In the current Premier League environment, defeating a struggling Arsenal side was not something to be overly proud of.
Ling simply treated it as an ordinary match and immediately shifted his entire focus to the English League Cup final just a few days later.
"Recently, whether it's weak teams or strong ones, everyone has been parking the bus against Manchester City in a low block," Ling murmured to himself while watching match footage on his screen.
After the past few seasons, the entire footballing world had come to understand Pep Guardiola's system.
Even though the Spaniard had changed some of his old habits, he still preferred to use the first twenty minutes of possession-based play to safely probe the opponent while allowing his own players to get into their passing rhythm.
The problem was that since entering 2019, Manchester City had gradually lost its lethal ability to "accelerate the tempo."
Accelerating the tempo doesn't solely refer to raw sprinting speed, but rather the quickness in changing passing rhythms—the absolute most crucial aspect in football's attacking phase.
As for the reasons behind this slight decline? Kevin De Bruyne had frequently been injured, becoming somewhat injury-prone this season.
David Silva was aging and no longer the undisputed "space magician" of his absolute prime, and the occasional golden scoring chances the midfield created were currently often squandered by Raheem Sterling.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the boss will likely do the same—focus heavily on defense to weather Manchester City's strong early period," Ling wrote down in his tactical notebook.
Moreover, his own position could be adjusted to directly target Manchester City's weakest link—the left flank, Oleksandr Zinchenko!
Since the second half of the Premier League season began, Manchester City's starting left-back, Benjamin Mendy, had suffered a serious injury and might even miss all subsequent matches.
Fabian Delph had also filled in as left-back for a period, but his attacking ability was almost nonexistent, and defensively, he had been repeatedly exploited by pacey wingers.
For example, in the last league derby between the two sides, Delph was practically torn apart by Ling.
Thus, the converted midfielder Zinchenko had become Guardiola's first choice.
"A few days ago, I heard Maria mention that this kid has been quite favored by Guardiola recently," Ling said as he opened Zinchenko's personal profile, compiled by Manchester United's coaching staff.
In the 22 matches Zinchenko had played, Manchester City had achieved a perfect 100% winning record!
'Well, he really is Guardiola's lucky charm,' Ling thought.
A playful smile appeared on his face as he imagined giving his future father-in-law a surprise.
But first, he needed to discuss it with Mourinho to ensure the overall tactics were reasonable.
...
February 26, 2019—the English League Cup final was about to begin.
Ling and his teammates arrived once again at Wembley Stadium, gazing up at the grand, towering arch outside and listening to the passionate, echoing chants of the traveling Manchester United fans along the roadside.
Even before the match started, Ling knew his form was excellent.
His entire mood had already been ignited as a restless buzzing excitement coursed through his body, as if every single cell was trembling from an electric current.
Goosebumps rose on his skin as he loudly declared to his teammates in the tunnel, "Boys, the first trophy of 2019 starts right here with the League Cup!"
"Let's crush those noisy neighbour!"
"Long live Manchester United!" Harry Maguire let out a wild howl, clearly just as pumped up.
"Although Manchester City has been slightly sluggish recently, they haven't lost a single league match. It's best for everyone to stay completely alert!" Antonio Valencia's tone was filled with seriousness.
He desperately hoped that in his final season with Manchester United, he could lead these young lads to continue chasing glory, leaving beautiful memories for himself and the club.
"Don't worry, skip!" The Manchester United players nodded one after another, indicating they understood the assignment.
Half an hour later.
Ling led his teammates onto the pitch early to complete their warm-ups, then returned to the dressing room for the final preparations.
Mourinho didn't bother repeating the tactics on the board; instead, he tapped the whiteboard with his knuckles and said solemnly.
"Today is a very important day for us. Manchester City is an excellent team—I think everyone has to admit that fact."
"But—" Mourinho paused, his eyes glancing around the silent room, "we are even better than them!"
"In the last season and a half, we've beaten Manchester City three times. I wonder if you still remember the details of those matches." His hoarse, deep voice echoed in the dressing room, compelling everyone to listen intently and recall those grueling derby days.
In all three matches, Manchester United had struggled to victory, gritting their teeth and pushing through to the bitter end, fighting purely on sheer willpower.
Fortunately, they had held on until the final whistle.
But Manchester City hadn't stood still.
They had suffered painful defeats, which only made them more determined to come back stronger.
Now, Manchester City felt they had nothing to lose, while Manchester United carried the heavy burden of past victories.
So Mourinho wanted to completely remove that psychological burden from his players' shoulders, allowing them to throw themselves freely into the match.
"In those three matches, I saw relentless running, burning desire, and the ability to overcome massive difficulties," the manager continued. "And today, I want you to find a personal reason not to lose—whether it's for glory, for your family, for your friends, or anything else, it doesn't matter. What's important is to remember that winning feeling!"
The emotions of the Manchester United players, stirred by the rising and falling tones of his passionate voice, peaked in that final moment.
'Even though the boss hasn't given many dramatic motivational speeches lately, his skills haven't diminished—they've actually improved!' Ling clicked his tongue in admiration.
He didn't feel particularly overly emotional himself, having experienced too much already.
His reasons not to lose were already etched permanently into his bones.
But newer players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Maguire were completely fired up by Mourinho's words, eager to step onto the pitch and give everything for the badge.
...
Meanwhile, in the neighboring dressing room, a similarly intense motivational speech was underway.
Despite Guardiola's usual emphasis on cold tactical rationality, his ability to inspire was no less impressive.
Pointing outside the dressing room toward the pitch, he asked, "How many consecutive wins have we had so far?"
He didn't wait for an answer, waving his hand dismissively.
"It doesn't matter. But I know all of England—even all of Europe—wants us to lose today. If we lose today, they might even declare it a national holiday. That's the toxic culture that thrives among the weak!"
"So we can't let them have their way. Over the last two seasons, we've lost to Manchester United repeatedly. Do you know what Manchester United fans say about us? 'No history. Just noisy neighbors.' They look down on us, never taking us seriously as equals! Today, I have only one demand!"
Guardiola's graying beard trembled slightly with raw emotion.
"Win this match, and let the whole world know that the era of Manchester Red is over. The Premier League, now and in the future, will be a sea of blue!"
In truth, Guardiola's emotions were deeply genuine—he was absolutely fed up with always losing to Manchester United, to Mourinho, and specifically to Ling!
'Today, I'm going to end you!' Guardiola thought bitterly.
He thought of his precious daughter who had now officially become Ling's girlfriend, and he couldn't help but wish he could give Ling a good beating himself!
But the key issue was that he had no opportunity.
He had to rely on his players to do the beating!
"Let's go! Let's prove with the championship that we are the strongest!" David Silva stood up and extended his hand.
The Manchester City players stacked their hands on top of their captain's, roaring hysterically.
They too were tired of losing derbies, and today was the absolute best chance to redeem themselves!
"LET'S GO!!!"
The doors of both teams' locker rooms were pushed open simultaneously.
Ling and David Silva came face to face in the tunnel, and they saw the burning fighting spirit reflected in each other's eyes.