Chapter 204: Manchester City vs. Chelsea, Emma Watson and Lily Collins Attend the Match
On October 27th, Manchester City visited Stamford Bridge to challenge Chelsea, who were third in the Premier League.
Before this match, Chelsea had five wins, two draws, and one loss from eight games, accumulating 17 points—7 points less than the leading Manchester City and 2 points less than second-placed Arsenal.
If Chelsea could win this match against Manchester City, the gap between them and the top of the table would be reduced to 4 points, keeping their hopes of winning the championship alive. However, if they lost and the gap widened to 10 points, their chances of winning the league this season would be nearly gone. Therefore, this match was considered worth more than just three points—it was a six-point game.
In their midweek Champions League match, Chelsea had a 3-0 away win against Werder Bremen. Besides the joy of the victory, Chelsea fans were ecstatic about Fernando Torres scoring twice. This was the moment Chelsea fans had been waiting for since they spent £50 million on Torres two years ago.
Seeing Torres in good form and knowing their opponents were weakened from their Champions League match gave Chelsea fans confidence for this game. At the pre-match press conference, Mourinho confidently stated that Chelsea would defeat Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Pellegrini, on the other hand, asserted that despite their difficulties, Manchester City wouldn't surrender easily. A win in this match would allow City to tie Chelsea's record for the best start in the Premier League, and another win afterward would break the record, writing their name in Premier League history. But Mourinho's resilient Blues were not going to make it easy.
At 5 PM on October 27th, the Premier League's ninth round highlight match kicked off at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea treated this match very seriously, with owner Abramovich attending in person. In his private box, alongside his wife Zhukova, two special guests were also present—Emma Watson and Lily Collins.
Emma Watson, a devoted Chelsea fan, often came to Stamford Bridge to watch matches. There were even rumors about her relationship with Chelsea's owner Abramovich, but Zhukova's sisterly attitude toward Watson suggested these rumors were likely false. Lily Collins, however, was attending a Chelsea match for the first time.
"The box lit up with the arrival of these two beautiful ladies!" Abramovich smiled, welcoming them warmly. Emma Watson's presence not only promoted Chelsea but also boosted team morale. Several Chelsea players were fans of hers, and some even had crushes on her. Seeing her at the stadium, they wouldn't need any additional motivation from Mourinho.
As for Lily Collins, Abramovich wasn't as familiar with her. But considering her rumored relationship with Lin Quan, Abramovich was very courteous. Abramovich, known for his love of star players like Ronaldo and Messi, had his eyes on Lin Quan as a potential future star for Chelsea.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Abramovich. Lily, this is Mr. Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea, and his wife, Mrs. Zhukova," Emma introduced them.
Lily Collins politely greeted them, and Emma took her to another part of the box, sensing her friend's unease. Emma, familiar with the place from frequent visits, led the way.
Emma and Lily had met in Hollywood and quickly became friends due to their similar backgrounds. Emma had often tried to interest Lily in football, but Lily preferred basketball. This time, however, Lily surprisingly wanted to watch a football match live.
"Can you recognize which team your boyfriend is on?" Emma teased, knowing her friend's limited knowledge of football.
"The team in light blue!" Lily replied confidently.
"Wow, you've done your homework!" Emma was amazed. Previously uninterested in football, Lily could now distinguish between Manchester City and Chelsea's kits. Love must indeed be powerful!
Meanwhile, on the field, Lin Quan sneezed as he stood at the center circle. "Are you catching a cold, Lin?" Negredo asked, concerned. Manchester City had several players down with colds, which was why Negredo was starting.
"No, just a tickle in my nose," Lin reassured, knowing Negredo's loud mouth could unnecessarily lower the team's morale. Coach Pellegrini, watching from the sidelines, was equally concerned but relaxed upon seeing Lin performing normally after the match started.
At 5 PM sharp, the referee blew the whistle to start the match. Despite their initial worries, Manchester City's coaching staff saw Lin playing as usual. However, Chelsea quickly took the initiative, attacking fiercely amidst the cheers of 40,000 fans at Stamford Bridge. Luckily, Manchester City was prepared, tightly defending and thwarting Chelsea's early assaults.
Today's match saw Chelsea play with fierce determination in both offense and defense. However, Manchester City's defense was equally resilient!
Both teams were making aggressive moves, with players frequently crashing to the ground. As the match grew more intense and seemed to be turning into a physical battle, the referee started issuing cards to control the situation.
In the 22nd minute of the first half, Frank Lampard received a yellow card for a sliding tackle from behind on Lin Quan. After getting the card, Lampard didn't protest but glared at Lin Quan as if to warn him before quickly returning to his position. Chelsea's players also promptly repositioned themselves, preventing Manchester City from taking a quick free-kick. Lin Quan had initially planned for a quick free-kick but changed his mind upon seeing Chelsea's readiness.
Under Mourinho's guidance, Chelsea's defense had indeed become tough and unyielding. They were difficult to break through and hard to beat.
When Lin Quan was tackled, Emma Watson glanced at her friend Lily Collins in the box. Noticing Lily's worried expression, Emma was further convinced of the rumored relationship between Lily and Lin Quan.
"Don't worry, he's not hurt. Look, he's standing up!" Emma reassured. Lily looked carefully and saw Lin Quan indeed standing up again, feeling relieved but unwilling to admit it. "I wasn't worried. I just think there are too many fouls in football. There aren't as many in basketball, and the fouls are lighter."
Emma, who had watched many football matches, was used to such fouls. In the past, Premier League matches were even rougher, with some players deliberately injuring their opponents. For instance, Manchester City's player Haaland was intentionally fouled by Manchester United's captain Keane, leading to a severe injury.
After getting up, Lin Quan rubbed his leg. Despite having an immunity to injuries, the pain was still real. Lampard's tackle was harsh, and any other player might have been injured. With Manchester City already dealing with many injuries, losing Lin Quan would have been disastrous. That's likely why Lampard fouled him—thinking that without Lin Quan, defeating Manchester City would be easy. However, with his injury immunity, it wouldn't be easy to take him down.
Seeing such a harsh foul on their key player, Manchester City's players decided not to hold back. In the 27th minute, Demichelis saw an opportunity and retaliated with a hard tackle on Lampard. Even the tough Lampard couldn't stand up after that.
"Are you trying to kill someone?" Chelsea's players angrily confronted Demichelis, but Manchester City's players quickly surrounded and protected him.
"You have the nerve to complain? What about Lampard's foul earlier?" Manchester City's players retorted. With the referee quickly issuing a yellow card to Demichelis, the Chelsea players backed down and returned to their positions.
The match's pace favored Chelsea, and if it continued this way, they would likely win. There was no need to be distracted and lose focus.
Lin Quan didn't know Demichelis well, but appreciated him standing up for him. "The coach said our victory depends on you. Our job, besides stopping their attacks, is to protect you!" Demichelis explained. This was Pellegrini's strategy, who had a close relationship with Demichelis, having brought him from Málaga to the Premier League.
Hearing this, Lin Quan glanced at the coach's bench, wondering why Pellegrini had suddenly emphasized protecting him.
Despite Manchester City's efforts, their goal was eventually breached. In the 33rd minute, Hazard made a dazzling series of moves and passed to Schürrle, who scored, making it 1-0 for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Schürrle's goal electrified the atmosphere, with Chelsea fans cheering wildly.
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