Capítulo 335: Chapter 335: The Sky Clears and the Rain Stops, Mourinho Thinks He's Back on Top!
Chapter 335: The Sky Clears and the Rain Stops, Mourinho Thinks He's Back on Top!
Manchester City had just won their game when news from next door broke: Manchester United had drawn yet again! Following a draw against Sunderland, they now faced off away against the last-place Burnley, ending the match with a scoreless draw. After 90 minutes, the game ended 0:0, handing out a dull draw to the fans. Burnley finally earned their first point of the new season, while Manchester United faced three winless rounds, marking their worst start in Premier League history.
In response to external criticism, Van Gaal continued to employ his 3-5-2 formation. Di María served as an attacking midfielder alongside Fletcher, with Rooney and Van Persie up front as strikers. Van Gaal's stubborn tactics did not bring victory, and with only two points from three matches, Manchester United was now seven points behind league leaders Manchester City. Early in the season, the Red Devils were nearly out of the title race. This performance subjected the Dutch coach to severe criticism.
Post-match, a BBC commentator puzzledly asked, "The captain of the England team, the captain of the Ecuador team, the captain of the Dutch team, a World Cup champion, and a world-class coach, yet why can't we win a single game this season?" The BBC's criticism was somewhat mild compared to the harsher rebukes from United fans:
"What kind of rubbish coach is Van Gaal? 3 center-backs + no good defensive midfielders + 3 wingers + 2 shadow strikers + 1 forward, and you spent 200 million to fight relegation?" "I'm really curious, where did the 200 million euros spent in the summer transfer window go?" "What did we buy exactly, you tell me Di María is worth 75 million euros?" "Serious investigation into Van Gaal, I suspect he took kickbacks!" "I've seen wasteful, but never this wasteful! Sir Alex's hard-saved legacy was squandered by Van Gaal in no time, and the most infuriating part is, there's no improvement in results!" "With such team performance, even comparing him to Moyes is a compliment!" "Dutchman, get out!" "Bring back Sir Alex, if we keep losing, my heart as a Red Devil fan can't take it anymore!" Red Devils fans greatly missed the days under Sir Alex when Manchester United was the most dominant team in the Premier League. Now, they are nearly reduced to fighting relegation...
Seeing Manchester United fans wailing next door, Manchester City fans could hardly contain their glee. "Ha, even mighty Manchester United has its bad days!" "I still miss your untamed days!" "Using a squad worth six to seven hundred million to fight relegation, only Manchester United could manage such an extraordinary feat!"
Despite Manchester City securing three consecutive wins, they have not widened the gap with their competitors. This round, Chelsea won their away game against Everton 6:3, also claiming three straight wins, clinging tightly to Manchester City without allowing last season's scenario of City running away with the league to repeat. This season, with the addition of Fàbregas and Diego Costa, Chelsea's lack of firepower has greatly improved. In their first three matches, Chelsea beat their opponents 3:1, 2:0, and 6:3 respectively, scoring 11 goals in total, only second to defending champions Manchester City. In these games, Diego Costa scored a total of five goals, including two braces. Compared to the previous years when scoring was a great struggle, Diego Costa has had a perfect start at Chelsea, making countless fans of the Blues cry tears of joy: "It's not been easy, after all these years, we finally have a striker who fits our team perfectly!" "The 50 million pounds spent were so worth it!"
With the team securing three consecutive wins, Mourinho felt he was back on top again. He told the media, "Yes, the team I coach is the best in the entire Premier League, and of course, our goal is the championship!" "Manchester City? They have a bunch of good players, but their squad is too young and prone to inconsistency."
"Plus, we have a way to deal with them!" Mourinho had his reasons for this confidence.
Last year, even amid troubles, Chelsea managed to stay unbeaten against Manchester City. In one away game, they even ended City's unbeaten streak at home.
If not for Lin's miraculous shot at Stamford Bridge, they might have achieved a home and away sweep over City.
This year, with a further strengthened squad, Mourinho felt it was time to push for the championship trophy.
If he couldn't secure the Premier League title this year, Abramovich's patience might run out. After returning to Stamford Bridge, Mourinho and Abramovich had a brief honeymoon period, but their relationship became tense after the Emenalo incident.
During the last winter break and this summer's transfer window, Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, made no moves.
Chelsea's transfer funds were almost entirely raised by Mourinho through player sales. Although Abramovich allowed him to decide on player transfers, indicating temporary trust, Mourinho well understood Abramovich's limited patience.
If Mourinho couldn't lead Chelsea to better results this season, he wouldn't need to wait for his three-year contract to end; he'd be fired by Abramovich.
After all, upon his return to Stamford Bridge, Mourinho had boldly claimed he would lead Chelsea to a Premier League championship within two seasons.
Now, with only the last season left to fulfill his promise, if Chelsea ended up empty-handed again, even Mourinho himself wouldn't have the face to stay.
Pellegrini, not adept at verbal jousts, especially against a master like Mourinho, chose to ignore the provocations. In the fourth round of the Premier League, Manchester City was set to face Arsenal away in a highly anticipated match.
This season, Arsenal had bought the winger Sanchez from Barcelona. Although not as expensive as Di María, Sanchez was performing much better than Di María at Arsenal. This gave Gunners fans a glimmer of hope: could Arsenal overturn the behemoth Manchester City at their home ground? On paper, Arsenal's chances seemed slim.
Manchester City, both in terms of squad strength and recent form, was superior. But as they say in football, the ball is round, and anything can happen on the pitch. Especially for a young and ambitious team like Arsenal, who could become fearless once they found their rhythm, capable of toppling even the Champions League winners. However, if Arsenal couldn't find their form, their chances were slim, and they might even face a debacle. Three years ago, they had been thrashed 8:2 by Manchester United away...
This match was crucial for the league standings. Chelsea's opponent this round was weaker, and Mourinho was confident in a victory. But if Manchester City also defeated Arsenal, then the gap between the two teams would remain close.
Thus, before the game, Mourinho stirred the pot. He told reporters that he admired Wenger and his team: "Arsene is a commendable coach, and his team is full of imagination and spectacular offense. I believe Arsenal is fully capable of securing a victory at home."
Mourinho would love nothing more than for Arsenal to give their all against Manchester City, allowing his Chelsea to benefit from the fallout. Wenger felt mixed emotions upon hearing Mourinho's praise.
At a crucial moment when Manchester City and Chelsea were vying for the top spot, Arsenal, hoping to quietly strengthen, suddenly found themselves thrust into the spotlight.
Mourinho said he was optimistic about Arsenal, but Wenger didn't believe his sweet talk at all, especially since he wasn't very confident in his own team either. Before facing Manchester City, Arsenal had already drawn two consecutive games.
Normally, Arsenal tends to drop points in the latter half of the season, often being in great form during the first half, sometimes even leading at the midway point. However, this season, Arsenal's decline was evident right from the start.
After being held to draws by two weaker teams, Arsenal had only managed to secure 5 points from three rounds. This was far from ideal for Arsenal, particularly given their poor record against stronger teams.
Thus, every game against a weaker Premier League team became crucial for them. Nevertheless, compared to Manchester United, their situation was somewhat better. With one win and two draws, Arsenal had at least gathered 5 points and were still in contention for European competitions, while Manchester United, with two draws and a loss, had only managed 2 points and were in the relegation zone.
Facing Manchester City early on was an absolute nightmare for the current Arsenal. Despite being at home, Wenger had no confidence in winning.
The memory of nearly being overturned by Manchester City's reserves at their own stadium last season still haunted him. Now facing Manchester City's main squad, Wenger felt only fear and despair.
Even a draw seemed like a luxury, as the control of the game was not in their hands—it depended on whether Manchester City would allow them any chances.
On September 13th, the fourth round of the Premier League kicked off. Manchester United, winless in their last three, were up first in a must-win game.
They faced Queens Park Rangers, a team expected to be relegated. Despite the opponent's weak status, Manchester United could not afford to be careless.
Van Gaal fielded what he considered his best lineup, ready for a battle crucial for survival. Di María, much criticized, finally made a mark by scoring his first goal for Manchester United in the 24th minute of the first half.
Following Di María's opener, Manchester United players seemed to wake up. Herrera and Rooney quickly followed with goals, extending the lead to 3:0 before halftime. This allowed the Manchester United fans at the stadium to finally relax.
Cameras captured Sir Alex Ferguson, who seemed in good spirits, chewing gum and smiling in the stands at Old Trafford.
In the second half, Mata added another goal, sealing the match at 4:0. Manchester United finally clinched their first win of the season, a moment the Red Devils' fans had been awaiting for nearly a month.
Meanwhile, at Emirates Stadium, the match that had started an hour after Manchester United's was only in the 38th minute, with the scoreboard showing 0:2, home team trailing. Goals by Lin and Agüero in the 15th and 28th minutes had silenced the Arsenal fans.
Falling two goals behind Manchester City before half-time made a comeback seem unlikely. If Arsenal lost this match against Manchester City, their rankings would likely fall to around tenth place, putting them back on level terms with Manchester United. After years of battling to secure Champions League qualification, could Arsenal now be at risk of missing out? Without Champions League participation, Arsenal's financial situation would only worsen, making it hard to strengthen the squad or retain their stars. Such a scenario could see Arsenal slip further into decline.
Contemplating this, Wenger clenched his fists in frustration. He had been at Arsenal's helm for nearly 20 years and since the restructuring of the Champions League, his team had never missed a season. This year could not be an exception.
With these thoughts, Wenger hurriedly left the pitch and headed back to the dressing room early, planning to overturn his initial tactics and devise a new strategy to counter Manchester City.
The scene was captured by reporters and Arsenal fans alike, who were left wondering what had prompted Wenger's early departure.
Could he no longer bear to watch his team's poor performance? This speculation unsettled the Arsenal fans—if even their coach had lost hope, what could they expect?
Finally reaching halftime, the dejected Arsenal players returned to the dressing room, only to be surprised to find someone had arrived before them. "Kids, I'm sorry!" Wenger apologized as soon as the players entered.
"It's because of my wrong tactics that we're behind at halftime, and it's not your fault. We shouldn't abandon our strengths for a purely defensive strategy against Manchester City."
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