Chapter 807: Annual Triple Crown
The 2017-2018 Premier League season kicked off on August 12th, with Manchester City facing newly-promoted Brighton.
In the end, the Sky Blues easily defeated the Seagulls 2-0, starting their campaign with a victory. They then drew 1-1 against Everton.
In the first two rounds, Wang Feng unusually failed to score a goal, with only one assist, primarily due to his physical condition not fully recovering.
He often found himself heavily marked by defensive players, and without his robust physicality and technical skills, he struggled to make an impact.
Additionally, head coach Guardiola was experimenting with different possibilities, shifting the Chinese superstar's on-field role from a finisher to a playmaker, gradually moving him further from the goal.
On August 25th, the UEFA season awards ceremony and Champions League draw took place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
Perhaps due to the separation of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best awards last year, UEFA became more aware of the crisis and implemented reforms this year.
The Best Player awards for four positions were reintroduced, along with the addition of the Europa League Best Player and the President's Special Award, indicating their ambition to expand their influence.
The Best Goalkeeper award went to Neuer from Bayern Munich, who led his team all the way to the final with his outstanding performance.
The Best Defender also came from Bayern, awarded to Lahm.
The Best Midfielder was given to Manchester City's David Silva, while the Best Forward was undoubtedly Wang Feng.
The UEFA Women's Player of the Year was Martens from Barcelona.
The UEFA President's Special Award was presented to Roma's King of Wolves, Totti, who had just announced his retirement at the end of the previous season, truly embodying a one-club fairytale.
Looking at the Chinese superstar being applauded below the stage, the Italian couldn't help but recall the scene from that winter, where he, Wang Feng, and Shevchenko argued fiercely for the championship without giving in.
A reminiscent smile appeared on Totti's face, and after finishing his acceptance speech, he couldn't help but gesture towards Wang Feng's direction, saying, "Keep it up, old friend!"
The guests were surprised but also understanding because for the final award, the 2016-2017 UEFA European Best Player, the highly anticipated winner was once again Wang Feng!
The Chinese superstar took the stage to receive the "Silver Shorts" trophy, jokingly saying before his speech, "Thanks to Francesco for the reminder. He once again reminded me that I'm getting old, hmm."
The audience burst into laughter, and after the banter, Wang Feng, as always, thanked all his supporters and expressed his determination to continue to perform with this old body of his.
Next was the UEFA Champions League group stage draw, where Manchester City had a favorable draw, facing Shakhtar Donetsk, Napoli, and Feyenoord, none of whom were considered very strong opponents.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was October. FIFA decided to hold the annual awards ceremony early so that the major awards could better correspond to the players' performances throughout the season.
On the evening of the 23rd, at the London Palladium Theatre, after many football stars walked the red carpet, the two-hour ceremony began.
It was the first time London hosted a FIFA event, and it was also the first time it was held outside Zurich.
It was Pelé's birthday that day, so the ceremony began with a special segment reviewing his illustrious career, showcasing his highlights on the pitch.
The annual FIFA FIFPro World XI, as voted by the World Professional Players' Union, was a 4-3-3 formation, with Neuer in goal.
The four defenders were Otamendi, Lahm, Alves, and Kompany.
The midfield trio consisted of David Silva, Modric, and De Bruyne.
The three forwards were Messi, Wang Feng, and Neymar.
Following that, the Best Fans award was given to Celtic fans, who, in last season's Champions League group stage, displayed a giant banner commemorating the team's 50th anniversary of winning the Champions League, leaving a deep impression on everyone.
The newly added Best Goalkeeper award was won by the veteran Buffon from Juventus, who, at nearly 39 years old, was still active on the pinnacle stage of the top five leagues, earning much respect.
The Fair Play Award was given to Togolese striker Koné, who was the first to help an injured opponent in the Czech First League, preventing him from suffocating.
The Puskás Award was given to Wang Feng for his breathtaking bicycle kick in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, undoubtedly one of the greatest goals in history.
The Best Women's Coach award went to Wiegman, who led the Dutch women's team, while the Best Men's Coach was naturally Guardiola, who achieved the quadruple miracle.
Finally, the FIFA Women's World Player and the FIFA Best Women's Player awards both went to Martens from Barcelona.
And the FIFA Men's World Player, once again, was won by Wang Feng, defeating his competitors Messi and Neymar again, continuing his back-to-back victories.
The Chinese superstar received an impressive 43.16% of the votes, while Messi and Neymar received only 19.25% and 6.97%, respectively.
"Continuously helping different teams win championships is a great moment for me," Wang Feng said in an interview. "I've been lucky to encounter excellent teammates, coaching staff, and club staff, and their support is crucial."
"Of course, there are fans from all over the world, and I'm very grateful for their enthusiasm. Being able to compete with the best players on the same stage is my honor."
Entering December, Manchester City's form improved steadily since their draw against Everton, winning an impressive 13 consecutive matches, topping the Premier League table with 14 wins, 1 draw, and 43 points.
Second-placed Manchester United lagged behind the Sky Blues by 8 points, making City's title defense increasingly likely.
Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Manchester City continued their dominant performance, winning all but one of their group stage matches, securing their spot in the Round of 16.
Such remarkable achievements were attributed to Manchester City's terrifying control of the game and their ability to score from multiple sources, almost completely overwhelming their opponents.
Furthermore, with Bernardo Silva, Sané, Agüero, and Wang Feng all scoring double-digit goals, they seemed unstoppable.
The Times even declared that Manchester City would replace Real Madrid as the new dynasty of the new era, making European football kneel at their feet.
The Chinese superstar's 14 league goals placed him second in the top scorer's list, with Liverpool's Salah leading with a terrifying 16 goals with the full support of his team.
The only downside was Manchester City's defeat to Arsenal in the League Cup quarter-finals. Guardiola experimented with some tactics in this match, but the mismatched lineup led to the loss.
However, it was not a significant setback. In the Club World Cup, the Sky Blues defeated Al-Ain and Grêmio successively, lifting their first-ever intercontinental trophy.
On December 8th, France Football magazine announced Wang Feng's back-to-back Ballon d'Or wins for 2017, making it a clean sweep of all three annual awards once again for the Chinese superstar.
"A familiar scene, yet astonishing results," many media outlets described the current situation.
Every time the Chinese superstar won an award, it felt like a journey back in time, as if time had never passed, yet it was steadily advancing. Generation after generation of stars rose and fell, but everyone wanted to know where Wang's limits lay, harboring a complex mix of anticipation and reluctance.
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