Chapter 213: The Treble! Bayswater China Delivered a Legendary Season!
"Bayswater China is the strongest team in European football today. Without reinforcing our defense, we wouldn't have stood a chance."
In the post-match press conference, Wenger openly discussed the tactical decisions he made across the two legs and acknowledged the strength of Yang Cheng and Bayswater China.
Arsenal's manager praised his team for showing a different level of team spirit in this semifinal clash.
"This is a team of heroes. Koscielny even spilled blood on the pitch for us."
"I'm proud of every player—whether they played or not."
"I'm also grateful to all the Arsenal fans, both those at home and those who traveled to support us. They gave us strength and belief, and helped us push to the very end!"
After the heartbreak of last year's missed title, Arsenal had made it back to the Champions League final, and Wenger didn't hide his ambition.
"Obviously, when you reach the final, there's only one goal—to win."
"And coincidentally, our opponent is the same as in 2006: Barcelona."
Wenger believed Guardiola's Barcelona was even stronger than Rijkaard's version.
"But this Arsenal is also not the same as the one from 2006. We're confident we won't repeat the same mistakes."
Wenger said it was not yet time for Arsenal to celebrate.
Only after playing the final—only after beating Barcelona—would they earn the right to celebrate.
As for external criticism and disappointment, Wenger was understanding.
"In the past, many fans who loved our style of football might feel disappointed with our recent performances."
"But I want to say this: it wasn't just my match, or just the players'. It belonged to everyone."
"Our play may not have been pretty or flashy—but we got the result!"
"And that result means everything—to our squad, to Arsenal."
Wenger reiterated that he had no plans to abandon his footballing ideals. Arsenal would continue to stick to their identity, though they might use more pragmatic tactics in key moments.
Would he be conservative against Barcelona in the final?
"Why not?"
Wenger smiled and countered, "As long as we win, there's no reason to say no, is there?"
This version of Wenger felt unfamiliar to many reporters.
But none of them could argue with him.
...
"The fact is, we didn't score even a single goal over the two legs."
"That's why we're not in the Champions League final."
In his own post-match press conference, Yang Cheng expressed deep disappointment over his team's elimination.
He admitted that Bayswater China had revealed a number of shortcomings under such high-pressure matches.
"We're not strong enough. Not complete enough. There are still many areas we need to improve. Our players still have room to grow."
Yang Cheng also said he had personally congratulated Wenger and Arsenal after the match.
"They deserved to go through—no question about it."
"I've never seen Arsenal defend this conservatively before. They committed massive resources to their defensive setup."
"Not just their backline—those three defensive midfielders were all sitting deep. Even Fàbregas tracked back hard to defend."
"Even their forwards—Arshavin, van Persie—they were dropping back in front of our No. 4."
"That made it a brutal match."
"We tried everything—literally every way we could think of—to break down Arsenal's defense. But nothing worked."
"In the second leg, our players were clearly anxious. Our buildup and passing combinations had flaws. The chemistry and timing just weren't there yet."
Despite the result, Yang Cheng was still proud of his squad.
"We've already won the League Cup, the Premier League is basically secured, we're in the FA Cup final, and we made the Champions League semifinals. If that's considered a failure, then I think the standard is too harsh."
Yang Cheng emphasized that Bayswater China wouldn't be shaken by this setback.
"Yes, we lost the Champions League—and everyone's disappointed."
"It's obvious to anyone that we've been the best-performing team in European football this season. But we won't be in the final."
"Still, I believe we'll be back very soon."
"What matters now is getting over this quickly—because we still have the league and the FA Cup final ahead."
To the fans, Yang Cheng made one thing clear: the players had nothing to apologize for.
"If anyone should apologize, it's me. I'm the manager. I failed to lead the team to victory—that's my responsibility. I owe every Bayswater China fan an apology."
"But I don't think the players need to say sorry. They did nothing wrong. They gave everything."
...
Yang Cheng's post-match comments received broad support from the media, including The Times.
The Times pointed out that Arsenal's biggest success in the two-leg tie was their ability to neutralize Bayswater China's midfield.
That completely disrupted Bayswater China's attacking flow.
"Bayswater China is currently the most dominant club in world football. You could even remove the word 'currently'."
"Especially after the arrival of Toni Kroos, everyone thought Yang Cheng's squad had reached an ideal tactical structure."
"His man management and tactical vision are unique and innovative."
"And more importantly, he has a roster most managers can only dream of."
"Throughout this season, Yang Cheng's team has stormed through Europe, earning cheers and admiration from fans around the world."
"But in these two matches against Arsenal, their high-pressing defense exposed one major flaw—when their midfield is stifled, their attack loses its creativity."
The article credited Wenger's defensive tactics, especially how effectively he shut down the trio of Modrić, Kroos, and Matić.
Arsenal committed a huge amount of defensive resources to control the midfield.
Meanwhile, the front three—Bale, Lewandowski, and Walcott—also showed some limitations.
Specifically, their inability to break through deep, compact defenses.
All three rely heavily on service from midfield and the backline. So when the engine room falters, the front line becomes ineffective.
"Yang Cheng actually tried adjusting, assigning Marcelo and Piszczek—his full-backs—more creative and distribution responsibilities. Especially Marcelo, who has that ability."
"But it clearly wasn't enough."
Finally, The Times stated that Wenger had staked his entire managerial reputation on these two legs—breaking with his own philosophy to embrace a counter-attacking, defense-first approach.
He won the gamble, and secured a place in the Champions League final.
"But he'll still have to prove himself again—in the final, against Barcelona."
For Example, the New Media Team Clipped Together Highlights of Modrić's Best Moments at Bayswater China Over the Years
They also compiled Toni Kroos's top passing, defending, and all-around plays from the current season.
These videos were shared across major online platforms.
Both players registered their own social media accounts and began familiarizing themselves with Bayswater China's new media strategies.
To them, it was simply a way of documenting everyday life.
The new media team, meanwhile, handled strategy and content planning behind the scenes.
If necessary, they would even manage the players' private social media accounts.
Right after Matchday 11 of the Premier League, the midweek brought Matchday 12.
Following their 5–0 demolition of West Ham, Yang Cheng had no choice but to rotate the squad midweek.
Even so, they managed a 3–2 comeback win away to Stoke City.
The two goals conceded came late in the first half, in the 41st and 44th minutes.
But in the second half, at the 74th, 76th, and 85th minutes, Bayswater China scored three times to complete the turnaround.
The scorers were Di María, Piszczek, and José Fonte.
Fonte, the Portuguese center-back, netted the final goal—a personal redemption of sorts.
The first two goals conceded were partly due to mistakes involving him and Kompany.
Both had come under scrutiny for their errors this season.
Compared to the stability of Thiago Silva and Pepe, the backup center-backs had been far less reliable.
Fonte, in particular, had made several critical mistakes.
But Yang Cheng continued to express trust and support for his defenders.
Since it was a midweek round, most of the big teams didn't perform well.
Liverpool narrowly beat Wigan 2–1 away.
Arsenal won 2–0 at Wolves, but the two goals came in the opening minute and in stoppage time at 94'.
They struggled through most of the match.
Chelsea edged Fulham 1–0 at home.
The marquee fixture of the round was City's 1–0 win over Manchester United at home.
Ancelotti's team claimed victory thanks to a goal from Kaká, assisted by Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Ancelotti, post-match, claimed there had been a deep, soul-baring conversation that "cleansed" Ibrahimović's mindset.
Whatever it was, the Swedish striker played noticeably differently.
In the past, Ibrahimović often played selfishly, holding onto the ball too long.
But in this game, he looked like a disciplined, team-first center forward.
...
After losing the Manchester derby 0–1 away in the previous round, United followed up with a 2–2 draw away to Aston Villa in Matchday 13.
And yes—a draw.
Villa were actually the better side for most of the game.
They scored twice early, while United didn't level until the 81st and 85th minutes.
Liverpool won 1–0 away at Stoke City with a goal in the 91st minute.
Arsenal scraped a 2–1 win at Everton.
Sagna and Fàbregas scored in the first half, but the entire second half was controlled by Everton. Arsenal were on the back foot throughout, but still managed to take all three points.
The biggest shock of the round was Chelsea's 0–3 humiliation at home to Sunderland.
No one saw that coming—especially not at Stamford Bridge.
After the match, The Sun revealed the internal turmoil that contributed to the defeat.
The club had recently let go of assistant coach Ray Wilkins, who had been with Chelsea for 37 years. His sudden exit had clearly unsettled the dressing room.
CEO Ron Gourlay said the club needed to cut costs.
Ironically, Wilkins's annual salary was just £350,000—less than what many players earn in two weeks.
Another explanation: they needed to make room.
Chelsea were planning to promote Paul Clement—who had worked 16 years in the academy with excellent results—to the first-team staff to focus more on youth development.
Clement was slated to become assistant coach, so Wilkins had to go.
But Wilkins was highly respected in the dressing room, and his departure left a huge emotional void—especially during an injury crisis.
With Lampard, Terry, and Alex all injured, Chelsea were in a rough patch.
Against Sunderland, their back four was Ashley Cole, Ivanović, Ferreira, and Bosingwa.
There was no stopping a front line led by Danny Welbeck.
To make matters worse, Andy Carroll—already under fire for poor performances—had become a scandal magnet.
First, he broke into his ex-girlfriend's home and was accused of attempted assault.
Then came reports of a wild night with three women and possible drug use.
Now, he was being investigated for allegedly assaulting a girl outside a nightclub, leaving her face badly injured with eight stitches.
On the pitch, he was underwhelming. Off the pitch, scandal after scandal.
The Guardian wrote that Carroll was projecting his on-pitch frustrations onto his personal life.
"Chelsea's tactical setup doesn't suit his style. He should've never joined them."
"If he wants to recapture the form he showed at Bayswater China, he must leave Chelsea."
Many media outlets urged the Blues to regroup—fast.
"Don't forget: Matchday 14 is a trip to Wembley."
That said, Bayswater China didn't fare too well either.
They were held to a 0–0 draw away to Manchester City.
Ancelotti's Christmas Tree formation proved impenetrable, and the two sides split the points.
That draw ended Yang Cheng's hopes of matching the 13-game win streak from the 08/09 season.
...
Matchdays 13 and 14 were followed by an international break.
The national team players began reporting for duty, while Yang Cheng and his coaching staff started preparing for the weekend's Premier League showdown.
They also had to be ready for the final two Champions League group matches.
Especially the away game against Ajax.
For Bayswater China, international breaks were a nightmare.
Take Argentina and Brazil, for example—they scheduled a friendly in Qatar.
That meant players had to fly 7–8 hours, play a match, then rush back for the weekend league fixture.
Thiago Silva, Di María, and Marcelo would all be traveling to Qatar.
Meanwhile, England were set to host France at Wembley.
Yang Cheng had already arranged for his staff to coordinate with stadium management to ensure the pitch would be ready for the weekend.
"Tell them to treat this West London Derby like it's the Champions League final."
After the internationals, any necessary turf repairs would need to be done immediately.
For Bayswater China, a quality playing surface was the foundation for victory.
Not Only That, Yang Cheng Had the Scouts and Data Analysts Compile All Relevant Information—He Wanted Real-Time Updates on Every Chelsea Player
For instance, even though Alex was injured, he was still called up by the Brazilian national team.
Drogba's Ivory Coast were headed to Poland for a friendly.
Sneijder was representing the Netherlands in a match against Turkey in Amsterdam.
Eto'o, Terry, and Lampard were all injured and unavailable.
Ivanović would travel to Bulgaria for Serbia's match.
Bayswater China's Matić and Manchester United's Vidić were also taking part in that match.
Modrić and Rakitić were headed back to Croatia for a Euro qualifying match against Malta.
Germany were off to Scandinavia for a friendly against Sweden.
Russia were hosting Belgium, and Zhirkov, Hazard, and Courtois were all involved.
Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, however, had it easy—no national team duties. They could rest and prepare in full.
Yang Cheng set every department in motion.
Scouts were responsible for studying the opposition and gathering intel; coaches tracked players' conditions, especially game time and physical exertion.
The club's logistics team was in charge of monitoring flight schedules, ensuring players returned to the club as quickly as possible.
In Yang Cheng's eyes, the match on November 20 wasn't just any Premier League fixture, nor just another West London Derby—it was a full-scale battle from top to bottom between Bayswater China and Chelsea.
The match would only last 90 minutes on the pitch, but behind it was a war of logistics, tactics, and execution—an all-out clash between two rival clubs.
Yang Cheng wanted to use this game to assess just how well his club was functioning at every level.
...
On Bayswater China's side, everything was running smoothly—fully mobilized and well-organized.
Over at Chelsea, it was chaos.
Andy Carroll remained under constant media fire in the UK. His agent demanded the club step in to manage the damage.
This was, after all, a £40 million signing earning £90,000 a week—and an English player to boot.
Ron Gourlay and the rest of the execs were busy dealing with the fallout.
On top of that, the injury crisis was getting worse, especially in defense.
Eto'o, Terry, Lampard—one by one, they were all ruled out.
Guus Hiddink and his coaching staff were at their wits' end.
Meanwhile, at Knightsbridge in South London, Roman Abramovich was growing increasingly agitated.
The 0–3 home defeat to Sunderland had unleashed a wave of criticism from Chelsea fans.
The media's focus had turned to Ray Wilkins's sudden departure, and the backroom staff were now being publicly berated by supporters.
Abramovich knew the deeper reason behind the issue.
It was complex.
But it definitely wasn't about money.
If it were purely a cost-cutting measure, there would've been no need to fire Wilkins over a £350,000 salary.
Of course, the backroom staff had failed to properly assess the risk and overlooked Wilkins's importance in the dressing room—hence the cascading problems.
"As I've said before—we're not professional enough," Abramovich sighed to Marina Granovskaia.
As his personal assistant, she was the person he trusted most.
"Boss, your thinking is right. We can't keep spending like this every year. And as you've seen in the past two seasons, no matter how much we invest, there's no guaranteed return," Granovskaia advised gently.
"Then why is Yang Cheng able to make Bayswater China work? Why is he successful? He barely spends anything, and he turns a profit every year—how is that fair?" Abramovich muttered bitterly.
This was a grievance that had been building for years.
The more successful Bayswater China became, the deeper the resentment grew in Abramovich's heart.
It had become a permanent shadow.
Granovskaia looked at Abramovich for a long moment, hesitating to speak.
In the end, she chose silence.
Because it wasn't the right time.
She knew Abramovich too well.
Or rather, all billionaires like him shared the same problem.
They had too much faith in money.
They believed money could solve anything.
If something didn't work out, it meant they hadn't spent enough—or hadn't spent it wisely.
But the world doesn't work like that.
The longer you stay in the game, the deeper the problems become.
Why did Yang Cheng succeed at Bayswater China?
Because he personally coached the team, managed operations, and made every major decision.
He was the soul and center of the club.
There was nothing at Bayswater China that he didn't know inside and out.
And Chelsea?
Who was Chelsea's "Yang Cheng"?
Abramovich had money—but he didn't understand football or club management, and he didn't involve himself either.
First, he relied on Pini Zahavi.
The Israeli agent had indeed built a strong team for Chelsea.
But Zahavi had his own interests. He wasn't satisfied just making commission off transfers.
Or perhaps he was at first—but as time passed, his appetite grew.
So Peter Kenyon was brought in, tasked with managing Chelsea and keeping Zahavi in check.
Then came Jorge Mendes and Mourinho.
Everyone had their own agendas.
Each claimed to be acting in Chelsea's best interest—but who really was?
And more importantly, did "what's good for Chelsea" always align with "what's good for Abramovich"?
Take investment, for example.
People were constantly digging into Abramovich's pocket for money to fund transfers. Was that good for Chelsea? Maybe.
But was it good for Abramovich?
After Zahavi lost influence, the Dutch faction took over.
Mourinho and Kenyon faded; the Dutch camp rose to power.
But did the Dutch staff not have personal interests?
Were they truly loyal to Abramovich?
As a leader, the saddest reality for Abramovich was this:
He didn't understand a thing.
He didn't participate in operations. He didn't understand football. All he had was money.
Look at Carroll's transfer.
Abramovich had asked point-blank: how could this happen?
Wasn't it standard procedure to study a player's technical profile and system fit before signing him?
Isn't that the bare minimum?
It's like hiring a CFO—you wouldn't bring in a warehouse clerk, right?
In response, the backroom staff presented a long list of well-researched, documented justifications showing they had done their homework.
But transfers always carry risk.
Wasn't Shevchenko the same story?
What else could Abramovich do?
And it wasn't just him—Granovskaia had no solution either.
When you don't understand football or how a club operates, you can't stop these people.
They'll always have a reason, always a way to explain it all away.
But when they need money, they'll come up with dozens of justifications to tell you: we're broke.
Every major decision has your signature, and now that the funds are gone, they expect you to keep footing the bill.
And Abramovich?
After All That Investment, Abramovich Couldn't Just Sit Back and Watch Chelsea Decline, Could He?
And so, Chelsea forcibly became a money-burning beast—with less than £200 million in revenue and over £170 million in wage expenses.
That's 85%!
Absolutely absurd!
Now, as they try to cut salary costs, this kind of chaos erupts again.
What could be done?
At the root of it all was Abramovich's own statement:
From top to bottom, Chelsea wasn't professional enough.
"Boss."
Marina Granovskaia had survived beside Abramovich for so many years—not just because of loyalty, though that was a given.
More importantly, she was extremely capable.
"For this weekend's match, I suggest you don't go to Wembley."
Abramovich lifted his head sharply, his eyes like lightning as he stared at the longtime assistant.
But Marina didn't flinch, holding his gaze with calm, unwavering confidence.
She was loyal.
Others may have cared for Chelsea, but she cared about Abramovich.
"Even you don't believe in this match?" Abramovich sighed.
Marina remained silent at just the right moment.
But her meaning was clear—and Abramovich understood.
...
November 20, afternoon, Wembley Stadium, London.
Premier League Matchday 14.
The West London Derby—Bayswater China hosting Chelsea.
The world's attention was on this highly anticipated clash as Howard Webb's whistle blew and the match began.
At home, Yang Cheng stuck to his classic 4-3-3 formation.
Lineup – Bayswater China:
Goalkeeper: Courtois
Defense: Ryan Bertrand, Kompany, Pepe, Piszczek
Midfield: Javi Martínez (deep), Toni Kroos, Aaron Ramsey
Attack: Gareth Bale, Lewandowski, Walcott
It was the best lineup Yang Cheng could field in terms of fitness and form.
Chelsea, despite a growing injury list, fielded their strongest available XI under Hiddink.
Lineup – Chelsea:
Goalkeeper: Čech
Defense: Ashley Cole, Alex, Ivanović, Ferreira
Midfield: Mikel (holding), Ramires, Sneijder
Attack: Kalou, Drogba, Anelka
Center-back Alex was carrying an injury but still traveled midweek to Qatar for Brazil's friendly against Argentina. Ivanović had also just returned from a match in Bulgaria.
From the opening whistle, Bayswater China took the initiative.
In just the 2nd minute, Piszczek burst down the right, cut it back with a low cross—but Aaron Ramsey's shot went just wide.
A minute later, Walcott made a brilliant run on the right and slipped a pass to Lewandowski, whose long-range strike was easily caught by Čech.
In the 6th minute, Toni Kroos delivered a beautiful through ball. Bale broke the offside trap and went one-on-one, but Čech made a strong save.
The Czech keeper remained as composed as ever.
"Bayswater China have come out firing, but their finishing hasn't been sharp," said the Sky Sports commentator.
"Maybe the midweek international break disrupted their rhythm. Their coordination's a bit off, but the home advantage is clear."
In the 10th minute, Bale received the ball inside the box, danced past Ivanović, and squared it across goal—only for Ashley Cole to make a crucial clearance.
Walcott was boxed out by Cole at the far post.
Moments later, Ramsey delivered another clever pass. Walcott tried a low shot from the right side of the box—again off target.
Then came a long-range strike from Ramsey.
Chelsea didn't manage their first shot until the 18th minute, when Sneijder's corner reached Ivanović at the far post. His header went wide.
As expected, Bayswater China dominated possession and launched attack after attack.
Chelsea sat deep, playing purely on the counter. They were under pressure but avoided conceding any clear chances—except for Bale's one-on-one.
Unfortunately, the Welshman missed.
Even the Sky Sports commentator was growing concerned.
"Bayswater China have squandered too many chances today. Yang Cheng needs to take note."
"If you keep attacking and fail to score, it can be very dangerous!"
...
The game clock ticked into the 20th minute.
Roman Abramovich sat in his home near Knightsbridge, watching the live broadcast.
He had listened to Granovskaia and stayed away from the stadium.
But now, he felt maybe she was being too cautious.
"Look, it's still 0–0. If I were there, maybe we'd be winning," he said lightly.
Granovskaia didn't argue.
She didn't know enough about football to push back.
"Perhaps I overreacted."
Abramovich nodded and chuckled. "Forget it, Marina. But remember, this team does have some strength. Even if we lose at Wembley, it won't be a disaster."
"Hiddink is still a world-class coach."
Granovskaia nodded in agreement.
She also felt maybe she had been too worried.
But then, a sudden roar from the TV caught them both off guard.
Bayswater China had launched another attack down the right.
Piszczek whipped in a cross toward the box.
Ivanović leapt, muscling past three attackers to head it clear—but only to the edge of the box.
The ball didn't go far.
Aaron Ramsey pounced, controlled it calmly.
Seeing Chelsea's backline pushing up, he seized the moment. Before Ramires could close him down, Ramsey lofted a delicate chip over the top.
The ball dropped into the area just left of center.
Gareth Bale suddenly burst between Ferreira and Ivanović, shoulder-charged the Serb off balance, and beat him to the bounce.
As the ball rose, Bale dove in before Alex could react and smashed it home with a powerful header.
Čech had no chance.
The ball ripped into the net.
"Goal!"
"Bayswater China take the lead in the 21st minute!"
"Ramsey with a delightful chip, and Gareth Bale burst between defenders to head it in!"
"1–0!"
In Abramovich's living room, he and Granovskaia were both stunned.
The air felt frozen.
...
After Bale's opening goal, Bayswater China's momentum only grew stronger.
In the 27th minute, Toni Kroos played a diagonal ball to the right side of the box. Walcott darted in and was pulled down from behind by Alex.
The entire Wembley crowd erupted, demanding a penalty.
Howard Webb didn't hesitate—he pointed straight to the spot.
Walcott stepped up calmly, buried the shot.
2–0!
Wembley exploded with cheers from Bayswater China's fans.
This was the West London Derby!
And What No One Could Have Expected—Just Two Minutes After the Restart, Lewandowski Struck Again
Receiving the ball on the left edge of the attacking third, Lewandowski drove forward, danced past Mikel, and suddenly unleashed a curling shot that soared into the top right corner.
Čech could do nothing.
3–0!
"That was some terrible defending!"
"Mikel was beaten way too easily. He completely lost his position."
"This simply shouldn't happen at this level."
"We can see now—Bayswater China's attack is gaining serious momentum. They're creating threat after threat."
After conceding three goals, Chelsea visibly panicked.
The players were no longer in sync mentally.
In the 33rd minute, a lightning-quick counter saw Walcott whip in a perfect cross from the right. Lewandowski dove in front of the six-yard box and headed the ball toward goal.
Čech managed to tip it wide.
The following corner yielded no threat.
But Bayswater China weren't done.
In the 41st minute, Sneijder fouled Toni Kroos while tracking back and earned himself a yellow card. Bayswater China were awarded a free kick just outside the box.
Gareth Bale placed the ball, composed himself, and struck a flawless knuckleball free kick that bent straight into the right corner of the net.
4–0!
And just before halftime, Aaron Ramsey sent a through ball into the right side of the penalty area. Walcott broke the offside trap, got there ahead of the recovering Alex, and struck low toward the near post.
Čech dove—but Walcott's shot had a clever bounce just before reaching him. The Czech keeper was helpless.
5–0!
The entire stadium exploded into madness.
No one could have imagined the match would turn out this way.
Especially considering how even things looked in the first 20 minutes—Bayswater China had just scored 5 goals in 25 minutes!
They were on fire.
"Chelsea's defense looks like it's made of tissue paper today—holes everywhere. They simply can't contain Bayswater China's attack."
"Hiddink must make changes at halftime, or this is going to become a historic bloodbath."
...
At halftime, Hiddink did make some adjustments—most notably bringing on Malouda for Kalou.
It had a slight impact in slowing Bayswater China's assault, but not by much.
In the 53rd minute, Alex fouled Lewandowski just outside the box to the right of the penalty arc, gifting another set-piece to Bayswater China.
Bale stepped up again.
He had already scored one free kick, completing a brace. Now, he took a deep breath and struck another brilliant knuckleball.
Once again, the ball sailed into Čech's net with precision.
6–0!
Hat-trick!
Two direct free kick goals in one match!
Bale had just demonstrated his mastery of set pieces.
Only four minutes later, Walcott slipped a perfect through ball to Lewandowski near the penalty spot. The striker found himself one-on-one with Čech and calmly chipped it over him.
7–0!
Lewandowski later struck the post and missed out on his own hat-trick.
Then, in the 64th minute, Aaron Ramsey fired a long-range effort from outside the box that smashed into Chelsea's net again.
8–0!
In the 71st minute, Chelsea finally responded.
A swift counterattack saw Ashley Cole send in a cross from the left. Drogba met it with a header at the near post and scored Chelsea's only goal.
1–8.
"Today will go down as the darkest day of Čech's professional career!"
"This is without a doubt the most insane match of the Premier League season!"
"Chelsea have been utterly demolished at Wembley!"
"This could very well be the heaviest defeat of Abramovich's reign!"
"8–1!"
"Yang Cheng is starting to make substitutions."
"Even though it's a local derby, at 8–1, there's really no point continuing to press forward."
"Even against a bitter rival, continuing to attack at 8–1 would only serve to humiliate them further. And that's not in Bayswater China's interest."
"So Yang Cheng is choosing to rotate his players now."
"On one hand, it's giving Chelsea a bit of face—he's clearly taking his foot off the gas."
"On the other hand, he's giving minutes to young players."
"Yang Cheng could probably say: 'If we score more, don't blame me—it's all the players.'"
"Chelsea's back line has been their biggest failure today."
"From midfielders Ramires and Sneijder to Mikel, and then the back line of Ferreira, Ivanović, and Alex—Chelsea's entire defensive structure has been a disaster."
"8–1. A historic humiliation!"
"The worst defeat in Chelsea's history happened on September 26, 1953, when they lost 1–8 to Wolverhampton in the old First Division."
"Fifty-seven years later, they've broken that record."
"This is the most painful defeat in Chelsea's century-long history!"
"We can't understand it—how could a team known for its defense collapse like this, twice in a row?"
"Last round, they lost 0–3 at home to Sunderland."
"We can only say, Bayswater China used this match to display their full arsenal of offensive firepower."
"Especially that front three—one hat-trick, two braces!"
"This kind of attacking power is simply breathtaking."
"Yang Cheng's team not only handed their West London rivals the worst defeat in club history—they also gave everyone at Wembley, and every fan watching on TV, an unforgettable goal-fest!"
Yang Cheng didn't order the attack to stop.
The team kept pressing even as he rotated the lineup.
But now, Chelsea finally showed a glimmer of the pride they had lacked for the past 90 minutes.
The Blues were furious.
8–1, and still attacking?
What, you want to strip us of our dignity too?
Break our century-old record—for fun?
Do you not know the meaning of mercy?
But that defiance didn't last.
In the 91st minute, Hazard sent a lovely pass down the left. Ryan Bertrand burst into the box and squared it across goal.
Harry Kane missed the finish under pressure from Ivanović—
But Walcott came sliding in at the far post and tapped it in.
9–1!
Hat-trick!
The record was shattered.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10