Chapter 34 Focus Shift

The news of Liverpool's victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semi-final became the headline story in many sports sections of newspapers the next day.

"...If I said that Liverpool's defeat of Tottenham Hotspur was an upset, I wonder if anyone would spit in my face? But that's actually the case. I'm not talking about the Liverpool first team that Manchester United couldn't handle, with stars like Chen Hero, Gerrard, Gareth Bale, Sanchez, Inler, Pepe, Skrtel... but the Liverpool reserves, whom you wouldn't recognize anyone except Chen Hero. This team, widely regarded as easy meat before the game, convincingly defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the semi-finals. Hard to believe, isn't it? But everyone who watched yesterday's game wouldn't think so now. They would feel that victory was Liverpool's deserved..."

"Yesterday at Wembley Stadium, more than 80,000 people witnessed a strange game—Tottenham Hotspur, fielding their full squad, were defeated 2-0 by Liverpool's reserves. Unlike other teams who sent out their main players in the FA Cup semi-final, Liverpool sent out a reserve team that was not very strong. Martin O'Neill's decision was questioned before the game. But all this disappeared as Liverpool defeated Tottenham and entered the final..."

"...Liverpool's reserves played quite tenaciously in yesterday's game. They exceeded many people's expectations. Facing Tottenham's bombardment, their defense never had any problems. Even if Tottenham had sent out their full squad, they would not have been able to break through such a defense... Although Chen Hero scored two goals and was the best player of the game, Chen Hero felt after the game that the best player should be the reserve team as a whole, not him alone..."

"Martin O'Neill highly praised the performance of all the reserve team players after the game. He believed that the victory in this game was inseparable from the outstanding performance of the reserve team players. He also revealed a piece of news: in the final, Liverpool will also use the same lineup to face their final opponent—the winner between Chelsea and Stoke City. After watching this game, I believe this news is no longer too shocking..."

…

Unlike the previous games, the focus of the media after the game shifted from Chen Hero to the ordinary reserve team players.

Not much ink was spent on Chen Hero, and some reports could even be said to be very short.

Everyone's focus was on the reserve team players. After the game, in the mixed zone, all the reserve team players were welcomed by reporters, who rushed to interview them, allowing them to experience being a star.

In the post-match reports, they were finally referred to by their names instead of just "Chen Hero's teammates in the reserves," so that everyone knew who they were.

This change was of course due to their outstanding performance in the game, which reversed many people's preconceived notions about them.

Before, no one paid attention to them because they felt that the only role of these people was to help Chen Hero make up eleven people, so as to prevent Chen Hero from being unable to participate in the game due to insufficient numbers. The outcome of the game still had to rely on Chen Hero and his goals. As long as Chen Hero scored a goal, Liverpool could win the game and advance to the next round. It didn't matter how the Liverpool reserve team players performed, even if they were all sleepwalking, Chen Hero could solve the battle.

In fact, it was the media who looked down on them, thinking that they were useless.

But after this game, everything changed. Their tenacious performance on the field was seen by everyone, and as long as the person's brain had no intelligence problems, they could see what kind of role the Liverpool reserve team players played.

In addition, everyone was already tired of hearing about how awesome Chen Hero was every day. These relatively grassroots reserve team players could attract everyone's attention and make many people interested in their stories.

This is why, although everyone always worships the strong, they also like the good show of the grassroots reversing the strong.

For several days after the game, there were many more reporters interviewing them outside the reserve team training ground and fans cheering them on than usual. The reserve team players finally felt what it was like to be a "star."

※※※

While the reserve team players were enjoying the feeling of being stars, Chen Hero was not in the mood for that.

For the reserve team, their next big battle was the FA Cup final, which was in May. Before that, they could get enough rest.

During this period, the reserve team will continue to train in depth. The training content is the same as before. Giving them a month to prepare, I believe they should be able to perform better than in the semi-finals.

Chen Hero was much busier than them.

After the FA Cup semi-final, it was immediately the domestic league, and after the domestic league, it was followed by the Champions League semi-final.

※※※

In the 34th round of the league, Liverpool played against Fulham at home.

Liverpool is now ranked first in the league, with second-placed Chelsea ten points behind them, and third-placed Manchester United eleven points behind them.

As long as they win two more games, Liverpool can win the league title in advance.

This season is not like last season, when Liverpool were able to let Manchester United catch up despite leading by ten points.

This season, Liverpool's players have shown more confidence in the competition for the league title, and there has been no case of them dropping the ball themselves, so the group of pursuers behind them have no choice but to watch Liverpool lead the way, unmatched.

It was precisely because of such a huge lead that O'Neill felt that the team could be distracted and try out the Champions League.

Therefore, although only Chen Hero from the first team participated in the just-concluded FA Cup semi-final, Martin O'Neill still made a decision of half main players and half substitutes in the game against Fulham.

This lineup lived up to expectations, defeating the visiting Fulham 3-1 at Anfield. Because Chelsea and Manchester United both won, the point difference between the three remained unchanged.

Liverpool still leads Chelsea by ten points and Manchester United by eleven points.

In this case, the next round of the league, Liverpool's home game against Chelsea, has become a key battle to determine the final league title—if Liverpool can beat Chelsea at home, the point difference between the two sides will widen to thirteen points, even if Manchester United can win, the point difference between Liverpool and them is still eleven points. With only three rounds left in the league, an eleven-point advantage means that Liverpool has won the title three rounds in advance!

But it's not that certain. There are still variables in this game, because this game against Chelsea is sandwiched between two Champions League semi-finals. If Liverpool's home game against AC Milan is not particularly smooth, it will definitely affect their strategy and tactics in the league.

Perhaps Liverpool will consider actively giving up the game against Chelsea, recuperate, and then challenge AC Milan away, and then postpone their championship celebration by one or two rounds.

Even if Liverpool loses to Chelsea at home, and the point difference between the two sides becomes seven points, as long as Liverpool wins Hull City away, then with only two rounds left, the point difference between the two teams is still seven points, and Liverpool will win the title in advance. And as a team that has already been relegated, it shouldn't be difficult for Liverpool to win them, even away from home.

Therefore, in any case, Liverpool's prospects for winning the championship are bright, and O'Neill can now focus his main attention on the Champions League.

He decided not only to enter the Champions League final, but also to try to lift the Champions League trophy!

This season Liverpool has already won the League Cup title and secured the League title. It is not hopeless for the FA Cup title. If they win the Champions League title again... four titles! For O'Neill, it can be described as a season of great harvest, a brilliant achievement that countless coaches dream of. He will definitely leave his name forever in the history of Liverpool Football Club because of this achievement! And also in the history of world football!

※※※

Chen Hero scored twice in Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Fulham at home. These two goals were of great significance, because they brought his league goals for the season to an amazing fifty!

Last season, Chen Hero's league goals were fifty-seven, only three goals away from the single-season record of sixty goals set by Dixie Dean.

At that time, everyone felt sorry for Chen Hero, because if he had worked harder, he might have broken Dixie Dean's record.

You know, being able to score fifty-seven goals in a single season is already a remarkable achievement. God knows when Chen Hero will score so many goals next time...

Who would have thought that in the second season, Chen Hero had already scored fifty goals with four rounds left in the league!

Exactly the same result as last season!

Last season, Chen Hero also scored fifty goals with six rounds left in the league.

However, in the next four rounds of the league, he did not score in one round, and although he staged two hat-tricks in the other three games, he only scored one goal in the final game against Swansea. If he had seized a few more opportunities in the games against Swansea and Bolton, he might have broken Dixie Dean's record.

So what about this single season?

In the next four games, the games against Hull City and West Ham United are easy to play, but what everyone cares about most is the games against Chelsea and Newcastle United. With their understanding of Chen Hero, the higher the standard this person shows when facing stronger opponents. Just like last season, he did not score in the game against Bolton, but immediately afterwards, he staged a hat-trick when playing against Manchester United away!

This season, there are four games left. Chen Hero needs to score an average of two and a half goals per game to be able to tie Dixie Dean's record, and then he has to score at least one more goal on this basis to create a new record!

Can he do it?

Many people have begun to look forward to it like they are expecting the lottery to be drawn.

In fact, they did buy lottery tickets.

Many European bookmakers have launched various odds for whether Chen Hero can break Dixie Dean's record, attracting many gamblers and gamblers to participate.

Therefore, it is not just England, but the eyes of the entire Europe are actually focused on Chen Hero.