Chapter 664: Chapter 663: Man City Has Twenty Key Players
Charlton, Birmingham, and Fulham have all been the dark horses this year, breaking into the top four early in the season.
However, as the season went deeper, their rankings gradually slipped to the upper-middle area.
In the third minute of the match, Deng Kai received a pass from Tu Lei, executed a deep-fried meatball move to get past two defenders, and then played a through ball.
Villa’s curved shot was saved.
Adriano scored on the rebound.
His Premier League goal tally also reached twelve, tying with Deng Kai.
At the same time, Adriano broke his 180-minute scoring drought!
The fortieth minute.
Maicon made a run down the flank, but instead of crossing, he sent an early horizontal pass.
Adriano, who was switching positions with Villa, made a diagonal run and let the ball pass, successfully deceiving Fulham’s backline.
After receiving the ball, Villa was almost facing an empty net and easily scored.
The second half.
In the sixty-seventh minute, Deng Kai coordinated with Lahm on the wing.
Lahm crossed from the flank.
Yaya Tu Lei, who pushed forward into the box, headed the ball into the net.
In the eighty-fifth minute, Fulham launched a counterattack.
Cech lost his clean-sheet bonus.
Three to one.
Manchester City won a series of consecutive victories!
On November 27th, the second leg of the second round of the Europa League.
This time Manchester City was visiting Grozny, Russia.
Unlike the resolute preparation last time.
This time Manchester City fielded a relatively relaxed lineup.
Torres, Villa
Deng Kai, Fabregas, David Silva
Mascherano
Ashley Young, Thiago Silva, Kompany, Sun Jihai
Neuer
The Russians thought they had a chance at one point.
But in the thirteenth minute, Sun Jihai from China launched an attack from the right flank, connecting with Deng Kai on the left.
After receiving the ball, Deng Kai quickly completed a half-high lob with the outside of his foot.
Adriano dove and forced the football into the net with power.
The aggregate score reached three to zero.
Grozny’s trick had essentially led to their exit.
Soon after, David Silva played a through pass from the right flank.
Torres sprinted forward and executed a one-two move but unfortunately, he was too close to the baseline to have a shot at goal and could only pass back with a backward triangle pass.
Adriano, showing great insight into his positioning, scored with a one-touch shot, completing his brace.
After a brief lull, Adriano’s form had surged once again.
He shattered the baseless claims that "Weak Adriano" had made a comeback.
In the final moments of the first half.
Ashley Young, after a series of step-overs in the box, drew a penalty.
In this regard, the renowned commentator Huang Jianxiang said, "The Russians don’t understand Ashley Young. Over here, he’s also known as ’Can’t-Get-Past-Young.’"
"When he dribbles, you just need to watch him; he won’t get past."
"But Grozny’s defenders insisted on stretching out their legs, which is simply a lack of understanding of the opponent."
"With such an attitude towards the match, being knocked out is deserved."
Afterward, Deng Kai scored from the penalty spot, making the score three to zero for this game.
In the second half, Manchester City relaxed a bit, allowing Grozny to score a counterattack goal.
Neuer was left inexperienced against a two-on-one situation with the opposing players.
The seventy-seventh minute.
Deng Kai won a high-pressure turnover and then passed the ball to David Silva.
The small midfielder David Silva delivered a diagonal pass.
After receiving the ball, Fabregas made a quick move and shot, hammering the ball straight into the corner of the goal!
The seventy-ninth minute.
Mascherano completed an interception and launched a counterattack with a long ball.
Torres moved like the wind, saving the football from flying out of the baseline just in time, and passed it back to Deng Kai, who was thrusting forward on the flank.
Deng Kai didn’t stop the ball, but instead lofted it into the penalty area, aiming for speed.
The recently surged into the penalty area, gourd baby Villa scored with a header.
Five to one!
Manchester City’s main lineup had just played a two-nil against Grozny Trik.
The result was a five-one win by the pure reserve lineup.
For a moment, the Russians were somewhat confused.
This team... has more than twenty main players?
Isn’t that too much against the rules?
The much-touted Chelsea, "richer than the other top ten Premier League teams combined," can’t possibly have more than 20 main players, right?
But you know what?
For a team like Grozny Trik, Manchester City really does have more than twenty players who reach the starting level.
There might even be more than 15 who could play as their core!
Feng Te: Then I’d like to know which players aren’t good enough to be their core?
November 29th, the fourteenth round of the Premier League.
Manchester City challenges Leicester City.
The focus of this match is Ribery’s comeback.
Everyone wants to know how well Ribery has recovered.
Many players are dazzling before the injury.
Afterward, they tend to be nothing special.
Especially the wingers.
Many experts weren’t optimistic about Ribery, at least they thought Ribery wouldn’t be in good shape for a while.
But just five minutes into the game, Ribery used his exaggerated ball sense and cut-ins to create a very dangerous free-kick.
Deng Kai took the free-kick.
Leicester City players were under immense pressure.
Premier League players used to dread Beckham being the free-kick taker.
Beckham’s free kicks were indeed too strong, too high scoring.
But now what everyone fears the most is Deng Kai and Ronaldo.
Deng Kai mastered both the Crescent Moon Scimitar and the Elevator Ball, with a free-kick scoring rate even higher than Beckham’s.
And Ronaldo... his Elevator Ball is irresistibly effective, and he has already hurt several defensive wall players.
Ronaldo: ???
Ronaldo: I feel like you’re throwing shade at me, and you have evidence!
But who would have thought that Deng Kai this time would use the Ground Cutter instead.
The football flew under the wall and successfully scored a goal.
At the thirty-third minute, Deng Kai took a corner.
Chiellini flicked the ball with his head.
Ribery, at the edge of the small penalty area, instinctively lifted his foot and deflected the ball into the goal range.
The second half.
Tu Lei, after a midfield steal, delivered a through pass.
Ribery received the ball, separated man from ball, and went through to score alone, scoring his second goal of the match.
Eighty-eighth minute.
Fabregas, having come on as a substitute, faked a pass to attract the attention of the defending players, then lofted a pass to the deep right side of the large penalty area.
Ribery, with intelligent positioning, burst into the penalty area and fired a tight-angle shot that deflected off the goalkeeper’s shin and into the net.
Four to nil!
Manchester City’s firepower indeed revived, thrashing Leicester City who ranks thirteenth in the Premier League.
Ribery scored a hat-trick and provided an assist, earning the title of the best player of the match.
...
December 1st.
The third part of The Lord of the Rings, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," premieres in North America.
The first day box office reached 37.1 million US dollars, breaking the record for Wednesday’s single-day box office held by "Star Wars Episode I" made in 1993 with 28.5 million dollars.
According to authoritative media predictions, if things go as expected, the movie’s global box office will exceed one billion dollars!
The previous two films in the series have both achieved this level of global box office.
In addition, according to news from Hollywood, "The Lord of the Rings 3" is very likely to win significant awards at next year’s Oscars.
