Chapter 729: Victory Within Reach
After every goal conceded, the camera would cut to Pep Guardiola, showcasing his sullen expression.
It then shifted to José Mourinho, whose jubilant face and triumphant fist pumps highlighted the contrasting emotions.
Bruno Fernandes, ecstatic from his goal, threw himself onto Marcus Rashford, who had provided the assist. The rest of the team—Mbappé, Harry Kane, Luke Shaw, Kanté—rushed over, creating a celebratory huddle near the stands. They turned to the section filled with United fans, shouting:
"The trophy is ours!"
Not far from the celebration, Manchester City players stood dejected, their morale visibly shaken.
Although there was still plenty of time left in the match, conceding so early in the second half dealt a heavy blow to City's confidence. Guardiola glanced toward his bench, feeling a wave of frustration.
He couldn't help but cast an envious look at United's substitutes. On Mourinho's bench sat attacking options like Greenwood, McTominay, Mahrez, and Mata.
His own options? With Agüero injured and Jesus already on, only Alexis Sánchez and young Phil Foden remained.
"Get Sánchez and Foden warmed up," Guardiola decided after a moment's thought.
Three minutes later, Manchester City requested a substitution. Sánchez replaced Sterling, and Foden came on for Bernardo Silva.
...
Watching City's substitutions, Mourinho allowed himself a faint, knowing smile. During a stoppage in play, he called Virgil van Dijk over to the sidelines.
"Keep an eye on Sánchez's crosses. Tell the others to watch out for Foden's dribbles," Mourinho instructed.
With a 2-1 lead, United began to pull back, adopting a defensive stance to counter City's attacks.
What followed was an intriguing spectacle for the spectators.
City focused their offense on the flanks.
On the left, Sánchez repeatedly attempted crosses, but his deliveries lacked precision. Van Dijk consistently won aerial duels, nullifying any potential danger.
On the right, the young Foden tried to dribble past defenders several times but struggled to deliver effective crosses. His efforts often ended with either a blocked pass or a panicked ball into the box that posed little threat.
Guardiola stood on the touchline, his face dark with frustration, while Mourinho covered his mouth, stifling laughter.
Mourinho knew Sánchez well. The Chilean winger had been on his radar since Sánchez's move to Barcelona and his subsequent success at Arsenal. Though Sánchez had pace and power, Mourinho was fully aware of his mediocre crossing ability.
As for Foden, Mourinho had observed him in previous encounters. The young midfielder preferred to hold onto the ball until no other options were available, reluctantly delivering crosses only when absolutely necessary.
Guardiola's tactical shift to exploit the wings was well-conceived but ultimately ineffective given the personnel.
...
By the 77th minute, the score remained 2-1 in United's favor.
João Cancelo received a pass from Harry Maguire and executed a sharp pull-back to evade Pogba's challenge. Scanning the field, he played the ball toward Mahrez.
The ball deflected slightly off Pogba's outstretched leg, altering its trajectory.
"Fantastic control!"
Mahrez stretched to keep the ball in play, deftly hooking it back before it crossed the sideline.
Since coming on, Mahrez had been in superb form. Bruno's earlier goal had stemmed from Mahrez's visionary diagonal pass, which initiated the attack.
Mahrez surged down the wing, with Sánchez in hot pursuit. The Chilean defender approached from behind, determined to overtake him and regain possession.
Aware of Sánchez closing in, Mahrez anticipated the challenge. At the precise moment Sánchez lunged for the ball, Mahrez abruptly stopped.
Caught off guard, Sánchez adjusted his stance to recover, but Mahrez calmly drew the ball back with his right foot before nudging it forward with his left. Twisting his body, he slipped past Sánchez with ease.
"Brilliant!"
"Mahrez showcasing exceptional dribbling skills!"
De Bruyne rushed to provide cover but overcommitted. Mahrez seized the opportunity, sidestepped him with another sharp move, and continued forward.
When Sánchez attempted a second interception, Mahrez executed a cheeky backheel flick, turning away and leaving Sánchez in his wake once more.
"Wow!"
"Unbelievable!"
The United fans erupted in applause, their cheers reverberating through the stadium in admiration of Mahrez's dazzling display.
On the touchline, Mourinho joined in, clapping enthusiastically for his winger.
"Mahrez is unstoppable today," Andy Gray marveled.
Oleksandr Zinchenko stepped up to defend against Mahrez.
Inside the penalty area, Mbappé, Harry Kane, and Bruno Fernandes were all making sharp forward runs.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson shouted commands nervously, organizing his defense.
Zinchenko, knowing Mahrez's exceptional ball control, refrained from a rash tackle. Instead, he focused intently on Mahrez's feet, ready to react to any sudden movement.
Mahrez nudged the ball with his left foot, feinting as though preparing to accelerate past Zinchenko.
Zinchenko adjusted his stance, prepared to intercept. But the next moment left him stunned—Mahrez didn't drive forward. Instead, he smoothly pulled the ball back, adjusted his position, and swung his right foot powerfully at the ball.
...
Zinchenko reacted in desperation, lunging forward to block the shot, but it was too late.
The ball flew past his face, tracing an unpredictable curve as it bypassed everyone in the penalty area. At first, it seemed to be veering wide, but then it suddenly bent inward.
Ederson dove with all his might, but the wicked trajectory of the ball left him helpless.
The shot clipped the junction of the post and crossbar before nestling into the back of the net.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!"
"Mahrez! What a goal! In the 77th minute, the Algerian has single-handedly dismantled City! This exquisite strike pushes the score to 3-1!" exclaimed Martin Tyler. "Andy, I'd bet anything this will make the season's top ten goals. It's simply stunning! The City defense could do nothing against it!"
...
A euphoric Mahrez sprinted to the corner flag, ripping off his jersey, kissing the Manchester United badge, and letting out a primal roar.
His teammates swarmed him, knocking him to the ground in celebration.
Mourinho jumped from his seat, pumping his fists vigorously. At the 77th minute, with a 3-1 lead, this goal had added a critical weight to the balance of the championship.
Glancing at the adjacent technical area, Mourinho spotted an infuriated Guardiola, whose furious pacing brought a smug grin to his face.
"Pep, looks like I'm beating you again."
Guardiola, indeed, was livid—not because of any defensive lapse but because there was no one to blame.
City's defense had not made a glaring error. This goal was purely a product of Mahrez's individual brilliance and sublime form.
It only added to Guardiola's frustration that a player of Mahrez's caliber was merely a rotation option at United.
Meanwhile, the commentators couldn't stop praising Mahrez's spectacular strike, showering it with superlatives.
...
Ten minutes passed, and the score remained 3-1. United held their two-goal lead firmly.
Mourinho made his second substitution of the match, sending on Greenwood to replace Mbappé.
The United fans applauded loudly, acknowledging Mbappé's efforts. The young French star hadn't dazzled but still played a pivotal role, including assisting Bruno's second goal.
As Mbappé walked off the pitch, his face beamed with a smile. Mourinho greeted him with a handshake and a few words of praise, patting him on the back.
At the 88th minute, City pulled one back.
De Bruyne delivered a pinpoint cross, and Gabriel Jesus capitalized with a sharp header, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
"Jesus! Our savior scores!" shouted the Manchester-based commentator.
"It's not over yet! It's not over yet! This is now Manchester City time!"
Guardiola clapped vigorously on the sideline, his face finally showing some relief.
This match had been a bitter struggle for City, dominated for large portions by United. Jesus's goal gave Guardiola a moment to exhale, if only briefly.
Mourinho, meanwhile, approached the touchline, clapping his hands and issuing calming gestures to his players.
"Stay composed! Stay focused!"
He also made a substitution, bringing on McTominay for Harry Kane.
The United fans rose to their feet, applauding Kane as he exited. The English striker hadn't scored but had been instrumental in creating space for Bruno to thrive.
Mourinho embraced Kane before returning his focus to the field, signaling for his team to remain steady.
With a one-goal lead and only a few minutes left, United had no need for unnecessary risks.
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