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Chapter 765: Sustainable Development
Even though they were two goals behind, Manchester United still showed strong will and pulled one back in the 84th minute.
Substitute Martial cut inside with the ball from the wing, then suddenly took a long shot. The ball bounced off the ground in front of Bravo, and the Chilean goalkeeper couldn't save it in time, allowing it to slip past his hand and into the net behind him.
Fortunately, Manchester City held onto the victory. When the final whistle blew, the score remained at 1-2, and the away team took three points from Old Trafford!
In the mixed interview area after the match, Wang Feng, who was once again voted the best player of the match, accepted an interview with reporters. After just four rounds of the league, he had been voted the best player three times and was named the Premier League Player of the Month for August.
"We have suffered many injuries, but fortunately the players have worked together and executed the coach's tactics diligently, ultimately winning this crucial match."
"Manchester United's performance is admirable. They kept us under great pressure until the last moment. They are worthy opponents."
"The league has just begun, and we have had a dream start with consecutive wins. But there is still a long way to go to win the championship."
As the losing side, Mourinho praised the performance of the cross-town rivals in the press conference. "Under the leadership of Guardiola and Wang Feng, their strength has improved significantly, which is obvious."
However, the Portuguese coach believed that his team still had a chance to turn things around, such as defending more resolutely after conceding the second goal, and being more precise in seizing opportunities towards the end of the game, which might lead to a completely different result.
"Football matches are like this, details determine many things. Our team will continue to gel, and I believe we can do better when we meet again."
Guardiola praised Wang Feng, "The more you come into contact with Wang, the more you understand why he is called the God of Football. Outstanding ball sense and football IQ, practical and entertaining technical skills, excellent vision and passing ability, it's just perfect."
"He is always the most perfect player on the field, the unique dominator!"
When asked about the difference between coaching him and coaching Messi, the Spanish coach scratched his head. "You can't compare like that, it's a bit unfair."
"Leo is an extremely talented star, he is very strong, but there is a world of difference between him and Wang Feng. No player can be compared to Wang Feng."
Guardiola added, "Including many outstanding players like Leo, they can actually strive towards Wang's direction. Even if one skill reaches the same level as him, it's enough to dominate the football world."
On September 14th, Manchester City welcomed Borussia Monchengladbach, their opponent in the first round of the Champions League group stage, at the Etihad Stadium.
The ball possession was undoubtedly in the hands of the Sky Blues, while the away team defended all-out to prevent Manchester City from easily opening the scoring, making the situation very tense.
Once the home team passed the thirty-meter range, they faced layers of interception, making it difficult to find opportunities to penetrate into the core area.
At this time, sharper attackers were needed to step up.
"Manchester City advances to the frontcourt, De Bruyne gives it to Stones who runs up the wing, but his cross is blocked and returned. Silva receives it and shifts it to the middle."
"Wang Feng moves horizontally, shoots! He fakes a shot, then shoots again!"
"Goooooooal! The ball is in!"
"As the match reaches the 29th minute, the Chinese superstar shoots from outside the penalty area, a powerful shot pierces through Borussia Monchengladbach's defense."
"Manchester City leads 1-0!"
"So clever, let's take another look. The first shot feigned a shot, causing two defenders to fall, but it was just a feint."
"Then he took advantage of the moment when the defenders were on the ground to shoot again. The ball speed was fast and the angle was tricky, leaving the away team's goalkeeper with no chance to react."
"This is the unparalleled world-class attacker, forcefully breaking the deadlock. The game situation will definitely change afterwards."
The situation was much as the commentators expected. Borussia Monchengladbach was originally the weaker side, and being forcefully opened by the opponents' gate demoralized the players.
Combined with the fact that Manchester City was their biggest competitor for advancing from the group, and considering Barcelona's presence in the group, the away team didn't want to passively accept defeat and had to choose to attack actively.
Under the transition from static to dynamic, Manchester City had more opportunities to attack.
Just before halftime, De Bruyne sent a ground pass that bypassed the front defenders, and Aguero at the far post poked it in to extend the lead.
After the break, after several passing and coordination, Manchester City pushed forward to the frontcourt. Silva sent a through ball to the center, Wang Feng received the ball facing two defenders, backheeled the ball to create space.
De Bruyne, positioned near the edge of the penalty area, took a powerful shot. The ball hit the post and deflected into the net, 3-0!
After securing the victory, Guardiola substituted Wang Feng, who currently averaged less than 65 minutes per game for Manchester City.
This was a consensus reached by the entire coaching staff, to ensure Wang Feng's health and stability while serving the club.
No matter how strong he was, he was ultimately a 33-year-old veteran. Prolonging Wang Feng's professional career as much as possible, sustaining development, was a huge asset for the entire team.
In the final moments of the game, Otamendi further widened the scoreline through a corner kick opportunity. The final result was 4-0, and Manchester City secured a resounding victory in the opening match of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, in another game, Barcelona swept Celtic 7-0, giving them the upper hand in the race for advancement from the group stage alongside the Sky Blues.
Next, in the fifth round of the Premier League, Manchester City continued their strong performance with a 5-1 home victory over Bournemouth, with Wang Feng scoring twice.
This small club from the seaside resort city of Dorset successfully entered the Premier League last season, achieving their first-ever campaign in England's top league in over a hundred years.
After the match, the English League Cup ignited the battle. Manchester City started from the round of 32, with their first opponent being Swansea City from Wales.
The full name of the League Cup is the English Football League Cup, and it is a knockout competition involving clubs from the Premier League, EFL Championship, EFL League One, and EFL League Two, initiated by the English Football League in 1960.
The establishment of this tournament was mainly to challenge the FA Cup, which was under the jurisdiction of the Football Association of England, because in the hearts of fans at that time, the FA Cup was highly regarded, even more so than the league.
However, over the years, the League Cup has been unable to shake the foundation of the FA Cup. Instead, it has become a somewhat redundant honor.
Except for the semi-finals adopting a two-legged format, all other matches in the League Cup are single-leg fixtures, and the final is held at a neutral venue, with the home and away teams decided by draw.
Manchester City had a bit of bad luck, drawing an away fixture. However, in the following sixth round of the Premier League, they would also face Swansea away, to some extent saving them from the fatigue of traveling back and forth.
Guardiola sent out a completely rotated lineup for the League Cup, and Manchester City still won 2-1 to advance to the next round.
Meanwhile, on the Premier League stage, the Sky Blues easily won 3-0, with the Chinese superstar assisting Nolito for the opening goal, followed by goals from Stones and Fernandinho respectively.