Capítulo 173: The Premier League Officially Kicks Off!
"Arsenal tried to set an offside trap, but it was a good ball, and the linesman didn't raise the flag!"
The commentator described Manchester City's attack rapidly.
"Agüero charges into the box, Szczęsny comes out to challenge. Agüero shoots to the far corner, the ball hits the post and bounces into the net, 3-3, the scores are level again!"
Manchester City fans at the stadium stood up excitedly as they watched Agüero run with the ball toward the goal. When Agüero seized the chance and scored, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Etihad Stadium erupted in applause and cheers. For fans who bought tickets, this match was worth every penny.
Although it was just a friendly, both teams played very aggressively due to the nature of the match.
Both teams played attacking football in the first half, with back-and-forth action. The second half, while less aggressive, featured intense midfield battles and Lin's brilliant long pass, which thrilled the fans.
Perhaps they should be grateful this was a friendly match. Without the pressure of league points, both teams played freely, producing high-quality football. In a league match, concerns over points might make both teams play more conservatively, reducing the entertainment value.
Though just a friendly, neither Arsenal nor Manchester City wanted to lose.
In the remaining time, both teams gave their all to try and secure a victory. However, luck wasn't on their side.
In the 67th minute of the second half, Manchester City's Agüero missed a one-on-one chance. Arsenal's Giroud also missed a header that hit the crossbar.
In the end, after ninety minutes, the match ended in a 3-3 draw.
After the match, Wenger approached Pellegrini, hugged him, and said:
"I envy you for having such excellent players!"
Pellegrini smiled and replied:
"Arsenal's talented geniuses are also enviable, and your status at Arsenal is something a coach like me can't compare to!"
Wenger smiled and didn't respond. He was an old-school football manager, not just a coach but also involved in the club's operations.
Pellegrini, like other top league coaches, mainly focused on training and matches, while the club's operations were handled by the football director. So his power wasn't as extensive as Wenger's.
The position of football manager was a relic of the old Premier League era. With Ferguson's retirement, coaches with this role were becoming rare. Wenger might be the last true football manager.
For coaches, having more power is always desirable. So the football manager role is highly coveted.
However, clubs generally don't want a coach to have too much power, especially with the increasing frequency of coaching changes. Giving too much power to a coach isn't beneficial for the club. So they appoint a football director to share the management responsibilities, a trend that's becoming irreversible.
Hearing Pellegrini's words, Wenger didn't know how to respond. Even he felt like a relic of the past. Once he retired, the role of football manager might disappear entirely.
...
On the field, Cazorla walked up to Lin to apologize:
"Sorry, Lin, I fouled you several times during the match. Don't take it to heart."
Lin smiled and said:
"It's fine, we both played for our teams. If you held back, you wouldn't be earning your paycheck!"
Cazorla nodded repeatedly, impressed by Lin's perspective. No wonder coaches like Del Bosque and Wenger admired Lin so much!
"But we're still national teammates. Fouling me like that makes me feel a bit cold-hearted!"
"Haha, no problem. When you come to London, I'll treat you to hotpot. I know a great place with authentic Chongqing hotpot. It'll warm you right up!"
"That sounds good. Next time you visit Manchester, dinner's on me!"
"Deal!"
...
After the friendly, Pellegrini gave the team a day off. This was probably their last break before the new Premier League season started. Once the season began, Manchester City would be on a fast track.
On August 17th, the Premier League officially kicked off.
The opening match featured Liverpool hosting Stoke City at Anfield.
Just hearing the names, one might think Liverpool had a great chance of winning. But that wasn't necessarily the case.
In recent seasons, Liverpool's performance had been poor. Despite being one of the traditional Premier League powerhouses, they hadn't qualified for the Champions League in four seasons since Benitez left.
The once-dominant Liverpool in both the Premier League and Champions League had been struggling recently.
Playing at home, Liverpool had a dull first half, struggling to find their attacking rhythm.
Last season's top scorer, Suárez, was banned for ten matches by the FA for a biting incident, meaning he couldn't play in the first six matches of the season.
Without Suárez, Liverpool's attack was dismal, worrying their fans at Anfield.
Liverpool had a terrible record in their last four season openers, with two losses and two draws.
The fans were worried: would this season's opener end in another failure?
Unable to accept such a harsh reality, Liverpool fans sang their famous anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone," to cheer for their team.
With the fans' support, Liverpool seemed to find their form.
In the 37th minute of the first half, Sturridge stepped up, receiving a pass from Aspas and scoring from 22 meters out. This was the first goal of the new Premier League season and the only goal of the match.
Thanks to Sturridge's crucial goal, Liverpool finally broke their four-year opening match curse with a win.
Notably, this season marked the introduction of goal-line technology in the Premier League.
In the second half, Liverpool had a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced on the goal line. The goal-line technology confirmed the ball hadn't fully crossed the line, so it wasn't counted as a goal.
After Liverpool and Stoke City's opener, the Premier League was officially underway.
In the following five simultaneous matches, Arsenal, fresh off their friendly with Manchester City, had a shocking result.
They lost 1-3 at home to Aston Villa.
Arsenal's loss was quite controversial. They scored first in the 6th minute but were then penalized with two penalties in the 21st and 61st minutes.
The first penalty decision wasn't disputed, but the second was highly controversial.
In the 61st minute, Villa's forward Agbonlahor was tripped by Koscielny in the box. Slow-motion replays showed Koscielny got the ball first before tripping the player, a clean tackle.
However, the referee called it a foul, gave Koscielny a yellow card, and awarded Villa a second penalty.
Benteke converted the penalty, giving Villa a 2-1 lead over Arsenal.
Arsenal still had a chance with 30 minutes left.
Given their attacking strength, they could have equalized or even turned the game around if they stayed focused.
However, Arsenal's young players were easily affected. Koscielny, upset by the perceived injustice, lost his composure.
Wenger's indecisiveness in making in-game adjustments was exposed. He didn't substitute the unsettled Koscielny promptly.
Five minutes later, Koscielny committed another foul and received a second yellow card.
With two yellows turning into a red, Arsenal were down to ten men and a goal behind.
In the 85th minute, Villa capitalized on Arsenal's desperation, scoring another goal on a counter-attack.
Arsenal couldn't recover from this, marking their first opening-day loss in 13 seasons.
The once formidable Gunners seemed to have lost their magic.
Apart from Arsenal's upset, the other top teams had no surprises.
Tottenham narrowly beat newly promoted Crystal Palace 1-0.
Chelsea won 2-0 at home against Hull City.
In a highly anticipated match, Manchester United defeated Swansea 4-1 away.
This was Moyes' first match in charge of Manchester United, and the team's performance was a solid start.
However, there were still doubts about whether Moyes could maintain the dominance of the Ferguson era.
Few believed Moyes could replicate United's past success. Beating Swansea wasn't enough to prove United's strength.
To truly prove their worth, United needed to perform well in big matches.
Coincidentally, United would face Chelsea in the second round.
Moyes' coaching ability would be tested in that match.
...
The final match of the first round was between Manchester City and Newcastle.
Due to scheduling, this match was three days later than the opener.
By the time Manchester City's match began, all other Premier League matches had ended.
All eyes were on Manchester City, eager to assess their form.
This season, Manchester City spent lavishly in the transfer market, continuing their tradition of big spending.
Adding a phenomenon like Lin further piqued curiosity about City's strength.
People were eager to see if Manchester City, a nouveau riche club, could become a new Premier League powerhouse like Chelsea once did.
The Etihad Stadium was buzzing with excitement.
Rival clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool sent scouts to observe the match.
Even United's manager Moyes attended, preparing for the Manchester derby in the fifth round.
For Moyes, a draw or even a loss against Chelsea was acceptable, as Chelsea were strong.
But losing to Manchester City was different. City, long overshadowed by United, was now a rising force.
Moyes' United must suppress them. Losing to City would invite harsh criticism from United fans and media, making his tenure difficult.
Pellegrini, City's manager, also took the match seriously.
He fielded what he believed to be City's strongest lineup.
City's formation was
a 4-4-2 flat setup:
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart; Right back: Zabaleta, Center backs: Kompany, Lescott, Left back: Clichy; Left midfielder: Navas, Defensive midfielders: Fernandinho, Yaya Touré, Right midfielder: Silva; Forwards: Lin, Agüero.
Lin and Agüero started as forwards, but Lin dropped back to play as a shadow striker, effectively a playmaker.
The 4-4-2 formation, beloved by English teams, offered balance.
In defense, the midfielders could drop back, closing gaps and compressing the opposition's attacking space, making it hard to break through.
In attack, the wide midfielders could push up to become wingers, doubling the number of attacking players, creating more options and making it tough for opponents to defend.
However, this formation demanded high-quality midfielders.
Ordinary players struggled to maximize its benefits.
But for City, this wasn't an issue.
Their midfield was luxurious, especially with Navas and Silva on the wings.
Their defensive ability might be lacking, but their attacking prowess was reliable.
At 18:00, the referee's whistle signaled the start of the match between Manchester City and Newcastle.
Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the home crowd, City's players launched an aggressive attack from the first second.
Newcastle seemed unprepared for City's onslaught, retreating step by step with their goal under constant threat.
In the first minute, City had their first shot.
Lin received a pass from Silva near the box, evaded the defensive midfielder, and shot from outside the box.
The ball narrowly missed the crossbar.
Although it didn't go in, the fans still applauded Lin enthusiastically.
It was clear Lin had a strong desire to attack in this match.
This made the fans eager to see his performance at the Etihad Stadium!
Lin didn't disappoint. In the 6th minute, after another assist from Silva on the wing, Lin opted not to shoot from distance.
Instead, he dribbled into the box, skillfully maneuvering past two defenders before coolly chipping the ball into the net, scoring his first Premier League goal!
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