Chapter 347: Slump
Di María, who had been sleepwalking through the entire first half, finally woke up in the second half. From the start of the second half, he suddenly became very active, creating several threats with his breakthroughs on the wing.
In the 49th minute, Di María was brought down by Demichelis during a breakthrough on the right. Di María looked furious and confronted Demichelis, questioning him angrily. Despite being teammates on the national team and having a decent relationship off the pitch, Demichelis showed no mercy during the Manchester derby and made a tough challenge.
The referee didn't show any leniency either and handed the Argentine defender a yellow card, the fifth of the match. The number of yellow cards in this game seemed to be exceeding the average.
In the 54th minute, Di María once again caused trouble on the wing and sent a cross into the box. Rooney, like a bulldozer, emerged from the crowd and tried to tip the ball into the net. Unfortunately, he just missed it, with the ball skimming past his toes.
Di María couldn't hide his disappointment as his face showed clear frustration. Rooney was also very annoyed, thinking he was just a bit short. If he had Van Persie's height, he would have scored.
Van Persie, who is 188 cm tall, was equally frustrated. He thought that if he had been in Rooney's position, he could have reached the ball. However, his slower start meant he missed the chance.
Despite being down to ten men, United continued to threaten City's goal, which infuriated the City players. They started to intensify their attacks on United.
In the 57th minute, with the opposing defense packed tight, Yaya Touré attempted a long-range shot from outside the box. It was a powerful strike but just slightly too high, going over the crossbar.
In the 66th minute, during a corner kick, United's center-back Rojo collided heavily with Van Dijk and went down injured. He was stretchered off the field, seemingly dazed, causing concern among United fans. Van Dijk, on the other hand, seemed unfazed despite the heavy collision, showing that people's physical resilience varies.
After Rojo was taken off, Van Gaal was forced to bring on young McNair. With both starting center-backs out, United's defense had a huge vulnerability, which was quickly exploited.
In the 72nd minute, Van Persie's speculative shot was calmly saved by Navas. City launched a quick counterattack, with De Bruyne sending a 30-meter pass to Jovetic. Jovetic, perhaps still haunted by De Gea's previous saves, chose not to shoot immediately. Seeing De Gea rushing towards him, he passed the ball to David Silva, who fired it into the net, out of De Gea's reach.
3-0! City had scored their third goal, effectively sealing their victory. With only 20 minutes left, it was highly improbable for United, down to ten men, to score three goals. Had they been capable of such a feat, they wouldn't be so far down in the league standings.
United players looked dejected, their faces full of disappointment. They had come to the Etihad Stadium with high hopes of revenge but were instead taught a harsh lesson about reality.
Some of United's star players hadn't given up entirely. In the 81st minute, Van Persie managed to cut inside from the right and fired a low shot. It was dangerous, but Navas was alert and blocked it by coming out early and narrowing the angle.
In the 83rd minute, Rooney made a sudden burst, dribbling past three players on the left. Despite stumbling a bit, he managed to get through. Rooney entered the box and, facing a double-team by Van Dijk and Demichelis, passed the ball to his teammate. However, Van Persie either didn't expect the pass or wasn't prepared, and the ball went past him, allowing City's defenders to clear it.
Rooney was so frustrated that he almost started cursing, and Van Gaal on the sidelines shook his head in dismay. United's counterattack only spurred City to increase their pressure.
Navas replaced Milner, and Fernandinho replaced Fernando, signaling an intensified offensive. In the 84th minute, Navas broke through on the right and passed to Lin Quan, who passed back to De Bruyne. De Bruyne's shot was blocked by the experienced Carrick. A minute later, Navas fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box, only to see it hit the post and bounce out.
City's relentless attacks had United fans on edge, fearing another goal would turn the match into a massacre. United had already suffered four consecutive defeats to City, with two of those being heavy losses.
In this tense atmosphere, United players hesitated in their attacks, significantly reducing their threat. The match ended with City securing a 3-0 victory at home. This win not only extended their lead at the top of the table but also reinforced their dominance in the Manchester derby.
At the post-match press conference, journalists didn't hold back, bombarding Van Gaal with questions. His pre-match bravado about beating City away from home had backfired spectacularly, and now he faced the consequences.
Van Gaal's defeat in the Manchester derby further complicated his situation. Reports suggested that United's board had lost patience with him and were already in contact with other coaches, hinting at a potential managerial change before the winter break.
Similarly, despite their victory, rumors circulated about City's managerial position. Shortly after City's win over United, reports emerged that Pellegrini had resigned due to health issues. City was reportedly in talks with several high-profile unemployed managers to fill the vacancy.
Though the news hadn't been confirmed, many were skeptical. However, Lin Quan, aware of Pellegrini's condition, believed it to be true.
Pellegrini's departure visibly affected City's morale. On October 29, in the fourth round of the League Cup, City suffered a shocking 0-2 defeat at home to Newcastle United, missing out on the quarter-finals. It was their first home loss in six months, the previous one being against Chelsea last season.
Adding to their woes, star winger David Silva was injured and taken off just nine minutes into the game, further depleting City's already strained squad.
The post-match examination revealed that David Silva had a knee sprain and would likely be out for 4-6 weeks. With the team having just lost their head coach and now facing multiple injuries, Manchester City had four key players sidelined. Including Nasri, who had pulled his groin during a training match, City's injury list was extensive.
Low morale, continuous injuries, and a packed schedule combined to cast a dark shadow over City's prospects this season. A month ago, experts and pundits praised City heavily, but now they were pessimistic about the team's chances.
"If City can't get out of this slump soon, the title might end up with the Blues," some experts said. "City needs to address their issues quickly, whether it's the injury problems or the head coach vacancy. The longer these issues drag on, the more it will affect their performance," others added. "I think City should consider dropping some cup competitions and focus on the league and Champions League. If necessary, they can even abandon the Champions League to reduce the injury impact on their players."
The general consensus was that City's injury crisis was closely linked to their tight schedule. The high frequency of intense matches left players without adequate rest, leading to injuries. To resolve this, they needed to reduce the number of matches for players, allow more rest, and perhaps hire top-tier medical teams to monitor players' health closely.
Against this backdrop of widespread pessimism, City faced Monaco in the fourth round of the Champions League group stage on November 3rd. Monaco arrived in Manchester hoping to exploit City's poor form and grab a win against the defending champions.
But they miscalculated. Although City was indeed in a slump, they still had a player who couldn't be overlooked.
"Lin! Once again, he stepped up in the crucial moment to save the team!"
In the 82nd minute, Lin Quan used his exceptional individual skills to force his way into the box, carrying a defender with him, and scored the only goal of the match. For Lin Quan, this one goal was enough.
"City have won four out of four, with 12 points, and have secured qualification from the group with two games to spare!" "This result is a huge relief for City amidst their turmoil." "Let's hope this victory can help City get out of their slump!"
After this victory, there was a collective sigh of relief within City. Even if they lost their remaining two group matches, as long as Leverkusen didn't win both of their next matches, City would still secure the top spot in the group. Therefore, they could afford to strategically rest players in the upcoming games and focus on the league.
However, the team's poor form seemed to persist. In the weekend's league match against relegation-threatened QPR, City's away form was still poor. In the 23rd minute, Lin Quan gave City the lead. But this advantage was soon squandered.
In the 37th minute, Austin's long-range shot equalized for QPR. Then, in the 78th minute, Demichelis made a defensive error. Exhausted, he miscleared the ball into his own net, making it 2-1 and putting City in a desperate situation.
"Sorry, my bad!" Demichelis repeatedly apologized to his teammates. In such a low moment for the team, not only had he failed to help, but he had also worsened the situation, making him feel deeply guilty.
"It's okay, we still have time," Lin Quan said, patting Demichelis on the shoulder to comfort him. With Mangala unreliable and Kompany still not fully recovered, City had few options for center-back. For the aging Demichelis, regularly playing full matches had severely drained his stamina. Despite his critical error, his key clearances had prevented even more goals.
"Right!" Demichelis nodded firmly. He might doubt others, but he believed Lin Quan's words without question.
City quickly made substitutions, bringing on veteran Lampard for Fernando. In the 78th minute, Lampard's long-range shot missed narrowly. In the 81st minute, De Bruyne's shot in the box was blocked by the goalkeeper...
In the final ten minutes, City launched wave after wave of attacks. But QPR, determined to secure a vital win for their survival hopes, hunkered down to defend their lead. For QPR, these three points were crucial in their fight to stay in the Premier League.
In the 85th minute, Lin Quan received a pass from De Bruyne. He had already assessed the defensive positions before receiving the ball. The box was packed with defenders, leaving no gaps—long-range shooting seemed the only option.
Thinking this, Lin Quan shifted the ball as if preparing for a long shot. The QPR defenders, having seen similar attempts throughout the match, didn't react strongly, merely raising a foot to block. But just as they moved, Lin Quan pulled the ball back and accelerated past them, catching them off guard and unable to even foul him.
Two defenders moved to block him, anticipating either a rushed shot or a pass. But to their surprise, Lin Quan neither passed nor shot immediately. Instead, he used his physical strength to force his way between them.
"This is..." "How is this possible?"
Both the crowd and the QPR defenders were stunned. They knew Lin Quan had exceptional technique and skills but didn't realize his physical strength was so formidable that he could break through two defenders.
Boom! With a thunderous strike, the ball was almost deformed as it flew towards the goal. The QPR goalkeeper, ready to dive, instinctively pulled his hands back. Such a powerful shot could easily break a wrist.
The ball tore into the net, stretching it backwards before settling. The force of the shot was undeniable!