Chapter 337: The Winds Have Changed
"Diego Costa's scoring efficiency makes it look like he's going to win the Premier League Golden Boot!" "Be optimistic, he might even get the European Golden Boot!" "It's unbelievable that someone could surpass Lin Quan in goals scored!" "That's why they say Spanish forwards are really strong!" "Indeed, you know it when you see it!" "Torres liked this!"
After Chelsea secured their fourth consecutive win, the Blues' fans were ecstatic. When they first heard that the club had spent 50 million pounds on another Spanish forward, everyone was nervous, fearing a repeat of the Torres situation. Torres was a strong player, but not a fit for Chelsea, managing only 46 goals in three years, never reaching double digits in a single Premier League season. That the Chelsea fans didn't label him a complete flop was quite gracious of them.
"If only we had Diego Costa last season, we wouldn't have missed so many chances," the fans lamented their previous season's failures in both domestic and Champions League matches. "Why dwell on the past? It's like we're behaving like sore losers. We just need to win back what we lost last year." "That's right, trust in Mourinho, trust in our team. We're going to reclaim our championship trophy this year!"
Chelsea's fans were brimming with confidence, believing they could overcome Manchester City to reclaim their crown. Meanwhile, following Chelsea's winning streak, the media began to hype their success. BBC Sports published an article detailing Mourinho's impressive track records in his second year with teams, whether at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, or Real Madrid. His teams generally show significant improvement in the second year, sweeping domestic honors and even stabilizing at the top of European football.
This pattern suggests Mourinho might work magic in his second season, excelling at revitalizing teams, but typically by the third year, the teams would become fraught with internal conflicts, leading to his departure. However, this being only the second year, the article was very optimistic about Chelsea's prospects this season. Many agreed that this Chelsea squad might be one of the strongest under Mourinho's second-year management.
The real test, however, would come in the fifth round of the Premier League, where Chelsea and Manchester City would face off. The outcome could determine whether Manchester City would continue to dominate or if Chelsea could wrest back the glory.
Before their critical showdown, both teams were scheduled to participate in a Champions League group stage match, providing a preview of their current form.
On September 17, at 5:30 PM at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City would face Zenit St. Petersburg, the champions of last season's Russian Premier League, in what the Russian media hyped as a clash of champions. Zenit, known for their significant financial investments and strong showings in recent seasons, had proud moments in their history, particularly their 2007-2008 UEFA Cup win and a subsequent victory over Manchester United in the European Super Cup.
However, Zenit's recent performances hadn't lived up to their golden era, despite high-profile acquisitions like the Brazilian forward Hulk. British media were skeptical of the Russian hype, dismissing it as unfounded arrogance. Manchester City's fans were eager to see their team teach the overly confident Russians a lesson in humility.
Manager Pellegrini was not swayed by the external noise and prepared for the match as usual. With a crucial match against Chelsea looming, he opted to rest key players and give others like Van Dijk a chance to shine, who was replacing the rested Demichelis. Van Dijk, no stranger to Champions League play, looked forward to proving his worth in a stronger team.
As the players prepared to enter the field, Javi Garcia, a former Manchester City player now with Zenit, approached Lin Quan, seemingly wanting to explain his departure: "Lin, I—" "Play well, let's try to advance together!" Lin Quan, guessing Garcia's intent, offered a warm embrace and encouragement, helping ease Garcia's nerves before the match.
As the players entered the field, Manchester City fans unfurled a banner welcoming Javi Garcia back to the Etihad Stadium. This touching gesture moved Garcia deeply, and he played very actively in midfield as the match began.
In the 4th minute, Garcia made a deadly through pass down the middle. Hulk seized on a defensive error by City defender Mangala, drove into the box, and fired a powerful shot into the City goal. The crowd was in shock! The Blue Moon fans couldn't believe that their team was trailing just four minutes into the game.
After assisting his teammate's goal, Garcia refrained from celebrating, while Hulk ran to the corner camera, roaring and pounding his chest like the real Hulk. Pellegrini was very unhappy with Mangala's mistake. Mangala was City's biggest signing of the summer, but his performances so far had made it difficult for Pellegrini to trust him. Honestly, Mangala's performance was even worse than Van Dijk, who cost a quarter of Mangala's transfer fee.
However, it was still early in the match, so taking Mangala off so quickly would be too drastic. Making a substitution before halftime signals extreme dissatisfaction from the coach and often leads to conflicts between the player and the coach. So, Pellegrini decided to give him a bit more time.
Unfortunately, Mangala soon proved that Pellegrini's decision was wrong. In the 22nd minute, Mangala made another critical error, misjudging a header and allowing the ball to fall to Zenit's midfielder Witsel, who seized the opportunity and blasted the ball into the net. Navas had no chance to save, as the shot was taken from very close range.
If City fans were only a bit worried after the first goal, the second goal really made them panic. Their defense seemed as fragile as paper, and the player in the number 15 jersey looked like a spy sent by the opponent. With such a weak defense, how could they hope to win?
The timing of the second goal was particularly bad, as City had been pressing Zenit's goal and were close to equalizing. The second goal, however, halted City's momentum and significantly hurt their morale. On the other hand, Zenit went wild after scoring their second goal. The whole team was ecstatic, realizing they had scored twice against the defending champions at their home ground.
On the sidelines, Pellegrini's face turned pale with anger. He called up Demichelis, giving him instructions before preparing to bring him on. In the 25th minute, City made a substitution, with Demichelis replacing the underperforming Mangala. Mangala walked off clearly upset, ignoring Pellegrini, which was immediately caught by the photographers. The reporters began imagining stories of discord between the coach and the player, hinting at potential locker room strife.
Once Demichelis came on, City's defense stabilized. Zenit's attacks were no longer as effective. Despite Mangala's poor performance, Van Dijk played exceptionally well. Without his solid defensive efforts, City could have conceded even more goals. With the defense now secure, City's attack started to pick up.
In the 38th minute, Lin Quan drove forward, exploiting a defensive gap to score from outside the box, hitting the top left corner of the net and pulling one back for City.
During halftime, a furious Pellegrini returned to the locker room, intending to have a stern talk with Mangala, only to find him absent. This infuriated him even more, raising his blood pressure. "This guy needs to be dealt with!"
In the second half, City made another substitution, with David Silva coming on for Milner. This change had an immediate impact, as Silva's presence on the left wing allowed City to launch a series of strong attacks. In the 58th minute, Silva sent in a cross, which Aguero missed, but the goalkeeper also misjudged, allowing Lin Quan to tap the ball in at the far post, making it 2-2.
After equalizing, Lin Quan quickly retrieved the ball from the net and rushed back to the center circle to restart play. The Zenit players were visibly deflated, watching their hard-fought lead slip away. Javi Garcia couldn't help but sigh, feeling that as long as Lin was on the pitch, City was almost impossible to defeat.
Seeing the tide turning against them, Zenit's coach signaled his team to fall back and defend, hoping to secure a draw. However, with City fully on the attack, holding on for a draw was not going to be easy.
In the 78th minute, Kroos scored from a long-range shot, giving City the lead. Five minutes later, De Bruyne sealed the victory with a direct free kick, making it 4-2. City had managed to secure a hard-fought win in their first Champions League match of the season.
But the victory was less convincing compared to Chelsea's 4-0 thrashing of Schalke 04 on the same night. The hard-fought win seemed underwhelming in comparison. As the anticipated showdown between City and Chelsea approached, the public opinion shifted, with more voices now favoring Chelsea.
(Chapter End)