Chapter 783: Stepping Forward
The first match in February was in the 23rd round of the Premier League, with Manchester City hosting West Ham United at home.
Consecutive matches in the League Cup and FA Cup had left the home team's players somewhat fatigued, but they rallied their spirits and wholeheartedly immersed themselves in the game, not only to salvage their pride but also for the team's lucrative prize money.
In the first half, Wang Feng received a direct pass from De Bruyne and slotted home from a tight angle to open the scoring for the team. However, just five minutes later, Antonio equalized for the away team.
In the second half, the Belgian midfielder once again brilliantly assisted the Chinese superstar to score, and with Nolito adding a goal as a substitute, the Sky Blues eventually defeated the Hammers 3-1.
Next, Manchester City also defeated Swansea City and Bournemouth. By mid-February, the knockout stages of the Champions League began.
In the first leg, they traveled to the Parc des Princes to challenge Paris Saint-Germain. In terms of the pedigree of the two rich clubs, the Sky Blues clearly had a longer history and a more reasonable lineup.
In the PSG team, both Di Maria and Maxwell were old friends of Wang Feng. Before the game, they joked and laughed together, but once the match started, they were fiercely competitive and unwilling to give an inch.
A fierce attacking battle unfolded before all the fans.
Just 102 seconds into the game, Stones surged forward along the sideline to join the attack, receiving a pass from Fernandinho and delivering a cross.
Wang Feng, charging into the middle, unleashed a powerful shot. The ball pierced through Marquinhos and Kimbempe, evading goalkeeper Trapp's outstretched fingers and giving the away team an early lead.
In the 11th minute, the Chinese superstar and De Bruyne combined with a one-two in the middle. Wang Feng received the ball, dribbled past the defense into the penalty area, and scored with a lofted shot into the far corner, extending Manchester City's lead.
On PSG's side, Di Maria started to exert himself. First, he forcefully dribbled past defenders on the wing, then abruptly stopped and shook off the marking before curling a shot with the outside of his foot.
The ball arched beautifully in the air and found the corner of the net, leaving Bravo helpless.
Later, the Argentine winger delivered a deadly cross, and Cavani pounced on the ball in the penalty area to equalize from close range, making it 2-2.
After the break, the atmosphere remained fiercely competitive. De Bruyne assisted Aguero to take the lead again, but Verratti equalized with a header from a corner kick.
It wasn't until the 71st minute when Manchester City won the ball in their own half, Otamendi passed to Silva, Silva passed to Wang Feng, who dribbled forward with the ball.
After bypassing Muniain and Maxwell one after another, he entered the penalty area, only to be brought down by Kimbempe with a sliding tackle.
The referee decisively awarded a penalty, and even the home fans in the stands couldn't find any reason to protest. The foul was too obvious and too crucial.
Wang Feng personally took the penalty kick and completed his hat-trick, also helping the Sky Blues take the lead for the third time.
After that, despite PSG playing with one man down, they still didn't give up hope and struggled on.
In the 85th minute, Silva intercepted the ball in the middle and passed it to Wang Feng to initiate another counterattack. Advancing into the heart of the field, the Chinese superstar made a cross, assisting Aguero to score the goal that secured victory.
In the end, this goal-laden battle ended with a 5-3 scoreline, with Manchester City having the last laugh.
"Congratulations, old buddy, it looks like you're heading towards another championship," Di Maria said to Wang Feng after the match.
The Argentine forward was somewhat frustrated by the result, but he wasn't too disheartened. After all, the team fought until the last minute, and their lack of strength was an objective fact.
Although there was still the second leg to contend with, PSG was almost impossible to score three or more goals at the Etihad Stadium. The Sky Blues were basically through to the Champions League quarter-finals.
"You know, Angel, just like before, I'll keep playing one game at a time," Wang Feng smiled and embraced Di Maria.
Although the Argentine wanted to hang out with Wang Feng and others later, considering the impact, Wang Feng politely declined, "If the PSG management and media see you guys still having fun after losing, it might become material for criticism."
Di Maria shrugged helplessly. His professional career always seemed a bit bumpy. Despite his outstanding skills, he never seemed to be appreciated by clubs.
Real Madrid was like that, and so were Manchester United and PSG. Everyone acknowledged his ability but was unwilling to provide corresponding salary treatment.
After the match against PSG, Manchester City had seven days of rest. On February 24th, the English League Cup final was held at Wembley Stadium, with Southampton as the opponent.
After the kickoff, the Sky Blues controlled possession, while the Saints remained cautious and retreated to defend in their own half, displaying a 200% seriousness in their approach to the showdown.
Southampton had performed quite well in the league, currently sitting in seventh place on the table, with a chance to enter the European competition with a bit more effort.
In the 14th minute, a mistake by Sabaleta led to a threatening attack by Gabbiadini, who almost scored, causing a cold sweat for everyone in Manchester City.
Later, in a counterattack, Romeu sent a precise long pass to find Gabbiadini. The Italian striker's final shot was a bit weak and was collected by goalkeeper Bravo.
The two attacks by the Saints were quite threatening, and naturally, the Sky Blues were not willing to be outdone. De Bruyne passed the ball on the wing, Sané advanced to near the goal line and delivered a triangle pass.
Aguero, following up, volleyed the ball, which almost scraped the post and went out of bounds.
In the 24th minute, Silva sent a through pass in the middle, Aguero retreated to the edge of the penalty area to receive it, and without adjusting, he directly knocked the ball behind Southampton's defensive line.
Wang Feng, who had surged forward from the back, pushed the ball into the near post from the right side of the penalty area with his left foot, piercing through Fraser's legs and successfully breaking Southampton's goal.
But just four minutes later, Southampton hit back. Tadic dribbled down the wing and sent a cross. Gabbiadini received the ball with his back to the goal, then turned and sent a low shot to the left, beating the Manchester City goalkeeper.
Later, the Saints became even more confident. Just before the end of the first half, Yoshida took a long shot from outside the penalty area to reverse the score!
After the break, under the instructions of head coach Guardiola, Manchester City aggressively pressed forward, with Aguero and Wang Feng tightly marking Southampton's defense, and soon they began to struggle.
In the 67th minute, the Chinese superstar intercepted a pass from Southampton defender Cedric and immediately launched a counterattack.
Breaking through near the goal line, Wang Feng lofted a pass with his left foot. The ball flew over most of the penalty area and quickly dropped to the left side of the small penalty area.
Taking advantage of his teammates attracting the defense, Fernandinho made a quick sprint from outside the penalty area and, leaping high at the landing point, used his forehead to nod the ball into Southampton's goal.
And in the 87th minute, as the game neared its end, Wang Feng quickly initiated another attack from the front, dribbling past two defenders with successive shoulder feints, and then kicked a bending shot along the edge of the penalty area.
The ball, flying past the goalkeeper's outstretched hand, curved into the net, sealing the victory!
In the end, Manchester City defeated Southampton 3-2, winning their first trophy of the season, and the fifth League Cup in the club's history.
They were steadily fulfilling Wang Feng's promise, not missing a single step!
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om