On the afternoon of August 4th, at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
It was the 2019/20 Community Shield match between Leeds United and Manchester City.
In the 12th minute of the match, Manchester City earned a free-kick in the attacking third, which was delivered toward the left side of the penalty area.
De Bruyne flicked it on with a header, and David Silva, with his back to the attackers, executed a clever aerial flick, redirecting the ball into the center.
Harry Kane volleyed it in, scoring against his former club.
1-0.
The former Leeds striker didn't celebrate wildly. He simply pumped his fist in the box and accepted congratulations from his teammates.
This goal also allowed Manchester City to settle into the game.
Leeds had started aggressively, pressing high and attacking intensely in the final third, but they had been unlucky.
After conceding, the players became even more anxious.
In the 15th minute, Valverde passed to Sancho, who cut into the right side of the penalty area and shot from a tight angle, but the ball struck the right post.
Two minutes later, Vardy shot from the upper left corner of the six-yard box, but Ederson made the save.
Then Sancho's poke shot went over the bar.
Leeds kept creating chances, played with high intensity, and pressed hard, but they just couldn't find the net.
Interestingly, even with Leeds attacking relentlessly, City's coach Guardiola grew more anxious.
At one point, unhappy with the referee's decisions, he used excessive language and was shown a yellow card.
"He's really anxious. He wants to win too badly!"
In the stands at Wembley, Gao Shen, Ferguson, Wenger, Lucas, and others sat together, watching this curtain-raiser to the new Premier League season.
Although it was technically a warm-up match, the quality was high, with both sides fielding strong lineups.
Ferguson understood Guardiola's mindset well.
"He's already lost the league title two seasons in a row."
"But that's a big no-no," Gao Shen said, shaking his head.
For a possession-based team like Manchester City, patience is critical.
Once they lose composure, their passing accuracy drops, errors increase, and their opponents get more counterattacking chances.
"Your chaotic style of play puts a lot of pressure on him," Wenger said with a wry smile.
"What do you mean chaotic?" Borel asked, sounding "offended."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Leeds' style really was quite unorthodox. From the opening whistle, they pressed with full intensity.
Their aggressive pressing made Manchester City extremely uncomfortable.
Once a passing mistake was forced and a chance appeared, Leeds immediately launched a quick counter.
Leeds were creating plenty of chances now, but few truly clear-cut ones.
Even so, their momentum on the pitch was impressive.
"You still lack decisive players who can create and seize chances at critical moments," Ferguson pointed out sharply.
Decisive players aren't just about finishing or creating one or two chances. They have outstanding abilities that allow them to consistently create or seize key opportunities.
Last season, players like Mbappé, Dembélé, Milinković-Savić, and Bernardo Silva were able to unlock defenses during stalemates.
Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were the same.
But now, the young players at Leeds were still raw.
Grealish had excellent ball control on the left wing but wasn't great at breaking down defenses.
Vardy was a finisher who needed others to create chances for him.
Among the midfielders behind him, Bruno Fernandes could create opportunities, but he was being closely marked.
Valverde was a strong two-way player but had yet to deliver a convincing performance. He still needed further development.
That was the issue Leeds were facing.
Plenty of energy and momentum, but lacking real threat.
"You just need to give players more chances. Nurture them and they'll come through eventually," Gao Shen said calmly.
Vinicius, Rodrygo, Haaland, and others were all extremely talented but still young and in need of development.
"I feel like you're hiding something," Wenger laughed.
Having dealt with Gao Shen for so many years, how could he not notice?
"Pochettino's starting lineup still has some problems today."
Gao Shen paused, then explained, "If you're using Sancho on the right, it's best not to use Grealish on the left. You need a more aggressive player to draw defenders away. The reverse is also true."
"I talked about this with Rudolf and Pochettino before. Sancho is a very unique player."
Ferguson and Wenger looked at Borel with interest.
"Yes," Borel, as the technical director and backed by Leeds' data analysis team, was very familiar with player traits. "Sancho's not particularly fast. He's 1.8 meters tall, but his footwork frequency is very high."
"At first glance, people think he's a winger, like Mbappé or Neymar. But he lacks pace, and his ball control at high speed isn't very stable."
Everyone knew that controlling the ball at speed was key for evaluating pace-based wingers.
"What's interesting is that his dribbling is excellent, more in the style of Giggs, relying on fast footwork, rhythm changes, and feints to throw off defenders."
Using rhythm instead of speed to beat opponents isn't inherently better or worse. Both styles have weaknesses when matched against specific defenders.
Even prime Messi had trouble against Arbeloa playing at left-back.
But tactically, these two types of players serve different roles.
"You mean he's more like a wide attacking midfielder?" Ferguson frowned.
Like Zidane, David Silva, or Bernardo Silva.
"His physical attributes and speed are better than theirs," Gao Shen replied with a smile.
Ferguson and Wenger immediately understood.
Having been in football their whole lives, they knew no two players were exactly the same.
Player traits are just their abilities and functions on the pitch.
With what Gao Shen had just said, Sancho clearly had both winger and wide attacking midfielder traits, without being limited to either. He was a fusion of the two.
"So you think the left winger should be a poacher, and the right-back should push forward aggressively?" Ferguson asked, immediately grasping the tactical implication.
"Exactly. Give Sancho full freedom on the right wing and half-space, let the right-back push up to support, and have the left winger drag defenders and create space. Then the attack will come alive," Gao Shen said firmly.
He had mentioned this to Pochettino, but the Argentine had chosen to start Grealish on the left, likely trying to create more chances for Vardy.
But the effect had been disappointing.
Time continued to tick away.
As the first half neared its end, Leeds' full-backs began pushing forward more actively.
In the 42nd minute, Sancho pulled wide near the right touchline, about 30 meters from goal, and received a pass from Hakimi.
Mendy held his ground, while Boateng, seeing Sancho preparing to cut inside, stepped forward to close him down.
Sancho had space, so he dribbled diagonally.
As he neared Boateng, he feinted a burst of speed, tricking Boateng into shifting his weight.
Then he suddenly stopped, controlled the ball with his right foot, and changed direction sharply.
Boateng lost his balance, and Sancho dribbled past him directly.
Now Boateng was chasing from behind, Mendy was retreating ahead, and David Silva was tracking back.
Three players surrounded Sancho.
Near the left edge of the penalty area, seeing Mendy refuse to step in and Boateng catching up, Sancho suddenly stopped again, pulled the ball back, and cut across horizontally.
At the same time, he used his body to shield the ball from David Silva as he entered the box.
Silva panicked and immediately raised both hands to signal he hadn't fouled.
But what about Sancho?
He swayed slightly but quickly regained his balance, the ball still under control.
Rodri rushed over, but Sancho didn't give him time to react. He poked the ball forward.
The ball zipped past Rodri and into the center.
Everything happened in an instant.
Before anyone could react, they saw it.
Vardy was unmarked.
The Leeds captain had initially sprinted toward the penalty spot but had now retreated, received Sancho's pass, and unleashed a powerful shot.
Stones tried to block but was too late.
The ball flew into the bottom right corner of the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"In the 42nd minute, Vardy equalizes for Leeds!"
"What a brilliant individual effort."
"Sancho's dazzling run on the right tore apart City's defense, creating a golden chance for Vardy."
"1-1. Leeds United have pulled level!"
...
In the stands, fans erupted in wild celebration.
Even Ferguson and Wenger were stunned.
Especially by Sancho's amazing footwork as he faced three or four defenders alone.
As Borel had said, his speed wasn't high, so even after beating Boateng, the defender was able to catch up.
But as the technical team analyzed, Sancho's rhythm and footwork were incredibly quick.
His sudden stops, changes in direction, and cuts completely threw off Boateng, Mendy, and David Silva.
More importantly, his positioning was spot on, just at the edge of the penalty area. City's defenders didn't dare to challenge him recklessly for fear of giving away a penalty.
This showed that Sancho wasn't just skillful, but also calm and intelligent.
That brilliant assist perfectly showcased both his strengths and his flaws.
"If this kid is developed properly, he'll be incredibly dangerous," Ferguson said with admiration.
Leeds' talent production is truly frightening.
After letting go of Mbappé and Dembélé, Sancho has now emerged.
Another top talent developed by Leeds United.
Gao Shen chuckled, "Now Pochettino should be able to make up his mind."
(To be continued.)