When the Lion City Sailors signed Anderson Lopes at the start of the season, the Brazilian striker arrived in Singapore amid considerable fanfare.

The forward’s move from J1 League giants Yokohama F. Marinos was widely viewed as a coup for the Sailors, given his impressive record in Japan and across Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions.

And after a brief period of adjustment — during which he scored two goals in his first five Singapore Premier League (SPL) appearances — Anderson has gradually found his rhythm in the domestic competition.

“My adaptation has been great,” said Anderson. “From the first day I arrived, I was welcomed by everyone — the players, the directors, especially Luka Lalić (Director of Football), who supported my family. Right from the start, I felt at home.”

Despite scoring five goals in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two group stage — including all four Sailors goals in a 4-2 victory over Malaysia’s Selangor FC — league goals were initially harder to come by.

However, that changed in February, with Anderson having now scored five goals in his last five league starts.

With a wealth of attacking talent at the Sailors’ disposal, Anderson was not always the first-choice striker early in the campaign and had to remain ready whenever opportunities arose.

“I feel very happy to be scoring more regularly in recent matches,” he said. “If the team depended only on me, I would want to score in every game, that is always my objective. But we have changed the way we play, and that has helped me a lot.”

The Sailors have also looked revitalised since the appointment of Head Coach Jesús Casas at the end of last month. The former Iraq national team head coach has signed a deal until the end of the 2027/28 season.

Having previously held roles with the Spanish national team and Watford FC, Jesús has quickly begun stamping his authority on the team.

“My experience playing under Coach Jesús has been very good,” said Anderson. “He has brought a new identity to the team and renewed our energy.

“Our team has a lot of technical quality, but we need to show it. We need to keep more possession, press more, and I think that makes a big difference in the SPL.”

Indeed, the striker believes the team has already begun adapting to the Spaniard’s demands.

“In a short period of time he has already shown his style of play and we understand what he wants from us. With more time, things will get even better,” Anderson explained.

“For me, I am used to playing this way from my time in Japan, and I like pressing opponents constantly and having more of the ball. My teammates also know that I am in the box to score goals. Having a similar approach here will help me a lot.”

Crucially, Jesús has already proven that his methods can yield success, having guided Iraq to the cusp of their first FIFA World Cup qualification in 40 years.

Now, the Sailors are hoping to script their own chapter with Jesús by securing back-to-back SPL titles for the first time in club history, with Anderson becoming an increasingly important part of the system.

“When I first arrived here, I had a bit of difficulty,” Anderson admitted. “But now things are starting to fall into place. In a short time, Coach Jesús has already changed a few things and I’m very happy with it.”

The impact of that tactical shift was evident in last weekend’s 4-0 victory over Geylang International, when the Sailors scored twice in quick succession. The second goal came when Anderson dispossessed Joshua Pereira with an aggressive press before doubling the lead.

“This high-press strategy works well not only for me as a striker but also for the midfielders higher up the pitch,” Anderson explained.

“It helps the full-backs too, because we run less and don’t give the opposition time to breathe. Playing this way allows us to press more, keep possession and create more chances.”

With seven goals in this season’s SPL, Anderson is currently four behind BG Tampines Rovers striker Hide Higashikawa in the race for the Golden Boot.

Having twice finished as the J1 League’s top scorer, the 32-year-old is determined to add another scoring accolade to his collection.

“For sure, my mission is to be the SPL top scorer,” said the Recife native. “A striker should always think this way, and help the team by scoring goals.

“I always have the ambition to be top scorer in every competition I play. But I never neglect the collective. I always think about the team and the most important thing is to make contributions to a title-winning side.”

That team-first mentality is reflected across the Sailors’ attack, with Lennart Thy contributing nine SPL goals and Bart Ramselaar providing eight assists this season.

Local stars such as Shawal Anuar and Kyoga Nakamura have also played key roles, and Anderson believes the squad’s collective strength will be vital in achieving the club’s ambitions.

“It is an honour and a privilege to play alongside players like Shawal, Lenny and Bart,” Anderson said. “They have been at the club for a long time and have their own stories here. I have great respect for each of them.

“I also enjoy playing with everyone in the squad like Kyoga, Lucas (Agueiro), who is a rising talent, and Luka (Adžić), who has just arrived but has a lot of quality. We all help each other, and the club benefits from that.”

Next up for the Sailors is a Sunday (15 March) night clash against Balestier Khalsa, who are enjoying an impressive run of form with four consecutive SPL victories and 14 goals scored during that stretch.

Marko Kraljević’s side will be without influential midfielder Lazar Vujanić, but much will depend on Croatian winger Jakob Katusa, who has four goals and nine assists in just 10 SPL appearances.

Remarkably, the Tigers have yet to lose a match in which Katusa has either scored or assisted.

“Balestier are a good team and will be a difficult opponent,” Anderson said. “But if we play with the same intensity and style, we will have a good chance to win.

“We know it will be tough, but we are conscious that we are the favourites and we must show that on the pitch.”

Under Jesús, the Sailors – who are unbeaten in all 13 SPL games this season – are developing a new identity built on intensity and attacking football.

“We should not be satisfied with winning 1-0 or 2-0,” Anderson stressed. “Coach Jesús always wants us to win with conviction.

“We need to play well, press hard, keep possession and give everything on the pitch so we can continue to grow as players.”