Chapter 672: Chapter 671: The Two Invincible Premier League Teams! Reach the Top!
The 87th minute.
Vidal had the ball but was brought down by the onrushing MacLeish.
Vidal was ultimately still a bit green, thinking he could withstand MacLeish.
However, Mascherano immediately charged over, clashing violently with MacLeish who was pursuing the football!
A meeting of the blue defensive midfielders of new and old on a narrow path.
The football was deflected away.
This time, the football flew towards Deng Kai.
Deng Kai perfectly trapped the ball then chipped it to Mandzukic and made a forward run himself.
Mandzukic held off Bridge, heading the ball back to find Deng Kai.
Deng Kai passed the ball through with one touch.
With the football being passed back and forth like this, Chelsea’s defense was pierced in an instant.
Torres broke away with speed, taking both the man and the ball into the penalty area.
Petit slid in from the side, bringing down Torres and stopping his shot.
But the referee’s whistle sounded once more.
Penalty spot!
Torres had won a penalty kick for Manchester City.
Considering there were only a few minutes left in the match, if this penalty was converted, the gap would stretch to three goals.
And Chelsea would then have no chance at all.
Under the watchful eyes of thousands, Deng Kai stood at the penalty spot.
Ten seconds later.
An earthquake of magnitude seven struck the Etihad Stadium!
The noise from the crowd was deafening.
Then, at a certain moment, a united and thunderous celebration erupted: "Siuuuuu!"
From the broadcast booth, Huang Jianxiang was excitedly spluttering: "It’s in! The ball is in! Deng Kai has completed his hat-trick!"
"He’s too strong!"
"Five to two! This Manchester City is too strong! They have defeated a full-strength Chelsea side with their substitutes!"
"Keep in mind, Chelsea is considered one of the strongest teams in the Premier League this season!"
"Manchester City! This is Manchester City!"
"They have made it to the semifinals of the English League Cup for two consecutive seasons!"
"Considering Manchester City’s schedule this year, they might give up the FA Cup. But they have a real chance at winning this Carabao Cup!"
A few minutes later, the main referee blew the whistle ending the match.
Deng Kai, with three goals and an assist, was named the best player of the game.
After the match, when the media asked Deng Kai if he had thoughts about the Carabao Cup,
Deng Kai openly admitted: "Of course, we’ve always taken the Carabao Cup very seriously."
"We crave victory, particularly when it’s so within our grasp."
Reporter: "Will you field a full-strength squad in the Carabao Cup as the upcoming matches are critical?"
Deng Kai shook his head: "This lineup is very good, and everyone is satisfied with them. They have earned the right to be on the pitch for the semifinals or even the finals through victory after victory."
"It would be unfair otherwise."
"Unless due to injury or specific tactical requirements, these players will be involved in all Carabao Cup matches this season!"
Reporter: "Manchester City’s approach to handling substitute players is quite different from others. Could you share your philosophy on this? After all, giving young players opportunities means tolerating their unpredictable performances. Manchester City could very well lose victories or even championships because of this."
Maxa had been waiting for Deng Kai for a while and felt he was more suited to answer this question: "We trust every player, whether they are a starter or a substitute."
"If a player performs poorly on the pitch, it’s not the fault of any individual out there. It’s an issue for our coaching staff."
"So, as long as our players take to the field, even if it’s the seventeen-year-old Nainggolan, theoretically he could also contribute brilliantly!"
Maxa pointed at Vidal, referring to Vidal’s excellent defensive performance after coming on as a substitute in this match.
At this moment, Vidal and Nainggolan both felt awkward.
They were plunged into deep self-reproach.
It was their lackluster performance that led to the head coach not remembering their names even half a season later.
It was all their fault!
Guardiola, looking at the confident Maxa, clutched his head: Maxa indeed couldn’t remember these insignificant players.
Applause!
The journalists all gave a round of applause to the responsible Maxa.
Such a coach, willing to shoulder all the pressure for his players, was truly becoming a rare breed.
Other than Maxa, it was only Porto’s Mourinho who had that level of toughness.
In response, Maxa said his actions weren’t really about responsibility.
After all, what did the coaching staff’s problems have to do with him?
Daily training, tactical theory, tactical training, pre-match targeted preparation... these were all up to Guardiola, Deschamps, and Schmeichel, weren’t they?
...
December 21, the 17th round of the Premier League.
Manchester City challenged Southampton.
In that match, Yaya Touré assisted twice, helping Ribery and Adriano to score.
In the second half, the substitute David Silva delivered a corner, assisting Chiellini to score with a header.
Three-nil!
Manchester City easily took the three points.
The game wasn’t spectacular.
But after the match, the football world turned its attention to Manchester.
Manchester United: With prestigious heritage, what brings everyone to me this time?
Journalists unanimously stated it had nothing to do with Manchester United.
Manchester United: ???
Manchester City: Indeed, it is I!
Bild: "To the top! Arsenal suffers a cold defeat to Bolton in a draw, Manchester City seizes the opportunity to equal points and with a superior goal difference takes the Premier League crown!"
Sky Sports: "The king returns, Manchester City finally tops the Premier League! Offensive firepower, number one in Europe!"
The Times: "A new king is crowned! Manchester City overtakes Arsenal to become Premier League leaders! They’ve really done it!"
BBC: "From now on, the Premier League sky is a shade of blue!"
Kicker: "The battle of the undefeated! Arsenal’s seventeen-match unbeaten run in the Premier League is dazzling enough, but Manchester City’s twenty-five-game unbeaten streak across all competitions is even more brilliant!"
Milan Sport Newspaper: "The Undefeated Emperor Deng Kai! Deng Kai has scored twenty-nine goals and provided seventeen assists this season, contributing to forty-six goals! Leading Manchester City to an unbeaten record!"
Torino Sport Newspaper: "Not just undefeated, but ten consecutive wins! Manchester City sweeps through opponents in all competitions, continuous triumphant news!"
World Sports Daily: "Manchester City sparks blue terror! The dreadful blue moon rises; who can stop their winning streak and unbeaten record?"
All of Europe went crazy.
Without realizing it, you’d be shocked to see.
Was Manchester City this formidable this season?
Twenty-five matches unbeaten, surpassing Arsenal!
Ten consecutive wins in all competitions!
Premier League leaders!
League Cup semi-finalists!
The behemoth of the Europa League!
Too terrifying!
At such a pivotal time, Zidane, who had just won the FIFA World Player of the Year award, had his "All Football" interview released, timed perfectly after the award ceremony.
It wasn’t released immediately after the interview but chosen to be released now.
To say "All Football" had no strategy would obviously be incorrect.
And "All Football" was surely just one part of this big setup.
The trend...
Had been set!
