To be honest, Manchester City's tactics tonight were surprising.
No one expected Guardiola to set up so defensively, which was extremely rare in the past.
To some extent, Leeds United can be proud of forcing Guardiola's team into this approach.
But for Leeds United now, and for Pochettino, that was not enough.
They wanted more.
The battle at Camp Nou seemed to open a window for Pochettino, allowing him to see a wider world.
In other words, he had always hidden by the window, peeking out, but never dared to stick his head out.
Because he lacked confidence and did not know whether taking that step would be right or wrong.
People are like this.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is easier said than done.
In particular, it is very difficult to suppress your own tendencies, take measures you have never taken before, and summon the courage and determination you did not previously have.
But with Gao Shen's encouragement and the result at Camp Nou, Pochettino had a good start.
As a first-team head coach, challenges are everywhere.
Now, at the Amazon Stadium, he once again stood at a crossroads.
This time he hesitated for less time. Especially after hearing the Leeds United fans in the stands, he had already made his decision.
Soon, Vardy was standing next to Pochettino.
All 67,000 fans in the Amazon Stadium erupted in cheers.
This veteran may not be Leeds United's biggest star, but he is definitely the most popular among Leeds fans, especially after he received several offers from other Premier League clubs and resolutely chose to stay.
He said he was only willing to play for Leeds United, and that if one day he was no longer good enough for the team, he would retire and become a youth coach at Leeds United.
Those words won over the Leeds United faithful.
More importantly, he never made a fuss about his salary.
Previously, an agent tried to stir up a pay rise by pressuring the club through a private media interview. Vardy fired the agent the next day.
Of course, Leeds United have never treated their hero unfairly.
Although they could not give him the highest salary in the team or the Premier League, the club kept improving his contract, and he has always been an important figure in the squad.
The reason Leeds United dared to let Harry Kane go this season was because Vardy was still here.
Different types, equally threatening.
…
Amid the cheers, Vardy replaced Sancho.
After the change, Leeds United's shape shifted.
They moved from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2.
Rashford and Vardy formed a front two. The midfield was Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Kimmich, and Valverde. Pochettino clearly wanted to strengthen the wing play.
Manchester City had packed the middle.
There was also a hidden adjustment involving Bernardo Silva.
Switching from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 brought Bernardo Silva closer to Grealish on the left. With Cucurella behind them, Leeds United created an attacking triangle on that side.
Rashford often drifted to that channel too, which meant four Leeds players operating on the left.
Replacing Sancho with Vardy and pushing Valverde to the right to support Ashraf looked like a move to strengthen the right and threaten Manchester City's left, but in reality it also strengthened the left.
Especially with Bernardo Silva.
Left-footed and complete in his skill set, he can combine with a right winger when playing on the right. His weaker right foot becomes an advantage on the left, where he can link with teammates naturally.
Grealish is right-footed and better at cutting inside from the left.
Grealish on the left, coming inside on his right, and Bernardo Silva, a left footer operating in midfield, formed a very interesting attacking partnership for Leeds United.
The players clearly understood the tweaks.
Especially Vardy, who had just come on and followed Pochettino's instructions.
…
Manchester City's left-side defending held up well.
Valverde and Ashraf took turns attacking that flank, but neither was as effective as before.
Manchester City had adjusted to Leeds United's substitutions.
Vardy tried to drift over and wait for a pass from the right, but Valverde could not beat his man and was forced back. Ashraf returned the ball to Kimmich.
The German midfielder controlled it and feinted right, as he has played right-back himself.
That immediately drew Manchester City's left side across.
But Kimmich suddenly switched play to the advancing Cucurella on the left.
Vardy and the rest of Leeds United were ready.
Shaping to one side and then switching quickly to the other is a familiar pattern for creative midfielders.
Leeds United's midfield often uses this pattern to catch opponents off guard.
When Cucurella received on the left, he saw Bernardo Silva dropping into space to receive.
Grealish stayed wide on the left touchline, and Rashford also pulled to the left corner of the box.
Cucurella found Bernardo Silva, and Rakitic closed him down, but the Portuguese quickly played it into Grealish, shook off Rakitic, and surged forward.
Grealish took the ball on his right foot, shifted sideways, and drew Rakitic's attention.
If Rakitic followed Bernardo Silva's run, Grealish would have the lane to cut inside.
Rakitic held his ground, so Grealish slipped a right-footed pass forward.
It fell perfectly to Bernardo Silva.
He drove toward the left side of the area, attracted his Portugal teammate Cancelo, shaped to cut inside, and combined with Rashford to pull Cancelo deeper. Then he suddenly burst to the outside.
By the time Cancelo reacted, Bernardo Silva was already at the byline. It was too late to stop him.
It all happened in an instant.
In the middle, Vardy was hunting for a gap.
As Rashford moved to the left corner of the box, City center-back Stones followed, and Vardy shifted too.
He kept himself between Stones and David Luiz.
Since he was young, Vardy has known he does not possess extraordinary gifts. He is fast, but beyond that, there is little.
After joining Leeds United and receiving top coaching, he understood even more clearly that he needed an edge.
Gao Shen once told him that to establish himself in the Premier League, he must find his own advantage.
An advantage that leaves opponents helpless.
Vardy searched for it, worked tirelessly in training, and ran harder than anyone. Pressing is his strength. He is clever and has honed his finishing relentlessly.
Pace, long runs, and clean finishing are the basis of Vardy's game.
As he played more, he realized that was not enough.
He needed to be smarter, more cunning, like a fox.
Following Stones to the left, he deliberately left space and glanced back repeatedly to check the positions of David Luiz and Fernandinho, the nearest defenders.
He kept himself in a live zone.
He had no idea what Bernardo Silva and Rashford would do next, but he left gaps, which gave him room.
When Bernardo Silva did not combine with Rashford and instead burst outside, Vardy knew what was on. He raised his hand for the pass.
That gesture told Bernardo Silva he was ready.
David Luiz stepped toward Vardy.
Rashford was sharp too. Seeing that Bernardo Silva did not play the one-two, he burst forward and dragged Stones toward the left of the six-yard box.
Cancelo chased Bernardo Silva, and Stones had to be wary of the pass into Rashford.
But the Portuguese is left-footed, and after seeing Vardy's signal, he whipped in the cross.
The delivery was precise, dropping right on the six-yard line, too awkward for the keeper to come for. It fell behind Stones and ahead of Vardy, which meant David Luiz, positioned between Vardy and the goal, could not react in time.
Vardy is only 1.79 meters, but he is springy. As the cross came in, he accelerated and leaped before David Luiz could engage.
Although David Luiz had the advantage in height and strength, he was passive in this situation.
The ball came from the left, Vardy had timed his movement superbly, and City's defenders were briefly confused about their marking responsibilities, with Stones in front facing away from Vardy and David Luiz behind.
From close range, Vardy met it in front of the six-yard box and nodded it toward the left corner.
As the cross arrived, Ederson had shuffled along his line to the right, but Vardy's header went left. The keeper could not shift his weight in time and failed to save.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"In the 84th minute, Vardy scores!"
"Leeds United's substitute striker heads home at a crucial moment!"
"What a brilliant move, and Vardy took his chance calmly!"
The Amazon Stadium exploded.
Leeds United fans roared at the top of their lungs, celebrating Vardy's goal.
1-0.
Leeds United finally broke the deadlock.
(To be continued.)