Chapter 331: The King's Style of Play, Manchester City Wins Their Fifth Trophy!
Before the UEFA Super Cup match began, UEFA announced last year's European Player of the Year award. Unsurprisingly, Lin Quan won the honor. His competitors were Messi and Ronaldo, but their votes were far behind his. No one was surprised by Lin Quan's win; instead, everyone was more interested in whether he could win this year's Ballon d'Or. If he does, Lin Quan will become the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history.
Considering that Lin Quan had just won the Golden Boy award last year, if he successfully claims the Ballon d'Or this year, he will make history by becoming the first player to win both awards consecutively. Although Messi also won both the Golden Boy and Ballon d'Or, it took him four years to transition from winning the Golden Boy to the Ballon d'Or. In Lin Quan's case, it only took him a year. This incredible speed has raised everyone's expectations for him. Maybe, this guy really can become the next football king?
...
On August 10th, the annual UEFA Super Cup began. The match was held in Cardiff, Wales, not far from Manchester. So for Manchester City, it felt like a half-home game. The previous Europa League champion was Sevilla, marking their third time winning the title. From this year onwards, Sevilla achieved a three-peat in the Europa League, leading fans to joke about renaming it the Sevilla Cup.
Although their opponents weren't strong, Manchester City did not take them lightly and approached the match with full effort. Sevilla, aware of their own position, adopted a defensive counter-attacking strategy. This solid defense did cause Manchester City some difficulties, with several of their attacks ending in failure. However, Manchester City had encountered such situations many times last season, so the players remained calm, composed, and patient.
This composed attitude earned nods of approval from many football experts and legends. They believed that Manchester City was showing the qualities of a strong team and that winning a few more trophies would elevate them to the status of a football powerhouse.
Seeing Sevilla's tight defense within the 30-meter area, Manchester City began trying long-range shots and set pieces to break the deadlock. In the 38th minute of the first half, De Bruyne took a high-quality free kick that broke the deadlock. After this goal, the game opened up. Sevilla, unable to keep defending, launched attacks towards the end of the first half, trying to equalize.
However, they seemed to forget why they had lasted over thirty minutes. With Sevilla pushing forward, Manchester City found attacking much easier. In the 42nd minute, Kroos sent a precise long pass, assisting Aguero to score, making it 2-0. Three minutes later, Lin Quan broke through from the wing, cut inside to the edge of the penalty area, and scored with a world-class shot, making it 3-0.
Sevilla fans at the scene were dumbfounded. Their defense seemed rock solid for the first 38 minutes, but in a blink, they were down 0-3. In just seven minutes, Manchester City had scored three goals. This is the strength of a Champions League winner.
The first half quickly ended, and with a three-goal deficit, Sevilla players returned to the locker room dejected. On the other hand, Manchester City players were relaxed, already seeing the fourth trophy beckoning.
In the second half, Sevilla tried to launch a major offensive against Manchester City. However, they could hardly threaten Manchester City's goal, with most of their attacks being stopped in midfield. Pellegrini had arranged a midfield trio of Kroos, De Bruyne, and Fernandinho for this match. With clear roles—De Bruyne focusing on attack, Fernandinho on defense, and Kroos on coordination—the trio's increasing synergy was becoming evident.
In this match, the midfield trio's strength began to show, posing a significant threat to other top teams. Sevilla's counterattacks not only failed but also exposed their defensive weaknesses. In the 63rd minute, after a textbook counterattack starting from the back, involving only three passes (Kroos to De Bruyne to Lin Quan), Lin Quan scored again. The entire move took just eight seconds—quick, precise, and ruthless, leaving Sevilla's players helpless.
This goal dealt a heavy blow to Sevilla's morale. Subsequently, they played with hesitation, attacking cautiously to avoid counterattacks, resulting in a situation where they could neither attack nor defend effectively.
Seeing the match was effectively over, Pellegrini made quick substitutions. In the 69th minute, he replaced Lin Quan, allowing him to rest and enjoy the fans' applause. The fans were very generous with their applause, standing up and cheering as Lin Quan left the field. Lin Quan clapped back at the fans and high-fived Jovetic, who was coming on, before sitting on the bench.
Several substitute players quickly offered him chilled energy drinks, which left Van Dijk dumbfounded. He wasn't sure if he was more shocked by Lin Quan's high status in the team or regretful for not thinking of this earlier. As a newcomer, Van Dijk realized that to establish himself in Manchester City, he needed to align with the team leaders.
After Lin Quan went off, De Bruyne was also substituted. Lin Quan, with extra chilled water, handed him a bottle.
"You're giving me stuff that others brought to please you?" De Bruyne joked.
"Do you want it or not?" Lin Quan pretended to take it back.
"I'll take it, why not?" De Bruyne grabbed it and drank it down eagerly.
Despite his words, De Bruyne was grateful. In the hot August weather, playing for over seventy minutes, a cold drink was incredibly refreshing.
"Too ruthless! It's 4-0, and they're still attacking!" De Bruyne commented, watching his teammates continue to pressure Sevilla's goal.
"Attack is the best defense. We're not attacking, we're defending actively," Lin Quan joked.
De Bruyne laughed, just as Jovetic, the substitute, scored again from a David Silva pass.
"Does scoring another goal count as defending?" De Bruyne asked.
"Maybe not this time. This one might be a bit much," Lin Quan replied.
The score was now 5-0. Manchester City had inadvertently created another lopsided match.
Sevilla was deeply frustrated. Dominating the Europa League, they had high hopes for this match, only to be easily overrun by Manchester City. Other Europa League teams had managed to occasionally upset Champions League winners, so why were they being battered so badly?
After winning this match, Manchester City secured their fourth trophy. Including the League Cup, this was their fifth trophy. The media, which had criticized Manchester City for allegedly throwing the season during the summer transfer window, quickly changed their tune, praising the team.
Before the new Premier League season started, Sky Sports made its customary season predictions. Eight football experts and legends unanimously ranked Manchester City as favorites to retain their title. Chelsea, last season's third-place finishers, were predicted to be second. The media was optimistic about Mourinho's summer signings, believing Diego Costa and Fabregas would boost Chelsea's attack, solving their scoring issues.
Manchester United, who made several high-profile signings over the summer, was predicted to finish third. Despite being packed with top stars, their loss to Manchester City in the International Champions Cup exposed many issues. Otherwise, United might have ranked higher. Arsenal, known for consistently finishing fourth, was predicted to secure the same position again, despite Liverpool's seemingly stronger squad on paper. Experts believed Arsenal would continue their tradition of making the top four.
Liverpool was ranked fifth. Despite significant signings, losing Suarez meant they lacked a comparable replacement, making their chances in the competitive Premier League uncertain. Following Liverpool, the predicted 6th to 10th places were Tottenham, Everton, Swansea, Southampton, and Newcastle. These teams were not seen as title contenders but had a chance to qualify for the Europa League.
Besides predicting the champions, the experts also forecasted the teams most likely to be relegated, identifying QPR, Burnley, and Crystal Palace as the top candidates based on their squad strength and last season's performance.
The new Premier League season was set to kick off on August 16th. However, Manchester City had one more match to play before then—the Community Shield. This traditional season opener pits the previous season's league champions against the FA Cup winners. Originally called the Charity Shield, the match's proceeds go to charity, with this year's focus on raising awareness for children with autism, a common condition causing significant suffering for children and their families.
Given Lin Quan's global influence, the FA invited him to be the event's ambassador to promote awareness and understanding of autism and to encourage support for affected children. Always supportive of charitable activities, Lin Quan agreed to be the ambassador and led by example, donating 100,000 euros to help children with autism. His actions earned him widespread praise, even from rival fans.
Liverpool and Manchester City had recently faced off in the International Champions Cup, so both teams were familiar with each other. Skipping the probing phase, they went straight into attacking. Learning from their previous loss, Liverpool played with a clear strategy, focusing on limiting Lin Quan's teammates, preventing them from passing the ball to him. As long as Lin Quan didn't get the ball, his individual skills wouldn't matter.
This tactic, previously used against Messi, was now being employed against Lin Quan. Realizing Liverpool's strategy, Lin Quan adjusted by moving away from the penalty area and playing deeper in midfield. Liverpool's defenders, relieved to see him retreat, soon realized the flaw in their plan. With Lin Quan in midfield, they couldn't mark him as effectively. His strong ball control and numerous passing options made him even more dangerous, capable of creating shooting opportunities for himself or assisting teammates.
The match ended 2-0, with Manchester City taking 18 shots. Lin Quan only took two shots, one from a free kick, yet his influence remained high, contributing an assist and a goal. With this win over Liverpool, Manchester City claimed their fifth trophy, now just one Club World Cup away from a historic six-trophy season!
(End of Chapter)