章 462: Chapter 462: Young Man, You Need to Take It Easy!

Chapter 462: Young Man, You Need to Take It Easy!

Listening to the French commentators praise Mbappé on TV, Lin Quan couldn't help but yawn. While Mbappé would undoubtedly become a great player in the future, it was still too early to tell. Rising to fame too soon might not be entirely beneficial for him, as star players often face targeted defenses. An injury at such a young age could be detrimental to his career, especially for a speedster like Mbappé, where injuries can have an even more significant impact.

Just as Lin Quan was about to get up to turn off the TV, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he smiled.

"Let me guess, you're calling not just to wish me a Merry Christmas, right?"

"Hehe, that's right. What else could it be? I'm not in the UK right now, you know."

On the other end, Lily Collins chuckled. "Alright, I sent your Christmas gift a week ago. It should be arriving soon, right?"

"Is that so? But I haven't received anything yet."

Hearing that she sent the gift a week ago, Lin Quan had a bad feeling. International shipping usually takes 3-5 days, and if it hasn't arrived in seven days, there might be a problem.

"Hehe, you'll see your gift soon!"

Lily Collins laughed, covering her mouth. Lin Quan sensed something different in her laughter. Why didn't she seem worried about the gift getting lost?

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Hearing the knock, Lin Quan immediately understood. Her gift was herself!

As he opened the door, Lily Collins jumped into his arms. "Surprised to see me?"

She looked pleased with herself for surprising him. She had intentionally kept her visit a secret to create a pleasant surprise for Lin Quan. And it worked.

"Yeah, I didn't expect this, especially since you said your schedule was fully booked."

Lily Collins had been busy filming a movie, something Lin Quan was aware of, so he genuinely didn't expect her to show up.

"Hehe, the movie wrapped up early!" Lily Collins was excited. After the flop of "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones," she hadn't landed a lead role in a while. This opportunity was precious, and if it flopped again, she might have to consider a career change.

With Lily Collins' unexpected appearance, Lin Quan's Christmas finally felt festive.

The next day during training, De Bruyne handed Lin Quan and Guardiola the gifts Michelle had prepared.

"Umm..." Looking at the gift, Lin Quan fell into deep thought.

"What's wrong? Don't you like the gift?" De Bruyne was worried seeing Lin Quan frown. The gifts were all prepared by Michelle, and he had no hand in it.

"No, it's not that. I'm just curious why you suddenly changed girlfriends."

In October, Lin Quan had seen De Bruyne with his previous girlfriend, Caroline. It hadn't even been three months, and he already had a new girlfriend.

"Caroline and I broke up amicably for some personal reasons. As for Michelle, she's been a fan of mine, and we've been chatting online for a while. She even sent me handmade gifts occasionally. We've known each other for quite some time."

De Bruyne was straightforward, explaining everything.

"So that's it. I was wondering how a homebody like you found a new girlfriend so quickly!"

Unlike some teammates who frequented nightclubs, De Bruyne had a small social circle, preferring to stay at home. For someone like him, meeting new people would be challenging unless the other party made the first move.

It's good that he moved on. Even if Caroline hadn't cheated on him in this timeline, Lin Quan always had some reservations. Michelle, on the other hand, seemed like a caring person. This was evident from the meticulously prepared Christmas gifts she made for De Bruyne's teammates. Lin Quan couldn't remember receiving a gift from De Bruyne last year. This year, not only did he receive one, but so did all other teammates, even the seldom-playing substitutes.

Originally, De Bruyne had suffered immensely from the scandal involving Courtois and Caroline. Avoiding such a tragedy now could only be a good thing.

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min's situation was entirely different.

"Whoa, what happened to you? You look completely drained!"

Seeing Son Heung-min pale and unsteady on his feet, Lin Quan and De Bruyne were shocked.

"Uh, I didn't rest well last night. I'll be fine after a bit."

Son Heung-min blushed, seemingly embarrassed.

Everyone understood. Lin Quan remembered the pictures in The Sun of Son Heung-min and his girlfriend, realizing what happened. He patted Son Heung-min on the shoulder and said sincerely, "Young man, you need to take it easy!"

Son Heung-min nodded repeatedly. His girlfriend only visited occasionally and couldn't stay long. She was leaving for Korea today. He wouldn't have many chances to indulge, but he might have gone overboard last night. Now, his biggest worry was the coach noticing his state and forming a negative impression.

Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid it. During roll call, Guardiola noticed something was off. He was furious and immediately removed Son Heung-min from the starting lineup for the next match.

December 26, Premier League Round 18

During the festive period, with other leagues on break, the Premier League drew a large viewership, including fans from other leagues. For these fans, the big clubs were the main attractions. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea benefited from this. The biggest beneficiary, however, was the new powerhouse—Manchester City.

As the best-performing European team in recent years, Manchester City's international fame was on par with other big clubs. With stars like Lin Quan and a legendary coach like Guardiola, they had no shortage of attention. Moreover, City's style of play was very appealing, especially to fans of La Liga. Watching City felt like watching a La Liga match.

Thus, City's match against Sunderland attracted millions of overseas viewers, with a significant portion from Asia. Before the match, the Etihad Stadium was packed, and fans who couldn't get tickets gathered around the stadium.

"What's going on today? Why are there so many people?"

Seeing the massive crowd, even the experienced Guardiola was surprised.

"Probably because it's the holidays, and there's a lot of extra foot traffic."

Many fans weren't from Manchester or even the UK. They had traveled from abroad to watch the match. Such scenes weren't uncommon in Europe, where football culture was widespread. Many people made it a point to watch matches at iconic stadiums while touring Europe. Manchester United's Old Trafford often saw large numbers of international fans coming to pay homage.

Previously, City didn't enjoy such treatment, but with their improved performance and growing reputation, they too began attracting international fans, especially from Asia. Before Son Heung-min joined, most were Chinese fans. After his arrival, the number of Korean fans increased, though they still lagged behind the Chinese fans due to population differences.

Perhaps influenced by the lively atmosphere, City's players were highly active from the start. In the 4th minute, Lin Quan was fouled in the box, earning a penalty. He converted it himself, making it 1-0. Just four minutes in, City had a dream start at home. After breaking the deadlock, their offense became unstoppable.

In the 12th minute, De Bruyne sent a through ball to Lin Quan, who broke through and scored after beating the keeper. The score became 2-0. City fans at the Etihad were ecstatic. With just over ten minutes played and two goals already, many sensed a massacre.

"Wow!"

"Awesome!"

"Lin Quan is unstoppable!"

Some first-time spectators were amazed by Lin Quan's performance. It felt much more impressive live than on TV. Seeing Lin Quan's speed, dribbling, and finishing up close left them in awe. Live matches shattered any "I could do that" illusions from watching on TV. It made them question if he was even human.

Lin Quan's performance wasn't over yet. In the 22nd minute, he assisted Aguero for City's third goal. In the 33rd minute, he completed his hat trick with a free kick. By halftime, the score was 4-0. The City fans were overjoyed, singing songs praising Lin Quan. Guardiola stood up, applauding Lin Quan's hat trick.

"This kid is ruthless. I told them to settle the match in the first half, but I didn't mean this ruthlessly. The other side is getting demoralized!"

Looking at Sunderland's players and bench, Guardiola saw their morale plummeting. Sunderland likely knew they'd lose but didn't expect such a thrashing. This kind of defeat could shatter their confidence and spirit, crucial for their relegation battle.

As Guardiola pondered whether to tell his players to ease up, De Bruyne scored. It was now 5-0. The massacre was complete. Guardiola returned to his seat, resigned. The victory was secured, and he could now rest key players for the next match.

He wondered how things were going at Liverpool.

At Anfield

Unlike the festive atmosphere at the Etihad, Anfield was tense. After 40 minutes, it was still 0-0. Both teams attacked boldly but couldn't break through each other's solid defenses.

For Liverpool and Leicester City, this match was crucial. Liverpool was 9th, needing to climb to the top four for a Champions League spot. They were six points behind the top four, a significant gap requiring them to win as many matches as possible, especially against direct competitors like Leicester.

Leicester, trailing City by six points, couldn't afford to fall behind before their showdown in two days. Losing this match would put them nine points behind, and even a win in the next match would leave them six points adrift. Winning both matches would close the gap to three points, keeping their title hopes alive.

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