Stamford Bridge was engulfed in two contrasting emotions.
The frenzied roars of the traveling Man United fans pierced the sky like an erupting volcano and Chelsea fans stared wide-eyed unable to believe what they were seeing.
Amid the deafening cheers, Ling celebrated with a powerful knee slide, crossing his arms arrogantly across his chest.
Mahrez followed closely behind, carefully examining the slide marks in the grass before leaning in with surprise.
"Jeremy, you've got three stripes in the grass too?"
Ling glanced at him, the corners of his mouth curling into a smirk.
He had practiced this specifically!
Besides the two lines drawn by his knees, the third stripe between them was created by the dragging tip of his left foot.
Nearby, Maguire looked down at his own crotch in disbelief while muttering to himself.
"This doesn't make sense! I refuse to believe his is that big!"
The rest of the Man United players gathered around laughing.
"What an incredible goal! Too bad the first half is almost over, otherwise Jeremy might have gotten a hat trick!"
...
@ZhanJun_Pundit: Since last season, Ling has recorded the highest average number of successful dribbles per game against Chelsea. I think it's fair to call him the 'Car Repair King'—he always dismantles the Chelsea bus!
@UtdTactics: Hazard is world-class, but Ling's absolute speed and power make him unplayable. Goal of the month contender!
...
With little time remaining in the first half, the referee blew his whistle shortly after Chelsea restarted play.
Man United fans responded with thunderous applause.
Leading 2-0 at Stamford Bridge was beyond satisfying.
The United players walked toward the tunnel chatting and laughing.
Mourinho stood at the entrance, greeting each player with a warm hug.
When it came to Ling, Mourinho ignored his player's arrogant smirk and playfully ruffled his black hair into a messy bird's nest.
"You always bring your A-game against Chelsea, kid! That was a truly beautiful goal!" Mourinho grinned.
"Boss, I'm aiming to break the Premier League scoring record again!" Ling declared confidently.
Mentor and protégé walked side by side into the tunnel as Mourinho wagged his finger.
"The Premier League record is nothing. Break the Top Five Leagues' all-time single-season scoring record, and I'll buy you a pair of shoes too."
Ling curled his lip. "That makes the record sound cheap! Boss, are you planning to get me pure 24K Golden Boots?"
Mourinho laughed awkwardly before stiffly changing the subject.
Meanwhile, the Chelsea players watching this joyful exchange couldn't help but feel bitter.
They had united to drive out Mourinho and Conte, forcing several former teammates to leave in the process.
Was that really the right path?
When they returned to the home locker room, they were met with Sarri's furious voice.
"Why have you all forgotten my pre-match instructions?! You couldn't even execute the most basic tactics properly!" Sarri yelled. "Can anyone give me an answer?! Eden, do you have anything to say?!"
Hazard, forced to relinquish his preferred position for Sarri's system, just shrugged indifferently.
He didn't care what Sarri said, he was going to focus solely on his own football and plan his transfer to Real Madrid next season.
Seeing this, Sarri's anger surged.
As an old-school Italian coach, he believed players must unconditionally obey coach.
"A forward's job is to score goals!" he barked hoarsely. "The coach has the right to substitute any forward who isn't performing! I used to think you were Chelsea's leader Eden, but now it seems you only play for yourself!"
Hazard shrugged again, paying him no mind.
The atmosphere in the dressing room instantly froze.
Sarri even burst out cursing in Italian.
Chelsea, the so-called Iron-Blooded Blues, had seemingly lost their desire to win.
After a long pause, Sarri composed himself and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Tactically, we are on par with Man United. They aren't as strong as people think. We must find the motivation to win this game for the fans."
Italian coaches are generally skilled at rallying their teams, but forcing such inspiration didn't suit Chelsea's current fractured dressing room.
Leading by example through senior players would have been far more effective.
Meanwhile, in the away dressing room, Mourinho simply reviewed the first half, pointing out minor shortcomings.
Instead of screaming, he leaned on Ling.
By entrusting his young captain with greater responsibility, Mourinho aimed to inspire the rest of the team from within.
The fifteen-minute halftime break passed quickly.
As the players prepared to return to the pitch, Stamford Bridge grew noisy once more.
...
After the second half began, it was clear that Maurizio Sarri's halftime speech had little effect.
The Chelsea players continued exactly as before.
Eden Hazard, in particular, seemed provoked by Sarri's harsh words.
Upon receiving the ball, he stubbornly attempted to dribble past multiple defenders on his own, desperately trying to replicate Ling's spectacular first-half solo exploits.
But Jose Mourinho had already instructed his players to mark him tightly.
Both Nemanja Matić and Ashley Young were highly experienced.
Matić, having once been Hazard's teammate at Chelsea, knew his tendencies well. Together, they gave Hazard absolutely no room to maneuver.
After all, football isn't a one-man game. Without support from teammates, even Diego Maradona would struggle.
On the touchline, Sarri's face grew darker by the minute.
When his rage finally boiled over, he pointed to the substitutes' bench and roared.
"Pedro! Giroud! Warm up quickly!"
That's right—he was substituting Hazard off.
Just as he had threatened at halftime, a forward who couldn't score had no business staying on the pitch.
Pedro, the former Barcelona star, responded excitedly.
After being overshadowed by Hazard for years, he finally had the chance to take his place.
He was eager to pledge his loyalty to Sarri on the pitch.
Beside him, Olivier Giroud appeared quite calm.
As a recent World Cup champion, the veteran Frenchman carried a certain undeniable aura.
Pedro have also won the World Cup and even had an extra European Championship title to his name—his career luck was truly remarkable!
In the 53rd minute, Hazard was sandwiched by Matić and Ander Herrera and sent tumbling to the ground.
Frustrated, Hazard immediately lost his temper and shoved Matić.
Matić, nicknamed "The Wolf" in the Man United dressing room, was never one to tolerate provocation.
As a staunch supporter of Mourinho, Matić immediately prepared to teach Hazard a lesson.
"Nemanja, Nemanja, calm down!" Herrera urged, using both hands to push his teammate back.
The match referee, Mike Dean, arrived belatedly but showed no mercy, brandishing a yellow card to Hazard.
Hazard spat in frustration.
Just then, he heard his number called by the fourth official.
Cursing under his breath, Hazard headed straight toward the players' tunnel, blatantly ignoring Pedro's attempt for a high-five on the touchline.
Hazard wasn't optimistic about Chelsea's future and doubted Sarri would last much longer.
Besides, Hazard had never truly liked Mourinho since the incident with the female team doctor—which was a big reason why Mourinho had left Chelsea in such disgrace years ago.
With the substitutions made, Chelsea shifted from their previous slump.
They switched their tactics from attempting central penetration to launching an aerial bombardment.
Peter Drury: "And here comes the cavalry! Olivier Giroud enters the fray. A change of philosophy for Chelsea as they look to the skies to find salvation!"
Jim Beglin: "Giroud's performance is always impressive in the air, Peter. A former Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner, his years in the Premier League have forged a unique, physical style of play."
In the 61st minute, Ross Barkley received a pass from Jorginho on the wing.
Barkley combined with Willian in a quick one-two, arrived at the left side of the penalty area, and launched a curling cross aimed near the penalty spot.
Matić and Herrera each had their defensive assignments, while David Luiz marked Antonio Rüdiger and Maguire kept tabs on Gary Cahill.
Only when Barkley delivered the ball did the United defenders notice a massive figure charging in from outside the box.
He found himself in an unmarked position, prompting David De Gea to urgently shout.
"Don't let him through!"
Maguire rubbed his large head in realization.
"Fuck, I forgot to mark players making late runs from outside the box!" he cursed.
But it was too late.
Giroud leaped forward with incredible momentum among a crowd of burly defenders, easily winning the header.
Peter Drury: "Barkley floats it in... GIROUD MEETS IT! A towering header! It flies into the top right corner! Chelsea have a lifeline! The Frenchman answers Sarri's call!"
Jim Beglin: "Despite being 32 years old, he can still dance wildly in the box and serve as a pivotal target man. That is exactly why you bring him on!"
After scoring, Giroud ran to the edge of the pitch and celebrated by lowering his head and pretending to write on his hand—a nod to the word game he used to play with N'Golo Kanté during the World Cup.
The cheers of Chelsea fans instantly filled the entire stadium, reigniting the passion at Stamford Bridge.
Meanwhile, Álvaro Morata watched from the pitch, his meticulously styled hair now disheveled, resembling a lonely defeated dog.
"I should have warned you earlier," De Gea sighed to Maguire.
Maguire gritted his teeth. "I won't make that mistake again."
...
@CFC_Fanatic: Finally! A proper striker! Giroud > Morata all day long.
@TacticalTimes: Sarri's 4-3-3 worked in Serie A, but if he rigidly applies it without adaptation, it won't succeed in the Premier League. The aerial route was necessary here.
@EPL_Watcher: The most compelling teams this season are still Man United, Man City, and Liverpool. But Chelsea are fighting back!
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