Chapter 452: The King of Manchester City!
At the moment Lin Quan scored, Etihad Stadium erupted. Countless fans jumped to their feet, waving their arms in excitement, with some even bowing down to Lin Quan, chanting:
"Manchester-king!" "Manchester-king!" "Manchester-king!"
The chant grew louder and soon echoed throughout the stadium.
In the commentary box, Martin Tyler and his partner were still in disbelief over the incredible goal they had just witnessed. They suddenly heard the fans' chants.
"Hehe, to the people of Manchester, Lin is undoubtedly the king of Manchester City," Martin Tyler remarked.
Andy Gray nodded in agreement. "Yes, this title is well-deserved. In the team's darkest hour, he scored three goals and provided an assist, essentially single-handedly leading the team out of the abyss. Without Lin Quan, I have no doubt this would have been a crushing defeat for Manchester City!"
Anyone who had just turned on their TV might think these commentators were overhyping a player. However, fans who watched the entire match would wholeheartedly agree with them.
The people of Manchester were incredibly grateful they had Lin Quan!
On the field, Manchester City players rushed towards Lin Quan like madmen, lifting him high and tossing him into the air. When Liverpool scored their fourth goal, they thought it was all over. They never expected such a dramatic comeback. Even those who experienced the 93:20 miracle found it hard to believe.
Compared to the ecstatic Manchester City players, Liverpool's players were in a daze. They couldn't seem to accept what had just happened. Some stood dumbfounded, staring at the scoreboard. A few minutes ago, it clearly showed 2-4, so how had it become 4-4?
Where did their two-goal lead go?
On the sidelines, Klopp was stunned for a moment before he walked over to Guardiola. The match was over, and the result wouldn't change. No matter how much regret or unwillingness he felt, he had to accept it.
"You have a great group of players, especially Lin!" Klopp said sincerely as he shook Guardiola's hand. He couldn't help but think, if only he had a player like Lin Quan under his command, how great would that be?
Reflecting on their past encounter in the Telekom Cup when Lin Quan was just starting in the Bundesliga, Klopp couldn't help but regret not signing him then. If only he had bought him back then, maybe things would be different now.
"I'll thank him on your behalf for the compliment. Your team is excellent too, and you've done a great job. This should have been your victory!" Guardiola replied sincerely. The two were similar in age and highly skilled in coaching, so mutual admiration was only natural.
"Haha, indeed!" Klopp laughed. If City didn't have Lin Quan, Liverpool would have surely won. But City did have Lin, so they didn't.
"Looking forward to our next match at Anfield!"
"We'll give it our all!"
After exchanging a few words with Guardiola, Klopp headed to the locker room. He noticed many of his players were feeling down. It was understandable; letting a sure victory slip away, especially against Manchester City, was hard to swallow.
But Klopp had a different perspective. This was just a regular league match and shouldn't be seen any differently because the opponent was Manchester City. Given Liverpool's current standing, the championship was out of reach this season. Realistically, they needed to focus on qualifying for the Champions League next season.
The post-match press conference presented a unique spectacle. Both coaches couldn't stop praising one player: Lin Quan. Coutinho, who had been brought to the conference by Klopp, was completely overshadowed, despite scoring a goal and providing an assist.
Coutinho couldn't help but feel dissatisfied. As a former Inter Milan prodigy, he had experienced a rough patch but had steadily improved since transferring to Liverpool. Under Klopp, he regained his confidence and believed he could become a top-tier star.
However, it was embarrassing to note that Coutinho was four years older than Lin Quan. Between the two, it was Lin who was truly the young prodigy...
In this round of the Premier League, there were many spectacular goals, but Lin Quan's last-minute goal was the undisputed best, earning him the Best Goal of the Round. The Premier League's official commentary read: "A goal as precious as gold, a moment of brilliance from a genius on the pitch!"
UEFA also shared the Premier League's commentary, adding: "We should be grateful to live in an era where we can witness the performances of so many talented players up close!"
This statement resonated with many, leading to numerous retweets and personal remarks from fans:
"I declare, Lin Quan is a god. Who agrees? Who objects?"
"Coming back from such a huge deficit, I'm speechless!"
"Guardiola's tactics have something special, amplifying City's attacking power on the flanks!"
"Indeed, but Klopp's strategy was also impressive. Given that they almost beat City at home, why is their season's performance so lackluster?"
Before this match, Liverpool had four wins, five draws, and three losses from 12 games, ranking 10th in the Premier League with 17 points. After another draw this round, they dropped to 11th. Despite faring better than Chelsea, who were 15th, fans couldn't understand why Liverpool wasn't performing better in the league given their strength against City.
"Liverpool fans, explain this: Klopp just joined the team, and the initial tactical adjustments didn't go smoothly. Starting from the fourth round, they faced a three-game winless streak, even losing two matches, which set them back. Since then, it's been a pattern of winning one game, losing the next, and drawing in between."
"Indeed, a new coach needs time to integrate into the team, and the players need time to adapt to his tactics. However, judging by Liverpool's performance in this match, it seems they are starting to show results. Now, it depends on whether they can seize the opportunity to gain points."
"I have my doubts. Liverpool's squad depth is clearly insufficient. Klopp's style of play, which he used at Dortmund, has proven to be very demanding on players. The congested fixture schedule around Christmas in the Premier League is not an ideal time for Liverpool to gain points; it could even lead to their collapse. After all, they put more strain on their players' stamina compared to other teams, making them more susceptible to the impact of frequent matches."
This analysis from a fan was very calm and objective, gaining a lot of support. Liverpool has a solid fan base; even though their performance has been poor in recent years, they still have a large following. Seeing the significant changes Klopp has brought to the team, these fans are very excited and hopeful for Liverpool's resurgence and return to glory.
Compared to Liverpool, another team that had fallen but already returned to the top is very concerned about their upcoming match against Manchester City in four days.
"Manchester City is in astonishingly good form. Even though the next match is at our home ground, it will be tough," Juventus coach Allegri said, worried. Currently, Juventus has only 5 points and, while they are second in the standings, a loss to Manchester City could drop them to third place. This would make their decisive away match against Sevilla very unfavorable. Therefore, Juventus must at least secure a point in this match. If Sevilla wins, both teams will have the same points. In the last round, as long as they draw, Juventus can advance with a better goal difference. With this in mind, Allegri decided to study Manchester City's recent match footage carefully to see if he could identify any weaknesses.
Many teams in the football world are keeping an eye on Manchester City and trying to find their weaknesses. Naturally, the recently concluded match between Liverpool and Manchester City became a focal point for various teams' studies. Although Liverpool was eventually equalized by Manchester City, they held the advantage for most of the match, leading by as much as three goals at one point. If it were any other team, they would have likely won, but their opponent was Manchester City. Still, gaining such a significant lead against Manchester City demonstrated the effectiveness of Klopp's tactics.
Klopp's strategy was straightforward: run! His offensive tactics relied on players' active movement. High pressing, defensive pressure, and immediate counterattacks were all based on players actively running, creating a numerical advantage in certain areas, and then exploiting this to launch attacks. Once successful, they could take the lead. This style of play isn't overly complicated, and some top teams could certainly try it out.
On November 28, the fifth round of the Champions League group stage kicked off. Since Manchester City had already secured their spot in the knockout stage and clinched the top position in their group, Guardiola fielded many substitutes for this match. Seeing Manchester City's starting lineup, Allegri and his Juventus players breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, City was taking it easy. Had they fielded their strongest lineup, Juventus wouldn't be so confident about winning. But with just the substitutes, claiming three points seemed reasonable.
However, once the match began, Manchester City's substitutes were very active on the field, displaying the fearlessness of newcomers. Guardiola did not completely let go even with the substitutes on the pitch. He stood on the sidelines from the start, loudly directing his players. Under Guardiola's direct supervision, City's substitutes launched a series of offensive plays in the first fifteen minutes. They achieved 65% possession and three shots on goal. The closest to scoring was Son Heung-min, who received a pass from Fernandinho and attempted a lob shot inside the box. Unfortunately, Buffon, ever the seasoned keeper, anticipated his intention and positioned himself perfectly to catch the shot.
The match's turning point came in the 18th minute of the first half. Juventus capitalized on a high pressing move in the front, successfully intercepted the ball, and through a combination of Mandzukic and Morata, Mandzukic entered the box and finished clinically to change the score to 1-0. Mandzukic's goal significantly improved Juventus' situation. Even if Sevilla won their match against Gladbach, Juventus would still have a two-point advantage. They would only need to avoid losing in the next match to advance. Mandzukic was elated after scoring, taking off his shirt and celebrating by the sidelines, even yelling at Guardiola in what seemed to be a release of pent-up frustration. In the previous match at Manchester City's home ground, he wanted to do the same but couldn't as Juventus lost and he didn't score. Now, he finally had his chance!
Guardiola touched his nose, understanding why Mandzukic reacted this way. Without Guardiola, Mandzukic might not have left Bayern. It's true that he couldn't fit a striker like Mandzukic into his system. Years ago, despite Ibrahimovic's strength, Guardiola couldn't utilize him effectively and had to let him go, straining their relationship. Mandzukic's talent and fame were not at Ibrahimovic's level, so being let go was understandable.
Even though he fielded substitutes, Guardiola did not want to accept a defeat. Taking advantage of the opponent's celebration, he called Son Heung-min over and gave him some instructions. When the game resumed, Manchester City's playstyle changed noticeably. They were very active in the front, constantly pressing Juventus players in possession. On the sidelines, Juventus coach Allegri noticed Manchester City's tactics and was stunned. Wasn't this the strategy Klopp used against Manchester City? Did Guardiola learn from him? Realizing this, Allegri felt a sense of unease. Klopp's team, despite having less individual talent, almost cornered Manchester City with this strategy. Now, with Manchester City's substitutes using this tactic, would it pose a threat to Juventus?
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