Chapter 222: First Knockout Round Against PSG — Li Ang Wants 272 to Feel Despair!
Chelsea's equalizer in the 36th minute brought a wave of deafening boos from the Stadium of Light.
But the Chelsea players, reveling in the joy of leveling the match, didn't care one bit about the home crowd's discontent.
Zlatan roared as he sprinted toward the corner flag, leaping and punching the air before spinning around in celebration.
It was his 7th Premier League goal of the season—his 12th in all competitions.
For someone adjusting to a new league, Zlatan had navigated the transition period with remarkable composure.
And if you filtered out the matches he had missed due to rotation, his scoring efficiency wasn't far off from Edinson Cavani—currently leading the Premier League Golden Boot race.
Only one man was doing better: Luis Suárez, who was going nuclear, scoring 11 goals in just 8 matches and matching Cavani's total with fewer games played.
Even proud Zlatan had to admit: Suárez was the best forward in the league right now.
But Suárez was 26—right in his prime.
Zlatan was 32, and still keeping pace with the younger generation.
That alone made him a phenomenon in the eyes of countless Premier League fans.
After unleashing his emotions, Zlatan turned back and pulled Li Ang into a tight embrace.
"Good kid! Already hit the double double?! You're seriously going for 20+20 this season, huh?
You better feed me some more great passes from now on!"
Li Ang grinned from ear to ear, and the rest of the Chelsea squad took turns congratulating him.
Still, the celebration didn't last long. They'd only equalized—not taken the lead.
Li Ang quickly pulled himself together, rallying his teammates to keep pushing and finish the turnaround.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio had already accepted reality.
He ordered his players to drop deep and tighten the formation, determined to protect the 1–1 scoreline heading into halftime.
Mourinho and assistant coach Holland had a brief chat before agreeing to slow down Chelsea's tempo.
No need to rush. Control the game, wait for the right moment.
When the halftime whistle blew, the score was locked at 1–1.
Back in the dressing room, Li Ang was greeted with warm hugs from Mourinho and Holland.
They knew what he'd just accomplished—his 10th assist of the season.
As Mourinho's trusted core player and the team's midfield engine, Li Ang had earned his manager's full trust.
Players with ability—especially those as reliable as Li Ang—were often given tactical privileges by Mourinho.
He'd done the same with Lampard in his first Chelsea stint, with Sneijder at Inter, and of course, with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Now it was Li Ang's turn.
His fluid positional shifts and in-game tactical adjustments were fully sanctioned.
So long as he didn't make repeated, glaring mistakes, Mourinho wouldn't revoke that autonomy.
And in the first half, Li Ang's quick switch with van Ginkel had stabilized Chelsea's midfield and halted Sunderland's counterattack rhythm.
Mourinho was pleased.
Which meant that in the second half, he wasn't just going to allow Li Ang to use that freedom—he would encourage him to actively reshape the game.
Chelsea's staff hadn't made any special tactical plans for Sunderland.
As long as the players adjusted to the slippery surface and wore longer studs, they could impose their natural superiority.
The only thing they needed to be wary of was Sunderland's tendency to aim for set-pieces through long-range efforts.
Mourinho didn't rush to make subs. He had De Bruyne warming up along the sideline, but van Ginkel was performing well.
In both distribution and defense, he was supporting Li Ang and Matić effectively.
As a reward, Mourinho intended to give him the full 90 minutes.
So when it came time to adjust the lineup, he'd likely just bring on De Bruyne to replace Ramires.
The second half began, and Chelsea's players—now in more appropriate footwear—looked far more comfortable.
Their attacking style also became more direct. They went long, using their superior ball control and physicality to dominate.
Zlatan, who had been refining his heading all season, turned his 1.95-meter frame into a massive advantage.
Using him as the axis, Chelsea fed the wings and pushed forward relentlessly.
Then came a clever twist from Li Ang.
He told Matić to move higher up, forming a central-midfield tandem.
Van Ginkel slid back into the single pivot role where he was most comfortable.
Now, with Matić and Li Ang both pressing high in Sunderland's half, Chelsea created a super interception zone—right at the opponent's doorstep.
This was football played in the opponent's living room.
They weren't just controlling the match—they were actively mugging Sunderland in their own backyard.
Better yet, all three midfielders adapted seamlessly.
Matić had played central midfield before Benfica made him a holding midfielder.
Van Ginkel was used to the lone anchor role from his time in the Eredivisie.
And Li Ang? He could play anywhere from defensive mid to attacking mid.
Chelsea shifted into a 4-3-3.
Li Ang and Matić completely overwhelmed Sunderland's midfield, and the plan was simple:
Crush them. Keep them pinned. Never let them breathe.
Di Canio was stunned.
He'd simplified his tactics, hoping to match Chelsea physically.
Instead, they were getting steamrolled.
No room to counter. No time to regroup.
Chelsea were now pressing from Sunderland's penalty area. It was suffocating.
Di Canio stood in the rain, utterly helpless.
Mourinho, meanwhile, sat comfortably on the bench—sympathetic in spirit, but entirely unbothered.
He watched with interest as Li Ang and Matić continued to squeeze Sunderland, fully aware that this shape wasn't even his idea.
Most neutral fans watching had no clue that Chelsea's midfield realignment wasn't Mourinho's plan—it was Li Ang's improvisation.
They assumed it was some new strategy Mourinho had cooked up to torment bottom-half teams.
Then, within twenty minutes of the second half, Chelsea scored twice—first Ramires, then Zlatan.
The final blow came via Li Ang's tenth assist of the season.
13 goals, 10 assists.
The first player in Europe's top four leagues to hit the double double this season.
Chelsea's total midfield dominator—undeniable.
As Chelsea equalized in the 36th minute, the Stadium of Light echoed with waves of boos.
But the Chelsea players, thrilled with their comeback, didn't care at all about Sunderland fans' displeasure.
Zlatan let out a roar as he dashed toward the corner flag, leaping into the air and punching his fist before spinning dramatically.
It was his 7th goal in the Premier League, his 12th across all competitions.
Despite playing in a completely new league, he had adjusted to the Premier League with remarkable consistency.
And if you removed the matches he was rested in early on, his scoring rate was almost on par with Cavani, the current Golden Boot leader.
Only Luis Suárez—who was in red-hot form with 11 goals in just 8 games—was ahead.
Even someone as proud as Zlatan had to admit: Suárez was currently the best forward in the league.
But Suárez was 26—right in his prime.
Zlatan, at 32, still competing with the league's top strikers in efficiency, was nothing short of legendary.
After his thunderous celebration, Zlatan laughed as he pulled Li Ang into a tight embrace.
"Good lad! Already hit 10 assists this season?! Going for 20+20 now, eh? Make sure you keep feeding me good balls from here on out!"
Li Ang couldn't stop grinning. The rest of the team also surrounded him, congratulating him with hugs.
But the celebration didn't last long.
They had only equalized—not taken the lead.
Li Ang composed himself quickly, urging the team to push forward and seize the advantage.
Sunderland's manager Paolo Di Canio saw the writing on the wall and acted fast—he had his players retreat and bunker in for the rest of the first half.
His aim was simple: hold the 1–1 draw into halftime.
Mourinho wasn't in a rush either. After a quick chat with assistant Holland, he slowed Chelsea's tempo and focused on control.
When the referee blew for halftime, the score was still 1–1.
Back in the locker room, Mourinho and Holland both gave Li Ang big congratulatory hugs.
They were well aware he had just tallied his 10th assist of the season.
As Mourinho's tactical linchpin and undisputed midfield core, Li Ang had long been granted full freedom on the pitch.
So long as he didn't make serious tactical blunders, his autonomy was absolute.
From Lampard in the first Chelsea era, to Sneijder at Inter, to Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid—
Mourinho had always granted his most trusted stars the same freedom.
And now, it was Li Ang's turn.
In the first half, Li Ang's temporary shift into a deeper role helped stabilize Chelsea defensively.
Mourinho couldn't have asked for more.
So going into the second half, Mourinho wasn't just going to tolerate Li Ang's adjustments—he was actively encouraging him to take over.
As long as the players adapted to the slick pitch, Mourinho believed they'd dominate as planned.
The only real concern was Sunderland's long-range attempts to force corners and set pieces.
No immediate subs were made.
De Bruyne was warming up, but van Ginkel had performed well, both offensively and defensively.
Mourinho decided to reward the youngster by giving him the full 90 minutes.
If changes came, it would likely be De Bruyne replacing Ramires.
As the second half kicked off, Chelsea's players—now wearing longer studs—looked much more comfortable.
They also changed their approach, going more direct and exploiting their superior aerial control.
And with Zlatan as the central axis, Chelsea's attacks began to flow freely.
Then came a bold adjustment from Li Ang.
He pulled Matić forward alongside him and pushed van Ginkel back into a solo holding role—his natural position.
Now Chelsea had a dual press in Sunderland's half, with Li Ang and Matić forming a wall just past midfield.
It was high-risk, high-reward, and it worked to perfection.
All three midfielders adapted seamlessly—Matić had started as an attacking mid at Benfica, van Ginkel was used to solo duty, and Li Ang? He could play anywhere from 6 to 10.
Chelsea transitioned into a 4-3-3.
Li Ang and Matić smothered Sunderland's attempts to play out. The message was clear:
We're going to pin you in your own half and punch until you break.
Di Canio was stunned.
He had simplified his tactics to avoid self-destruction—but Chelsea were steamrolling them with nothing but brute force and tempo.
And this whole system?
Not even Mourinho's idea.
It was Li Ang's field decision—and fans had no idea.
Watching the broadcast, they assumed Mourinho had cooked up a new scheme to crush mid-table sides.
Then came two quick goals—Ramires and Zlatan, again.
With Li Ang tallying his 10th assist, his numbers now stood at:
13 goals, 10 assists.
The first player across Europe's top four leagues to hit the double double.
Chelsea's unstoppable midfield core.
Absolutely deserved.
December 11th — Chelsea hosted Steaua Bucharest in the final match of the Champions League group stage.
Though it was a dead rubber for Chelsea, the Romanian champions needed a miracle to advance.
And they fought hard for it.
But Mourinho, unwilling to lose at Stamford Bridge, fielded a tight defensive unit.
Kalas was once again the standout defender.
With the young Czech anchoring the back line, Steaua didn't even get a shot on target in the first half.
The second half was just as dry—until the 78th minute, when De Bruyne assisted Lukaku to break the deadlock.
Chelsea held firm for a 1–0 win.
In Gelsenkirchen, Schalke beat Basel 3–1 to grab the second spot in Group E.
Then came December 16th—the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw in Switzerland.
Because Bayern Munich had beaten Manchester City in the final group match, they secured first place—so no Chelsea showdown yet.
But Bayern still drew a London club: Arsenal.
Once again, Arsenal fans were left speechless as they pulled another elite opponent in the first knockout round.
Chelsea's draw? Not terrible. Not easy either.
Paris Saint-Germain.
A fascinating matchup.
When Li Ang saw the draw results, he smiled strangely.
Finally, he'd get the chance to let a certain "272" feel what true despair was like.
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