Chương 469: The Unstoppable Lions
Aldrich couldn't hear Martin Tyler's wild commentary from the stands, but he could feel the roaring energy. He saw the Lions' fans on their feet, shouting in near hysteria, and he noticed the Red Devils' supporters, crestfallen, expressions dulled by despair. He watched Henry's sprint set off waves of blue in the stands and the bench and coaching staff surge onto the field to celebrate with the players.
Aldrich could see him too—a lone Scottish figure, standing steadfast in the cold, as if left behind by the whirlwind of joy around him.
The broadcast cameras quickly panned from the celebrating Millwall players to Aldrich.
Perhaps, the camera crew was silently hoping: Come on, Aldrich, show us some emotion—we'll give you the perfect close-up!
But Aldrich merely walked steadily over to his players, reaching in to pull one of them aside.
The crowd watched as Aldrich wrapped an arm around Neil's shoulders, whispering instructions into his ear as they walked back together.
The fourth official held up the board, signaling three minutes of added time.
Before play resumed, Aldrich used his last substitution.
Neil was on, replacing the goal hero, Henry.
Thunderous applause filled the stadium. Henry lifted his head, raising his hands in applause to acknowledge the crowd.
As he exited, Aldrich, one hand in his pocket, reached out with the other, and the two shared a high-five before passing each other.
Millwall reverted to a four-defender formation, with Lampard joining the field to partner Nedved, maintaining a defensive screen.
After swapping out Yorke and Cole for Irwin, Manchester United was left with only Solskjaer up front, and there was no tall forward to target for crosses.
United's first attack after the restart was rushed—Beckham's cross sailed over Solskjaer and was intercepted by Millwall, who then coolly controlled possession. Manchester's defenders hesitated to press up too far, especially watching their forwards being played around.
When the scoreboard read 92:40, a powerful countdown began to resonate through The Den.
Five, four, three, two, one…
Although Millwall made a substitution in the final moments, the referee seemed to understand the situation and didn't add to the stoppage time. Over the last two minutes, Manchester United hadn't even touched the ball. Schneider was standing on the ball near the sideline, unchallenged. After chasing him back and forth twice, Giggs finally gave up—realizing it was impossible to regain possession solo.
When the final whistle blew, a deafening cheer erupted across the stadium.
"Matchday 17 in the Premier League: the thrilling showdown between Millwall and Manchester United at The Den has ended with a 5-4 scoreline. Millwall mounted an incredible comeback, scoring three times in the closing stages to turn the game around! Congratulations to Millwall on their 21st consecutive league win across seasons, further extending their own record in the top five leagues. Let's also applaud Manchester United. This game between Millwall and United is bound to be another classic that will live forever in Premier League history. In the long-standing rivalry between Hall and Sir Alex Ferguson, Hall has claimed victory once again. I imagine this loss will sting just as much for United as the 6-0 thrashing at Old Trafford years ago. After all, they led from the very first minute to the 81st—an 80-minute lead—and at times were two goals ahead. Yet in the end, they couldn't even salvage a draw. English football owes these two clubs a debt of gratitude; they are the backbone of the Premier League and have given us such an incredible match. Next, we'll continue to follow Millwall as they have every chance to keep breaking records. See you next week, folks."
As the dust settled, Millwall's players raised their arms in triumph.
Aldrich glanced at the substitutes rising from the bench, smiling as he said, "Go on, join the celebration."
Those players joined their teammates on the pitch, embracing the moment together.
United's players, however, were crestfallen. Some looked sorrowful, others deeply troubled, and still others utterly dejected. They were like empty shells, stripped of spirit, unwilling to speak or look at one another, heads bowed, silently retreating like soldiers defeated in a war, turned into prisoners of loss...
With a calm expression, Aldrich walked up to the motionless Ferguson and quietly asked, "Fancy a drink?"
Ferguson collected himself, then turned to stare intently at Aldrich, holding the gaze for a good thirty seconds. His face relaxed into a calm and natural expression. With a slight shake of his head, he walked quietly into the players' tunnel.
Aldrich turned around, clapping his hands to acknowledge the crowd before heading into the player tunnel.
As soon as he entered, a staff member, clearly nervous, approached him and whispered, "A Manchester United player just kicked in the door of the away team's locker room. To avoid further conflict, should we call in extra security?"
Aldrich shook his head. "That's not necessary. Let's keep this contained internally and make sure it doesn't become a bigger issue."
The loss had been a bitter one for Manchester United. The frustration was understandable, but it had nothing to do with the game. There had been no unsporting conduct between the players during the match.
"Sometimes it's better to let sleeping dogs lie," Aldrich mused. "We don't know when we'll next face Manchester United. Spreading this kind of negative news will just put Millwall in the spotlight, dragging the club into a pointless quarrel. It's not worth it."
In the post-match press conference, Ferguson used diplomatic language to fend off the media's harsh criticism.
Reporters pointed out that United had twice led by two goals yet failed to make any adjustments to protect the lead, targeting Ferguson for blame.
After such a mentally crushing loss, Ferguson had to stabilize his team's morale, so he had no energy for a verbal spar with the press. His diplomatic responses would likely draw ridicule from Fleet Street.
However, this approach turned Ferguson into something of a "victim." How did his players feel about it? Despite the loss, seeing their coach attacked so fiercely by the media might actually strengthen Manchester United's internal unity.
Aldrich also took a diplomatic stance during his interview, which earned praise from Fleet Street.
In the public eye, this was simply a clash between a defender and a challenger. Millwall defended their throne, while United's challenge fell short. Millwall should handle this result with calm and humility. After all, as the reigning champion, more challengers would come, and arrogance could cut a king's reign short.
Even if Millwall wanted to stay low-profile, Fleet Street had no intention of letting that happen.
This was the most thrilling game of the Premier League season so far and one that had captured attention across Europe before kickoff.
The following day, The Times headlined its football section with: "Millwall's 21-Game Winning Streak: Congratulations to Millwall for Clinching the Premier League Title!"
It was astonishing to see The Times, a traditionally serious paper, run such a seemingly premature title in early December.
Yet, the article made a compelling point: with 21 rounds left, Millwall was 15 points ahead of United, with a goal difference of 12. For United to overtake Millwall, they'd need to win five more matches than Millwall in the remaining games. But Millwall's track record suggests they'd likely lose no more than two games over the rest of the season. Even with a draw, United would need more victories, and they'd also have to ensure they lost fewer games than Millwall. In other words, United could afford to lose only once in the next 21 rounds!
The Premier League title race was over.
Every Premier League fan—even those around the world who occasionally check in on the EPL—was now convinced.
Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Leeds? They could fight for second place or the other three Champions League spots.
The Daily Mail focused on the match's flow to recount the game.
"0:1, 0:2, 1:2, 1:3, 2:3, 2:4, 3:4, 4:4, 5:4! Millwall edged out Manchester United by one goal, marking their 21st consecutive league win!"
And the ever-sensational The Sun chose to captivate with a quote from the legendary Lineker as their headline.
"What is football? Football is a sport invented by the British, where 22 men battle it out for 90 minutes, and in the end, Millwall wins!"
The Sun's sales spiked that day as British fans flocked to buy a copy after seeing that familiar line.
Lineker's line was just one word off from his famous quip years ago.
England has a long streak of failing to beat Germany, which prompted Lineker's original remark: "What is football? Football is a sport invented by the British, where 22 men battle it out for 90 minutes, and in the end, Germany wins!"
Today, he simply swapped "Germany" for "Millwall."
After witnessing Manchester United's futile attempts to overcome Millwall, Lineker, like many fans, couldn't help but wonder: Will Millwall ever lose?
The Sun featured a list of similarly styled remarks, including one that read, "What is the Premier League? It's a league of 20 English clubs where, after 380 grueling matches, three teams are relegated, sixteen battle for the runner-up spot, and Millwall claims the title!"
Millwall's 21-game winning streak has hit with the force of a storm, evoking memories of the global impact of Milan's legendary dynasty.
The Guardian took a unique approach, opting not to report the game's outcome. Instead, the front page of their football section displayed a composite image featuring four prominent managers: Ferguson, Wenger, Vialli, and O'Leary.
The picture showed four managers—Ferguson, Wenger, Vialli, and O'Leary—each captured in a similar pose, gazing upwards. It almost felt like they were asking the heavens, "What now?"
The article was blunt. The scorelines were listed in stark succession:
0:8
0:3
0:5
4:5
These were the results this season as each of these four managers' teams clashed with Millwall.
At the bottom, a single bold figure stood out:
4:21
In total, Millwall had scored 21 goals against these four clubs while conceding just four.
Riding the wave of attention and impact from this match, Fleet Street has also seized the moment to advocate for Millwall players in the Ballon d'Or race—a topic European media cannot ignore.
For now, Millwall breaking records remains the story.
Aldrich, meanwhile, isn't particularly focused on the Ballon d'Or results. With the hectic Christmas schedule approaching, he's already thinking about giving his players a well-deserved break.
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