Chapter 205: Mourinho's Mistake, Manchester City's Counterattack!
For Chelsea, Schürrle's goal came at a perfect time!
After more than 30 minutes of relentless attacking, Chelsea's players were starting to run low on both energy and the high spirits they had at the start of the match.
Meanwhile, Manchester City's mixed lineup of starters and substitutes, after withstanding Chelsea's early onslaught, had begun to adapt to their attacking rhythm.
If Chelsea couldn't score quickly at this point, the longer the game dragged on, the worse it would be for them.
Though Manchester City wanted to win, given their incomplete lineup, a draw was an acceptable outcome.
However, Schürrle's goal changed everything.
"Beautiful!"
In the box, Abramovich waved his fists in excitement and stood up to applaud all the Chelsea players after seeing the goal.
Chelsea's biggest problem had been their inability to score.
But once they took the lead, with Chelsea's defensive capabilities, holding onto the lead wouldn't be too difficult.
Moreover, with Manchester City's current incomplete lineup, what could they possibly use to break through the Blues' defense?
On the sidelines, in the home team's dugout, Mourinho was thinking the same thing.
The moment they scored, he was so excited he almost jumped up to celebrate wildly. But knowing he had to maintain a composed demeanor in front of the press and fans, Mourinho forced himself to resist the urge.
Calmly, he picked up a bottle of water, took a sip, and sat steadily in the dugout, unaffected by the surrounding celebrations, looking as if he had everything under control.
A true master should maintain the demeanor of a master; in the face of turmoil, they remain composed, which is the level Mourinho pursued!
The on-site cameras and reporters were focused on the reactions of both team managers.
Seeing Mourinho's calm demeanor, they couldn't help but praise, "This is the style of a true champion coach!"
Even Abramovich, seeing Mourinho's calm demeanor in the box, felt very reassured.
Despite his bad temper and tough personality, Jose's abilities were undeniable.
With the team in his hands, Chelsea fans often felt more secure.
If the team could solve the problems on the front line, then Chelsea could still be highly anticipated in the league and Champions League this season.
Thinking of this, Abramovich's previous dissatisfaction with Mourinho due to club issues dissipated considerably.
...
At the other end of the box, Emma Watson, upon seeing Chelsea score first, was just as excited as the fans in the stands.
She clapped her hands vigorously and cheered loudly, not caring that her hands turned red.
Lily Collins, seeing this side of her for the first time, was utterly stunned.
Was this the same elegant lady she used to know?
"When watching football, don't worry about so many things. Wearing a mask all day long is tiring enough. At this moment, you should let down all your defenses and completely relax. Do you want to give it a try?"
Emma Watson encouraged her friend upon seeing her surprised expression.
"Yeah, you're right!"
Lily Collins rolled up her sleeves and moved closer to Emma Watson.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?"
Emma was shocked and hastily retreated.
"Nothing, just that you look like you need a beating!"
Lily Collins approached with a mischievous smile.
"Ah, I get it now!"
"It's because Chelsea is leading your guy's team, so it makes you unhappy... Haha, stop tickling, I'm sorry... Haha..."
"You know too much, be prepared, Hermione!"
...
After Chelsea's goal, their morale soared. Taking advantage of the remaining time in the first half, they launched an even more aggressive attack on Manchester City's goal.
Torres, who had scored twice in the previous match, was particularly active, with several attempts that gave Manchester City fans a fright.
Seeing Chelsea's unstoppable attack, Manchester City's players had to increase the number of fouls, using two yellow cards to survive this difficult period.
At the end of the first half, Manchester City returned to the locker room trailing 0:1.
As they left the field, both teams' playmakers, Lin Quan and Hazard, had muddy jerseys.
Both were heavily targeted and fouled the most.
However, despite his muddy jersey, Lin Quan's condition was not affected.
Hazard, on the other hand, was still feeling the pain from Nastasić's tackle in the 42nd minute of the first half. Limping back to the locker room, it seemed he was injured.
In Manchester City's locker room, the players looked dejected.
They had been dominated by Chelsea throughout the first half, which seriously hurt their confidence.
"You did well in the first half. Even though we're trailing, it's not your fault!"
Seeing their low spirits, Pellegrini didn't scold them but instead offered encouragement and comfort.
"Stamford Bridge has never been an easy place to conquer. Even with a full squad and no injuries, our chances of beating Chelsea here would be less than fifty percent!"
This wasn't just boosting others' morale to undermine his own. Since Mourinho took over Chelsea, their home ground had become the toughest in the Premier League.
Chelsea had set a record of 86 unbeaten home games.
During that era, no one could take advantage of Stamford Bridge; everyone left defeated.
Although Chelsea's unbeaten home record ended after Mourinho left, the ironclad defense he instilled remained.
With Mourinho back this season, Stamford Bridge was destined to become the place other Premier League teams dreaded the most.
Pellegrini's comfort had some effect, and Manchester City's players slowly regained their confidence.
They looked up at their coach, eager to hear his plan for the second half.
"We're trailing, so we need to find a way to equalize.
And since Mourinho is known for his pragmatic football, Chelsea will likely play a defensive counterattack in the second half.
The longer the game drags on, the less likely we are to equalize, and we might even get caught out trying to attack.
Therefore, we need to strike before they settle into their defensive shape!"
Pellegrini pulled out his tactics board and started drawing.
"Negredo, right after the second half starts, don't worry about what's behind you, just charge forward with all you've got. Your job is to disrupt Chelsea's defensive formation and attract as much attention as possible!"
"Jovetić, I need you in the shadow striker position. After passing the ball, move forward quickly. If you get a chance to shoot, don't hesitate, got it?"
Both nodded heavily. They were substitutes and didn't want to leave a bad impression in this rare starting opportunity.
Pellegrini then spoke to the full-backs, urging them to support the attack and coordinate with teammates.
Besides that, they needed to fall back immediately on defense to keep the defensive line intact.
After giving his tactical instructions, Pellegrini mentioned a few time points.
"At these moments, we'll switch from defense to attack quickly. Catch them off guard when they're not ready for our tactical shift!"
Finally, Pellegrini approached Lin Quan and said:
"Lin, Chelsea's defense on you is very tight. I plan to use that to our advantage."
Lin Quan nodded and said, "Coach, just tell me what to do. I'll follow the team's strategy!"
"Great, I want you to position yourself on the right wing. Our attack will focus on you. Once Chelsea's attention is drawn to the right, we'll switch directions for the final strike."
A diversion tactic?
Lin Quan understood Pellegrini's plan. Right winger Navas was out sick, but left winger Nasri was still on the field.
Given his ability, if they could create an opportunity, leaving the final strike to him had a good chance of success.
But first, Lin Quan had to attract enough attention on the right to draw Chelsea's players to him.
That way, Nasri could have his chance.
As for Jovetić and Negredo, their tactical roles were just a ruse to mislead Mourinho.
The second half started quickly.
Manchester City launched an aggressive attack on Chelsea.
After the kickoff, Negredo charged full speed into Chelsea's half, while Jovetić passed the ball to Lin Quan on the wing and also moved forward.
At the same time, Manchester City's midfield and defenders pressed up, with seven or eight players joining the attack.
On the sidelines, Mourinho remained calm as he watched.
Manchester City's aggressive start was expected. Mourinho had used this tactic often and was prepared for it.
Thinking this, Mourinho glanced at Pellegrini in the visiting team's dugout.
They had faced off many times in La Liga, and Mourinho considered Pellegrini's abilities insignificant.
He was confident of winning this match!
Chelsea's players quickly retreated upon seeing the massive attack, maintaining a solid defensive line.
Manchester City's offensive push reached the 30-yard area but began to falter.
"Is this all?"
Seeing the attack stalling, Mourinho was dismissive.
He waved his hand, signaling Chelsea to counterattack.
Pellegrini might have thought Mourinho would play defensively after taking the lead, but Mourinho had no such plans.
"Hmm? Chelsea is...?"
"They're not playing defensively?"
Manchester City's coaching staff were surprised by Chelsea's choice.
Chelsea's offensive ability wasn't strong, ranking mid to lower in the league.
Their real strength was defense. Abandoning their strength for their weakness, what was Mourinho thinking?
Had he lost his mind?
In the stands, including the box, Chelsea fans and Abramovich were also puzzled by Mourinho's choice.
"Coach Mourinho has chosen not to play defensively after taking the lead but to continue attacking. It seems he plans to win with offensive football today!"
"No wonder he's called 'The Special One,' this choice is indeed bold!"
"But it's risky. Chelsea's front line hasn't been very strong in recent seasons!"
Commentators were also baffled by Mourinho's choice but acknowledged that it fit his bold personality.
On the field, Manchester City's players were slightly surprised by Chelsea's decision to attack, but they didn't dwell on it and quickly adapted to their tactics.
Following Pellegrini's halftime instructions, Manchester City started to withdraw.
Taking advantage of this moment when Chelsea's defense wasn't fully back, they launched a quick counterattack.
Chelsea's players, all focused on attacking, failed to notice the transition. When Manchester City's attack reached Chelsea's goal, they realized something was wrong.
"Manchester City's counterattack is very fast, their speed is astonishing!"
Seeing the Blue Moon players rush up from the backfield, many fans couldn't react in time, thinking they were still defending.
"It seems Mourinho made a mistake, Chelsea's defense has a problem!"
Seeing Manchester City's attack, Lin Quan knew his chance had come.
"Everyone, press on!"
Hearing his shout, Manchester City's players surged forward in unison.
"Hazard! Hazard! Where is Hazard?"
With Chelsea's attack in a state of confusion, their main offensive player was nowhere to be seen.
Could it be that Mourinho's decision was wrong? Did he underestimate Manchester City's counterattacking speed?
In the midst of Chelsea's confusion, Manchester City's quick counterattack paid off.
Lin Quan sent a precise cross to Nasri, who calmly slotted the ball into the net!
1:1! Manchester City equalized!
Pellegrini's tactical change in the second half was a success, catching Chelsea off guard and scoring the equalizer!