Chapter 233: The Record Reaper! Chelsea Are Sick! Real Madrid, Let Me Eliminate You Again!
In the midweek League Cup Round of 16, the big teams all played it safe and steady.
For Yang Cheng, rotating and relying on young players was a must.
With such a packed schedule, he had no interest in wasting too much energy on what was essentially a chicken-rib cup.
Arsenal beat Bolton 2–1 at home.
Manchester United won 3–0 away at Aldershot.
Ferguson had suffered embarrassing cup exits the past two years and had been hammered by the press and fans alike.
Now, with more resources at his disposal, he too had started to take it seriously.
Bayswater Chinese hosted Championship side Southampton at home.
After more than 70 minutes of a tight battle, it wasn't until the 73rd minute that De Bruyne assisted Hazard for the breakthrough.
In the 82nd, another brilliant pass from De Bruyne set up Harry Kane to seal it.
Yang Cheng's team won 2–0 at home over the Saints.
Liverpool won 2–1 away at Stoke.
Manchester City showcased their squad depth, thrashing Championship side Wolves 5–2 away.
Chelsea defeated Everton 2–1 on the road.
In short, all the heavyweights advanced without much drama.
But when the weekend league fixtures rolled around again, the blood-and-thunder of the Premier League lit a fire under football fans worldwide.
The headline clash this round?
Chelsea vs. Arsenal.
Despite Chelsea spending big to bring in Benatia, van der Meyde, and Álvaro Pereira, when it came down to a true heavyweight battle, Villas-Boas still reverted to the tried-and-tested veterans.
This highlighted the internal conflict at Chelsea.
They wanted to clear out the old guard, but still relied on them to maintain competitiveness.
With Ashley Cole, Terry, Ivanović, and Bosingwa forming the backline, they were ripped apart by Arsenal's increasingly fluid front three.
The trio of Sánchez, van Persie, and Nasri combined with lethal efficiency, driving Arsenal's attack.
The first half was a tug-of-war.
Chelsea scored first in the 14th minute, with Sneijder assisting Lampard.
But Sánchez soon set up van Persie for the equalizer.
Just before halftime, Terry headed in from a corner to restore Chelsea's lead.
The Blues went into the break up 2–1.
Despite being outplayed and their defense looking shaky, the scoreline was manageable.
But the second half flipped everything on its head.
A blitz right after the restart saw Nasri and Clichy each score.
Chelsea mounted a response, with Sneijder assisting in the 80th to make it 3–4.
But then their backline collapsed again.
Van Persie struck twice more to complete his hat trick.
5–3! Arsenal won at Stamford Bridge!
After the match, the contrast between the two managers' reactions was stark.
Wenger praised his team's attacking play, especially van Persie.
He believed that Arsenal, both in quality and mentality, were now capable of challenging for all titles.
"We've rebuilt this team. Every victory makes us stronger."
However, he wasn't satisfied with the defense, stressing that the players needed more focus.
"There's no doubt—conceding three goals in a game is not acceptable for a top club."
"Our rivals not only have elite attackers, but also historic-level defenses."
"If we want to beat them, we must improve on both ends of the pitch."
Clearly, the "rival" he referred to wasn't Chelsea.
Not even United, City, or Liverpool.
He meant Bayswater Chinese.
In this round, Bayswater Chinese made some rotations and drew 0–0 away to Manchester City.
The match was intense from start to finish.
Both teams had perfect records so far and were desperate to protect them.
Both created a number of chances.
Especially Bayswater Chinese.
Despite the rotation, they still firmly controlled the tempo and momentum.
The turning point came in the 55th minute of the second half.
At that moment, Bayswater Chinese were mounting a sustained offensive, repeatedly threatening Joe Hart's goal.
But just as they seemed on the verge of scoring, City launched a lightning counterattack.
Ibrahimović played a beautiful through ball to Kaká, who burst through the middle at full pace.
Kompany, as the last defender, was completely fooled by Kaká's feints.
With Kaká about to break free, Kompany committed a tactical foul.
28 meters from goal.
The outcome was obvious—straight red!
After that, Bayswater Chinese shifted into a defensive counterattack posture.
City used their numerical advantage to press relentlessly.
But this is where Bayswater Chinese's defensive resilience truly shone.
They held the 0–0, denying City any real chances.
In the end, the two sides shook hands with a goalless draw.
After the match, Yang Cheng didn't criticize Kompany's red card.
It was a tactical foul.
If Kaká had gone through, it likely would've led to a goal.
When asked about Kompany, Yang Cheng praised the defender's growth.
"He's become an essential, irreplaceable part of the team."
Kompany himself accepted the decision.
"I don't want to say too much. But in that moment, I only had one thought—I couldn't let Kaká through. He was going to threaten our goal."
"That's my job."
City manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted his team deserved the win.
"For nearly 40 minutes, we completely pinned them back."
He even asked with pride: "In recent years, how many teams in Europe have managed that?"
It was obvious.
Whether it was defending Champions League winners Arsenal, money-rich Manchester City, or old giants like United and Liverpool—all of them had one target:
Bayswater Chinese.
Why?
Because they're just that good.
After 10 Premier League rounds, Bayswater Chinese had scored 33 goals—top in the league.
Though compared to last season, that was actually a slight step back.
Last year, they scored 37 in their first 10 games.
That broke the century-old English top-flight record for most goals in the first 10 rounds.
This season, only 33.
But on defense, they had made massive strides.
Last season, they conceded 6 in the first 10 rounds.
This year?
Just 1 goal conceded in 10 matches.
What does that mean?
Before this round, the best defensive record in English football history over the first 10 rounds was Chelsea in 2004–05 under Mourinho—2 goals conceded.
That record had been considered virtually unbreakable for years.
Let alone conceding just 2.
Throughout the Premier League era, teams conceding only 3 in the first 10 rounds were rare.
United managed it in 1985–86 and 1991–92.
Back then, the top flight was still called the First Division, and United's managers were Ron Atkinson and Alex Ferguson.
Since the Premier League began, only one team had achieved it:
Aston Villa in 1998–99.
Bayswater Chinese's previous best defensive record over the first 10 league matches was conceding 4 goals—which was already considered exceptional.
In the 06/07, 07/08, and 08/09 seasons, Yang Cheng's team conceded just 4 goals in their opening 10 matches.
But now?
Just 1 goal.
That shattered the century-old defensive record in England's top flight, set by Mourinho's Chelsea.
Especially remarkable was the match against Manchester City.
Playing with ten men for the entire second half, they still managed to hold the line and keep a clean sheet away from home.
Besides Courtois's stellar performance, the backline's outstanding work was crucial.
As The Times put it in their post-match coverage:
"While the world sees Bayswater Chinese as a symbol of attacking football, Yang Cheng's team has long been one of the Premier League's best defensive sides."
"In fact, you could remove the 'one of'—they are the best."
Chelsea in 2004/05 conceded 2 goals in the first 10 matches—but scored only 12.
Aston Villa in 98/99 conceded 3 and scored just 11.
Manchester United in 91/92 also conceded 3 but only scored 16.
Back in 85/86, under Atkinson, United did slightly better—conceded 3 and scored 27.
But none of them came close to Bayswater Chinese.
They scored 33.
What does that mean?
Yang Cheng's side not only boasts the best defensive record in English top-flight history but also one of the sharpest attacks.
"This is the most powerful and dominant team in the history of the English top division."
Such overwhelming performances have allowed them to dominate the Premier League for the past three seasons, becoming the benchmark all rivals measure themselves against—and the main target of every challenger.
Which circles back to what Wenger said before:
If you want to challenge Bayswater Chinese, you need not only better attacking play—but better defense too.
"Yang Cheng's team keeps rewriting records. They're a record-reaping machine."
"Their 0–0 away draw at Manchester City may have ended their winning streak, but it gave them even more confidence—they held City off despite being a man down."
"Ancelotti says he hopes City will top the table before the congested Christmas period."
"But if he wants to do that, the Italian and his team will have to do more, and do better."
"Yang Cheng was clearly already thinking ahead to the Champions League next Wednesday, which is why he rotated players."
"But if Bayswater Chinese starts focusing solely on the Premier League, overtaking them at the top won't be easy for anyone."
...
Northeast of Madrid, Valdebebas Training Center.
When Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho arrived at the gate in his black Audi A8, the swarm of waiting journalists immediately surged forward.
There were also many Real Madrid fans who had come specifically for him.
The moment Mourinho appeared, Madridistas erupted in cheers.
Right now, he was in a honeymoon phase with the club.
Under his leadership, Real Madrid had surpassed Barcelona to top La Liga.
"Hey José, can we ask you a few questions?"
"José, just stop for a minute, we only need a few quick ones."
"C'mon, José—we're from The Times, can you say something?"
"We're The Sun, José, please stop—just a few quick ones?"
The media were shouting over one another. It was impossible to tell who was saying what.
Security from the training center rushed out to clear the path, opening a lane so Mourinho's Audi could drive through.
But reporters didn't give up and kept yelling questions from the gate.
"Bayswater Chinese broke your record, José—don't you have anything to say?"
"Yang Cheng broke your record—do you have a comment?"
"His team just set a new historic benchmark—how do you feel about that, José?"
The scene was chaotic.
But then Mourinho's Audi rolled through the gates of Valdebebas.
Everyone thought that was it.
Reporters began shaking their heads, disappointed, especially those who had come just for this.
But then the black Audi A8 pulled over just inside the gates.
And out stepped Mourinho in full Real Madrid training gear.
Calm and composed, he walked back toward the media area.
"Alright folks, step aside, don't block the road."
The journalists laughed and rushed to the small side entrance.
Mourinho came over, glanced at his watch.
"I've only got a few minutes—go ahead, I'll answer your questions."
He stood tall and straight. The journalists behaved, turning on recorders, cameras, and taking snapshots.
"First, I'll answer the gentleman from The Times."
"I wasn't aware Bayswater Chinese had broken the record. But I'll say this—records are made to be broken. And honestly, if I were still in the Premier League, that record wouldn't have lasted this long."
Confidence.
That's José Mourinho for you.
So confident, he conveniently forgot how often Yang Cheng's Bayswater Chinese had schooled him in the Premier League.
But no one wanted to kill the vibe of a good interview.
Let Mourinho talk.
"Bayswater Chinese are a strong team. No doubt, they're one of the top three in Europe—us, Barcelona, then them. But so what? They're in the Premier League!"
"If they were in La Liga? Sorry, they'd be... fourth—no, maybe third at best. That's just reality."
"I have a good relationship with Yang Cheng, but once we're on the pitch, we're opponents. That's my honest view of their strength—they don't scare me or my team."
Mourinho added that Real Madrid wasn't a team that only cared about defense.
"We have our own footballing philosophy—very different from other teams. We don't blindly chase numbers, whether it's goals scored or goals conceded."
"We simply stick to our footballing beliefs."
Finally, Mourinho offered congratulations to Yang Cheng and Bayswater Chinese.
"But they should feel lucky to be in the Premier League. If they had to face us, none of those records would exist."
He only answered two questions.
One was about last season's Real Madrid vs. Bayswater Chinese match—where Yang Cheng's side had the last laugh.
"That's normal. No team wins it all overnight."
"When I took over here, I said my goal was to lead Real Madrid to success—both in La Liga and the Champions League."
"In the past, wherever I've coached, it usually takes... two or three years to reach the top."
Mourinho had intended to say three, but the moment he remembered something Yang Cheng had said before, he felt a surge of irritation.
"Real Madrid is now on that path. This is my second season, and you can all see—we're performing even better than last year."
If Real Madrid were to meet Bayswater Chinese again in the Champions League, would they have the confidence to win?
"Why not?"
Mourinho responded with unshakable confidence.
"I've got a strong feeling that we'll meet in the Champions League knockout rounds—maybe the quarterfinals, the semis, or even the final. When that time comes, we'll show the world what the real Real Madrid looks like!"
With a smile, Mourinho added that it was time for training and excused himself.
The media had gotten what they wanted, so they let him go, satisfied.
Back inside the Valdebebas training base, Mourinho returned to his car where his assistant, Rui Faria, was still waiting.
"There was no need to come out and do an impromptu interview," Faria said with a wry smile.
To him, Mourinho had just been showing off again.
After all, Bayswater Chinese's performance was genuinely phenomenal.
Ten matches, 33 goals scored, only 1 conceded.
There was no question—they were the best in history.
"There's no other reason," Mourinho replied, dropping his earlier bravado and taking on a more serious tone, "I just felt it was necessary to set up another rival besides Barcelona."
Not every team was worthy of being called a Mourinho rival.
Faria instantly understood.
Madrid were top of La Liga now.
Sure, Barcelona was still the primary target.
But introducing Bayswater Chinese as a new benchmark gave their players something higher to aim for.
Given Madrid's current Champions League group stage form, finishing first in the group seemed likely.
That meant they wouldn't meet Bayswater Chinese in the Round of 16.
As long as they broke their Round of 16 curse and won La Liga—ending Barcelona's domestic dominance—Mourinho would consider the season a major success.
Of course, he wasn't stopping there.
Mourinho had his sights set on the Champions League title too.
...
November 2nd, evening — El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain.
Champions League Group Stage — Matchday 4: Bayswater Chinese vs. Villarreal (Away)
For Bayswater Chinese, having already won three straight group matches, this was a pivotal game.
Yang Cheng's plan was to beat Villarreal away and secure first place in the group early, clinching qualification.
That way, the remaining two fixtures would be far less stressful.
For Villarreal, this was more about pride.
In a group that included four clubs from Europe's top leagues, the Yellow Submarine had the worst record.
They had lost all three of their previous matches—zero points.
Another loss tonight, and their European dreams would be over.
Though honestly, even now, their hopes were slim.
Still, at home, Villarreal showed strong fighting spirit.
Right from kickoff, they pressed high up the pitch, trying to force mistakes.
Bayswater Chinese had taken the kickoff, aiming to control possession and tempo, but Villarreal's pressure was causing real trouble.
Yang Cheng's side was prepared for this.
They focused on patient passing, building rhythm, constantly probing and wearing down Villarreal's energy and focus—waiting for the mistake.
The gulf in class, along with Villarreal's dire position, gave Bayswater Chinese plenty of confidence.
And in the 27th minute, it paid off.
Villarreal's left winger Wakaso, tracking back to help defend, tripped Modrić on the right edge of the box.
The foul was heavy and sparked minor confrontations between players.
The ref awarded a free kick about 20 meters from goal and handed Wakaso a yellow card.
Gareth Bale stepped up to take it.
The Welshman took a deep breath and launched a classic dipping "butterfly" free kick with his left foot.
In recent years, Bale had set higher and higher standards for himself, putting in extra work—especially on direct free kicks.
He was naturally gifted, and with help from the club's sports science team analyzing trajectories and methods, his free kick accuracy had improved significantly.
This one floated and dipped unpredictably.
Diego López couldn't read the flight in time. The ball curved into the right side of the net.
1–0!
The goal electrified Bayswater Chinese, sending their confidence through the roof.
Just before halftime, they struck again.
It started with a high press led by Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.
They signaled for the forwards to press Villarreal's midfield and defense aggressively.
Modrić made a successful tackle and immediately played the ball across to Kroos on the left side of the D.
The German controlled with his left, edged into shooting range past ex-Real Madrid midfielder Borja, and slammed a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner.
Diego López was beaten again.
2–0!
With a two-goal lead going into the second half, Bayswater Chinese played even more freely.
In the 59th minute, they executed a beautiful one-two sequence on the right flank.
Piszczek and Modrić exchanged quick wall passes before Piszczek sent a sharp through ball down the right.
Di María received it at the edge of the box, suddenly stopped, pulled the ball back with his left foot, and slid a low pass across the top of the area.
The ball rolled between two defenders and landed at Lewandowski's feet.
The Polish striker took a touch and paused, baiting center-back Musacchio forward.
As the defender lunged, Lewandowski knocked the ball past him into the right side of the box and darted forward, brushing past him with ease.
Catching up to the ball, he fired a fierce shot into the net.
3–0!
Game over.
In the 71st minute, Marcelo made a deep run on the left, received a pass from Kroos, drew defenders in, then slid a through ball behind the line.
Bale flew in from behind, caught up to the ball on the left side of the box, and squared it low across goal.
Lewandowski stormed in and tapped it into the net.
4–0!
The early stages of the match had been competitive, but by the end, it was one-sided.
Villarreal had clearly declined since coach Pellegrini's departure and the exits of key players like Cazorla and Capdevila.
Even though they brought in names like Borja and Zapata, they just weren't on the same level.
Such is the fate of stepping-stone clubs.
In the end, Bayswater Chinese crushed Villarreal 4–0 on the road.
In the other match, Napoli drew 2–2 away to Leverkusen.
That left both sides still tied on points.
After four rounds, Bayswater Chinese had 12 points—clinching top spot in the group with two games to spare.
Napoli and Leverkusen each had 5 points, unable to catch them.
Job done.
The battle for second place in the group was now a brutal, winner-takes-all showdown between the other two teams.
...
Bayswater Chinese securing first place in the group with two rounds to spare earned them unanimous praise from media and fans around the globe.
Yang Cheng's team wasn't just unstoppable in the Premier League—they were tearing through the Champions League with equal force.
Almost every major outlet in the world agreed: Bayswater Chinese were the top contenders for both the Premier League and Champions League titles.
Of course, everyone understood—being the favorite is one thing, but winning the trophy is another.
Especially once the Champions League enters the knockout rounds, where even the tiniest mistake can cost everything.
Yang Cheng stayed humble, keeping expectations grounded.
But when provoked from Madrid, he didn't hesitate to fire back.
"In my memory, Mourinho only has one thing that's tough—his mouth. Everything else? Not so much."
"He was in the Premier League? Has he already forgotten how he left the Premier League?"
Yang Cheng delivered his sharp sarcasm with a smile.
"Sure, I believe Real Madrid may meet us in the Champions League. But first, they have to break their years-long curse of failing in the Round of 16."
"My team and I would love to face Real Madrid in the Round of 16 again—just so we can knock them out again, like we did last season!"
Brutal words.
And the implication was clear.
Bayswater Chinese had already secured top spot in their group.
But Real Madrid hadn't even played their fourth group match yet.
Yang Cheng's subtle jab: He hoped Madrid would finish second, so they could meet again in the Round of 16.
"Of course, if we miss each other in the Round of 16, we're more than happy to welcome Real into the quarterfinals, semis, or even Allianz Arena in Munich. We're ready any time!"
The media exploded with excitement.
Yang Cheng had said exactly what he wanted to say—hit his mark, made his point, and stopped right there.
He understood Mourinho. Mourinho understood him.
On the surface, their jabs looked vicious, but they were really aimed at rallying their own squads.
That's why, time and again, fans would see the two coaches verbally sparring—and everyone else trailing far behind.
In the end, it was always just the two of them left standing.
...
Back in the Premier League, Bayswater Chinese defeated Wigan Athletic 3–1 at home.
Gareth Bale, Walcott, and Marcelo each scored a goal.
Elsewhere:
Arsenal beat West Bromwich Albion 3–0 at home.Chelsea won 1–0 away at Blackburn.Liverpool edged Swansea 1–0 at Anfield.Manchester United beat Sunderland 1–0 at Old Trafford.Manchester City came from behind twice and secured a 3–2 win over QPR thanks to a late winner from Yaya Touré.
After 11 rounds, Bayswater Chinese sat top of the table with 10 wins and 1 draw—31 points.
Since opening day, they hadn't let go of the league lead for a single matchweek.
But the chasing pack was strong this season.
Carlo Ancelotti's Manchester City, with their deep and talented squad, had also gone unbeaten—10 wins, 1 draw—also 31 points.
Manchester United sat third with 28 points.
Arsenal had 28 as well but were fourth due to goal difference.
Liverpool followed in fifth with 26.
Chelsea were sixth with 22.
The top teams in this year's Premier League were tightly bunched.
Even Liverpool, who hadn't been firing on all cylinders, weren't far behind the two leaders.
But Chelsea?
After the managerial change, problems had begun to surface in the dressing room.
The main issue was André Villas-Boas's inability to control the senior players.
In trying to phase them out, he made the classic mistakes many new managers do.
A similar situation occurred when Ronald Koeman coached Valencia.
Almost all of them ended badly.
...
After Matchday 11, the league paused for two weeks of international duty.
Once the internationals returned, Yang Cheng fielded his full-strength team—excluding South American players and those who had played two matches in the break.
It was Matchday 12: an away game against Everton.
Just 7 minutes in, a set-piece chance.
Toni Kroos assisted Thiago Silva, who scored with a header.
That would be the only goal of the match.
Yang Cheng had always been a pragmatist.
Secure the win first, then think about playing attractive football.
At a tightly packed Goodison Park, Everton—despite losing Arteta—remained a tough opponent.
So the game plan was simple: strike early, then grind them down.
Arsenal, meanwhile, came from behind to beat Norwich 2–1 thanks to another van Persie brace.
Manchester City beat Newcastle 3–1 at home.
Manchester United won 1–0 away at Swansea, using a similar strategy to Yang Cheng's—except their goal came in the 11th minute.
The marquee fixture?
Liverpool 2–1 away win over Chelsea.
At Stamford Bridge, Liverpool were dominant in the first half, pressing Chelsea and taking an early lead through Fernando Torres.
Villas-Boas made adjustments at halftime.
To be fair, he showed his tactical ability—the changes worked.
Chelsea took control for the first 30 minutes of the second half and equalized.
They even looked poised to turn it around.
But just before the final whistle, Glen Johnson struck a dramatic winner, securing all three points for Liverpool.
Notably, Chelsea's center-back pairing was Terry and Benatia.
But the partnership didn't click.
In truth, neither defender made any glaring mistakes.
The goals were down to individual errors—one from Mikel, the other from Ashley Cole.
Up to this point in the season, Chelsea's overall form wasn't terrible—they were sixth.
But against the top five?
Three matches, three losses.
Two of them at home.
As The Daily Mail—a paper with close ties to Chelsea—put it after the match:
"Everyone can see it. Chelsea are sick."
"But no one knows what medicine will cure them."
Before the season, many thought Villas-Boas was the cure.
He knew the club, and he'd proven his coaching chops at Porto.
But now?
It seemed he wasn't the answer after all.
Villas-Boas continued to plead for patience from the club, fans, and media.
In the post-match press conference, he said he wanted to build something new at Chelsea—something for the future.
"I believe that when the owner paid €15 million to bring me from Porto to London, it wasn't so he could turn around and pay another buyout clause to get rid of me."
Villas-Boas argued that, in such a fiercely competitive Premier League, building a brand-new, competitive squad wasn't something that could be done overnight.
But the question remained—how much more patience did Chelsea have left?
...
November 22nd, evening — Champions League Group Stage, Matchday 5.
Bayswater Chinese sent out a fully rotated squad to Italy, where they would face Napoli away.
With qualification already secured, Bayswater Chinese had no intention of going all-out in this match.
After this game, they would travel to Stamford Bridge to face a struggling Chelsea.
Although it was a rotated and largely backup squad, Bayswater Chinese's starting lineup was still far from weak.
Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Begović
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand, José Fonte, Kompany, and Kyle Walker
Midfield: Javi Martínez sitting deep, with Aaron Ramsey and De Bruyne ahead
Attack: Hazard, Giroud, and Walcott
Harry Kane, Sterling, and Paul Pogba were all on the bench.
With no pressure in terms of results, Bayswater Chinese played with freedom.
Before kick-off, Yang Cheng had one simple instruction: "Enjoy the match!"
And the players did exactly that on the pitch.
From the opening whistle, Bayswater Chinese played open, aggressive football, constantly creating chances and threatening Napoli's goal, keeping the Serie A side's defense on high alert.
Napoli had assumed their opponents would take it easy, fielding a second-string side.
And while Mazzarri had guessed right about the rotation, he hadn't expected Bayswater Chinese's backups to be this strong.
In the 19th minute, Aaron Ramsey played a smart ball to Hazard on the left. Hazard cut inside, shook off his marker, and sent a diagonal pass to the right side of the box.
Walcott raced in and calmly slotted the ball home.
1–0 to Bayswater Chinese.
That goal snapped Napoli awake.
If they wanted to qualify from the group, they had to win this match at home.
Otherwise, if Leverkusen beat Villarreal, Napoli would be out.
Under pressure, Mazzarri pushed his team forward, but they couldn't generate anything truly dangerous.
This pattern continued into the second half.
Desperate, Mazzarri subbed on attackers like Pandev.
In the 78th minute, Pandev started a move that ended with Hamsik delivering a perfect through ball to Cavani, who beat Begović to equalize.
That goal lit a fire under Napoli.
The Italian side surged forward in waves, throwing everything into attack and abandoning defense completely.
Bayswater Chinese's young players dug deep, defending with everything they had.
After Yang Cheng brought on three academy players, they too gave everything.
But they'd never faced this kind of ferocity before.
In the dying minutes, Napoli went all-in—almost their entire team was inside Bayswater Chinese's penalty area.
In stoppage time, Dossena crossed from the left.
Cavani rose above Kompany and powered a header into the net.
2–1!
Napoli came back from behind, and with Cavani's brace, snatched a dramatic victory.
After the final whistle, even back in the locker room, Yang Cheng noticed that many of his players' legs were still trembling.
Part exhaustion, part nerves.
Assistant coach Brian Kidd turned and gave Yang Cheng a knowing smile.
This match had been an invaluable real-world lesson.
One that these young players would likely remember for years.
Why?
Because Napoli were ruthless.
But to their credit, Bayswater Chinese's kids didn't back down.
Napoli finished with 5 yellow cards, Bayswater Chinese with 4.
It had been a true dogfight—neither side willing to yield.
In the final stretch, Napoli went all-in, showing a "burn the boats" mentality.
And Bayswater Chinese's youth squad got a firsthand look at what it's like when a knockout-caliber Champions League team throws everything it has at you.
They now knew—when your opponent pushes to the brink, just what kind of power they can unleash.
And in the face of that kind of strength, how much could you hold out?
That's the value of real competition.
For Yang Cheng, sacrificing one "meaningless" game to give his young players this kind of experience?
Totally worth it.
"How are you feeling?" he asked with a grin.
Even before the game, he'd told them that winning or losing didn't matter—what mattered was enjoying the match.
But clearly, something had changed in the players' mindset.
Because they'd scored first.
And human nature is a funny thing.
If Napoli had taken the lead, the young players might not have fought so hard.
But since they had gone up 1–0, they felt they were in control—they should win.
So when Napoli launched their furious comeback, it felt like something was being stolen from them.
And that sparked their competitive fire.
That's how the game turned into a brutal, blood-and-blades brawl.
The young players from Bayswater Chinese truly gave everything.
De Bruyne even had to be subbed off due to cramping.
"This," Yang Cheng told them, "is the level of the Champions League Round of 16. The pace, the pressure."
He wanted to teach one more lesson—help them digest what they'd just experienced.
"Often when you come on in a match, there are senior players helping you carry the weight."
"Most of the time, you're playing in stabilized situations."
"But today, when you faced Napoli's all-out siege, I'm sure you really felt the terror of what a full-blown football war is like."
"Learn to get used to it. Learn to conquer it. Only then will you truly be ready to play for the first team."
The locker room fell into thoughtful silence.
Everyone wearing a Bayswater Chinese jersey dreamed of playing for the senior squad.
Especially these young academy players.
But putting on that jersey also means taking on massive pressure and responsibility.
As a Bayswater Chinese player, you're a target.
Every match is under the media's spotlight.
Every team plans for you.
And at any moment, you might become the target of the opponent's full-force assault.
Just like what happened today.
Can you still play your game then?
Can you still glide around like you did in the youth team?
The answer was already obvious.
Yang Cheng took mental note of every player's face and reaction.
The final group match would be at home against Leverkusen.
Yang Cheng had already decided—he wouldn't field the same lineup again.
Not because of the home unbeaten streak.
But because he feared that if they lost at home again, these young players might mentally collapse.
Youth development must follow a rhythm.
Move too fast, and it's no longer growth.
It's destruction.
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