Chapter 338: Mourinho's Trap
"Wow, Chelsea is incredible, they swept Schalke 04 with a 4:0! Is this the same Chelsea I know?" "Last season, Chelsea's attack was constipated; this season, it's like diarrhea!" "Someone upstairs made a flavorful comment..." "Crude, but accurate. It feels like with Fabregas and Diego Costa, Chelsea's attack suddenly found its groove!" "So, it's not just the Spanish forwards that are effective—the midfielders are great too!"
In this game, like Lin Quan, Diego Costa also scored a hat-trick. His goals were spectacular, delighting the fans. In just over a month at Chelsea, Diego Costa has completely won over the fans. Despite his rugged looks, he's incredibly effective. With him on the field, Chelsea fans don't have to worry about scoring.
Counting this match, since joining Chelsea, Costa has played in five games and scored 10 goals, averaging two goals per game! His scoring efficiency is in a class of its own, compared to the likes of Shevchenko, Drogba, and the disappointing Torres, who cost £50 million. No wonder Mourinho praised Diego Costa so highly at the post-match press conference—who wouldn't appreciate such an efficient, high-scoring player?
Diego Costa's importance to the team is clear from looking at Atletico Madrid. Last season, they were dominant in the Champions League, but they lost their first group match of the new season without Costa. Their attacking strength significantly diminished. In their first group match against the modest Greek team Olympiacos, they frustratingly lost 2:3—a result that shocked everyone, given that Atletico was last season's Champions League runner-up.
Thus, when Chelsea fans heard that Atletico lost while their own team had a big win, they were incredibly relieved. They were glad they acted quickly to secure Costa before other teams could. Had they been slower, they might have missed out. And although £50 million seemed expensive at first, now it seems quite reasonable. After all, part of that £50 million also covered the transfer of left-back Filipe Luis, with only about £35 million actually going for Costa!
Spending £35 million on such a powerful striker turned out to be a bargain, especially compared to Manchester United, who spent £60 million on Di Maria, which now looks like a huge loss. In this round of the Champions League, besides Arsenal, the remaining three Premier League teams all won. Arsenal truly met their nemesis, losing 0:2 away against Dortmund.
Liverpool, returning to the Champions League after five years, played very cautiously in their first match. Fortunately, with goals from Balotelli and Captain Gerrard, they narrowly beat their opponents and secured a victory in their first group match. In other group matches, Bayern, Barcelona, and Real Madrid all won, with Real Madrid continuing their strong performance from last season with a 5:1 home victory, with Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema, and James all scoring.
This season, Real Madrid's hunger for the Champions League is stronger than ever. Neighboring Barcelona is also eyeing the trophy eagerly, making it harder for all major teams to secure the Champions League trophy.
Because the team's Champions League victories were not smooth, Pellegrini did not give the players a break after the matches, but instead gathered them for closed training. If playing Zenit was this tough, how would they manage against a resurgent Chelsea? The upcoming match against Chelsea at Manchester City's home ground is a must-win. Losing this match would not only widen the gap with Chelsea on the points table but also make it harder to seek revenge when they next visit Stamford Bridge. Last season, City didn't fare well at Stamford Bridge and almost lost. Facing a much stronger Chelsea this season, their visit to Stamford Bridge is expected to be even more challenging.
"Coach, you look unwell, do you need to rest a bit?" On the training ground, the assistant coach, seeing Pellegrini's pained expression and apparent discomfort, expressed his concern.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Just make sure these guys train hard and don't slack off," Pellegrini replied, clutching his chest but still found a place to sit down. He had felt a moment of darkness and a heavy pressure in his chest, suddenly struggling to breathe—a sensation he had experienced before but never as severely as today. Could it be due to overexertion these past few days and not resting well?
Pellegrini couldn't help but wonder. He had been staying up late night after night, studying opponents and tactics, which was tough on his body at his age. He knew it wasn't good, but it was necessary. This year is crucial for Manchester City; if they want to step up and become a true top-tier team, they must win another championship trophy this year. But as they say, it's harder to defend a title than to win one. Last year, City appeared as challengers, and the major teams didn't pay much attention or were overly cautious. In the Champions League, they were underestimated by many teams due to their poor past performances, providing them with an opportunity to upset.
But this year is different, the direction of the wind has changed! As the defending champions, they are now the ones being studied and targeted by all teams. No one underestimates Manchester City anymore; on the contrary, many teams take pride in defeating them, like Zenit did. In that match, Zenit's players were extremely motivated, clearly thrilled by the prospect of defeating last season's Champions League winners.
This increased attention and caution from other teams make City's matches this year much more challenging. In the league, City's strength is evident, and the long season allows them some margin for error. But in the Champions League, particularly in the knockout stages, they face stronger opponents and a much shorter schedule, leaving little room for error.
Thus, City cannot afford mistakes this year; every step must be taken with the utmost care, adding significant stress and psychological pressure on the coaching staff. "It'll get better after this period," Pellegrini reassured himself.
Before the game, Mourinho once again used his advantage, playing mind games with Manchester City through the press. Surprisingly, Mourinho didn't attack City directly. Instead, he analyzed City's slump in form and offered his insights: "Manchester City has already won the Champions League, so it's understandable if their players lack some motivation now," he commented, causing the reporters at the pre-match press conference to doubt their hearing. Mourinho, not kicking someone when they're down? Is he changing his ways?
As the reporters were puzzled, Mourinho added, "I can relate to that feeling, after all, I have two Champions League trophies, the most of any coach in the Premier League." The reporters rolled their eyes; yes, we know you have two Champions League trophies, Mourinho.
Leading two different teams to Champions League glory is undoubtedly Mourinho's proudest achievement. Of course, it's a remarkable feat, one that sets him apart in the Premier League and indeed in football at large, matched only by a few others like Guardiola, Ancelotti, and Spain's coach Del Bosque. Each of these coaches is a giant in their own right. Mourinho's triumph with Porto marked a non-big-five league's championship win; Guardiola pioneered the tiki-taka football style and built Barcelona's dream team; Ancelotti won multiple Champions League titles with Milan and proved his worth in various leagues; and Del Bosque led Spain to an unprecedented international success, cementing his status as one of football's leading figures.
While the reporters weren't interested in Mourinho's bragging, they did appreciate his analysis of Manchester City. After the press conference, they widely reported his comments, and surprisingly, many agreed with his views: "Indeed, it seems Manchester City's players have won everything and now lack a thirst for further triumphs."
"From the last game, you could see their lack of aggression and movement compared to last season," they observed. "Even though Mangala's mistakes were glaring, they can't entirely mask the mediocre performances of other City defenders."
Criticism of City's players' attitudes quickly spread, impacting the City squad significantly as they prepared for their next game. While Pellegrini could enforce a media blackout at their training camp, he couldn't confiscate their phones or stop them from accessing news online, nor could he prevent the traditional media from echoing these sentiments.
Exposed to widespread criticism, City's players felt immense pressure, especially psychologically; they didn't want to appear uncommitted or indifferent to winning. Thus, when the game started, they played aggressively—and recklessly. Early in the game, Aguero got injured during a tackle and had to be substituted, setting off a chain reaction of tension and harsh play among the City players. Within 12 minutes, Fernandinho received a yellow card for a rough foul.
Shortly after, Zabaleta got his yellow card, accumulating quick bookings for City, particularly in crucial defensive roles. "Zabaleta's foul was unnecessary; the opponent wasn't in a dangerous position, and his teammates hadn't lost their defensive stance. It's unclear why he committed the foul," the commentators critiqued.
"Perhaps Aguero's injury ignited City players' tempers, causing them to lose their composure?" they speculated. "Could it be the psychological impact of Chelsea's pre-game mind games? Notice how City players are playing unnervingly, as if they're trying to prove something…"
On the sidelines, Pellegrini frowned, noticing something odd about his team's play. While their engagement had increased, so had their fouls. "It's only been 30 minutes, and Chelsea have already been awarded seven free kicks," he noted.
On the opposing bench, Mourinho smirked at City's predicament, pleased with the chaos. Anticipating this, he signaled his players to intensify their physical play and commit more fouls, hoping to provoke City further.
In the 36th minute, Lin Quan was brought down by Matic in a heavy tackle, which the City players saw as a deliberate act. As tensions escalated, Lin Quan quickly stood up, preventing his teammates from retaliating. "Stay calm, they're just trying to provoke us!" he urged, knowing he was immune to injury and that the opponent's aggressive tactics would only result in more cards for them.
"See? I told you, he's fine. It was just a dive!" Matic shouted, causing further uproar among the City players.
The referee, however, ignored Matic's claims and showed him a yellow card. Despite this, Chelsea did not hold back; within three minutes, Ramirez committed another foul from behind, knocking Lin Quan to the ground again.
This time, City's players were furious. They collectively confronted the Chelsea players, with David Silva pushing Ramirez and even Yaya Toure, who had previously clashed with Lin, stepping forward to defend him.
The situation on the field was chaotic, with players more focused on settling scores than playing football. Seeing this, Mourinho couldn't hide his delight. Now, all it would take was one more foul on Lin, and he might lose his temper. Once Lin was provoked, City would be doomed to lose.
(End of Chapter)