Chapter 773: Putting It in the Bag
Manchester City and Chelsea battled fiercely for 45 minutes, and the score remained 0-0 without any changes.
Conte was not entirely satisfied with this result, but he understood that everyone had given their all, and it was not easy to barely suppress the high-flying Sky Blues.
So he embraced each of the players who were substituted and patted the backs of Hazard, Diego, and others, encouraging them, "Continue playing at this pace, and we will definitely score in the second half!"
The away team was a bit frustrated, falling behind in their strongest aspect of ball possession and attacking, making it uncomfortable for anyone. They were eager to make changes, and that's where the role of the coaching staff came in.
Guardiola did not comment on the first-half performance; he did not want to waste time reminiscing about irrelevant matters and instead made straightforward personnel adjustments.
"We must fight for control in the midfield area. Leroy, take a rest for now, and Fabinho will take your place."
Although Sane was somewhat disappointed, he nodded in agreement. Delph's appearance as an English defensive midfielder was to liberate the midfield and frontcourt.
With Fernandinho and Delph forming a double pivot, Silva, De Bruyne, and Wang Feng could focus more on pressing. The team's formation also shifted from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1.
"Wang, I hope you position yourself closer to the center and occasionally drop back to command the overall situation from a broader perspective," Guardiola expressed high expectations for the Chinese superstar.
In addition, the Spanish coach hoped that everyone would remain patient and composed. This was Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's home ground, and the opponents would be more eager to win than Manchester City.
"Mental attitude will be a crucial factor in determining the outcome of the game, and in this aspect, we clearly have the advantage."
Players from both sides gradually returned to the field, and the second half of the match began with Chelsea kicking off. Diego Costa and Hazard stood inside the center circle, awaiting the referee's instructions.
During this time, Hazard observed the Manchester City situation ahead and eventually locked his gaze on Wang Feng.
This world-renowned superstar was, of course, also an idol in the hearts of Belgian players, especially since they had similar experiences of struggle. Hazard had always regarded Wang Feng as his ultimate ideal since he started playing football.
Now that they could compete on the same stage, Hazard felt both nervous and excited. If the team could defeat Manchester City today, would the gap between him and his idol further narrow?
As the referee's whistle sounded, Hazard snapped out of his thoughts and passed the ball to Diego Costa, igniting the second half of the match.
With the midfield strengthened, the Sky Blues indeed had more initiative in controlling the rhythm. They intentionally slowed down the pace and tangled with Chelsea.
On one hand, the home team wanted to regain control as soon as possible, but on the other hand, they also wanted to be effective in their attacks, leading to some impatience in the offensive end.
In the 67th minute, Chelsea launched a strong attack, but Diego's shot was easily caught by the away team's goalkeeper, Bravo.
At this moment, the Blues did not choose to retreat but prepared to counter-press on the spot. Bravo threw the ball to Otamendi.
The Argentine defender passed the ball to Stones without hesitation. Stones then made a direct pass to Silva, who in turn passed it to Kompany. Meanwhile, the home team continued to press high, putting more and more effort into it.
However, Manchester City remained calm in this area, showcasing their excellent passing skills and composure. They neither made mistakes nor resorted to long balls forward under pressure.
And inadvertently, they distracted the Chelsea players. When Silva received the ball again, he immediately sent a through pass forward, and Wang Feng rushed forward to receive it.
Facing the tight defense from Kanté, the Chinese superstar pretended to feint to the right before shifting the ball to his left foot and passing through Kanté's legs.
Unable to stop him, Kanté tried to block the potential right-wing breakthrough. However, Wang Feng, with his exceptional ball control, decided to change direction and used the back of his heel to pass the ball between Kanté's legs.
With no way out on the wings, Wang Feng chose the center. With his control over the ball, there was no defender in the world who could completely stop him from breaking through without fouling, which was why it was necessary to double-team him to stop his progress.
After bypassing Kanté, the path ahead was clear for Wang Feng. He quickly accelerated to shake off the chase and immediately faced David Luiz as he entered the penalty area.
Courtois rushed out urgently, not believing that the Chinese superstar could beat him one-on-one. But Wang Feng tricked him with a feint to the right and then shifted the ball to the left, leaving the Belgian goalkeeper wrong-footed. Swerving past the last defender, Wang Feng calmly slotted the ball into the empty net.
"Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!"
"The ball is in! Manchester City breaks the deadlock!"
"This is Wang's showtime! He dribbles past three defenders and scores a brilliant counter-attack goal!"
"Chelsea was too careless. How could they let so many players press forward like that?"
"Speaking of which, we have to mention Manchester City's movements before this goal, with several precise passes from the back, completely trapping the Blues."
Watching the celebrating Manchester City players, Hazard showed a helpless smile. The goal that he had given his all to chase had once again put him far behind.
After attacking for so long and failing to score, conceding a goal was a heavy blow to Chelsea.
With a lead and one player down, both teams experienced drastic changes in mentality. The Sky Blues played more smoothly, handling the ball with ease, while the Blues became more anxious, resulting in more aggressive actions. Despite the home-field advantage, they still received several yellow cards.
In the 79th minute, Alonso, in an attempt to stop Wang Feng's breakthrough on the wing, slid and brought down the Chinese superstar, sparking a heated confrontation. The referee decisively showed him a second yellow card, resulting in a red card and sending him off the field.
"Wang, how are you feeling? I'll substitute you now!" Guardiola called out to Wang Feng, who was sitting nearby, looking slightly anxious.
The Chinese superstar shook his head, indicating that he would take this free kick first. Seeing his determination, the Spanish coach had to let Angelino warm up on the sidelines and be ready at any time.
Wang Feng raised his right hand to signal his teammates, then kicked the ball into the penalty area. Aguero quickly ran to attract the defense, leaving a gap in the middle.
Stones rushed in for a header, and the ball bounced off the ground and into the net despite Courtois's attempt to save it. 2-0! Manchester City extended their lead!
After delivering this high-quality free kick, Wang Feng was substituted off amidst applause from many fans, including some Chelsea fans who were not stingy in showing their admiration and respect.
With one man down and trailing by two goals, the home team completely lost their fighting spirit for a comeback in the final ten minutes. The score remained unchanged until the end of the match.
Manchester City defeated Chelsea, taking a solid step forward in the title race!
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