When Ousmane Dembélé dribbled the ball into the penalty area from the right flank, he changed direction at the byline and pulled the ball back with an inverted pass. However, it was deflected by the back heel of PSV's center-back Schwab inside the six-yard box.
The ball failed to reach Mbappé on the left and instead bounced toward the penalty spot.
Vardy, who had just dropped back to support and was a step late, arrived right in time and struck the ball directly.
The shot flew into the bottom left corner of PSV's goal.
2-0.
The entire Amazon Stadium erupted once again in wild cheers.
Leeds United fans shouted at the top of their lungs, celebrating with unrestrained excitement.
Gao Shen and the assistants around him stood and applauded.
Afterwards, Leeds United continued to attack PSV with relentless pressure, showing no intention of slowing down.
The next real threat came after the 70th minute.
First, Milinkovic-Savic intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly passed it forward to Mbappé to launch a counterattack.
The French winger received the ball near the left edge of the box, facing PSV's tall right-back Dumfries. He feinted several times to cut inside, forcing Dumfries to retreat. Then, suddenly stopping, Mbappé shifted the ball sideways and shot with his right foot.
The ball curled beautifully into the top right corner of PSV's goal.
3-0.
Two minutes later, Bernardo Silva delivered a precise pass to Dembélé. The winger controlled it, turned, shook off two defenders, and dribbled into the right side of the box before bending a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner.
4-0.
The Amazon Stadium went completely wild.
No one expected Leeds United to play such dazzling attacking football in their first Champions League group match of the season.
The newly formed front trio displayed incredible chemistry.
Mbappé, Milinkovic-Savic, Vardy, and Ousmane Dembélé — this new attacking combination was showing terrifying offensive firepower both in the Premier League and in Europe.
…
"Mbappé has improved," Zidane said immediately, spotting the difference in his compatriot's play. Especially the move where he beat Dumfries before scoring with his right foot, the whole sequence was fluid and precise. That could only come from rigorous training.
"It looks like you're turning him into another Ronaldo," Carlo said jokingly with a smile.
Gao Shen shook his head. "He won't be Cristiano Ronaldo. He's different."
The main difference was physical. Mbappé's height made it difficult for him to reach Ronaldo's level of physical dominance, especially in aerial duels.
"In terms of positioning, we define Mbappé as a European-style attacker like Cristiano Ronaldo, combining speed, power, and technique," explained Borrell, Leeds United's technical director.
"Over the years, he's been developed through the club's youth system. He has a solid foundation, great acceleration, and strong physique. He's excellent at power play, but he still needs refinement in his finer technical details."
Zidane nodded in agreement. "He's very good at handling the ball at high speed, but when he slows down, his coordination between technical movements isn't smooth enough. Against a fast and strong full-back, he'll still have problems."
"Yes, that's what we've been working on lately, especially his left foot and finishing," Borrell continued. "His biggest advantage now is his explosiveness. With his height, he actually has great balance for dribbling."
At 1.78 meters tall, Mbappé had an ideal build.
Many people overlooked how much height could affect a player's performance.
Take Rashford, for example. When he first debuted, he was very promising — fast, skillful, with excellent movement frequency. He looked destined for stardom.
But now?
Rashford was still Leeds United's backup striker, valued and nurtured, but his development clearly hadn't matched Mbappé's. Why?
Because he grew taller.
He went from 1.70 meters to 1.85 meters in a short time, and that growth spurt had a huge impact on his game.
When Rashford first joined Leeds United, Borrell had him play as a No. 10 midfielder. That was partly Rashford's own choice, and the staff agreed it would help him improve his decision-making and vision.
But everyone knew that with his pace and physique, he would eventually play as a forward or winger.
Playing in midfield helped develop his spatial awareness and tactical understanding.
Later, when he moved into the attack, he immediately impressed.
However, the rapid growth in height became an unforeseen problem.
No one can control that.
Just as rain will fall and mothers will remarry, young men will grow taller.
With height came a thinner frame and weaker physical duels, but the bigger issue was the shift in center of gravity and reduced movement speed — changes that were permanent.
As a result, technical moves that had once been easy now became harder or even impossible.
Football is made up of countless technical actions, but players' instincts remain based on their previous abilities.
That disconnect disrupted Rashford's game.
Now, Leeds United were retraining him to adapt to his new body.
By contrast, Mbappé's physical development had been steady and consistent, allowing him to progress smoothly year after year.
Sometimes, talent alone is not enough — luck also plays a part.
In his past life, Gao Shen had often regretted seeing talented players fail to fulfill their potential. But now, he understood more clearly that fate also played its part.
Even in Leeds United's academy, there were once-gifted youngsters whose performance dropped sharply after a growth spurt. Unable to adjust, they eventually faded away.
Unlike injuries, there was no way to prevent it.
It was simply bad luck.
…
Leeds United defeated PSV Eindhoven 4-0 at home, while Barcelona drew 1-1 away to Inter Milan.
That result put Leeds United at the top of their group.
However, the second round would see them travel to face Barcelona — a much tougher test.
After the win over PSV, Leeds turned their focus back to the Premier League.
In Round 6, they hosted Southampton at home.
Before Leeds' game, the rest of the round's matches had already been played.
Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-0 at home, Manchester City crushed Cardiff 5-0 away, and Arsenal defeated Everton 2-0.
Meanwhile, Manchester United and Chelsea were both held to 0-0 draws.
That added some pressure on Leeds United to maintain their perfect record.
But from the start, Leeds imposed their rhythm. After a quick counterattack, Vardy carried the ball over the halfway line and passed to Valverde on the right. The Uruguayan sprinted forward and sent a low diagonal cross into the box.
Mbappé battled the defender for the ball but couldn't reach it.
Leeds earned a corner, which was cleared only partially.
Bruno Fernandes, positioned outside the box, sent the ball diagonally back into play to Félix. After controlling it and beating a defender, Félix's shot deflected off a leg.
In the chaos that followed, Vardy reacted fastest and smashed the ball into the net.
1-0.
Southampton tried to fight back but were soon undone by Leeds United's speed.
Vardy dropped deep near the halfway line, turned, and sent the ball right. Valverde surged forward again and crossed diagonally behind the defense. Mbappé sprinted onto it and struck before the goalkeeper could react.
2-0.
Near the end of the first half, Leeds earned another corner.
Bruno Fernandes took it calmly, and Rodri flicked the ball at the near post, sending it curling inside the far post for another goal.
3-0.
In the second half, Leeds continued to dominate.
After conceding three goals, Southampton shifted their focus to defense and had no energy left to attack.
Just before the final whistle, Leeds added another. From the right, Arnold passed to Valverde, who immediately returned it to Bruno Fernandes.
Bruno released Valverde again with a clever one-two. The Uruguayan drove to the edge of the box, skipped past a defender, and sent in a low cross.
Vardy's close-range shot was blocked, and Bruno's follow-up also deflected off a defender. In the ensuing scramble, the goalkeeper was obstructed by his own defenders, and substitute Rashford pounced, slotting the loose ball into the empty net.
4-0.
Another complete victory.
When the final whistle blew, the Amazon Stadium erupted. Leeds United fans sang and danced in celebration as the players joined together to applaud them.
With Chelsea's 0-0 draw away to West Ham, Leeds United became the only Premier League team with six consecutive wins.
More impressively, Leeds United had been playing attacking football in all six matches.
Mbappé had scored eight goals in six games, while Vardy had five in six. Leeds were once again the most attacking side in England, and with only one goal conceded, they also boasted the league's best defense.
Leeds United fans were overjoyed.
No one had expected such dominance after selling six core players in the summer.
It felt like the start of last season all over again.
Leeds United were once more bursting with hunger, energy, and youthful fire.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)