Chapter 108: The Unstoppable Kings! Now This Is a Real Title Challenger!
October 22, afternoon – Wembley Stadium, London.
Premier League Matchday 9: Bayswater Chinese vs. Arsenal.
For all his years on the touchline, Arsène Wenger hadn't lost his instinct.
Even during pre-match preparations—right up until the players walked out—he kept repeating himself like an old nag:
Be careful in the opening minutes.
Bayswater Chinese were lethal at fast starts.
Morale at Arsenal this season hadn't been great.
Two captains gone in two years.
No Champions League football.
It had hit the squad hard.
Wenger placed extra emphasis on the team's psychology.
Just three days earlier, they had suffered a frustrating defeat in Turkey.
They only lost by one goal.
They had equalized near the end—only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul.
Wenger and his players were livid.
The external criticism and internal frustration were eating at him.
And yet… this was a critical match.
Standing by the away dugout at Wembley, Wenger wiped his face, trying to hide his unease.
He knew exactly what his team was capable of—and what they weren't.
Arsenal Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Lehmann
Defense: Djourou, Gallas, Kolo Touré, Justin Hoyte
Midfield: Rosický, Gilberto Silva, Fàbregas, Hleb
Forwards: Van Persie, Adebayor
Why not Chimbonda?
Injured.
Aaron Lennon had played a full match midweek in the UEFA Cup.
More importantly, Wenger feared Bayswater's midfield.
Rosický and Hleb could tuck inside to support Fàbregas, helping maintain possession—
The idea was to avoid being overrun.
Because Bayswater's midfield wasn't just strong.
It was relentless.
And not in the bulldozer style of Chelsea.
They pressed hard, but with finesse and creativity.
That was the truly terrifying part.
But Wenger's biggest concern was still his backline.
"It'll be fine. We've prepped for this. We're on a four-game win streak," said assistant coach Pat Rice, trying to reassure him.
Wenger, ever the overthinker, wasn't convinced.
"Besides United, who did we beat in those four?"
His frown deepened.
He was afraid his players felt the same way.
That false sense of security? That was the real danger.
Two promoted sides and Charlton? Beating those three shouldn't mean anything.
Rice said nothing.
At that moment, referee Alan Wiley blew the whistle.
…
The crowd was decent, the atmosphere strong—
Not nearly as empty as some rumors had claimed.
From the kickoff, Bayswater Chinese did what they always did—
pressed high and hard.
Arsenal tried to recycle the ball backward, but the home side closed in rapidly, pressing all the way to the backline.
The Gunners attempted a long ball to Adebayor, but Skrtel beat him to it in the air.
Lassana Diarra picked up the loose ball, turned, and passed it to Arshavin.
The Russian was already stationed on the right side of Arsenal's half.
He spun past Fàbregas, and charged straight down the channel.
Gilberto Silva, Djourou, and Gallas tried to box him in.
But inside the penalty area, no one dared foul him.
Arshavin danced between all three, slipping through a narrowing gap just before they could close the trap.
He made it to the byline and lofted a cross with his right foot—
The ball sailed over Gallas's head and dropped into the six-yard box.
Lambert, starting in place of Džeko, surged forward, outmuscled Kolo Touré, and smashed a header past Lehmann.
Wembley exploded.
53 seconds.
Referee Alan Wiley blew his whistle:
Goal confirmed.
Lambert clenched both fists and screamed in triumph.
The entire crowd roared with him.
By the away dugout, Wenger could only shake his head in despair.
Exactly what he feared had come true.
Everyone had assumed Bayswater Chinese would attack Hoyte's side—
It was the obvious weak link.
But Wenger knew—
The team in control chooses the battlefield.
Hoyte was vulnerable, sure.
But Djourou's lack of pace? That was another problem.
…
"This Arsenal side is a far cry from the Invincibles,"
commented George Graham, former Arsenal manager, now in the commentary booth.
"As a former coach, I have no doubt Wenger prepared for this—no one wants to concede early."
"But Bayswater Chinese are masterful at these lightning starts. Yang Cheng has found a system perfectly suited to his players."
"Did you see Arshavin there? The moment he had the ball, he didn't hesitate—he went full throttle.
Why? Because he knew—if he lost it, someone behind him would win it back. If he broke through, someone ahead would be waiting."
"That's the trust only mature teams possess."
"Arsenal had that once. They don't anymore."
As the match resumed, Bayswater Chinese continued attacking in waves.
Arsenal looked rattled. They couldn't settle.
"This is exactly what I meant. That early goal has completely broken their rhythm."
"And there are selection problems, too. Without Aaron Lennon's pace, Arsenal's attack has lost much of its threat."
"The real issue? Wenger keeps using players like Hleb, Rosický, and Fàbregas—guys who love the ball, but won't chase it."
"Compare that to Bayswater's midfield. Yaya Touré, Lassana Diarra—even Inler and Modrić—they all work hard off the ball."
"I still don't get why Wenger passed on Yaya Touré."
"In this current Arsenal squad, if we compare to the 03/04 Invincibles, there are really only three who have the quality to fight for the title."
"Gallas, Fàbregas… and half each for Adebayor and Van Persie."
"So… three or four?"
"Let's be honest—Adebayor and Van Persie only count as half each."
…
How intense was Bayswater Chinese's attack?
In the first 11 minutes, they fired six shots, three of them on target.
Gilberto Silva, now in his thirties, could only sit deep in front of the defense.
And that gave Bayswater even more freedom to operate.
Especially in midfield, where they completely suffocated Arsenal.
The Gunners couldn't breathe.
Bayswater eased off slightly after their early barrage, but in the first 30 minutes, their possession hit 64.3%.
Wenger was left utterly speechless.
He had started Hleb and Rosický specifically to gain control of the midfield.
But instead, they couldn't control anything at all.
Bayswater Chinese dominated possession, and by a wide margin.
Once they settled, they began to apply pressure again.
31st minute — Ashley Young beat Hoyte on the left, carved out a shooting angle, and sent in a diagonal cross with his right foot.
Maicon made a surprise diagonal run into the box and struck the ball first time.
It flew like a rocket—just inches wide of the post.
The shot sent chills through every Arsenal player.
They'd completely lost track of Maicon.
34th minute — Modrić fed Arshavin on the right edge of the box.
The Russian's shot forced Lehmann into a fumble.
Lambert, arriving in the center, was smothered by Kolo Touré and missed the rebound.
Four minutes later — Arshavin drove forward again, drew a foul from Djourou, and earned a free kick 25 meters out.
The Gunners were clearly shaken.
Everyone in red was on edge.
Leighton Baines stepped up and went for goal himself—but the shot posed no real threat.
40th minute — Ashley Young received the ball on the left.
Suddenly, Arshavin popped up in the left channel.
The two combined for a beautiful one-two wall pass.
The Russian dribbled into the left side of the penalty area, cut inside past Kolo Touré, and curled a shot into the far corner.
2–0!
…
After the break, Bayswater Chinese launched another assault—this time from the right wing.
Modrić, Maicon, Arshavin, and Lambert combined with smooth one-touch passing to carve Arsenal open.
Lambert slipped a perfect through ball.
Arshavin shed Djourou and broke into the right side of the box—clear on goal.
He could've shot.
Instead, he squared it across goal.
Ashley Young, unmarked, slotted it in with ease.
3–0!
Wenger finally reacted—he subbed off Adebayor and brought on Julio Baptista, on loan from Real Madrid.
Arsenal switched to something resembling a 4-2-3-1.
Van Persie up top.
Baptista as the No.10.
But just three minutes later, Ashley Young struck again with a killer pass.
Arshavin burst into the left side of the box, fired a powerful shot with his left despite Kolo Touré's pressure.
Lehmann saved it—barely.
This time, Lambert was there for the rebound.
4–0!
Another 4–0 demolition.
"Whether Wenger admits it or not, this Arsenal side clearly doesn't have the tools to challenge for the title."
"It's Bayswater Chinese who look like true champions."
"When they beat Barcelona 4–0, some questioned the result—blaming Barça's poor fitness."
"Then they crushed Real Madrid 4–0 at the Bernabéu. No one had a word to say."
"After that came 3–1 over Bayern, and now 4–0 over Arsenal…"
"What more needs to be said? What more is there to doubt?"
"Yang Cheng's side is in incredible form, and their players are developing at a frightening pace."
That's what made it so terrifying.
Even George Graham—former Arsenal boss—looked disappointed.
"They're both young teams that rely on passing, but Bayswater Chinese are clearly more competitive."
"Take Ashley Young, for instance. He's mobile, intelligent with his movement, creative…"
"Hleb has all those things, too."
"But Ashley Young has something Hleb doesn't—grit. That pure, English relentlessness."
"Yang Cheng got it right—putting him on the left activated his right foot.
On the right, he just crosses. On the left, he can do much more."
"And Arshavin—he's already one of the most gifted players in the Premier League. And he's mature—25 years old."
"Since Henry left, Arsenal haven't had a star like him."
…
Final score: Bayswater Chinese 4–0 Arsenal.
Another jaw-dropping victory.
The entire country was stunned.
At the post-match press conference, Wenger said the early goal had been devastating.
"Any team that wants to contend near the top must have key traits: patience, defensive discipline, and the ability to avoid conceding first. That's critical."
But Daily Mail quickly fired back:
"If you know that, then why can't your team do it?"
Against other teams, Wenger might have blamed the fixture list.
But against Bayswater Chinese?
He had no leg to stand on.
They'd just played three big games in one week and still emerged undefeated:
Chelsea (0–0), Bayern (3–1), Arsenal (4–0).
That's what a real title challenger looks like.
The Sun, always eager to hype young English talent, praised the squad in a glowing feature.
"Arsenal were lucky it was only four."
In the last 30 minutes, Yang Cheng sent on Walcott and Di María.
And the Gunners' flanks were torn apart by these two youngsters.
"Against Djourou, Walcott had no physical edge. But he used his brain—he used speed."
"Get him the ball in the right space, and he'd burst away from Djourou with ease. Whether it was a 45-degree cutback or a 30-degree cross, he delivered."
"If Lambert had better finishing, he'd have a hat trick."
"Walcott, in just 30 minutes, delivered 4 key passes, 3 shots—including the one that hit the bar."
Sky Sports gave him an 8/10.
For just half an hour on the pitch?
Ridiculous.
Di María on the left was less involved—still adapting to the Premier League's pace.
His performances were erratic, and he still lacked strength.
But whether it was Walcott, Di María, Bale, or Matuidi—
Bayswater's youth was dripping with talent. It couldn't be hidden. It overflowed.
And Arsenal's so-called golden generation?
After the 4–0 humiliation, Arsenal dropped to fifth with just 17 points—outside the top four again.
Bayswater Chinese remained top with 23 points.
United beat Liverpool 2–0 and were right behind with 21.
Chelsea and Bolton followed with 20.
Everyone could see it now—
With Arsenal's current form, the title was out of the question.
And their fans were growing frustrated.
For years, it had been "sell players to fund the new stadium."
People had kept hyping it up—
Saying the new stadium would generate revenue, that once it was built, everything would improve.
And the result?
No. They were still selling their captains.
Ticket prices had gone up, but the performances were still dreadful—
How were fans supposed to keep supporting this?
…
"Right now, the fans outside are full of complaints."
In the head coach's office at Arsenal's Colney Training Centre in North London, deputy chairman David Dein sat with Wenger, holding a private meeting.
"Bayswater Chinese are just that strong. I've played every card I had. A loss is a loss," Wenger said bitterly.
He had given everything to Arsenal.
Every failure—he took the blame.
What now, the board was going to question his results?
If they had the guts, they could try coaching the team themselves!
"Arsène, I'm not here to criticize you. I know how tough it's been," Dein said softly.
The two were old friends. Dein had been the one to bring Wenger to Arsenal.
"But the situation is a lot different than we expected. At the very least, no one foresaw the rise of Bayswater Chinese—right?"
Wenger said nothing.
Three years ago, when Arsenal went to the bank for loans, the terms required Wenger's personal guarantee.
He had to promise that Arsenal would qualify for the Champions League every year.
The idea was to ensure enough revenue to pay back the debt.
Wenger's end of the deal was to stay as manager and not leave.
Only with those guarantees did the bank agree.
But now?
Everything had changed.
Back then, Chelsea's dominance wasn't yet in full swing.
Bayswater Chinese were still struggling in League Two.
Who could've guessed the situation would flip like this in just three years?
Wenger sighed heavily.
"The only constant in this world... is change."
It sounded like a mantra.
Dein, understanding his old friend, nodded and added, "That's why we have to adapt, too. Adjust."
Wenger picked up on the tone instantly.
"You mean…"
Dein glanced at the closed office door, leaned in, and whispered:
"Recently, someone suggested we consider bringing in foreign investors."
Wenger's eyes widened.
The look he gave Dein said it all: Have you lost your mind?
If word got out, the board—full of old-school traditionalists—would tear him to shreds.
The Arsenal board were notorious for being stubborn dinosaurs.
Dein nodded, as if to say: Exactly. That's why I'm whispering.
If this could be discussed in the open, they wouldn't need secrecy.
"Where are these investors from?"
"America. Russia. The Middle East."
Wenger shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as if itching to stand up.
This had clearly been brewing for a while.
Knowing Dein, he had probably already been in contact behind the scenes.
"Is this legit? Don't let it turn out like the Glazers. They bought United without spending their own money, and now all the debt sits on the club. They pulled off a hostile takeover with nothing but smoke and mirrors."
Wenger had studied economics—he understood the Glazers' financial tricks.
"You can't trust those Americans."
Spoken like a true Frenchman.
Especially after the Glazers took over United, Wenger had developed a deep skepticism.
"The Russians have money," Dein continued. "They're willing to invest. Their goals are the same as Abramovich's—move assets offshore, boost their image internationally, and buy their way into European high society."
"They'll never let Russians take over Arsenal," Wenger said flatly.
Dein nodded. It was going to be difficult.
But difficult didn't mean impossible.
"Look at the Premier League now. If we stay on this path, I'm telling you, Arsène, by the 2008/09 season, we might not even have a transfer budget at all."
"Is it really that bad?" Wenger frowned. "Wasn't Highbury being converted into apartments?"
"Still waiting on permits. It won't be fast."
"And losing the Champions League spot alone costs us at least £20 million a year!"
Dein was clearly frustrated.
In 2004/05, Arsenal's revenue was £120 million.
In 2005/06, that jumped to £145 million.
That looked like healthy growth.
Especially considering they reached the Champions League final in 2006, which significantly boosted income.
The club had projected £180 million in revenue for 2006/07.
After all, reaching the UCL final had long-term effects—prestige, global exposure, higher matchday and sponsorship revenue from the new stadium.
Those projections depended on a top-four league finish and a place in the Champions League Round of 16.
But this season, they didn't even qualify.
That blow was huge.
And worst of all—no UCL meant no more Henry.
He stopped contract talks and left for Barça.
Two captains sold in two seasons.
The damage to the club was massive.
Even sponsors started to grumble.
Dein estimated losses at no less than £20 million.
The revenue target was cut to £160 million.
Still an increase?
Please—that was only because they sold Henry.
"We have to change this. If we keep going like this, the stadium will bury us alive."
Dein's face was twisted in pain.
Wenger knew it too.
The interest payments were too high.
According to the agreement with the bank, repayments began in 2006—once the new stadium opened.
Meaning:
The hard times were only just beginning.
"Arsène, we're at a crossroads. Either you get us back into the Champions League and stay there for the next ten years, or we bring in foreign investors to inject cash."
"Otherwise, it'll only get worse."
Wenger had no answer.
Did he envy Mourinho?
If he was honest—yes.
But he hated investors like Abramovich.
The way they treated Ranieri…
Or how they forced Shevchenko on Mourinho against his will…
That wasn't Wenger's style.
More importantly, Wenger believed a healthy club should be self-sustaining.
Chelsea?
Without Abramovich's money, they'd collapse overnight.
Peter Kenyon once promised they'd balance the books in a few years.
Now? It sounded like a joke.
Chelsea's commercial revenue wasn't even as good as Bayswater Chinese's.
At least Adam Crozier had the FA's stamp of approval for his operations.
So when Dein brought up foreign investors, Wenger couldn't help but remain skeptical.
No one knows what the future holds.
What billionaire is ever simple?
Every word they say—can it really be trusted?
These people had clawed their way through mountains of corpses in the business world.
You think they play by the rules?
Wenger felt exhausted.
Suddenly, he didn't know what to do anymore.
He felt… lost.
…
The 4–0 thrashing of Arsenal earned Bayswater Chinese thunderous applause.
But for Yang Cheng?
It was already in the past.
Three Days Later Came the League Cup Third Round, an Away Match Against Championship Side West Bromwich Albion
This time, Yang Cheng sent out an entire lineup of young and reserve players.
Even the striker position was handed to Lewandowski.
Di María and Walcott played on the wings, forming a youthful front three.
In midfield, it was Inler and Matuidi, with Matić sitting deepest.
West Brom had been in excellent form in the Championship this season, and playing at home, they saw Bayswater Chinese's young lineup and came in ambitious—fully intent on taking a scalp.
But once the match started, the Baggies quickly realized:
Even Bayswater Chinese's "reserves" were no pushovers.
Defensively, the Championship side was organized.
But Bayswater Chinese controlled the tempo and rhythm from the first whistle.
34th minute — After winning the ball in their own half, Inler sent a clever ball over the top.
Walcott used his lightning pace to slice through West Brom's backline, chased the ball down on the left, and squared it across to Di María, who buried it.
1–0!
Early in the second half, Bayswater Chinese came out flying.
49th minute — In a scramble inside the box, Walcott latched onto a pass from Lewandowski on the right and poked it into the net.
2–0!
That scoreline held until full-time.
Bayswater Chinese won 2–0 away, and the young front three were all impressive.
What pleased Yang Cheng most was how much Walcott and Bale had improved in the past year—
especially their technical execution and decision-making.
That was the key to Walcott's rising performances this season.
…
Weekend – Premier League Matchday 10: Bayswater Chinese away to Portsmouth
Harry Redknapp's Pompey had been struggling lately.
Matchday 6 had marked a turning point.
They'd gone 4 wins and 1 draw in their first five matches, all against weaker teams, even topping the table at one point.
But in real battles?
Redknapp had no answers.
First a home loss to Bolton, then a defeat to Spurs away.
They rebounded in Matchday 8 with a win over West Ham,
only to lose again at Chelsea in Matchday 9.
Now, they had dropped to 6th in the league.
Redknapp wasn't satisfied—he wanted to test himself against Bayswater Chinese.
He knew they were dangerous early on, so he meticulously prepared.
Redknapp had his own style of building a squad.
Any neutral looking at this Portsmouth lineup would admit: it looked solid.
Goalkeeper: England's former No.1 David James
Center-backs: Ex-Arsenal captain Sol Campbell
Midfield: Former Spurs man Sean Davis and Champions League winner with Porto, Pedro Mendes
Striker: Former Inter and Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu
This spine was Redknapp's biggest asset.
Other than age, there wasn't much wrong with it.
Bayswater Chinese, on the other hand, had a much younger squad.
They hit hard at the start—but if you could survive the opening waves?
Redknapp believed his veterans had the experience to steady the ship.
With that belief, Portsmouth took to the pitch at Fratton Park.
Their well-prepared start did hold off Bayswater's early aggression.
Yang Cheng's squad, meanwhile, had their minds slightly on next Wednesday's crucial Champions League match in Munich.
Redknapp even reminded his players repeatedly:
Avoid fouls around the box.
Bayswater's set pieces were lethal.
And for the first 10 minutes, Portsmouth did well.
But then came the 11th minute.
Maicon overlapped down the right and crossed from near the byline—
Sol Campbell blocked it out for a corner.
Ashley Young stepped up.
In the chaos that followed, as Yaya Touré, Koscielny, and Lambert pulled defenders around, Koscielny ghosted in at the far post and powered a header home.
1–0!
So close… yet so far.
Redknapp squatted in despair on the touchline.
He had said "survive 10 minutes,"
And they did.
But no one tracked Koscielny.
Where was José Fonte?
Why wasn't he playing?
If Yang Cheng had heard Redknapp's question, he would've answered honestly:
"Fonte's played too many matches. With Bayern next, we're giving him a rest."
…
After taking the lead, Portsmouth were forced into an even deeper shell.
Bayswater Chinese controlled the match completely, launching attack after attack.
But Lambert's finishing let them down—he missed several decent chances.
Finally, in the 53rd minute, he converted—nodding in a close-range header from Ashley Young's cross.
2–0!
Then, in the 66th minute, from another corner…
Campbell headed it clear—but only to the edge of the box.
Yaya Touré brought it down, charged back in, and smashed it past David James.
3–0!
But just before full-time, in the 84th minute, Kanu got one back.
He connected with a knockdown from Campbell off a corner and slotted it in.
3–1.
Final score: Bayswater Chinese won away at Portsmouth.
…
This round saw most of the top teams bounce back after a week of rest.
Chelsea beat Sheffield United 2–0 away.
United crushed Bolton 4–0 away—Rooney hat trick + Ronaldo goal.
Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3–1 at home—all three goals in the first half.
Only Arsenal slipped—1–1 at home against Everton.
There's something really wrong with this Arsenal side.
Anyone who's watched them this season can tell:
Without Henry, Arsenal's attack is visibly lacking.
When teams sit deep and defend patiently, Arsenal can dominate possession—
But they have no way through.
Against any team with strong defensive structure, Arsenal looked poor.
This Everton match was another example.
They conceded from a corner in the 11th minute.
After that, it was all Arsenal possession, while Everton countered.
Shockingly, the Toffees had more dangerous shots than Arsenal.
How did Arsenal finally score?
Van Persie's free kick.
From open play?
They had nothing.
Former Arsenal manager George Graham, commentating for Sky Sports, pointed out the obvious.
He explained that when Wenger's team played bottom-table sides, the attack looked fluid—almost invincible—because those teams couldn't defend.
Against mid-table teams, Arsenal often struggled, showing inconsistent performances.
But when it came to big matches?
They simply folded.
With this kind of form, forget about challenging for the title—even finishing top four was at risk.
After 10 rounds, Bayswater Chinese remained undefeated with 8 wins and 2 draws, sitting atop the league with 26 points.
Manchester United, with 8 wins and 2 losses, had 24 points.
Chelsea followed with 23 points.
Arsenal had only 18 points, dropping to fifth, with a clear gap now formed.
Liverpool, after a poor start, had found form and climbed to eighth, just four points behind Arsenal.
Bolton were in fourth.
…
Three days later – Champions League Matchday 4: Bayswater Chinese away to Bayern Munich.
Compared to Bayern—who were at home and under pressure from Real Madrid—Yang Cheng's team held the upper hand in the group standings.
Even away from home, Yang Cheng stuck to his guns and went on the offensive.
16th minute, Arshavin broke through from the left channel and scored.
Bayern, to their credit, responded quickly.
Six minutes later, Ribéry assisted Pizarro, who equalized.
Then in the 39th minute, Ribéry again—this time cutting in from the right—danced past two defenders and laid it off for Pizarro, who scored again.
2–1. Bayern had turned it around.
The second half was much more cautious from both sides.
But Yang Cheng noticed something:
Arshavin wasn't backing down from Ribéry.
The media had stirred up the storyline before the match—
The old attacking core versus the new. Both proud. Both driven to outshine the other.
72nd minute — Arshavin and Modrić combined brilliantly just left of center at the edge of the box.
Against four Bayern defenders, they executed tight, precise give-and-go passes—
Arshavin broke through and scored.
2–2.
Anyone who had seen Bayswater Chinese's training sessions would recognize it instantly—
It was nearly identical to their 4v4, 20-meter-square passing drill.
Arshavin and Modrić were like the two center players.
Final score: 2–2 away at Bayern.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid managed a narrow 1–0 win at home against Sporting, thanks to an own goal.
This set up a dramatic fifth round:
Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich at the Bernabéu—winner likely secures qualification.
…
Back in the Premier League: Matchday 11
Bayswater Chinese drew 1–1 away at Liverpool.
This time, it was Benítez's side who struck first.
In the 14th minute, they launched a counterattack, and Kuyt finished past Neuer.
Benítez, the master tactician, had done what many couldn't—
Not only had Liverpool survived Bayswater's press, they'd scored against it.
Bayswater didn't equalize until the 73rd minute, and no matter how hard they pushed, they couldn't find a winner.
United, meanwhile, were charging.
They thrashed Portsmouth 3–0 at home.
Arsenal?
Lost 0–1 away at West Ham.
Chelsea?
Beaten 1–2 away by Spurs.
After 11 matches, Bayswater Chinese lost the top spot in the league.
Now, they were one of only two unbeaten teams across Europe's top five leagues.
8 wins, 3 draws.
The other?
Inter Milan, with 7 wins, 3 draws in Serie A.
But Ferguson's Manchester United had gone 9–2–0, with a stunning 21 goal difference.
No draws.
Both sides were tied on 27 points, but United had better goal difference.
Their attacking firepower had surpassed Bayswater Chinese.
The media consensus?
Bayswater Chinese needed a world-class striker.
With a midfield as creative as theirs, if they had a more clinical finisher, their goal tally would skyrocket.
So, who were their forwards?
Lambert, the same striker they'd used since League Two.
He'd already been criticized for disappearing in big matches.
Not even the national team called him up.
Then there was Džeko, only 20 years old.
And on the bench—18-year-old Lewandowski.
With that lineup leading the line in the Premier League, the fact they'd even made it this far was remarkable.
When asked by reporters whether he'd be signing a striker in the winter window, Yang Cheng made it clear:
"I'm very satisfied with the current squad."
"I don't know why people are doubting our attacking power."
"In 11 Premier League matches, we've scored 21 goals and only conceded 4."
"We're the second-highest scoring team in the league and the best defense."
Then he added:
"Those 21 goals came from 10 different players—that proves we play as a team."
"I don't see a problem with that."
He also reaffirmed his belief in Lambert, Džeko, and Lewandowski.
Especially the two youngsters.
"Yes, they're still young. But I'm willing to give them time—to help them grow and improve."
"Remember when we signed Ribéry? When we signed Modrić? People said we were crazy."
"Look at them now."
"I don't know when Džeko and Lewandowski will fully blossom—it's like nurturing a sapling.
You water it, feed it, give it care and sunlight… and one day, it grows strong."
His words won resounding support from the dressing room.
None of these players were born stars.
Most of them had fought their way up through failure and hardship.
So, they deeply appreciated a coach like Yang Cheng—
One who believed in them, one who gave them chances.
…
In the League Cup Round of 16, Bayswater Chinese crushed League One side Port Vale 4–0, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Lewandowski scored a brace.
Then came Premier League Matchday 12.
Back at Wembley, they hosted Tottenham Hotspur.
After a dominant opening without a goal, they fell behind in the 24th minute—Robbie Keane scored on the counter.
But Bayswater Chinese responded immediately.
Leighton Baines and Modrić both scored before halftime.
In the second half, Džeko added another.
3–1.
Bayswater Chinese were flying again—and picked up three more points.
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