Mourinho stood in the coaching area, his face stern.

He had been closely watching Li Kang's performance in games since the previous season.

It was a pity he hadn't been able to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

If Chelsea had him...

"This kid is deliberately slowing down the pace... testing the changes in our defensive spacing."

"Just like Guardiola when he was young."

Time seemed to return to the Camp Nou more than twenty years ago.

Barça had a rebellious, headstrong assistant coach who often got into it with the opposing players or coaches.

Enrique, Vilanova, and Guardiola were always the first to run to the sidelines to break up the fights during dead-ball situations...

Busquets's dad would take the opportunity to take off his gloves and throw a few sucker punches.

Coach Van Gaal would grab the fourth official, spraying him with saliva.

In the stands, a then-full-haired Ten Hag... would advise Cruyff to control his emotions.

...

In the stands.

Ferguson was calm and collected, slowly chewing gum.

Of course, he still remembered Arsenal's number 10.

Last season's Champions League qualifying round was ruined by that kid.

Today is different, his hands no longer tremble.

Having signed several strong players, the Red Devils are about to use this game's tactical reform storm to restore confidence to all supporters.

....

Ibrahimović played very easily.

He observed Li Kang's every move on the green field without much interest.

Is he a different type of genius midfielder from Zidane, Pirlo, and Xavi?

Zlatan has traveled to the top five European leagues for many years and has played against countless brilliant stars.

"Referee Atkinson enjoys a slow pace of play. As of the 2016/17 season, he's known as the Scourge, the Red Devils' nemesis, Liverpool's twelfth opponent, and Wenger's nightmare."

"He once had a fistfight with another famous referee, Clattenburg, during a match."

"Martial elbowed Cazorla; it shouldn't have been intentional."

"Xhaka quickly retaliated, accidentally tripping... Pogba!"

"The referee didn't call anything, a lenient standard, destined for a smooth Premier League game!"

Time passed unnoticed amidst the boos and cheers.

Arsenal firmly controlled the ball, but struggled to advance into Manchester United's danger zone.

Li Kang's positioning and passing seemed patient.

No one restricted him.

No one pressured him, drove him away, or deliberately changed his passing position.

No one obscured his local vision.

But Manchester United's coaching staff had done their homework, maintaining a consistent, synchronized movement of the three defensive lines, stifling his medium and long-range passes.

...

The scene seemed dull.

Li Kang had taken this test before, but in detail, he had to consider the different characteristics of the opposing players, probe the weak side of each defensive line, and balance his team's offensive and defensive resources.

Defensive resources?

Because Mustafi and Maguire on the back line had a strong desire to attack, they couldn't help but want to charge through the middle... scaring Bellerín and Monreal on the wings, who seemed a little apprehensive and didn't dare to push too far forward.

But it was okay.

The two defenders' occasional adventurous forward movement also increased the midfield's numerical advantage, allowing Arsenal to quickly regain possession even if they lost the ball.

In order to maintain the structure of the triple defensive line, Manchester United found it difficult to quickly widen the attack on the counterattack.

For the first fifteen minutes of the game, neither side could do anything to the other.

How should I put it?

The overall strategic tendency of both sides was conservative with a hint of uninhibitedness.

During a dead-ball situation.

Wenger called Maguire and Mustafi over.

"You can move forward appropriately to participate in the attack, pay attention to Li's gestures."

"But no matter what, one of you must stay back as a high defensive line."

The two center-backs nodded seriously.

Especially Maguire, his expression eager.

....

18th minute of the game.

Manchester United's half, forty meters out.

After receiving the ball, Cazorla deliberately paused, attracting Ibrahimović and Martial to press.

The dual-footed maestro's passing rate was fast, and his vision was wide.

With a "pop" sound.

The ball quickly passed Martial's side and was passed to Li Kang, who had run into open space.

Pogba immediately turned and retreated, supporting the second defensive line.

At the same time.

Manchester United's first line of defense was left with only the silly Lingard.

"Pogba's defensive awareness is so much stronger than before. He was very lazy at Juventus."

"His timely retreat strengthens the interception depth in front of the defense. It's difficult for Arsenal to speed up their advance."

"The core of attack and defense, Manchester United's investment of 100 million was worth it!"

"Li Kang isn't in a hurry, he's organizing slowly. Hey? Sharp... wonderful!"

....

From a God's-eye view.

Sanchez was frantically cutting back and forth on the left.

Morata was prowling between Manchester United's two center-backs, eager to pounce.

Little Tiger's position was slightly behind, creating space for a sprint.

The Gunners' front line is also one of the best in Europe.

Li Kang suddenly realized that he didn't need to participate in every moment of breaking the deadlock like he did in his Leverkusen days.

No need to deconstruct slowly and painstakingly like before.

And no need to forcibly serve as both the instigator and the finisher.

The "bullet time" legendary module didn't need to be activated.

He only needed to probe Manchester United's last line of defense directly in the thirty-meter area.

The rest would be left to those first-class teammates.

Bang!

The ball left the ground.

Drawing a rainbow-like arc in the sky above Old Trafford.

De Gea's pupils constricted, taking two steps back, raising his hand to indicate the approximate landing point, signaling his teammates to quickly fill the position.

Back at the club, his danger perception was very acute.

Unfortunately, Morata's sense of smell was equally acute.

The Spanish striker suddenly started, shaking off Bailly and Smalling.

At the same time.

The linesman pressed his flag and moved quickly.

No offside!

...

"The lead pass is too long!"

"Only Luke Shaw has kept up with Morata!"

The left side of Manchester United's penalty box line.

Morata easily squeezed away the young Luke Shaw with his butt.

How explosive is this Manchester United youngster's talent?

Wenger took a liking to him at the age of 8, but he chose Southampton, which was further from home.

He joined the first team at 15.

At the age of 17, he was selected for the Premier League Best Team.

At the age of 19, he broke the record for the highest transfer fee for players under 20 with a price of 38 million euros... leaving Southampton to join Manchester United.

Van Gaal had good eyes.

What was Luke Shaw's only shortcoming at this time? His relationship with Mourinho was not good.

Yes.

In less than two months, the two had friction.

...

On the sidelines.

Mourinho roared loudly.

He couldn't accept his own defensive player being knocked down by Morata's butt!

On the other side.

Wenger and Bould ran excitedly out of the coaching area.

Too simple.

A midfield core with wide vision, exquisite long passes, extraordinary awareness, and terrifying football IQ, if paired with an all-around center forward above the passing line... could directly solve the problem!

...

"Morata dribbles into the penalty area!"

"Manchester United's defense can't shrink back in time! Luke Shaw got up quickly and chased after him again."

"Will this go in?"

Bang!

Morata unleashed a powerful shot!

De Gea dove to the side, sealing the near post!

As long as he wasn't facing Li's shot... he wouldn't panic at all.

Related research shows that the Manchester United goalkeeper has the fastest reaction arc on this planet, 0.18 seconds, comparable to lightning.

It's not an empty boast.

It's a conclusion reached by a group of mathematicians based on the distance between the football and the goal, the running speed, and De Gea's blocking time and save height.

...

Tens of thousands of spectators in the Old Trafford stadium held their breath, staring at the contest between the two young Spanish stars!

But the ball didn't fly towards the near post as expected!

As if he had mishit it, it deviated from its trajectory.

Smalling was experienced and well-positioned, as if he had predicted it, preparing to clear the ball!

The former little brother of Vidić and Ferdinand has become Manchester United's main center-back...

Pa!

It slammed heavily on his knee, deflecting and leaping towards the center of the goal.

The whole stadium was stunned.

...

The hearts of Manchester United fans... skipped a beat.

Arsenal fans were overjoyed.

Watching the ball barely cross the goal line.

In a flash.

De Gea became the savior again.

He showed his unparalleled reaction arc and thigh flexibility.

Bang!

His pink shoes forcibly blocked the ball!

"Thrilling!"

"The Red Devils' goalkeeper!"

"De Gea used his foot to block the deflection as he dove to the side."

"The savior of Old Trafford."

"It was almost an own goal."

"Not only do you have to defend against your opponents, but you also have to defend against your teammates!"

"In the last round of the league last season, it was Smalling's own goal that cost De Gea the Premier League Golden Glove. It was just that one goal!"

"And in last season's FA Cup semi-final, Smalling also scored an own goal... De Gea suffered unspeakably."

"It's hard to guard against your own!"

De Gea's temper was still very good for the time being. After getting up, he told his teammates not to waste time apologizing, but to quickly stand firm and prepare to meet Arsenal's second wave of attack.

On the sidelines.

Mourinho angrily picked up a box of mineral water and slammed it hard on the grass.

He could finally understand Van Gaal's suffering.

On the other side.

Wenger rested his chin in his hands and fell into deep thought.

'Čech is going to retire in a year or two. We can save some money and buy De Gea.'

....

Li Kang raised his hand and pointed in the direction where the cleared ball landed... signaling Walcott, who was closest, to take the ball.

He didn't expect that just one probe would reveal the weakness of Manchester United's defense: Luke Shaw didn't seem to fit into the low-position defense system.

According to normal thinking, all he needed to do was reorganize...

The God's-eye view was a little strange.

Suddenly.

A figure weighing more than two hundred pounds roared past!

Maguire!

This guy could even raise his hand to express that he understood Li Kang's gesture while running?

Arsenal's coaching staff was a little stunned.

Wenger was a little doubtful whether he had given the players too much freedom.

Walcott was startled and quickly gave way.

....

"Harry Maguire!"

"He welcomes his debut for Arsenal."

"His desire to attack is very strong!"

"His characteristic is that his speed is slow..."

"Ah?"

"He's directly dribbling the ball to initiate the attack?"

The Red Devils players were a little caught off guard.

A two-hundred-pound head slammed into Manchester United's second line of defense.

Carrick, Pogba, and Herrera quickly double-teamed.

An unexpected scene was born!

This behemoth, Maguire... instantly showed an explosive power that didn't match his burly figure!

Changing direction while accelerating to get past people.

Twisting and turning.

Manchester United's defense... was facing a formidable enemy: he really didn't have any feints when dribbling past people.

Strange.

Why was this center-back so slow in defense... but so fast in attack?

"He's past them!"

"Maguire has actually gotten past them!"

"Facing the final hurdle - Bailly!"

"How will he handle it!"

Bailly was very calm. He was a top center-back and wouldn't allow himself to be beaten by the opponent's center-back.

He tried to focus on Maguire's eyes.

Controlling his center of gravity...

At the moment the opponent lowered his shoulders.

Bailly still didn't move: it must be a feint.

Then.

Maguire squeezed past him.

Old Trafford erupted in cheers.

....

ESPN live broadcast room.

The barrage of comments flooded the screen.

-【What do you call a dribbling defender?】

-【Awesome!】

-【Maguire from his Hull City days, he had a highlight reel of dribbling past four players in a row!】

-【He just understood Li Mingdeng's gesture before starting to move forward and attack. Arsenal isn't afraid of a wave of injuries this season, their bench is well-stocked!】

...

De Gea recognized Arsenal's big-headed center-back.

This seemingly not-so-smart guy... had scored against his goal when he was still at Hull City.

Don't panic.

As long as he wasn't facing Li... he didn't need to fear anyone else.

Bang!

Maguire unleashed a powerful shot.

The ball spun violently, roaring towards the upper right corner of Manchester United's goal.

De Gea's body was already extended in mid-air the moment the opponent shot the ball.

His platinum gloves caught the ball steadily.

"Arsenal's tidal wave of attack!"

"The English passport's most promising center-back!"

"Wonderful!"

"De Gea has defused the danger again and again."

"Counterattack!"

"The Red Devils' counterattack!"

...

The cheers of Arsenal fans came to an abrupt halt.

It was over.

Looking down at the field, their own half was empty.

This was the hidden danger left by Maguire's forward attack!

Could Mustafi hold on alone?

Mourinho wasn't just famous for his defense.

There was also the counterattack.

He established the different styles of counterattack storms for the three giants, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Chelsea.

"De Gea's throw didn't directly find the frontcourt."

"Instead, he found Blind on the wing. The position is very safe, and there are no Arsenal players around him!"

"Manchester United's counterattack is very well-structured!"

"It's related to the characteristics of the players. Mourinho is more focused on the stability of the long passes in the counterattack."

Blind's passes were fierce.

In the 2014 World Cup, in the battle where the Netherlands slaughtered Spain, it was he who sent Van Persie the super-god assist for the "diving header."

He undoubtedly became the first passing point in Manchester United's counterattack.

Pa!

The ball drew an arc in the air.

The ball speed was fast.

The arc was small.

An essential skill in fast counterattacks.

Accurately finding Ibrahimović near the center circle!

You want a 35-year-old Swedish striker to make a burst run?

It's not impossible.

But in Manchester United's counterattack strategy, there was a better plan.

Ibrahimović.

Was just a pivot.

Yes.

This super striker, who came with his own system, not only enlivened all the attacking players in positional warfare.

In counterattacks, he was also willing to obey tactical arrangements.

It seemed that there was nothing he couldn't do...

His burly body held off Xhaka.

Before Cazorla could assist in the defense.

He jumped high!

"Terrifying back-to-goal ability!"

"A light touch!"

"Ibrahimović completed the pivot task in the counterattack!"

"The ball was flicked to Arsenal's half, forty meters out."

"Lingard!"

...

Manchester United's counterattack to Arsenal's half... took only 9 seconds.

The camera zoomed out.

The Gunners players quickly returned to defense.

The Red Devils players sprinted madly.

Martial dragged away Mustafi.

Lingard got rid of Monreal with a move that combined a stop and a pass.

The joy and sorrow of the two teams' fans quickly switched.

At this time, Arsenal's half was in turmoil.

"The Premier League Iniesta!"

"The Great British Star!"

"One-on-one!"

"Youngster Lingard!"

"The hero of Manchester United's FA Cup victory!"

"He may already be thinking about which dance to use to celebrate the goal!"

....

Čech was annoyed.

He could never get on the same wavelength as Mustafi and Maguire.

He adjusted his breathing slightly, preparing to meet the test.

Lingard dribbled the ball to the arc of the penalty area and shot angrily.

There were also no fancy feints.

The ball flew straight towards the center of the goal!

Clang!

The crossbar shook slightly.

After the ball rebounded to the ground, it was easily held in the arms of the Arsenal goalkeeper.

A sigh rang out throughout the Old Trafford stadium.

"The strength of both goalkeepers is too strong."

"Lingard anxiously grabbed his head."

"Mourinho slammed the ground angrily..."

"A powerful throw!"

"Čech has no intention of stopping."

"The pace is too fast."

"At this time, the formations of both sides are chaotic."

....

The Arsenal players, who had returned to defense halfway, immediately turned to attack.

The Manchester United players, who had counterattacked halfway, immediately turned to defend.

Referee Atkinson was a little tired.

He kept running from one penalty area to the center circle, and then from the other penalty area to... the forty-meter area.

Which forty-meter area?

Manchester United's forty-meter area.

Čech's powerful throw, like a grenade, slammed hard into the no-man's land!

Li Kang rushed to the landing point, raised his left foot, and calmly unloaded the ball.

From a God's-eye view.

Mourinho's Manchester United's three defensive lines had no time to rebuild.

A scattered formation in the backcourt.

In his vision, the phantom of Liverpool's number 9 suddenly appeared.

Infinite power surged into his legs...

Peak activation.

Torres.

.....

Ibrahimović and Pogba both belonged to the type of stars who didn't like to participate in returning to defense.

But their interception awareness and physical hardware were strong.

The two completed the pincer movement inside and outside the line the moment Li Kang stopped the ball.

One would interfere with passing.

One would disrupt the clearance.

It seemed that they could complete their respective tasks.

Faintly.

He seemed to feel the turf under his feet... vibrate slightly a few times.

The tens of thousands of spectators at Old Trafford didn't have time to make a suitable cheer or boo for the situation...

Arsenal's number 10 on the green field, activated.

A step away.

The starting speed, which violated the laws of physics, allowed Pogba and Ibrahimović to only see a back view in an instant...

It seemed that even the camera couldn't keep up with his pace in these few seconds.

The billboards on the side of the field gradually blurred.

Time seemed to stand still for two seconds.

...

"What happened."

"Li Kang has arrived in the thirty-meter area."

"How is he so fast?"

"It's Bailly again!"

"Manchester United's new center-back is facing another test!"

"Can he prove his worth?"

Bailly knew a lot about Li Kang.

He had studied the Marseille turn, the Cruyff turn, and Xavi's Love Magic Spin several times.

He was confident that he could destroy the ball... even if it was a foul.

The number 9 phantom in Li Kang's vision disappeared for a moment... then suddenly re-condensed.

Bang!

The long-lost sound came from the close-range sound equipment.

In the eyes of everyone in the stadium.

Li Kang's forward path didn't deviate much.

And the strong, big, black egg - Bailly... was knocked away by a meter....

Manchester United fans in the nearby stands screamed.

They remembered this scene: Torres's strong eating completely destroyed Vidić!

...

De Gea didn't really like to come out.

He understood Li Kang's shooting style.

Whether it was a heavy cannon.

Or a devilish arc,

Coming out was one of the best options.

How he wished that all he could see was Li's back.

The regret of life is nothing more than meeting the right person at the wrong time.