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eze-ifeanyi/rwVQyUb6/"]Ifeanyi Eze[/a] joined the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/auckland-fc/2J7jacL6/"]Auckland[/a] pair of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cosgrove-sam/E5tgWxbD/"]Sam Cosgrove[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randall-jesse/SvHX4DoT/"]Jesse Randall[/a] in the top-five with his late match winner in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brisbane-roar/SSr7kDGC/"]Brisbane[/a]. [/p][h2]The big winners of Round 22[/h2][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/melbourne-victory/Qql6CzOP/"]Melbourne Victory[/a] [/b]have scored eight goals in two games and emphatically ended the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/central-coast/Wzp1wFWg/"]Central Coast Mariners[/a]' own impressive unbeaten run at AAMI Park, despite having to work hard for the three points. [/p][p]It was the visitors who were first to break through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ngor-sabit/OCdB241D/"]Sabit Ngor[/a], who along with striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atkinson-nathaniel/foFnxc1k/"]Nathaniel Blair[/a] also missed separate opportunities to put the Mariners 2-0 or even 3-0 up before half-time. [/p][p]The Victory dominated the first half with 14 shots to seven but weren't able to convert until the 50th minute of the match.[/p][p]They broke the door down with a second just five minutes later - a particularly pleasing period for manager Arthur Diles who not long ago watched them concede twice in a few minutes against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sydney-fc/6JsBlXVI/"]Sydney FC[/a] to squander an away victory. [/p][p]Tough games against Auckland (away) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-jets/EaZ5xZo0/"]Newcastle[/a] (home) await, so they'll have been delighted to have almost guaranteed themselves a finals position with four rounds to go, but a top-four position will continue to be the aim. [/p][p]The other big winners? Anyone who loves backing 'yes' in both teams to score markets. Not a single side kept a clean sheet this weekend - the second time in three rounds it occurred. [/p][embed guid="89d0012b-b618-4c45-8197-bb851cedf0ad" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCpTRIi8yH4" social-type="youtube" /][h2]The big losers of Round 22[/h2][p]One point in just three rounds has [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sydney-fc/6JsBlXVI/"]Sydney FC[/a] [/b]now two points behind the top-four and perhaps even on the verge of being dumped out of the top-six soon if the Mariners win their midweek make-up game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/melbourne-city/OKfoGJBe/"]Melbourne City[/a] in early April. [/p][p]Their poor form on the pitch has been in the spotlight because of rumours that head coach Ufuk Talay, who is out of contract at the end of the 2025/26, has been or will be offered a lucrative multi-year deal at crosstown rivals Western Sydney Wanderers. [/p][p]That sparked speculation that Talay has had one eye on his current campaign and another on 2026/27, and whilst nobody here would question his professionalism or his commitment, it's not a great look for Sky Blues fans if their manager is negotiating with their archenemies whilst their campaign crumbles in the final month of the regular season. [/p][p]One thing is for sure: since thrashing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/macarthur-fc/bL3ChiWQ/"]Macarthur[/a] 3-0 on January 10, Sydney are on a terrible run of six losses in 11 games during which they have collected only two clean sheets and haven't beaten any of the other sides finishing Round 22 in the top-six alongside them (D2, L4). [/p][embed guid="43f81e78-145f-4f99-874d-e864816b403a" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrhrCwFRSk0" social-type="youtube" /][h2]Team of the Week[/h2][image alt="A-League Round 22 Team of the Week" id="5cef77a6-38c9-4cbd-8d8e-e04b0af85db5" credit-line="Flashscore / Enetpulse" guid="23f96c12-45f5-44e4-b78a-78688d29aaea" original-width="1080" original-height="1350" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/soccer-a-league-a-league-team-of-the-week-long-awaited-returns-for-taggart-and-alagich/MwwAGcg4/"]Read more about our Round 21 Team of the Week here.[/a][/b][/p][h2]Goal of the Week[/h2][embed guid="7efe4a31-3b01-4758-a6cf-10114c6c83e2" url="https://x.com/aleaguemen/status/2035924132752408858" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Next round's fixtures[/h2][p]Take note that next weekend's FIFA international break means that the A-League won't return until Thursday week (April 2).[/p][image alt="A-League Round 23 Fixtures" id="bd660718-3a19-4f5d-82ec-d0a9c39ee80b" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="476fc36d-770d-4f55-984b-8489f1c96f99" original-width="1200" original-height="900" /]