The Etihad Stadium plunged into madness!
The familiar scene unfolded once again!
Tang Long takes the ball at the edge of the box, threads it through two or more defenders to his teammate Agüero, who scores!
"Tang!"
"Sergio!"
The nas of both players echo through the skies.
Among the bouncing crowd.
The half-gray-haired Mancini, wearing sunglasses, falls silent.
The England national team coach visits Manchester City's ho ground for the first ti this season to scout players.
But if he were only scouting England players, Mancini probably wouldn't have bothered to make the trip himself; he could have sent an assistant.
Because in the starting players of these two teams, there are only two English mbers, Manchester City's Stones and Chelsea's Cahill.
Mancini ca mostly for enlightennt.
The coach who has won countless honors in Italy wants to see just how fierce this Premier League top battle really is and how much tactical thought from Guardiola and Conte is reflected;
And how much of these tactics can he adopt and apply to the England national team?
But the enlightening Mancini found himself speechless after witnessing the collaboration between Tang Long and Agüero.
This was actually a very simple transfer attack.
Full-back Navas first controlled the ball on the right for a long ti, drawing Chelsea's defensive focus to the right;
Then instead of rushing a cross, he passed the ball to Tang Long, who held the right-leaning position; then Tang Long activated, brought the ball towards the center, moved the opponents, found a breakthrough in the defensive line, and assisted the forward in scoring.
But Mancini knows keenly that the routine is simple, yet the execution is not so straightforward.
The key lies with Tang Long!
Mancini watches the replay on the screen, sighing inwardly:
"Even the best tactics, without a player like Tang to execute them, are in vain!"
He recalls this year's European Cup, when Henderson and Sterling repeatedly botched their coordination against Iceland, ruining the set tactics, causing him frustration.
"Henderson wouldn't have sensed Fabregas pressing from behind a second before getting the ball, nor would he have spun past the opponent so smoothly."
"Sterling doesn't possess Agüero's sharp intuition to know when to cut into an angle."
"Moreover, Tang's deceptive move of looking left while passing centrally is unmatched by anyone in the entire England squad..."
...
Conte flies into a rage, his face turning crimson like a ripe tomato, with veins popping on his forehead. He calls Henderson and Kante over, subjecting them to a harsh scolding.
"How could you not block him? Two n couldn't even block one, be more mindful!" Conte's voice booms like a bell, making their ears buzz.
Right as his words finish, "smack smack" two crisp slaps land heavily on their foreheads.
Henderson and Kante's heads roll to one side, faces full of grievance and helplessness, like pupils being admonished by a teacher, turning dejectedly back to the field.
"Did you see how Tang's ball passed through? Did it go through both of our legs?" Henderson asks quietly as he runs closely by Kante.
"I don't know," Kante rubs his head numbed by Conte's iron hand, "Seeing Tang Long's gaze, I thought he'd pass to Kolarov on the far side, alas, he tricked !"
Conte is never one to retreat in the face of difficulty.
The team trails by a goal on the away ground, and he stands by the coaching area swinging his arms, loudly rallying all players to launch a counterattack.
However, Manchester City's pass control may not stifle Barça at Camp Nou, but on their ho turf, they handles Chelsea with ease.
Even if Chelsea finally obtained possession.
Manchester City's defensive line remains orderly.
Stones stands out prominently on the pitch.
With the thirty-year-old Kompany continuously fighting, physically waning, Stones expands his running coverage.
He is like a nimble leopard, constantly shuttling along the defensive line, remaining vigilant, ready to plug any gap in the defense promptly, causing Fabregas to repeatedly attempt to connect with Costa, either getting intercepted or failing to find any space, hesitating.
The ball just cannot penetrate Manchester City's box!
Mancini from the stands watches Stones intently, perpetually directing the defensive line's movent;
Also serving as the ball-providing center-back, he boldly receives passes from Bravo despite Costa's pressing.
Mancini watches, increasingly satisfied, nodding, recalling forr assistant Chiwo's words that Stones is indeed a valuable uncut gem with great potential.
"Well done Stones, more forward passes, you can do it!"
Chiwo's voice emanates from below, distinctly reaching Mancini's ears.
He turns to spot that familiar figure standing below, orchestrating the ga.
Mancini feels a pang of sorrow, especially seeing Chiwo standing beside not him but Guardiola.
He thinks: "In the match against Iceland, if I had listened to Chiwo and let Stones start, England wouldn't have lost to such a tiny nation."
But now it's too late to say anything.
Mancini recalls angrily dismissing Chiwo from the position of national team assistant, feeling deep regret.
The 62nd minute brought an accident.
Hazard does a series of quick steps at the edge of the box, gets tripped by Kompany, earning a free-kick from 25 ters out.
Brazilian center-back Luiz kicks a high-quality falling leaf, its speed fast and descent rapid;
Bravo's shortcomings of short arms surface once more, failing to block it, and Chelsea equalizes the score!
The thrilled roar of Conte reaches Guardiola's ears, he slightly frowns, yet inwardly ponders:
"Bravo can only be transitional; finding a solid keeper both at the line and footwork is crucial."
He gestures resoundingly, signaling players not to lose heart, keep aggressively attacking!
Also substitutes Sane out for energetic Bonazzoli.
Soon, the substitution reaps rewards!
Tang Long, heeding Guardiola's advice, retracts opportunistically during positional play, always staying at the forefront during counter-attacks, reducing running.
In the 78th minute, Bonazzoli receives a ball, forcefully turns, racing against Moses.
Their speeds are neck and neck; during the run, Bonazzoli capitalizes on his fitness advantage, slightly exerting arm force, continually tugging Moses.
Through intense clash, Moses's energy wanes and Bonazzoli finally overtakes him!
Seeing Tang Long almost crossing the offside line, Bonazzoli, driven by an unknown courage, uses his weaker foot for a semi-lobbed pass!
Passing has never been Bonazzoli's forte, yet the trajectory of this ball surprisingly perfect;
At the far end of the penalty area, Tang Long springs up, initially intending to control the ball, but upon glancing at Courtois's positioning, imdiately alters his plan, striking with a flick of his foot in mid-air!
Whoosh—
This strike cos forth, Courtois, positioned forward in the box, gapes with copper bell-like eyes, hurriedly running back!
But how can he outrun the ball's speed?
He's been lobbed by Tang Long!
2-1!
Manchester City finally, by the 80th minute, successfully regains the lead!
The entire stadium instantly ignites; Manchester City fans erupt in jubilant cheers, their applause intertwining as if attempting to lift the stadium's roof.
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