Chapter 245: Don't Cry, Manchester City! A Historic Record! I See a Glimpse of Messi in Him
April 8, afternoon. Emirates Stadium, London.
Premier League Matchday 32: Arsenal host Manchester City.
Yang Cheng, accompanied by Brian Kidd and Gary Worthington, quietly made his way into the stadium to watch the match in person.
Both teams had just played in the Champions League quarterfinals earlier in the week—but their fortunes couldn't have been more different.
Interestingly enough, the scorelines were identical:
Ancelotti's Manchester City had beaten AC Milan 3–1.
Wenger's Arsenal had lost 1–3 to Barcelona at Camp Nou.
Same numbers, opposite outcomes.
As a result, the two sides came into this match under very different kinds of pressure.
Arsenal needed a strong result to bounce back from their European disappointment.
City needed a win to keep up the pressure on the Bayswater Chinese in the title race.
In short, neither side could afford to lose.
Both made several changes to their starting lineups.
Arsenal rotated players like Fabregas, Gourcuff, and Sánchez, though three of their four defenders remained unchanged—only Clichy was rested.
City's rotation was heavier: David Silva, Kaká, and Pirlo all started on the bench.
It was understandable. Two high-intensity matches in one week is a huge physical demand.
And the need to rotate was soon proven.
Just 17 minutes into the match, Yaya Touré pulled up while defending and was subbed off immediately.
"It's not too serious, but he'll need at least a week," Brian Kidd said after watching him walk off on his own.
A minor muscle strain—not the worst news.
But at this stage of the season, every absence mattered.
"He's played nearly every minute for City this season—most games he's lasted at least 80 or 90 minutes. He's burned out," Kidd explained.
Yaya Touré, a product of the Bayswater Chinese's system, was someone Brian Kidd knew very well.
Big, powerful, a beast in physical battles.
But that power came with high energy demands.
At City, he had been given more freedom to attack,
but that only increased his workload.
"If this were a European player, they'd have broken down months ago," Yang Cheng sighed.
African players were incredibly durable physically.
But the Achilles heel? The African Cup of Nations.
Especially problematic for Premier League clubs.
Yaya's injury was a big blow.
City had already been second-best in terms of possession and flow—
now their midfield anchor was gone.
De Jong came on to partner Gareth Barry.
Solid defensively, but poor creatively.
Up front, City were relying almost entirely on individual brilliance from Ibrahimović, Agüero, Robinho, and Tévez.
In contrast, even with Fabregas and others rested, Arsenal played a clean, cohesive game that fit Wenger's philosophy.
Mikel Arteta was excellent.
And van Persie? He was on fire this season.
Just unlucky.
In the first half, he had a close-range header after a Koscielny flick—but it slammed off the crossbar.
In the second half, Agüero had City's best chance, forcing the keeper to tip it over the bar.
Then, in the 63rd minute, van Persie had a free header from 10 yards—hit the post.
In the 70th, Arteta sent a through ball to van Persie, who cut past Zabaleta and scored—
but the assistant referee's flag was up for offside. No goal.
Then in the 74th minute, Sagna whipped in a brilliant cross.
Substitute Sánchez fired… off the post again.
Three times Arsenal hit the woodwork.
"Arsenal's luck tonight is awful," Brian Kidd said with a bitter smile.
It really was.
Both teams had rotated,
but Arsenal's players still fit Wenger's tactical system better.
They looked more comfortable, especially at home.
City, without Silva, Kaká, Pirlo—and now Touré—were clearly lacking fluency.
In many ways, this exposed a flaw in Ancelotti's coaching.
Yes, the Italian was known for adapting his tactics to fit the squad.
Give him any team, and he'd find the best way to organize them.
Perfect for a side like City.
But his biggest weakness?
He never had a consistent tactical system of his own.
And he didn't get involved in transfers.
So even if City's squad looked as deep as Arsenal's on paper,
once the key players were rotated,
the cracks showed.
Not that City were bad.
Just… flat.
"They're under pressure," said Gary Worthington.
"Their players look like they're playing with shackles on."
Yang Cheng nodded in agreement.
After all, the day before, the Bayswater Chinese had beaten Manchester United 1–0 in a rotated lineup and another heavyweight clash.
That win forced City to win today.
Otherwise, the gap at the top would only widen.
City looked flat.
Arsenal wasted chances.
The match looked destined to end in a draw.
From the 75th minute on, Ancelotti made his final two subs within five minutes.
Kaká replaced Robinho, Silva came on too.
All-in on attack.
Wenger, meanwhile, strengthened the midfield.
Toulalan replaced Arshavin, who had clearly lost a step. He was almost 31.
Benzema came on to join van Persie up front,
and Sánchez joined them as a third threat.
From the 80th minute, the match was at a boiling point.
Sparks flew.
Zabaleta fouled—yellow card.
Then Tévez—yellow.
Koscielny—yellow.
Clichy—yellow in the 88th.
In the first 80 minutes? Only two yellows.
After the 80th? Four more.
Both sides gave everything.
At that point, either side winning would've made sense.
But a draw looked most likely.
From Yang Cheng's perspective, the best outcome was a City loss.
But a draw would still be acceptable.
He relaxed in his seat, laughing and chatting with Brian Kidd and Gary Worthington.
Then—95th minute—stoppage time.
Everyone had already accepted it would end 0–0.
Even some Arsenal fans were already leaving the stadium.
Then came a harmless-looking phase of play.
City blocked an Arsenal pass,
but Arteta collected the ball about 25 meters from goal.
Not a great angle.
No one expected anything.
Then—Arteta fired.
A sudden, curling long-range effort—
that stunned the entire stadium.
And stunned City.
The shot was heading straight for the net.
Joe Hart was completely caught off guard—he couldn't keep it out.
Goal!
Not only were the Manchester City players stunned, even the Arsenal players—and the fans in the stands—froze in disbelief.
Many fans who had already left their seats began rushing back into the stadium.
What was this?
Had Lady Luck suddenly decided to smile on them?
After three shots against the woodwork and a whole match of frustration,
now, in the dying seconds, this happened?
It was absurd.
And Joe Hart—really?
From that far out?
It wasn't even an extraordinary strike.
How did that go in?
Even Mikel Arteta himself looked dumbfounded.
He hadn't even planned anything—just took a wild shot.
The match was almost over, and he hadn't tried a shot all game.
So he figured—why not?
No one thought it would go in.
But it did. A stoppage-time, last-second screamer.
The Spaniard completely lost it, sprinting off the pitch in wild celebration, making a full loop around the stadium.
In the stands, Yang Cheng, Brian Kidd, and Gary Worthington looked at each other—then burst out laughing.
Football can be so ridiculous. So unpredictable. So random.
"There's gonna be an uproar after this," Yang Cheng chuckled.
He could already imagine the back-and-forth between Wenger and Ancelotti.
Ancelotti would definitely claim the match should have been a draw, that the final goal was pure luck.
Wenger would surely bring up the three shots that hit the post.
The media and fans would pick sides—sparks would fly.
It was going to be chaos.
"This is football. You never know what's going to happen next," said Brian Kidd with a smile.
Final score: Manchester City 0–1 Arsenal.
For the Bayswater Chinese, it was the perfect result.
The gap in the league table widened further, and Yang Cheng and his squad could breathe a little easier.
But Yang Cheng wasn't letting his guard down.
He turned to Brian Kidd.
"Once we're back, I want a team meeting. Same as always—I'll be firm, you do the soothing."
Brian Kidd understood exactly what he meant.
Why had they lost to Norwich earlier in the season?
Because Manchester City dropped points, and the whole Bayswater Chinese squad relaxed.
They let their guard down.
Now City had lost again.
And the next five matches were all high-pressure showdowns.
They couldn't afford to lose a single one.
Yang Cheng needed his players laser-focused—to grind it out until the very end of the season.
Otherwise, history could repeat itself.
…
And sure enough, it unfolded exactly as Yang Cheng had predicted.
Arsenal's last-minute goal sparked fierce debate after the match.
Fans of both clubs were tearing each other apart online,
and media outlets were flooding the internet with opinion pieces.
But one thing was clear—
the biggest winner was the Bayswater Chinese.
Even Yang Cheng hadn't expected such a lucky break to fall into his lap.
When a reporter asked him what he thought of the result,
Yang Cheng simply smiled and said,
"No comment."
Wenger, however, was feeling bold.
In his post-match interview, he confidently declared:
"Arsenal treat every opponent the same."
"We've just beaten City—next, it's the Bayswater Chinese!"
The message was obvious.
To Ancelotti: Don't cry, City. We'll stop them for you next match.
Just three days separated the two games.
Yang Cheng, meanwhile, got to work cleaning house internally.
He used a classic mix of carrots and sticks to stamp out any hint of arrogance—
especially to squash the complacency creeping in.
City dropped points?
The gap widened?
That didn't mean anything.
Every upcoming match was life or death.
Especially Arsenal and City—
two back-to-back matches that could ruin everything.
Lose both, and that precious lead could vanish overnight.
And that wasn't even considering the Champions League semifinal and FA Cup semifinal still looming.
With Brian Kidd's help, Yang Cheng led a hard-hitting internal reset,
aimed not at punishment—but at refocusing the squad.
Because the next opponent was Arsenal.
And Yang Cheng knew—it wouldn't be easy.
Wenger had benched Fabregas, Sánchez, and Gourcuff in the last match
specifically to save them for the Bayswater Chinese.
He would go all-in with his best XI.
Right now, Arsenal were strong in both attack and defense.
A real threat.
Worse still, that weekend, the Bayswater Chinese had to play Liverpool away in the FA Cup semifinal.
Arsenal?
They'd face relegation-struggling Wigan at home.
Schedule-wise, the odds were stacked against Yang Cheng.
After discussions with the coaching staff and data analysis team,
they made a call—
Unleash their most effective strategy:
Blitz attack.
And bring out the secret weapon.
…
April 10, afternoon. Wembley Stadium, London.
Premier League Matchday 33: Bayswater Chinese vs. Arsenal.
The match reached the 9th minute.
Left-back Ryan Bertrand made a quick overlapping run,
receiving a pass from Toni Kroos near the top left corner of Arsenal's box.
As Bertrand stopped the ball, Sagna was already in position,
standing just five or six meters away, prepared.
Sagna was wary of a one-two between Bertrand and Gareth Bale near the box's left edge.
He didn't move, confident in his pace—
he could block the run whether Bertrand tried to cut in or go wide.
From the TV broadcast to the 90,000 fans in the stands,
all eyes were locked on Bertrand.
The Englishman received the ball with the inside of his left foot.
His right foot stepped forward, body leaning inward—
a fake, as if he'd cut in and link with Bale.
Bale, facing him, raised a hand calling for the pass,
already well positioned.
Sagna immediately adjusted to block.
He'd seen this before.
If it were Marcelo, he might've cut in. But Bertrand?
Sagna smirked to himself—I've got you.
But the moment Bertrand's right foot stepped forward, he shifted.
A sudden cut wide. Left-foot burst down the line.
Sagna reacted quickly—turned and sprinted after him.
He had left a safe buffer of five or six meters.
What he didn't expect—
was just how fast Bertrand was.
That one burst closed the gap in seconds—
then passed him entirely.
Sagna kept up, blocking the inside channel to prevent Bertrand from cutting in.
But he was always half a step behind.
Bertrand hit the byline, and with his left foot,
fired in a low cross toward the goalmouth.
Sagna couldn't stop it.
The ball whipped into the six-yard box.
Giroud made his move,
challenged by Koscielny and Vermaelen.
They rose together—
heads collided with the ball—
but instead of going on target, it deflected…
to the far side of the box, left unguarded.
And in the very next moment, an unmarked Gareth Bale surged in and met the falling ball with a left-footed volley, smashing it into the right side of Arsenal's net.
"GOAL!!!!!!"
"A stunning volley from Gareth Bale!"
"The Bayswater Chinese strike first against Arsenal!"
"9th minute of the first half, the Bayswater Chinese break the Gunners' defense—1–0!"
"And the man behind this brilliant attack? None other than Ryan Bertrand on the left flank!"
"The young English left-back got the start in place of Marcelo and has been solid in defense so far. That high-speed overlap and his sequence of moves against Sagna were phenomenal."
"Watch the replay—he simply burned Sagna with raw pace."
"To be fair, Sagna underestimated him and didn't close down quickly enough."
"But Bertrand's acceleration was lightning-quick."
"He's clearly a different style of player from Marcelo."
"Marcelo's strengths are in his technique and passing, not speed. Bertrand, on the other hand, has blistering pace—he's starting to remind us of a young Ashley Cole."
…
After the Bayswater Chinese scored, Arsenal kicked off again and launched an immediate counter.
But they didn't expect Bertrand to intercept the ball with a perfectly timed challenge, then pass it forward to Bale and make a rapid run down the channel himself.
With his back to goal, Bale laid it off to Toni Kroos.
As the German received the ball out wide, he looked ready to switch the play—
when suddenly Bertrand flashed past him, sprinting at full speed.
Kroos instantly changed his mind and sent a through ball with perfect weight—curling it toward the top left corner of Arsenal's penalty area.
Bertrand chased with everything he had.
Sagna abandoned Bale and turned to give chase—but he couldn't catch up.
Koscielny managed to cut off Bertrand near the left side of the box.
The full-back took a touch outside the penalty area and then froze Koscielny with a sudden stop, a quick pull-back, and a fake cut inside.
Koscielny bit on the move. Bertrand exploded forward again, cutting to the byline.
Despite Koscielny's quick reactions, the abrupt change of direction left him a step behind.
Bertrand reached the end line and whipped in another left-footed cross—
almost identical to the one from a minute ago—
high ball into the six-yard box, aimed at Giroud again.
This time, though, Giroud was facing only Vermaelen.
The French striker rose high, timed his jump perfectly, and powered a header past the helpless keeper into the near corner.
2–0!
Wembley erupted.
90,000 fans leapt to their feet in thunderous celebration.
Giroud ran to the sideline, threw his arms around Bertrand, and shouted with joy.
"Again from the left! Again Bertrand!"
"This young English left-back is delivering a sensational performance tonight."
"Two goals in two minutes for the Bayswater Chinese!"
"Bertrand's performance has been unforgettable."
"Today, he really reminds us of a young Ashley Cole—explosive, fearless, relentless!"
…
Two goals in two minutes.
Yang Cheng's aggressive start had paid off—
even more than he expected.
He'd instructed the team to push early to gain the advantage.
But Bertrand's performance had simply blown the doors open.
"Didn't expect that kid to shine like this today," said Brian Kidd in awe.
No one had seen it coming.
But looking back, it made sense.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, Bertrand had been excellent this season.
He even played in Chelsea's Champions League final and performed steadily.
At the Bayswater Chinese, while he couldn't dethrone Marcelo,
he had gained more match time and valuable experience than in his previous career.
More importantly, Yang Cheng's system encouraged full-backs to push forward and attack—
which made players like Bertrand and Kyle Walker thrive.
But what impressed most was what happened after the 2–0 lead.
Bertrand didn't just shine offensively—he was just as solid defensively.
Whether defending Nasri or others, he held his ground, tackled cleanly, and read the game well.
Then came a moment in the 56th minute—
Bertrand received a pass, charged forward, and once again faced Sagna one-on-one.
A flurry of feints later, he didn't even fully beat Sagna—
but the Arsenal right-back lost his footing and fell to the ground.
Four minutes later, Sagna signaled for a substitution.
He'd twisted something.
Wenger's face on the touchline was grim.
Yang Cheng, meanwhile, couldn't stop grinning.
After going 2–0 up, the Bayswater Chinese shifted to a more conservative strategy.
Wenger, of course, was furious.
They struck twice, then backed off?
Outrageous.
"If you've got the guts, come and fight head-on! Cowards!"
In the end, the Bayswater Chinese held on to win 2–0, thanks to those two quick-fire goals in the 9th and 10th minutes.
After the match, Yang Cheng walked to the away bench to shake Wenger's hand.
Wenger's expression? Priceless.
His eyes glared, his nose flared—
he looked like he was about to roll up his sleeves and challenge Yang Cheng to a fight.
Yang Cheng, grinning ear to ear, clapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, don't take it personally, Professor. Tight schedule, big pressure."
"Next time, I promise—we'll go toe-to-toe."
Wenger nearly spat blood.
You think I'm mad about the tactics?
God, strike this demon down!
…
After the match, Sky Sports released player ratings.
Though the Bayswater Chinese won 2–0, both sides had looked sluggish.
Two matches a week, both high-profile—it was hard to expect sparkling form.
Most players were rated between 6 and 7.
Some Arsenal players even got 5s.
But one man stood out:
Ryan Bertrand earned the highest rating of 8.
Sky Sports praised the young left-back, saying he had shown tremendous form recently and was emerging as a strong contender for England's future at left-back.
Ashley Cole was already 31 and had never quite regained top form after his divorce scandal.
His spot in the national team had increasingly gone to Leighton Baines.
Now, both Bayswater Chinese's Ryan Bertrand and Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs have left a deep impression on the public—both are being hailed as potential successors to Ashley Cole.
In this match, Gibbs didn't get a chance to play, while Bertrand started and completely stole the spotlight.
Especially with those two early attacking sequences—everyone saw Bertrand's true potential.
Throughout the rest of the game, whether in attack or defense, he remained rock solid.
He became the subject of intense discussion across the British media.
Yet surprisingly, the man who stole most of the post-match headlines wasn't Bertrand, despite being named Man of the Match.
It was Thibaut Courtois.
The not-yet-20-year-old Belgian keeper has been superb ever since joining the Bayswater Chinese.
But this season, he's taken it to another level.
As the team's tactical structure improved and their defense became more stable, Courtois's performances on the goal line also elevated.
After the 2–0 win over Arsenal, Courtois reached 25 clean sheets in the Premier League this season.
He officially broke the previous record of 24 clean sheets, set by Petr Čech during the 2004/05 season with Chelsea.
And just like that, Courtois became a household name.
British media flooded their pages with praise for the young keeper and the new historic record.
For context, Čech was already 23 years old when he set the previous record.
Which, for a keeper, is still considered quite young.
But Courtois?
He's not even 20 yet—his 20th birthday wouldn't come until May 13.
What's a prodigy? This is a prodigy!
An under-20 goalkeeper setting the best defensive record in Premier League history.
25 clean sheets.
Even more astonishing?
So far this season, the Bayswater Chinese have conceded only 8 goals in the league.
Not a single team has managed to score more than one goal against them in a single match.
It's almost frightening.
British media, in covering Courtois's record, also gave credit where it was due:
To Yang Cheng.
To the club's defensive setup.
To his outstanding backline.
Especially Pepe, Thiago Silva, and Kompany.
These three have delivered elite performances all season long.
Pepe and Thiago Silva have long been established as world-class defenders.
And Kompany has truly come into his own this year—playing like one of the world's best.
Let's not forget—it was Kompany who headed in the late winner away to Stoke, securing all three points in a crucial moment.
In short, without this rock-solid defense, Courtois would not have been able to set such an incredible record.
In his post-match interview, Courtois humbly thanked Yang Cheng.
"When I was a nobody, he put his trust in me.
He gave me the chance to start for a top club at a very young age."
"The only way I can repay him is by working harder in training and performing better in matches."
"My teammates here are all world-class players.
They've helped and supported me so much. That's the key to why I've been able to keep so many clean sheets."
Courtois dedicated his record to everyone who believed in him,
and to the fans of the Bayswater Chinese.
"This isn't the time to celebrate. We have to keep pushing forward.
We want to win the three biggest trophies this season!"
"All of us are hungry for it!"
Yang Cheng called Courtois a genius goalkeeper, but also noted:
"He's not the best in the world just yet. But he's very, very close."
In Yang Cheng's eyes, Courtois's talent and ability were undeniable—he was incredible.
Courtois had a bit of an ego. He could be outspoken, even brash, whether in the locker room or in front of the media.
To put it nicely—he was blunt.
But Yang Cheng didn't mind.
Out of a 25 or 30-man squad, how could every player be perfect, selfless, and mature?
There will always be a few who are selfish, flawed. That's normal.
The key is the team's culture—whether the dressing room can keep everyone in check.
Yang Cheng did have concerns when signing Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne.
He worried about a repeat of the infamous "friend's girlfriend" scandal from his past life.
So he kept an eye on them.
But as time went on, he realized it was unnecessary.
Neither De Bruyne nor Courtois were saints.
In fact, they both liked to party.
But their friendship remained strong.
And once De Bruyne arrived in London, he soon met someone new and broke up with his previous girlfriend, Caroline.
Courtois did the same.
That was enough to put Yang Cheng at ease.
He figured they probably hadn't even cared that much in the first place.
So he let them be.
They were young, rich, famous, and athletic.
To deny them girlfriends would probably kill them.
In London, the Bayswater Chinese players were superstars.
No matter where they went, they were swarmed by admirers.
Yang Cheng had only one rule:
Don't cause trouble.
…
Meanwhile, in other Matchday 33 results:
Chelsea drew 1–1 away to Fulham.
It was clear Di Matteo was saving energy for the weekend's FA Cup semifinal.Liverpool narrowly beat Blackburn 3–2 away.
Mancini, too, rotated to focus on the cup.Manchester United suffered a shock 0–1 defeat away to Wigan.Manchester City bounced back by crushing West Brom 4–0 at home.
Yang Cheng didn't have time to worry about any of them.
After the Arsenal match, his entire focus turned to the next clash.
…
April 14, evening. Wembley Stadium.
FA Cup Semifinal: Bayswater Chinese vs. Liverpool ("away").
Another titanic battle.
Though technically an away game, the Bayswater Chinese knew Wembley like the back of their hand.
Yang Cheng made significant rotations—
and he had no choice.
Five straight high-stakes matches—without rotation, even machines would break down.
This time, he split up Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.
Kroos had started the Arsenal match, orchestrating two lightning attacks from the left.
Now it was Modrić's turn—
he partnered with Pogba, with Javi Martínez sitting behind them.
Up front: Hazard, Lewandowski, Di María.
Liverpool fielded their strongest possible lineup in a 4-2-3-1:
Goalkeeper: Buffon
Defense: José Enrique, Daniel Agger, Skrtel, Glen Johnson
Midfield (Double Pivot): Lucas Leiva, Mascherano
Attacking Midfield: Downing, Gerrard, Kuyt
Striker: Suárez
This season, injury-plagued Fernando Torres sat on the bench, ready to come on at any moment.
Also on the bench were players like Rakitić and Kolarov.
From the very first whistle, Yang Cheng targeted Liverpool's midfield with intense pressure.
His strategy was crystal clear:
Disrupt Liverpool's forward passing, limit Suárez's touches, and neutralize the Uruguayan's threat.
With their midfield unable to deliver clean balls forward, Liverpool were forced to push the play wide.
Downing was a capable winger, and Yang Cheng tasked Kyle Walker with man-marking him.
It was a similar tactic to Mancini using Kuyt on the right to pin back Marcelo.
In defense, the Bayswater Chinese employed a layered system,
using tiered pressing to prevent Downing and Suárez from getting room to dribble or exploit space.
Meanwhile, Yang Cheng gave Modrić and Pogba considerable freedom to push forward.
The only condition: if the ball was lost, they had to quickly drop back to cover the midfield flanks.
Otherwise, they could join the attack freely.
Liverpool's biggest issue remained in the middle of the park.
The trio of Lucas Leiva, Mascherano, and Gerrard was strong defensively—
but lacked creativity and ball retention.
Their transitions were too slow.
Under the Bayswater Chinese's pressure, one fascinating pattern emerged:
Every time Liverpool crossed the halfway line, they lost the ball within seconds.
No possession lasted longer than 10 seconds.
Either they were dispossessed, or the pass went astray.
As a result, Suárez was starved of the ball.
The Uruguayan grew visibly frustrated, but there was nothing he could do.
Yang Cheng's plan was working from the start.
Liverpool played cautiously, extremely so.
But once the Bayswater Chinese locked down the midfield, they began to push down both flanks—
primarily through Eden Hazard on the left.
In the 13th minute, Marcelo drove forward down the left and initiated the attack.
Pogba carried the ball to the edge of the box, then passed to Hazard.
The Belgian returned it wide to Marcelo.
Marcelo curled in a cross to the six-yard box.
Lewandowski rose to meet it, but Buffon was quick off his line and punched it away.
The threat was real.
Mascherano collected the rebound and launched it long.
The ball crossed midfield—Suárez moved to receive—
but Kompany rushed up, stepped in first, and sent it straight back into Liverpool's half.
Javi Martínez controlled the loose ball near the center circle,
passed it to Modrić, who quickly laid it off to Di María.
Liverpool didn't drop back—
they pressed Di María at the 30-meter mark, preventing him from turning.
The Argentine was forced to pass back to Kyle Walker,
who switched it again to Javi Martínez.
As Martínez looked up, Modrić darted into an open space in the center, waving for the ball.
The Spaniard played it straight to him.
Modrić received it sideways, facing right.
In front of him: Gerrard.
The Liverpool captain blocked the passing lane to the right.
Before Modrić could even fully settle, Lucas Leiva closed in fast.
The Brazilian had his eyes locked on Modrić's left foot,
intending to pounce the moment the ball reached it.
But Modrić was too clever—too quick.
With a soft touch from his left foot to control,
he nudged it forward with the inside of his right and turned smoothly—
just enough to dodge Lucas's challenge and take the ball forward.
It was a simple yet elegant move—
Lucas lunged, missed, and by the time he recovered, Modrić was already pushing ahead.
Gerrard was ready, closing in quickly.
As the two midfielders converged, Modrić slipped a through ball between them—
straight to the top of the box, just left of center—
right to Lewandowski's feet.
The Polish striker was sandwiched between Skrtel and Daniel Agger.
He shielded the ball with his back to Skrtel,
took a deft first touch to guide the ball into the box,
then spun and used his body to block off Agger.
As soon as he was fully squared,
he planted his right foot and unleashed a left-footed strike.
The ball rocketed low into the bottom-left corner of the net.
Buffon flew across—
but he was too late.
GOAL!
The stadium erupted into a deafening roar.
13th minute—Bayswater Chinese strike first against Liverpool!
Lewandowski raced off, pumping his fists, charging toward the corner to celebrate.
…
After conceding, Liverpool tried to fight back.
But without control in midfield, they couldn't produce anything dangerous.
Every time they crossed midfield, they lost the ball again.
In the 24th minute, the Bayswater Chinese intercepted near the halfway line and launched a counterattack.
A lobbed pass was played up to Lewandowski,
who flicked a header wide to Hazard on the left.
The Belgian collected the ball and faced down Glen Johnson.
With a burst of speed, he darted diagonally into the box.
His footwork was sublime.
He beat Johnson, cut past Mascherano, and surged into the left channel of the penalty area.
Mascherano tugged on his shirt from behind,
but Hazard didn't go down—
instead, he used the momentum of the pull to fake out Skrtel with multiple feints.
The crowd gasped.
Hazard sliced between a sea of red shirts, dancing through the penalty box.
Facing both Agger and Skrtel,
he suddenly stopped, shifted the ball laterally across Agger's path—
and somehow, impossibly, slipped through.
Then—he passed.
A perfectly weighted ball to the bottom right corner of the six-yard box.
Di María arrived like a bullet.
He beat José Enrique to the ball and calmly slotted it into the bottom-right corner.
Buffon dropped low—but it wasn't fast enough.
José Enrique hadn't expected Hazard to carry the ball all the way across the penalty box
and still have the vision and control to deliver a final pass.
Di María was completely unmarked.
Two goals in 24 minutes!
The Argentine wheeled away and leapt into Hazard's arms.
The two celebrated wildly on the sidelines.
And on the Sky Sports commentary feed, the announcer shouted:
"My God—just now, in Hazard, I saw a glimpse of Messi!"
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