Chapter 210 – Seven Consecutive Wins! Manchester United in Trouble! The Clash of Two Legendary Powerhouses!
The fourth round of the Premier League was full of excitement.
Bayswater Chinese, affected by the national team training camp, managed to secure a 1-0 victory over Mancini's Liverpool, with Hazard scoring a dramatic last-minute goal after coming off the bench.
After the match, Mancini's team received a great deal of praise, especially for their defensive performance.
Being able to fight on equal terms with Bayswater Chinese at their home ground was commendable, and the media, including Liverpool fans and the Echo newspaper, acknowledged the performance.
After four rounds, Mancini's team sat in 13th place in the Premier League.
Surprisingly, he was not heavily criticized. Everyone believed that he would lead Liverpool out of the current slump.
Before this round of matches, there was another earth-shattering news event in the Premier League.
That was the Wayne Rooney scandal!
This incident almost caused the British media to celebrate early. The entire country was caught up in a frenzy.
How outrageous was it?
Ferguson was forced to bench Rooney in Manchester United's away match against Everton in the fourth round, fearing he could not play.
The result? Manchester United was held to a 3-3 draw at Everton.
Two of those goals came in the stoppage time of the second half.
This made Ferguson absolutely furious.
Everyone could sense that after winning the Champions League, Manchester United's veterans were beginning to show signs of fatigue—or perhaps even complacency.
The Times reported that Manchester United's problem was serious aging.
For instance, goalkeeper Van der Sar was already 39 years old.
Ferdinand was almost 32.
Wes Brown was 31, and Gary Neville was 35.
Even O'Shea, who was once seen as a "youngster," was now 29.
Carrick was 29, Scholes was 35, Giggs was 36, Park Ji-sung was 29, and even Berbatov was 29.
Michael Owen was already 30.
To win the Champions League last season and maintain a top position in the Premier League, Ferguson's coaching ability was unquestionable.
However, the issue now was that Manchester United urgently needed to refresh their squad.
But when the games were played, everyone realized that the veterans were still irreplaceable.
After winning the Champions League, many of the old players had shown clear signs of a decline in form.
So how could Manchester United maintain its competitive edge?
On the other hand, Arsène Wenger's Arsenal managed to beat Bolton 4-1 at home in this round.
After having money to strengthen their squad, Arsenal focused on ensuring the team's renewal to keep them youthful.
For example, this summer, although they only brought in Chamakh and Squillaci, they also sent off aging players such as Gallas, Senderos, Campbell, and Silvestre.
This brought a noticeable youth infusion to Arsenal's squad.
Manchester City, meanwhile, won 2-0 at home against Blackburn thanks to goals from Yaya Touré and Ibrahimović.
Ancelotti's Chelsea remained steady as always.
But the biggest surprise came from Hiddink's Chelsea, who defeated West Ham United 3-1 away.
Chelsea's situation was different, though.
While Hiddink was implementing a youth reform, the fixture list this season was very favorable for Chelsea.
In their first five matches, they hadn't faced any strong teams, all opponents being promoted sides or mid-lower table teams from the previous season. This made them appear unstoppable.
But the real tests were yet to come.
In rounds 6 and 7, they would face Manchester City away and Arsenal at home.
That would be the true test for Hiddink!
As for Yang Cheng's Bayswater Chinese?
They had already beaten Liverpool!
...
After the fourth round of the Premier League, it was time for the first match of the Champions League group stage.
Bayswater Chinese hosted Ajax at home.
The day before Yang Cheng's team played, an unexpected upset occurred in the Champions League.
Manchester United, with a full reserve team, played at home against Glasgow Rangers from Scotland.
Before the match, Ferguson confidently stated that he knew Scottish teams well and had carefully arranged his squad to secure a win.
He was confident in his starting lineup.
However, during the match, the well-organized Glasgow Rangers used quick transitions to trouble Manchester United.
The Red Devils couldn't break through Glasgow Rangers' defense.
The match ended 0-0, with both teams sharing the spoils.
The defending champions started their Champions League campaign with a major setback.
British media immediately criticized Ferguson, saying he was overconfident.
Before the match had even started, he thought he could easily win at home?
Now, Glasgow Rangers had given Manchester United a harsh lesson.
Yang Cheng, while laughing at Ferguson's misfortune, quickly changed his starting lineup.
He couldn't take the risk.
If Bayswater Chinese failed, it would be a massive embarrassment.
Moreover, Manchester United was scheduled to play Liverpool on the weekend, while Bayswater Chinese faced West Bromwich Albion.
Ultimately, Yang Cheng opted for a stable approach.
In the 31st minute of the first half, Marcelo opened the scoring for Bayswater Chinese.
In the second half, Modrić assisted Lewandowski in doubling the lead.
Yang Cheng rotated his squad, with players like Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott not starting, but the overall strength of the team remained intact.
These days, the Champions League wasn't easy.
The Premier League was even tougher!
...
On the afternoon of September 18, the fifth round of the Premier League took place.
Bayswater Chinese played West Bromwich Albion away.
Just 15 minutes into the match, Lewandowski scored to give Bayswater Chinese the lead.
Everyone thought this was going to be another big win.
However, in the 51st minute, during a corner defense, West Bromwich Albion's center-back Olsson scored with a header to equalize.
But just 8 minutes later, Gareth Bale scored again to restore Bayswater Chinese's lead.
In the 69th minute, Thiago Silva, who had earlier made a mistake defending Olsson, redeemed himself by scoring with a header from a set-piece, sealing the 3-1 victory.
Bayswater Chinese won 3-1 away at West Bromwich Albion, earning three important points.
After the match, West Bromwich's manager Di Matteo told the media that his team had briefly seen a chance for a draw, but Gareth Bale's goal had closed the door on their hopes.
"The joy of scoring lasted just 8 minutes for us."
Di Matteo said that Bayswater Chinese was indeed very strong this season.
"Yes, today's Bayswater Chinese team wasn't the strongest, as they rotated several positions, but they still won. That's the difference!"
"We tried our best!"
While Bayswater Chinese triumphed over West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal won 2-1 away against Sunderland.
It was a very narrow victory for Arsenal.
They took the lead early with a stunning goal from Fabregas, but in the second half, Alexandre Song received a second yellow card and was sent off.
With one man down, Arsenal gradually lost control of the match, but in the 74th minute, they earned a penalty thanks to Arshavin and converted it to double their lead.
It wasn't until the final moments that Darren Bent pulled one back for Sunderland.
Arsenal won—but just barely.
The biggest headline of this round, however, was the Northwest Derby between Manchester United and Liverpool.
Ferguson had rotated heavily for the midweek Champions League match in order to prepare for this fixture, only to be held at home to a draw by Rangers, which drew ridicule from the media and criticism from Manchester United fans.
And in this highly anticipated clash, United also found it difficult to break down Liverpool's defense.
It wasn't until the 42nd minute that Berbatov scored from a Giggs assist to give United the lead.
In the second half, the Bulgarian struck again in the 59th minute with a header from a Robben cross, making it 2–0.
Yang Cheng, watching the match live, couldn't help but jokingly complain:
"Why does Buffon only turn into a superhero when he's facing us?"
Kidding, of course.
Buffon had already made a great save in the first half.
Then in the 64th minute, O'Shea assisted Berbatov, who completed his hat trick.
Everything looked like it was headed toward a routine United victory.
But football, as always, had its way of keeping things unpredictable.
In the 74th minute, Joe Cole played a through ball, Torres broke past Vidić, and slotted past Van der Sar to pull one back.
Just six minutes later, Cole slipped another pass into Suárez, who was brought down at the edge of the box by O'Shea.
Gerrard stepped up and drilled a stunning free-kick into the net.
2–3.
Suddenly, momentum had completely shifted.
Liverpool went on an all-out assault.
Manchester United's players were clearly running out of gas.
Mancini brought on substitutions, most notably Balotelli.
By that point, Liverpool had three strikers on the pitch.
Their comeback echoed the miracle in Istanbul in 2005—a team fueled by unbreakable will.
United crumbled under the pressure.
And in the 92nd minute, Aquilani launched a long ball forward.
Balotelli sprinted toward the penalty spot and headed the ball past Van der Sar.
3–3.
The Italian striker roared like a beast, sprinting off in celebration.
This was an epic battle at Old Trafford, a match that reminded everyone why the Premier League was the most thrilling league in the world.
In the words of Liverpool legend Alan Hansen:
"This is the spirit that belongs only to Liverpool."
Indeed.
To come back from 3–0 down and tie the game was a miracle worthy of Istanbul.
There was something in Liverpool's DNA that made them different.
Still, United's second-half collapse raised serious concerns.
Most pundits agreed: Ferguson's side was in dire need of restructuring.
"United are running on fumes now."
"That Champions League title last season may have drained them entirely."
Ferguson, however, rejected all criticism in his post-match press conference.
He insisted Manchester United would bounce back quickly.
But according to The Sun, famous for its transfer scoops, United had indeed been tracking young talents on the market and had plans to reinforce the squad even before the season started.
"Ferguson believes prices are too inflated right now, so he held back."
One of the players United had been scouting was Javier Pastore, often called the Argentine Kaká, then playing at Palermo.
Pastore had joined the Serie A side the previous summer from Huracán, and had impressed ever since.
Back then, the fee had been only £5 million.
Now? Palermo weren't opposed to selling—but slapped a £40 million price tag on him.
Ferguson couldn't justify it.
But United weren't alone.
Arsenal, City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern were all monitoring Pastore.
His valuation soared.
In the final two games of Matchweek 5, Manchester City won 2–0 away at Wigan, thanks to goals from Tevez and Yaya Touré.
Chelsea smashed newly promoted Blackpool 4–0 at Stamford Bridge.
Now, the Blues were heading into two consecutive heavyweight clashes...
…
Midweek, League Cup Round 3, Bayswater Chinese hosted Milton Keynes Dons, a League One (third division) side.
Interestingly, MK Dons had deep historical ties to the once-feared Crazy Gang of Wimbledon FC.
Back in the day, with no stadium and dismal finances, Wimbledon FC left London and relocated to Milton Keynes, merging with the local team to form MK Dons.
Now, they were still in League One.
Yang Cheng sent out a full reserve lineup:
Goalkeeper: Begović
Defense: Ryan Bertrand, José Fonte, Kompany, Kyle Walker
Midfield: Javi Martínez (DM), Paul Pogba, Aaron Ramsey
Attack: Hazard, Giroud, De Bruyne
Even at this stage, De Bruyne still had great pace and could play across the entire frontline.
He had solid dribbling and cutting ability even from the wings.
Yang Cheng wanted to use this match to evaluate the Belgian duo, Hazard and De Bruyne—how well they complemented each other, and how much impact they could bring.
The match looked more like a Bayswater Chinese attacking exhibition.
MK Dons had some counters but offered little threat.
Still, Bayswater's offense took time to click.
Not until the 24th minute did Ryan Bertrand overlap down the left, link up with Hazard, and set up the Belgian to score the opening goal.
Just two minutes later, Bertrand again overlapped and crossed, this time for Giroud to head home.
2–0.
Two minutes after that, Aaron Ramsey joined the scoring party with a tidy finish.
Again, the attack came from the left.
In just 6 minutes, Bayswater Chinese scored three goals.
Ryan Bertrand was involved in all three—two assists and a pre-assist.
The England left-back was growing more impressive by the match.
But after that flurry, the attack stalled again.
The issue was poor cohesion.
Pogba, Javi Martínez, and Ramsey formed a well-balanced midfield in theory—but still lacked rhythm and coordination.
"If Pogba and Ramsey are playing together, having Matić behind them might be better," said Brian Kidd.
Matić, after all, started his career as a No. 10. His passing and organizational instincts were solid.
Javi Martínez had played as a No. 10 too, but clearly lacked the same playmaking chops.
Yang Cheng agreed.
For now, Yang Cheng had no intention of breaking up the midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Matić, and Modrić.
The three complemented each other extremely well, and each possessed excellent passing ability.
In fact, Yang Cheng believed that Matić's passing range surpassed that of Casemiro, the defensive anchor in the "ceremonial midfield trio" from his past life.
So he focused on getting the trio to build chemistry as quickly as possible.
As for cup competitions, Yang Cheng wasn't particularly concerned.
The first half ended with Bayswater Chinese leading 3–0.
At halftime, Yang Cheng made a few tweaks to the midfield.
De Bruyne dropped into central midfield to play as a right central midfielder, while Aaron Ramsey moved to the right wing.
Both were versatile.
Yang Cheng gave them freedom of movement, too.
But the results were still lackluster.
In the 60th minute, Harry Kane replaced Giroud.
Then, in the 80th minute, Pogba pushed forward and linked up with Hazard in a quick one-two on the left side just outside the box.
The French midfielder slipped a through ball into the box, and Harry Kane, without breaking stride, fired home.
4–0.
That was the final goal of the match.
Bayswater Chinese comfortably beat Milton Keynes Dons at home.
Yang Cheng was satisfied with the result.
But the match did reveal several issues.
For example, De Bruyne was still far from becoming the elite playmaker he would be in Yang Cheng's previous life.
Aaron Ramsey had improved, but still wasn't suited to being the midfield's central orchestrator.
That said, with their level of talent, it was only a matter of time.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, Pogba had even played as a midfield general at the World Cup.
To Yang Cheng, Pogba's best position remained as a left-sided central midfielder, or even a left inside forward.
…
While Bayswater Chinese were winning 4–0, the League Cup served up three major upsets.
The first came when Chelsea lost 3–4 at home to Newcastle—a mild shock.
Liverpool, fielding a full reserve side at Anfield, faced Northampton Town, a fourth-tier side.
The Reds failed to score in 90 minutes.
Even after extra time, it remained 0–0.
In the penalty shootout, Mancini's team lost 4–6.
Afterward, the 20,000 fans at Anfield let their displeasure be known.
Nobody pays to watch their club get knocked out by a League Two team.
Similarly, Manchester City, also playing a second-string XI, lost 1–2 away to West Bromwich Albion.
When Yang Cheng heard the news, his first reaction was surprise.
Then realization.
This was all by design.
Chelsea, City, and Liverpool had all thrown their full resources at the league.
City also had the Champions League to worry about.
None of them prioritized the League Cup.
And in truth, neither did Yang Cheng.
He also fielded a full rotation squad.
The only difference?
Bayswater Chinese's depth was just that good.
With three big clubs out of the competition, the League Cup suddenly felt a lot quieter.
…
Premier League Matchweek 6.
The headline fixture was set for September 25th at noon, broadcast worldwide:
Manchester City vs. Chelsea.
The only two teams to start the season with five straight wins were Bayswater Chinese and Chelsea.
But while Yang Cheng's side had already faced Liverpool, Chelsea's five victories came against weaker opponents.
That led to skepticism about Chelsea's true level.
Now, with a trip to face City, Hiddink finally had a chance to prove himself.
In this marquee clash, Ancelotti rolled out his usual 4-3-2-1:
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart
Defense: Leighton Baines, Chiellini, Lúcio, Zabaleta
Midfield trio: Gareth Barry, Pirlo, Yaya Touré
Attacking midfielders: David Silva and Kaká
Striker: Ibrahimović
Hiddink went with a full-strength side, playing a 4-3-3:
Goalkeeper: Čech
Defense: Ashley Cole, Alex, Terry, Ivanović
Midfield: Mikel (holding), Sneijder and Essien
Attack: Malouda, Drogba, Eto'o
Lampard was out injured.
Both teams came out firing from the opening whistle.
It was a fast-paced, high-octane battle.
Chelsea's system this season resembled a Roman phalanx—
Shields up front, charging forward once the fight began.
They often relied on team cohesion, quick transitions, and raw physicality to overpower mid-table and relegation sides.
But here in Manchester, when the phalanx advanced, it smashed straight into Ancelotti's steel wall.
And it turned out—the sides were evenly matched.
The first half was fierce but tight.
Tactically rich, but lacking in chances.
As Sky Sports put it:
"The highlight was the heavyweight brawl between Drogba and Lúcio."
In the 27th minute, Drogba shrugged off Lúcio and laid the ball off to Sneijder.
The Dutchman's long-range shot was blocked by Chiellini.
The real danger came from the ensuing corner.
Ivanović's header hit the crossbar.
The Etihad held its breath.
In the 37th minute, City responded.
Yaya Touré burst forward to collect a pass from Kaká, dribbled past three Chelsea defenders, and slid a low ball into the box.
Ibrahimović controlled under pressure from Terry but failed to finish—Čech smothered the shot.
Big-game Zlatan? Still unreliable.
The first half ended 0–0.
Sky Sports summed it up:
"Tactically sharp. Structurally sound. But short on thrills."
Both Ancelotti and Hiddink had come prepared, and it showed.
The second half played out much the same.
Both sides went hard.
Finally, in the 69th minute, Ancelotti made a change.
David Silva dispossessed Sneijder and quickly fed Kaká.
Suddenly, it was a three-on-three break:
Kaká, Ibrahimović, and sub Tevez against Terry, Alex, and Ashley Cole.
Kaká slipped the ball to Tevez—
Low shot. Through Alex's legs. Past Čech.
1–0.
That score held until the final whistle.
Ancelotti's City edged out Chelsea thanks to Tevez's winner.
…
Chelsea lost!
But the match in Manchester reverberated around the footballing world.
The gameplay may not have dazzled, but the intensity was off the charts.
And the star power on the pitch?
Absolutely stacked.
Nearly every player was a household name.
Add a perfectly timed kickoff window for global viewership, and it was no surprise:
Fans around the world couldn't take their eyes off it.
The battle at the Etihad ignited the Premier League's already booming ticket market once again.
After that, Arsenal narrowly edged West Bromwich Albion 3–2 at home.
Wenger's side were also met with fierce resistance from the visitors—the Baggies were no pushovers.
Mancini's Liverpool beat Sunderland 2–1 at Anfield.
And Manchester United, playing away at Bolton, came from behind twice to secure a 2–2 draw.
It was becoming increasingly clear—United had problems.
With the Premier League growing more competitive by the week, if they didn't adapt quickly, danger was looming.
With Chelsea suffering their first defeat of the season, all eyes turned to the next day's early kickoff:
Bayswater Chinese vs. Wigan Athletic at Wembley.
Yang Cheng fielded a full-strength lineup.
Before the match, he made it clear: they were going to win, stay unbeaten, and defend the top spot.
In the 21st minute, Matić sent a wonderful through ball, and Gareth Bale opened the scoring.
In the second half, Modrić picked up an assist, and then Walcott delivered a pinpoint cross from the right.
Bale completed his hat trick, leading the team to a 3–0 home win over Wigan.
As Yang Cheng had hoped—a clean, decisive victory.
After 6 rounds, Bayswater Chinese had scored 24 goals and conceded just once.
This insane offensive firepower left the rest of Europe stunned.
The front three were on fire:
Lewandowski, with his five-goal haul, had 8 goals in 6 matches.Bale, with the latest hat trick, now had 7.Walcott had chipped in 4.
That's 19 goals from the front three alone.
They were untouchable.
…
And they weren't slowing down.
Three days after Matchweek 6, the team traveled to Žilina, Slovakia, for their Champions League group stage match.
Yang Cheng made extensive rotations.
It was an away fixture, and the opponent wasn't strong.
Still, no one expected the game to go this smoothly.
In the 12th minute, Giroud broke the offside trap, sprinted onto a diagonal lob from Rakitić on the left and chested it down before smashing it past the keeper.
1–0!
In the 21st minute, Hazard broke down the left with a dazzling solo run and played a perfect reverse ball to Giroud, who fired it home again.
2–0!
A brace for the Frenchman.
Just 3 minutes later, Piszczek broke in from the right, latching onto a through ball from Aaron Ramsey, and scored again.
3–0!
In the 36th minute, Di María cut inside on a dummy run, received a perfect pass from Hazard at the top of the box, and curled it in with his left.
4–0!
In the second half, Ramsey made it 5–0 after another Hazard assist.
Hat trick of assists for the Belgian!
Two minutes later, Piszczek crossed for Giroud, who headed home and completed his hat trick.
6–0!
Then in the 63rd minute, just 8 minutes after replacing Giroud, Harry Kane dropped deep and laid it off for Ramsey, who fired in from distance.
7–0!
A brace for the Welsh midfielder as well.
Both teams slowed the tempo after that, especially Bayswater Chinese.
They already led by 7—there was no need to humiliate the hosts further.
Yang Cheng hadn't expected Žilina to collapse so easily at home.
It likely had to do with them overcommitting early to score.
If they'd just parked the bus from the start, this would've been much tougher.
But still—a Giroud Champions League hat trick?
Who would've thought?
…
The massive 7–0 win away from home instantly set London and the UK football scene ablaze.
But Yang Cheng didn't have time to celebrate.
Back in London, Matchweek 7 of the Premier League loomed—with Everton coming to town.
Moyes's side deployed a deep 4-2-3-1 block and defended stubbornly.
Even with preparation, Yang Cheng's team couldn't break through in the first half.
It wasn't until the 54th minute that they earned a set-piece.
Modrić delivered, and Kompany headed it in.
1–0!
Then in the 93rd minute, Marcelo and Bale combined brilliantly down the left.
Marcelo stormed into the box and squared the ball across the face of goal.
Walcott, charging in, slotted it home.
2–0!
Bayswater Chinese defeated Everton at home.
Elsewhere:
Manchester United, juggling multiple competitions, drew 0–0 at Sunderland.
Ferguson, once again, paid the price for underestimating the group stage and rotating too much in their 0–0 UCL opener vs. Rangers.
Now, for their second group match—an away trip to Valencia—they had to go all in, which affected their weekend league form.Manchester City, also balancing European and domestic games, beat Newcastle 2–1, with goals from Ibrahimović and Tevez.Liverpool came from behind to beat Blackpool 2–1 at Anfield, while still managing their Europa League campaign.
The real spotlight of Matchweek 7, however, fell on the second day's marquee clash:
Chelsea vs. Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners went for the jugular immediately.
Chelsea, clearly unprepared, were rattled from kickoff.
Less than a minute in, Sagna crossed from the right.
Benzema beat Alex to the ball with a diving header. It deflected off Alex's leg and slipped past Čech.
1–0!
Dream start for Arsenal.
Chelsea struck back immediately.
Both teams launched into end-to-end chaos—it was thrilling to watch.
In the 39th minute, Drogba conjured magic—flicking in a backheel from point-blank range past Lloris.
1–1!
Game on.
After equalizing, Hiddink's side dropped back into a cautious counter-attacking stance.
But this time, the Dutchman paid the price for being too conservative.
Wenger pushed harder, demanding wave after wave of pressure.
In the 80th minute, Arshavin whipped in a cross from the left.
Benzema rose high and powered home a header.
2–1!
A brace for the French striker!
Chelsea threw everything forward in the final 10 minutes.
The match tilted completely—Chelsea attacking nonstop, Arsenal defending with all their might.
But they couldn't find the equalizer.
Final score: 2–1 to Arsenal.
Chelsea lost at home again, suffering back-to-back defeats.
After cruising through the opening fixtures, Hiddink's men were now facing real pressure.
At the post-match press conference, Hiddink took responsibility for the loss.
But the media had their verdict:
"He was too conservative."
After equalizing the score, Hiddink didn't try to press the advantage. Instead, he reverted to a defensive counterattacking setup.
And that was still in the first half.
Hiddink later explained that he didn't feel it was the right moment to go all-in against Arsenal.
He had hoped to launch the full assault in the second half.
But by then, it was too late.
With two consecutive defeats in heavyweight clashes, Chelsea suffered a heavy blow.
After seven matchdays, Yang Cheng's Bayswater Chinese sat atop the table with a perfect record: 21 points from 7 games.
Nearly all media outlets and fans were singing their praises.
At the start of the season, many had worried whether Toni Kroos would be just a flash in the pan.
But after seven rounds, it was clear: Bayswater Chinese's midfield was getting smoother and more refined by the week.
"Control the midfield, and you control the game."
"Yang Cheng has always lived by that mantra."
"No fan can forget that legendary trio—Modrić, Yaya Touré, and Lass Diarra—which powered Bayswater Chinese's first golden era."
"With that midfield, Yang Cheng conquered all of Europe."
"But over time, transfers and departures tore that trio apart. Only captain Modrić remains today."
"Still, with the rise of Rakitić and Matić, plus the signing of Javi Martínez, Bayswater Chinese's midfield remained among Europe's elite."
"And now, with Toni Kroos added to the mix, their midfield has re-emerged as a dominant force—not just in the Premier League, but in the Champions League as well."
"Compared to the old 'devil's trio,' this version might be slightly weaker defensively—but in terms of passing, tempo control, and attacking organization, they're even better."
"Perhaps Yang Cheng is about to create another golden age."
Bayswater Chinese sat top with 21 points, followed by Manchester City with 19.
Ancelotti's team was looking increasingly composed and consistent.
Then came Arsenal with 16, and Chelsea, after back-to-back defeats, stayed at 15 in fourth.
Manchester United and Liverpool were tied at 11 points, in fifth and sixth.
At this point, it was clear: United and Liverpool had the roughest starts.
But their situations were different.
United had only faced one strong opponent (Liverpool)—and couldn't win at home.
Liverpool, however, had faced Arsenal, City, Bayswater Chinese, and United already.
That left only Chelsea.
So from that perspective, Liverpool's situation was far better than United's, and even better than Chelsea's.
It all depended on how well Mancini's Liverpool could capitalize on matches against lower-ranked teams.
With Torres, Suárez, Balotelli, and stars like Gerrard and Kuyt, Liverpool were still a formidable force.
After the comeback win against Blackpool, Mancini told reporters:
"This is the toughest fixture list in Premier League history."
"And we're still in the top group. I'm very satisfied."
"We're still one of the strongest contenders for the title."
"Any team that underestimates us will pay the price."
Gerrard also said the team's morale was high, and everyone believed in their competitiveness.
"We're more confident than ever before."
United weren't going to roll over either.
But their consistent stumbles—despite not facing many big teams yet—was worrying.
As The Times put it:
"Last season's Champions League title has dulled United's edge."
"This season, they've clearly lost the hunger for victory."
Still, the paper said that the upcoming international break after Matchday 7 would be a welcome breather for the Red Devils.
"Whether United can rediscover their fire depends entirely on Ferguson."
While outsiders were brimming with confidence about Bayswater Chinese's dominance, Yang Cheng remained cautious.
Bayswater Chinese were, after all, the team most affected by international call-ups.
And after the break, they'd face Arsenal away, followed by a Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.
It was a demanding schedule, and the pressure was heavy.
So Yang Cheng kept things low-key.
In interviews, he kept repeating:
"We're strong contenders—but it's far too early to talk titles."
…
While the Premier League paused, Ligue 1 also went on break due to international duty.
Between both international breaks, four Ligue 1 rounds were played.
Unlike Bayswater Chinese, who were fighting on two fronts, Nice only had the league to worry about.
The Coupe de France wouldn't begin until January.
The international window affected them slightly, but not significantly.
Upon returning, Nice beat Bordeaux 2–1 at home in Matchday 5.
But in Matchday 6, Koeman's side lost 1–2 away to Sochaux—their first loss of the season.
Then they drew 2–2 at home against league leaders Rennes, halting their skid.
In Matchday 8, they drew 0–0 away at PSG.
So after eight games:
4 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss—15 points. Third place.
They trailed Rennes by just 2 points.
Saint-Étienne also had 17 points but were second due to goal difference.
Behind Nice were Lille and Toulouse.
PSG and Marseille sat in 8th and 9th, respectively.
September showed that after Koeman's early-season fireworks, opponents had started paying more attention.
But overall, Nice's performance remained solid.
Even the loss to Sochaux was respectable—the latter were 7th, ahead of PSG and Marseille.
And drawing Rennes at home and PSG away? That was impressive.
Yang Cheng even flew to Nice to meet with Koeman, to motivate the staff and deliver a string of positive news.
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