Chapter 246: Another City Down, Manchester City in Great Shape to Win the Championship!
"Destiny or UEFA's Dark Arts? Cristiano Ronaldo VS Zlatan, Lin Quan VS Messi!"
"Newcomers vs. Powerhouses: Can Manchester City Overcome the Mountain that is Barcelona?"
"Striking the Old Employer? Lin Quan Returns to Camp Nou for the First Time Since Leaving Barcelona!"
"La Liga's Top Three Could Meet in the Semi-Finals!"
"Manchester United Faces a Nemesis and Might Fall in the Quarterfinals!"
...
After the results of the quarterfinal draw were announced, it immediately drew public attention and discussion.
Due to two Premier League teams being knocked out this round, and the draw being rather unfavorable for the Manchester duo, the British media began to wail in despair.
They believed that facing Bayern Munich, who had just ousted Chelsea with a large score difference, the weaker Manchester United had very slim hopes of progressing.
Facing the formidable Barcelona, Manchester City, newcomers to the Champions League, lacked the necessary experience and were likely to be stopped in the quarterfinals as well.
Should both Manchester teams be eliminated, this year's Champions League semifinals would likely proceed without any English clubs.
Being continuously dominated by La Liga teams in the Champions League has been a blow to the pride of those who claim the Premier League as the world's best league.
Consequently, discussions began in earnest among the British to find ways to enhance the Premier League teams' capabilities in international competitions.
In contrast to the gloom in the British media, the atmosphere in Spain was almost festive.
They considered Real Madrid's draw quite favorable.
Paris Saint-Germain, although a powerhouse in Ligue 1, like Manchester City, lacked heritage and was a team built with money.
Moreover, they did not have standout individual talents like Lin Quan, and given that Ligue 1's competitiveness is not on par with the Premier League, the Spanish media generally underestimated PSG's strength.
They were optimistic about Real Madrid winning both home and away against PSG, especially since Cristiano Ronaldo was likely to be in top form against Zlatan; even if Ronaldo did not perform, they still had another big-money player, Gareth Bale.
This was an excellent opportunity to test the dual power of Real Madrid's costly acquisitions in European competition!
As for Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, these two teams were fairly matched, with Klopp and Simeone being among the best coaches of their generation.
Simeone's disciplined and tough team versus Klopp's passionate and vigorous team – it remained to be seen whether Klopp's offensive strategy or Simeone's defensive tactics would prevail.
For Barcelona, drawing Manchester City was neither particularly good nor bad.
After all, Manchester City's theoretical strength was not weak, and they had a superstar like Lin Quan.
Such a caliber of star player, once on form, was difficult to contain.
Luckily, they also had Messi and other top stars like Iniesta and Neymar.
As long as Barcelona could exploit their rich Champions League experience and target Manchester City's lack of the same, their chances of advancing were quite high.
The drawing results also sparked intense discussions among fans.
"The UEFA knows how to create drama. Weren't Real Madrid and PSG fans looking down on each other's star players? Now UEFA has fulfilled their wish by pitting them directly against each other!"
"Ha, how can Zlatan compare to Cristiano? Cristiano now leads the Champions League goal-scoring chart with 13 goals, while Zlatan has only 10, ranking third."
Zlatan had once caught up to Cristiano in the goal-scoring chart, but after the knockout rounds, Cristiano had pulled ahead.
Currently, Cristiano had 13 goals, topping the chart, with Lin Quan second with 12, and Zlatan third with 10.
If last year Zlatan could have challenged Cristiano, his chances faded after Portugal eliminated Switzerland in the World Cup qualifiers.
Thus, Cristiano's fans no longer considered Zlatan a threat; instead, Lin Quan, who was rising fast, seemed to be a more considerable challenge.
"Speaking of which, why didn't Lin play last game? With his scoring streak, he could have easily added to his tally, possibly sharing the top scorer position with Cristiano!"
"It must be because Manchester City's schedule is too congested. Even if Lin had scored last game, it would be tough to surpass Cristiano, especially since Manchester City faces Barcelona. It's unlikely they'll get past them, and Lin's team might just stop at the quarterfinals."
"Manchester City isn't without hope; playing away first gives them a chance to draw at Camp Nou or secure enough away goals. Back at home, they still have a chance to advance!"
"Conquering Camp Nou? Please, that's already a huge challenge!"
Even the most optimistic fans doubted Manchester City's chances against Barcelona.
Not just the fans, upon hearing the draw results, a sense of gloom hung over Manchester City's club.
"If only we had drawn Manchester United, our win rate against them this season has been particularly high; drawing them would have meant a straight pass to the semifinals," said an assistant coach with a wry smile.
Among these eight teams, Manchester City considers their city rivals to be the weakest link.
Other leagues' teams might still be intimidated by Manchester United's reputation, but as Manchester United's neighbors, Manchester City is all too aware of how much the Red Devils have fallen this season.
If they really draw Manchester United, Manchester City's chances of progressing are not 100%, but at least 80%.
"Getting Atlético Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, even Paris Saint-Germain would be fine. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the worst two outcomes, and just our luck to face them!"
"It always feels like a UEFA conspiracy, they like to create these matchups for the buzz and spectacle!"
"Just do our best, making it to the quarterfinals is already fulfilling our objective!"
Pellegrini, having coached in La Liga for many years, knows Barcelona's terror like no one else.
Not wanting to reach the semifinals would obviously be a lie, but surpassing Barcelona, this huge obstacle, is indeed very challenging.
They can only strive to seize that slim chance!
The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals kick off on April 2, and the second leg will conclude on April 10.
Compared to the one-month interval of the Round of 16, the interval for the quarterfinals is significantly shorter.
This poses a major challenge for all the leagues' teams aiming for the title!
...
On March 15, the 30th round of the Premier League kicks off.
Manchester City faces Hull City away.
Currently, Hull City has 30 points and is ranked 15th, just two points above the relegation zone.
Looking at the points, a match between the league leader and a team fighting relegation should be one-sided.
However, in reality, at the end of the season, the Premier League powerhouses least want to face these relegation-threatened teams.
The game was tough from the start; in the 10th minute, Manchester City's captain Kompany was sent off with a straight red card for a foul.
This decision was very uncharacteristic of the Premier League! Though Kompany committed a pulling foul, the opponent had fouled first, which the referee initially ignored but chose to send him off when he committed a foul, making him extremely angry.
Coach Pellegrini was also furious on the sidelines. In the Premier League, a league that encourages physical play, such an action by Kompany might have warranted a yellow card at most, but the referee issued a red card!
Just 10 minutes in, with one less player and facing a desperate team fighting relegation, how could Manchester City continue to play? The referee Lee Mason, upon seeing Pellegrini's protest, ran to the sideline to verbally warn him.
"Sir, watch your language!"
Pellegrini responded by giving a thumbs up, sarcastically praising his decision.
Lee Mason was not amused and showed a red card, sending him to the stands.
Manchester City's assistant coaches and substitutes immediately protested around the referee.
Getting a player sent off was bad enough, but sending off the coach was clearly targeting Manchester City.
Despite the protests from Manchester City's coaching staff, the referee did not back down, continuing to show red cards to the most aggressive protesters.
This further infuriated Manchester City; not only did they not submit to Lee Mason's red cards, but they also rushed up to confront him.
The match had to be paused due to the sideline chaos and only resumed half an hour after it had started.
In total, five from Manchester City were sent off, including a substitute and two assistant coaches.
The impact of the player being sent off was already significant for Manchester City, and with the coach and two assistants also sent off, it left their side even more chaotic. After Kompany was sent off, not being able to quickly substitute and reorganize their defense was a clear sign of this chaos.
However, the referee's decisions only angered the ten players left on the field. Once the match restarted, ten-man Manchester City took control and frequently attacked Hull City.
In the 14th minute, Kroos passed the ball forward, spotting an opportunity to pass to Aguero.
Unexpectedly, Lin Quan emerged diagonally, intercepting the ball halfway.
This move completely caught the Hull City players off guard, preventing them from reacting in time.
After taking the ball, Lin Quan glanced at the goalkeeper's position and shot without adjusting.
The shot was very sudden, catching the goalkeeper unprepared, and he failed to save Lin Quan's shot.
Manchester City took the lead 1-0 away at Hull City.
Hull City, unwilling to lose, saw Manchester City's depleted defense and intensified their attacks, hoping to change the score.
But Manchester City's defense was very resilient, successfully thwarting the opponent's attacks.
In the 34th minute, Manchester City intercepted a ball in their half and launched a quick counterattack. Lin Quan, attracting the attention of two defenders, passed the ball back to De Bruyne at the edge of the penalty area.
De Bruyne fired a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced into the net.
Manchester City was leading 2-0!
After taking the lead, Lin Quan and De Bruyne did not celebrate; instead, they both ran straight to the net to retrieve the ball to restart play.
The posture made it seem as though they were falling behind; scoring two goals was not enough, far from it!
"Manchester City's momentum is building up, Hull City is in danger!"
In the commentary booth, seeing Manchester City's united front, Martin Tyler had already sentenced Hull City to defeat in his heart.
"Manchester City today feels completely different from before; they are playing more cohesively and more in sync. The team seems to be twisted into a single rope!"
Andy Gray nodded in agreement beside him.
After losing their central defender Kompany, Manchester City's defense was not complete.
However, during defense, Kroos took the initiative to fall back to the central defender position to assist in defense.
Players like Lin Quan and De Bruyne also frequently retreated to the edge of the penalty area to participate in defense, making it appear as if Manchester City was not short-handed at all.
During the attack, their formation quickly spread out, and the forwards sprinted as if their lives depended on it, not showing any signs of fatigue from just having played in the Champions League.
This Manchester City team, strangely unfamiliar, didn't look like Manchester City at all, but rather like their neighbors, Manchester United, and that too from several years ago.
Hull City was baffled, what was happening?
Wasn't the other team short-handed? But why did it feel like we were the ones short-handed?
Whether in attack or defense, Manchester City players were everywhere around them.
Manchester City's players compensated for their numerical disadvantage with active running, even gaining a numerical advantage in some areas.
This was something Hull City players had not anticipated!
In the 43rd minute, Hull City finally launched a threatening attack.
They exploited Manchester City's weakness in shrinking their defense on the flanks and delivered a through pass from the wing that broke through Manchester City's defensive line.
At the crucial moment, Manchester City's goalkeeper Joe Hart bravely stood out.
Disregarding the risk of injury, he threw himself to the ground to block the opposing forward's shot.
The football was secured by Joe Hart, but the opposing player couldn't pull back in time, and his cleats scratched Hart's forehead, causing blood to gush out immediately.
Joe Hart was tough, standing on the field while the team doctor treated his wound, without even a whimper.
After the doctor finished, Manchester City's assistant coach asked him if he wanted to be substituted to rest.
Joe Hart declined the substitution, changed his blood-stained jersey, and chose to continue fighting on the field!
Seeing the white bandage wrapped around Joe Hart's forehead, Hull City players couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated and even fearful.
Meanwhile, Manchester City players, seeing Joe Hart fighting with an injury, were greatly inspired, and their fighting spirit soared even more!
In the second half, Manchester City's performance was even more frenzied than in the first.
Lin Quan scored two goals in the 56th and 69th minutes, completing his hat-trick early.
David Silva also scored in the 84th minute, changing the score to 5:0.
That wasn't all; in the 90th minute, Aguero scored on a follow-up shot, and all three forwards for Manchester City had scored.
At the end of the match, Manchester City had triumphed over Hull City with a score of 6:0 at the away game.
Given Manchester City's fearsome attacking capabilities, well-known throughout the Premier League, this score might not have surprised many before the match.
But achieving this result, despite having their captain and coach sent off at the start of the game, was truly astonishing.
In this round of Premier League games, all eyes were on the referees.
Aside from Manchester City facing an unfair judgment away from home, Chelsea and Manchester United also suffered from the referees' targeting.
Playing away, Chelsea encountered Aston Villa, the Premier League team with the most cards. Aston Villa received four yellow cards in just the first half alone.
With the rate the opposition was receiving cards, Chelsea's players felt that at least one Aston Villa player would surely get a red card in the second half.
However, the referee did indeed issue a red card, but it was not to an Aston Villa player, but to Chelsea instead.
In the 67th and 90th minutes, Chelsea received two red cards, with Willian and Ramires being sent off.
With two players down, Chelsea lost 0:1 to Aston Villa away from home.
At a critical moment in their championship battle with Manchester City, Chelsea faltered!
If Chelsea's two red cards, both resulting from two yellows turning into a red, weren't already shocking enough.
Then Manchester United, who lost 0:3 at home to Liverpool in a match with three penalty kicks awarded against them, really had something to complain about!
This match at Old Trafford was crucial for both Manchester United and Liverpool.
If Manchester United still wanted to push into the European competition spots to secure a spot in next season's European tournaments, they had to win this match.
However, during the game, Manchester United was awarded against with three penalty kicks, and their captain Vidic was also sent off with a red card.
At their home ground, not only did they not enjoy any home advantage, but due to the referee's decisions, they plunged into an abyss of despair.
The boos filling Old Trafford and manager Moyes' helpless demeanor sitting on the bench became the epitome of Manchester United's season.
Immediately after the match, several clubs chose to protest to the Football Association, against a series of controversial decisions made by the main referees in this round of matches, causing much frustration among the big clubs.
Because of the numerous controversial decisions, which all came in one round, the public started to doubt the Premier League and even developed a conspiracy theory that the Football Association was manipulating the matches.
Given the large number of protesting teams and the negative impact of online conspiracy theories, the Football Association had to step in, stating that they would investigate the referees' decisions from the last game.
During this period, they would temporarily suspend several controversial referees, including Lee Mason, from officiating in the Premier League.
This outcome was somewhat acceptable for Manchester City, who at the end of the season feared most encountering biased refereeing in crucial championship matches.
Among the Premier League referees, Clattenburg, Mike Dean, Atkinson, and Oliver, their decisions often seem arbitrary.
However, in Champions League and international tournaments, their level of officiating suddenly improves, and they are considered among the top referees in the world.
This shows that it's not that their abilities are lacking, but that the waters in the Premier League are too deep.
For Manchester City, there was also good news.
After Chelsea's unexpected loss, Manchester City, with a game in hand, extended their lead to eight points.
With eight rounds left in the league and an eight-point lead already significant, especially since Manchester City had a game in hand.
If they win their rescheduled match against Aston Villa, their lead could expand to 11 points.
Therefore, after the 30th round of matches, this season's Premier League championship mystery seemed to have ended prematurely.
Everyone believes that Manchester City will win this season's Premier League championship, and now the only mystery is, how many rounds before the end will they secure the title?
(End of chapter)
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