Chapter 85: Last-Minute Winner! Poaching from Barça
Yang Cheng's eighth Premier League match began with a nasty bit of controversy.
Facing a strong Bolton side, Bayswater Chinese FC pressed forward early using their home advantage.
But it was Bolton who registered the first shot on target.
During a quick counter, Matt Jansen crossed from the left, and Kevin Nolan slid in ahead of José Fonte at the far post for a shot.
But Neuer's positioning was perfect, and he calmly collected the ball.
Bayswater immediately pushed back and soon earned a corner.
Škrtel powered in a fierce header from the left side of the six-yard box, seemingly giving Bayswater the lead.
But before the celebrations could begin, referee Alan Wiley blew his whistle—foul in the box, goal disallowed.
The Loftus Road crowd erupted in boos.
Just two minutes later, Ribéry drove into the box and went down under pressure from Ben Haim.
But Wiley waved play on.
Bolton took advantage of Bayswater's protests and launched a lightning-fast counterattack.
Diouf picked up the ball on the left and fed Giannakopoulos, who scored past Neuer.
Wiley blew his whistle—goal stood!
Bayswater's players were furious.
Yang Cheng exploded on the touchline.
The replay showed clear contact—Ben Haim had fouled Ribéry.
That should've been a penalty!
Instead, it led directly to a goal.
Yang Cheng's protests were so intense, Wiley booked him with a yellow card.
"You just wait—I'm filing a complaint!" Yang shouted furiously at Wiley.
The fourth official hurried over to calm things down.
This was also a form of game management. Ejecting Yang would only escalate things further.
And Yang Cheng knew it too.
He was genuinely angry—it was a blown call.
But more importantly, he needed to show his players: their coach had their back.
"Don't think about it—keep fighting!"
He roared at the team.
The match became fiery. Both sides were fiercely combative. The atmosphere was charged.
In the 10th minute, Ribéry combined with Baines on the left and whipped in a cross toward Lambert.
The defense cleared it to the right.
Ashley Young won the loose ball and whipped in a cross from the right—not to Lambert this time, but to the far post.
Baines made a diagonal run into the box and smashed it home on the volley.
1–1!
From there, the match was a back-and-forth battle.
Then in the 32nd minute, Young crossed again from the right, perfectly into the six-yard box.
Lambert muscled past his marker and slotted the ball in.
2–1! Bayswater takes the lead!
Loftus Road erupted.
Bolton were furious. They ramped up the physicality.
Midfielder Kevin Nolan took a nasty swipe at Modrić.
Wiley showed only a yellow—Yang Cheng protested again.
In the second half, Bayswater struck again.
In the 51st minute, Modrić was fouled about 20 meters out.
Free kick, great angle.
Ribéry stepped over it—faked a shot, tapped it sideways.
Yaya Touré stormed in from deep and blasted it—
3–1!
With momentum on their side, Bayswater kept piling on the pressure.
In the 54th minute, Ribéry combined brilliantly with Modrić and Lambert.
He broke into the box, but Kevin Nolan, chasing desperately, brought him down.
Wiley had no choice—second yellow, red card!
Bolton were down to ten men.
Two minutes later, Modrić delivered a killer through ball.
Ribéry broke into the left side of the box and finished cleanly.
4–1!
In the 71st minute, Yaya Touré carried the ball forward and lifted a lovely chip to the left side.
Ribéry crossed low to the center—Lambert couldn't reach it under pressure.
But Ashley Young came flying in at the far post and tapped it in.
5–1!
Sometimes, scoring is just about being in the right place.
Even Yang Cheng hadn't expected such a blowout.
Looking over at a fuming, helpless Sam Allardyce, he couldn't help but smile.
With the win sealed, Yang made several substitutions.
The team continued creating chances.
Džeko, off the bench, hit the crossbar.
Walcott had a goal ruled out for offside.
Final score: Bayswater Chinese FC 5–1 Bolton.
Yaya Touré, with a goal and a dominant midfield performance, was named Man of the Match.
But Sky Sports gave both Ribéry and Touré an 8 out of 10—excellent.
The Frenchman had clearly shaken off his slump and found his rhythm again.
Unfortunately, the win was followed by… another international break.
…
The day after the Bolton match, the UEFA Cup group stage draw took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Maybe it was their low expectations, but Yang Cheng and his staff were actually pretty pleased with the draw.
Group D:
AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) – Pot 1Hamburg (Germany) – Pot 2Grasshoppers (Switzerland) – Pot 3Dnipro (Ukraine) – Pot 4Bayswater Chinese FC – Pot 5
On paper, the draw looked brutal.
AZ's coach was Louis van Gaal, and they were highly competitive in the Eredivisie.
Hamburg—no explanation needed. Northern Germany's pride, boasting stars like Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong.
Grasshoppers weren't weak, and Dnipro was a nightmare trip—cold, distant, grueling.
So why was this draw "not bad"?
Because each team only played four group matches, not home and away—so scheduling mattered.
Bayswater's away trips were:
Grasshoppers (weaker team) in SwitzerlandAZ Alkmaar (stronger team) across the English Channel
From Yang Cheng's perspective, this was ideal.
No winter trip to freezing Ukraine.
Their two home matches? Against Dnipro and Hamburg.
Better still, Bayswater would have a bye in Matchday 5 (mid-December).
Looking at the opponents and the fixtures, things really weren't too bad.
Still, Yang Cheng had his own philosophy.
"Our goal is to win all four group matches. Whether it's Hamburg at home or Alkmaar away—we go all out for the win."
Aim for the highest. If you fall, you'll still land somewhere great.
Yang Cheng lived by that.
And so far? It was working brilliantly.
"The pressure's really piling up for our next stretch of matches. Once the players return from international duty, we're going straight into a packed run of double-match weeks."
"We must do everything we can to stay in the Premier League's top tier after the Christmas fixture chaos—and advance past the group stage of the UEFA Cup!"
When Yang Cheng laid out those goals, everyone understood just how intense the pressure really was.
A newly promoted team aiming to remain in the Premier League's top flight after the holiday madness, and progress in Europe?
That sounded like a joke to most.
But after the first few rounds of the league, people began to realize—it was actually quite possible.
Still, Yang Cheng had his own headaches.
Like the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 2006 edition, held in Egypt from January to February, meant Yaya Touré—as an Ivorian international—would certainly be called up.
And that would hurt Bayswater Chinese FC.
In his previous life, Yang Cheng knew many managers avoided signing African players because of the damned AFCON.
…
During the international break, Yang Cheng continued monitoring his players' matches while also training those who had stayed behind.
At the same time, he kept a close eye on Adam Crozier's ongoing reforms at the club.
Yang had given Crozier full authority to restructure the admin department.
And when Crozier made changes, he didn't hold back.
Anyone who didn't meet his standards was out.
Yang Cheng even joked that if Lin Zhongqiu had still been around, Crozier probably would've sacked him too.
But when it came to personnel decisions, Xia Qing acted on Yang's behalf.
It was part of keeping the management team in balance.
For key hires, Yang Cheng still handled them personally—like with Chris Hunter, the infrastructure director he'd recruited himself.
He had chosen Crozier for his commercial acumen, and Crozier had made commercial development a top priority.
Especially with the club planning to expand into Asia next year, he was doubling down.
In the days following the Bolton match, Yang Cheng personally met with Crozier's top pick for the club's new commercial director:
Omar Berrada.
Only 27 years old.
Born in Paris to Moroccan parents, Berrada held a French passport but grew up in the United States.
He first studied at the University of Massachusetts in engineering but dropped out after three years.
In 1995, he returned to Europe and enrolled in the EU Business School's Barcelona campus, majoring in business administration.
He graduated in 1999.
Berrada worked in marketing for Honda in Japan, and then Tiscali in Spain.
During that time, he also earned a master's degree in e-commerce from Ramon Llull University in Catalonia.
While at Tiscali, he met his wife—and also got the opportunity that changed his life.
His boss was invited to join Barcelona as Chief Marketing Officer, and personally recommended Berrada for the role of Marketing and Sponsorship Manager, overseeing Barça's global sponsorship efforts.
When Yang Cheng heard the name Omar Berrada, he was surprised.
In his past life, during his time coaching at both Barça and Manchester City, he'd heard this name many times.
Highly capable. A commercial genius who helped Barça and City expand globally.
Unfortunately, Yang had never crossed paths with him personally.
Before Yang transmigrated, Berrada had worked at Manchester City for years, with outstanding results.
There were even rumors that Manchester United wanted to poach him as CEO.
Whether that happened, Yang never found out.
But it was clear—Berrada had been exceptional at both Barça and City.
What puzzled Yang Cheng was—how had Adam Crozier found him?
"Headhunter agency."
After finalizing Berrada's appointment, Crozier privately shared the story with Yang Cheng and Xia Qing.
"I told them I wanted the best marketing expert in Europe. Over the past few months, they presented more than a hundred candidates. I picked him out of all of them."
Yang Cheng glanced at Xia Qing.
She looked back at him.
Both exchanged a silent look of disbelief.
Not a chance.
Crozier's silver tongue could sell ice to an Eskimo.
But to be fair, without Crozier, Yang wouldn't have even remembered Berrada existed.
"Seriously, I spoke to him many times. Even flew to Spain to meet him in person. It was really hard to get him."
That part, Yang Cheng believed.
But it clearly wasn't the whole story.
This was poaching directly from Barça's fortress.
"So how did you find him?" Yang Cheng asked, smiling.
Crozier looked at Xia Qing, who couldn't stop laughing.
"Alright, fine. You two clearly don't believe a word I say—so I'll just be honest."
Crozier threw up his hands. What could he do?
They were his boss and his CFO. He couldn't offend either of them.
"You know, in 2002–03, right before Laporta took over, Barça's revenue was €123 million. But their expenses were €196 million."
"Ignoring Barça's previous debt, that €70 million annual deficit was unsustainable. Laporta used that to attack Gaspart and win the presidency."
"Two years later, with controlled spending and massive revenue growth, the picture changed."
"In 2003–04, revenue rose to €169 million, expenses dropped to €162 million."
"By 2004–05, revenue hit €208 million, expenses at €187 million."
"Two straight years of profit. And those profits kept growing."
"This year, forecasts suggest revenue could reach €260 million, with expenses around €221 million—profit still rising."
Now Yang Cheng and Xia Qing understood the point.
"I studied Barça's financials. Their debt dropped from €200 million to €150 million. And meanwhile, their squad got much stronger."
Barça's Dream Team II was currently one of Europe's best.
"This kind of revenue leap only comes from one thing: open the taps, and tighten the valves."
"The key was Vice President Ferran Soriano, who created a sustainable wage and transfer system for Barça."
"While the squad improved, spending stayed under control."
Yang Cheng turned to look at Xia Qing—she had done the same for Bayswater.
"But the most impressive part is revenue. In just two years, Barça's brand image and commercial power have skyrocketed."
"In 2003, everyone saw them as chaotic, corrupt, a black hole for superstars…"
"Their match fees were €120k–200k—maybe worse than our Championship teams."
"Now?"
"In 2004 and 2005, during their tours of Asia, Barça charged €2 million per match."
Yang Cheng, as someone who had coached elite clubs in his past life, knew exactly how huge that difference was.
Some clubs are strong on the pitch but completely clueless when it comes to marketing—no brand, no identity, no commercial value.
Put it another way: you can win all you want on the field—but so what?
Sponsors don't care about your win-loss record.
They care about your brand, your visibility, the returns they get from working with you.
As for appearance fees for friendlies? That's practically black magic.
Some clubs don't understand commercial operations at all.
They charge based on relationships—give discounts to old pals, sometimes don't even charge at all.
The whole system is a mess.
So why should sponsors pay top dollar for your disorganized brand?
Why is your appearance fee less than mine?
This kind of chaos leads to a collapse in commercial value.
The clearest example? Real Madrid after 2006.
Florentino Pérez's Galácticos created insane commercial value.
But during the Calderón years, that value—and the club's image—fell apart.
And once commercial value collapses, rebuilding it is incredibly difficult.
So Barça's leap—from under €200K to €2 million per appearance—wasn't just about signing star players.
It was because they learned how to market themselves.
"In the past two years, Barça's commercial revenue has grown by nearly 50% annually. In 2004–05, it hit €47.6 million."
"This year, it's expected to surpass €70 million. And that growth hasn't slowed."
"And don't forget—Barça still doesn't have a shirt sponsor."
At that, Xia Qing's face changed.
"Back when I was at Goldman Sachs, I studied this sector. Based on industry valuations, Barça's front-of-shirt sponsorship alone could be worth €15–20 million—maybe more."
She looked at Yang Cheng.
"If that's true, Barça's commercial revenue is close to €100 million."
Crozier nodded firmly.
"Exactly. Florentino's Galáctico project took six years to build a commercial empire. Barça caught up in two and a half. And they're controlling wage expenses far better than Real."
"They're also building a brand-new training center. That investment is no small thing."
Yang Cheng knew it well. That was the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
Crozier wasn't trying to say Barça was better than Real Madrid.
After all, Real were the trailblazers. Barça simply followed their model.
It wasn't the same level of difficulty.
But the fact remained—Barça had been hugely successful.
That made Yang Cheng think of someone else.
Currently, Barça's VP in charge of marketing was Marc Ingla.
But interestingly, after leaving Barça, Ingla didn't make much noise.
It was two of his former subordinates who shined.
One was Omar Berrada, the man Crozier just hired.
The other? A Dane—Casper Stylsvig.
Stylsvig hadn't joined Barça yet at this point.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, he worked as Berrada's assistant before being poached by Manchester United in 2008.
He went on to boost United's commercial revenue dramatically.
He later joined Fulham in 2016, AC Milan in 2019, and Chelsea in 2023.
At every stop, he supercharged commercial income.
That said a lot about the success of Barça's commercial model during that era.
Real Madrid's model wasn't replicable—there weren't enough superstars to go around.
Galácticos were unique.
But Barça's model? That could be learned.
And now, Adam Crozier's intentions were crystal clear.
"Berrada was in charge of global marketing and sponsorship at Barça. For the last two years, he's overseen their entire Asia strategy. He's got the commercial resources we urgently need."
"Funny thing—Ferran Soriano is a notorious tightwad. Barça isn't nearly as generous as Real Madrid when it comes to salaries."
Crozier couldn't help but laugh.
You couldn't copy Real's Galáctico model—that's one thing.
The other is that Real paid top dollar for their staff, which made them nearly impossible to poach from.
Barça, under Soriano's cost-cutting? Much easier.
Same story later at Manchester City.
Before Yang Cheng time-traveled, he'd heard people say that the reason Berrada considered leaving City for United wasn't just the CEO title—it was the raise.
At the time, he was City's Chief Operating Officer—high responsibility, low pay.
"Berrada knows the Asian market extremely well. And our club's connection with Asia—especially China—is both deep and unique."
"That's why we've identified Asia as a key region of focus over the next few years."
That was a strategic plan Yang Cheng and Crozier had agreed on from the beginning.
"Of course, to make that strategy work, we need to deliver results on the pitch."
Yang Cheng nodded.
Because in elite football, performance speaks loudest.
Barça's commercial boom was backed by their on-field success.
People always pointed to Manchester United's commercial dominance despite mediocre results.
But that's because United still had a legendary brand foundation.
If they were truly unbeatable, why were they spending so much money every year on new signings?
What—just burning cash for fun?
"What about the UEFA Cup?" Yang Cheng asked, glancing at Crozier.
"Do you believe we can go deep?" Crozier's eyes lit up.
"I can't guarantee it." Yang Cheng paused, then smiled.
"But I'm confident we can try."
That confidence came from what he'd seen on the pitch.
From the start of the season, he had known—a midfield of Modrić, Yaya Touré, and Lassana Diarra, supported by Inler, Andreasen, and Matuidi, would be highly competitive in the Premier League.
And the results had proven it—even against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, Bayswater's midfield could hold its own.
Now, with Ribéry hitting top form, and players like Lambert, Lennon, and Ashley Young stepping up, Yang Cheng had every reason to believe.
Still, juggling both the league and Europe was no small feat.
In recent years, any Premier League team outside the Big Four that tried to compete on two fronts ended up collapsing.
Everton made the Champions League once and cashed in—but then flopped two seasons in a row.
If you did the math, the prize money from Europe probably didn't even cover what they lost in league positioning.
That's why Arsenal's obsession with finishing top four didn't seem so absurd in hindsight.
For most clubs, it made more sense to focus on one competition and finish strong.
But Yang Cheng wasn't most clubs.
He had bigger dreams.
He wanted to challenge the elites.
Crozier had sensed that from their very first meeting.
It was why he chose to join Bayswater.
"Yang, I promise you—every victory you win on the pitch, we'll turn into commercial success. You won't be let down."
…
With the "Big Three" now aligned, things began to click.
Crozier and Berrada began assembling the club's commercial division, building out the marketing and brand operations.
Meanwhile, the club anthem project was also progressing smoothly.
The symphony orchestra had finished the arrangement and recorded a sample for Yang Cheng to hear.
The new version had even more power and passion than the one Yang Cheng remembered from his previous life—it was absolutely electrifying.
During the international break, Adam Crozier had arranged a tryout at The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon.
It wasn't the first event of its kind at the school, so they cooperated smoothly.
Yang Cheng made a point of attending in person.
The school wasn't large to begin with, and the event was only open to female students, so the number of participants was quite small.
But among the group, Yang Cheng didn't spot that iconic, aristocratic English songstress he remembered…
Instead, he found a slightly chubby, somewhat shy girl with a bit of an awkward presence.
But the moment she opened her mouth, Yang Cheng knew—this was the one.
After confirming her name and date of birth, there was no doubt left.
He had already made his decision, but the process still had to be completed properly.
Only after returning to Bayswater Stadium did he tell Adam Crozier:
"I believe this girl—Adele—sings this anthem with such raw emotion, it feels like it sets your soul on fire. It will absolutely resonate with football fans around the world!"
Crozier had heard it too—and he had to agree, it was excellent.
But Yang Cheng had another idea.
"I suggest we sign her to a contract—have her sing live at every one of our home matches."
Yang Cheng was positively smug.
The future top global female artist… as Bayswater's resident anthem singer.
Which other club in the world could say the same?
No matter how many years passed, this would become a legend—a story the world would talk about.
With the Adele matter settled, Yang Cheng temporarily stepped away from administrative duties and returned to preparing for league play.
The international break was over, and the Premier League was heating up again.
Next match: Newcastle United at home.
…
October 15, evening – Loftus Road Stadium, London.
Premier League Matchday 9: Bayswater Chinese FC vs Newcastle United (Home)
By the 85th minute, the score was still 0–0.
Both teams had been affected by the international break, and it showed in their form.
Just when everyone thought the match would end in a dull draw, Bayswater won the ball on their right side.
Piszczek launched a long diagonal pass toward midfield.
Lambert moved quickly, read the flight, jumped, and flicked it with his head.
The redirected ball curved behind Newcastle's weary backline toward the left channel.
As Newcastle's exhausted defenders turned to react, right-back Carr sprinted toward the second ball.
But a streak of red beat him to it.
Ribéry, just subbed on, was full of energy.
This was his second time on national team duty—he now had the experience and had returned in good shape.
Still, Yang Cheng had kept him on the bench to rest him for the midweek UEFA Cup clash.
Now, with the team still scoreless, he'd been unleashed.
Using his fresh legs, Ribéry outran Carr.
A defender followed close behind, but Ribéry didn't care.
At the very edge of the penalty box on the left flank, Ribéry caught up to the ball.
He didn't stop it.
Instead, his first touch was a light tap toward the byline to keep it in play—baiting Carr.
As expected, Carr saw an opportunity and lunged in for the tackle.
But Ribéry was ready.
He cut the ball inside just before the challenge, leaving Carr sliding through air.
By the time Carr turned to chase, Ribéry had already cut inside, now facing Scott Parker, the former Chelsea midfielder.
Ribéry feinted as if cutting inside the box from the corner—Parker shifted his balance in response.
But it was just a dummy.
Ribéry slipped outside, cut horizontally across the top of the box.
Now on the left edge of the area, after a few quick steps, he unleashed a thunderous right-footed shot.
The ball flew like a guided missile, curled perfectly over Shay Given's outstretched hand, and smashed into the net.
"GOAAAAAAAL!!!!!!"
"RIBÉRY!"
"It's Ribéry again!"
"In the 85th minute, Franck Ribéry smashes home a stunning long-range strike to give Bayswater Chinese FC the lead!"
The stadium exploded.
Over 18,000 fans leapt to their feet, screaming his name.
This is football.
A tense, frustrating 85-minute deadlock—suddenly shattered by a moment of pure brilliance.
Emotion erupted like a volcano.
Ribéry sprinted to the sidelines, grabbed the badge on his chest with his left hand, pointed to it with his right, urging the fans to scream louder.
…
Yang Cheng jumped on the sideline, shouting Ribéry's name at the top of his lungs.
He had been counting on the Frenchman.
And Ribéry delivered.
A goal of pure individual brilliance.
"That's our last sub."
Brian Kidd leaned in to remind Yang Cheng.
Yang glanced at Newcastle's bench—Lee Clark was being prepped to come on.
He chuckled.
"No way Souness takes off Shearer or Owen now."
Sure enough, Newcastle made the change—Clark for left-back Elliott.
Kidd shook his head and sighed.
Graeme Souness, once a Liverpool legend, had long since disappointed those who believed in him.
Maybe Yang Cheng was being a bit harsh.
But the fact Souness had once splurged on Jonathan Stead said it all—he was tactically behind the times.
So was his big signing this summer—Michael Owen.
Still living in the footballing past.
Alan Shearer was 35 and on the brink of retirement.
He had scored just one goal in the first eight matches.
Owen? Only two.
Yang Cheng wasn't thrilled with Lambert's goal return, but he had still managed four goals in eight games.
So what was the use of Newcastle's famous duo?
Before the season, club chairman Freddy Shepherd had bragged that Owen and Shearer would recreate their iconic England partnership.
How's that going?
"Give me £60 million and if I don't take Newcastle to the top four, I'll resign on the spot!"
Yang Cheng didn't rate Souness as a manager.
Legend? Sure—stay legendary.
But as a coach?
He was outdated.
"Souness probably won't last much longer," Brian Kidd said, sounding regretful.
No surprise there.
Newcastle were drowning in debt and still scraped together £60 million to give Souness a squad rebuild.
Two years later, there wasn't a single sign of revival.
To Yang Cheng, Souness' Newcastle was the perfect example of how the wrong direction only takes you further from the goal.
4-4-2 should have been thrown in the trash long ago!
Take this match as an example—
What exactly do Alan Shearer and Michael Owen offer Newcastle?
Goals?
Eight rounds in, just three goals between them.
Can you really expect 35-year-old Shearer to track back tirelessly on defense?
Or ask Owen to battle in tight physical duels?
If you play a two-striker front line, what happens to the midfield?
You're stuck with a traditional 4-4-2. How's that supposed to compete with Bayswater Chinese FC's midfield?
And the defense? Completely disorganized, no structure, no discipline.
The only reason Newcastle didn't lose by a wider margin was because Bayswater were juggling two competitions.
Many first-teamers were rested, and form was a bit off.
Otherwise, they could've scored a few more easily.
That team cost £60 million to build!
If Souness doesn't get sacked—who should?
…
In the end, Bayswater Chinese FC won 1–0 at home, thanks to Ribéry's late winner.
After 9 rounds: 6 wins, 3 draws, still unbeaten.
And now, the whole of Europe was talking.
By mid-October, only three clubs across Europe's top five leagues remained undefeated:
Bayswater Chinese FC (Premier League)Juventus (Serie A)Lyon (Ligue 1)
But unlike Juve and Lyon, Bayswater were newly promoted.
Suddenly, the club took on a mythical aura.
Some media even speculated:
Could Bayswater Chinese FC become the next Kaiserslautern? Could they pull off a miracle title run?
As the media hype grew, Adam Crozier's commercial department launched their first wave of promotional campaigns.
But Yang Cheng didn't believe in fairytales.
Chelsea, now 8 wins and 1 loss, led the league.
Mourinho's machine was as stable and suffocating as ever.
…
After the Newcastle match, Yang Cheng and his team barely had time to rest.
Following a short break, they headed off to Zurich to face Grasshoppers in the UEFA Cup.
Despite being away, Yang Cheng lined up an attacking squad:
Front three: Ribéry, Džeko, Lennon
Midfield: Modrić, Yaya Touré, Lassana Diarra
In the 10th minute, Diarra intercepted the ball high up the pitch and delivered a perfect through pass.
Džeko controlled, turned past the defender, and slammed in a left-footed shot.
1–0!
It turned out to be the only goal of the game.
Bayswater dominated for long stretches, but Grasshoppers fought back ferociously.
Both sides battled for the full 90 minutes, but neither scored again.
In the other group match, Van Gaal's AZ Alkmaar beat Dnipro 2–1 away.
Hamburg had a bye this round.
…
Back in London, the team headed north for a Premier League clash with Aston Villa in Birmingham.
After a grueling midweek trip to Switzerland, they met David O'Leary's side.
Bayswater conceded in the 31st minute—and never recovered.
0–1.
Their first loss of the season.
But with Manchester United drawing 1–1 at home to Spurs, Bayswater remained in second place.
And Chelsea, held 1–1 by Everton, didn't increase their lead either.
So the point gap remained manageable.
…
Three days later: League Cup, Third Round.
Bayswater hosted Watford.
Familiar foes—no mercy.
Yang Cheng fielded a full backup squad, giving his starters a rest.
Walcott opened the scoring in the first half.
But the real joy came in the second half—Džeko scored twice in five minutes, sealing a brace.
Yang Cheng had high hopes for the Bosnian striker.
Lambert was solid, but limited.
Especially in big matches, he didn't deliver consistently.
At best, he was Premier League mid-table starter quality. In a top team? Bench at best.
But Džeko was different.
Yang Cheng gave him game time to build strength and adapt to the English style.
With a goal in the UEFA Cup and a brace in the League Cup, Džeko was clearly progressing.
…
That weekend: Premier League Matchday 11 – Bayswater vs Fulham (Home).
In Yang Cheng's plan, the midweek home clash against Dnipro was a must-win.
But Fulham were another West London club.
To many, it had the flavor of a local derby.
Fulham even sacrificed their League Cup tie to prepare for this match.
Despite dominating possession, Bayswater couldn't break them down.
Yang Cheng made multiple substitutions.
In the 74th minute, he took off Baines and brought on Džeko, switching to a double striker formation—Džeko and Lambert up top.
A Mourinho-style battering-ram approach.
Still, Fulham's defense held firm.
Until stoppage time, minute 92.
A loose ball from Inler's long-range shot deflected off a defender and bounced toward the right edge of the box.
Chimbonda, charging forward, swung his foot without hesitation.
Smashed it straight into the net.
1–0!
Last-minute winner!
The crowd went wild.
Yang Cheng was ecstatic.
And it got even better:
Arsenal had drawn 1–1 at SpursUnited were thrashed 1–4 away at Middlesbrough
(Dave Kitson played a starring role)
After 11 rounds:
Bayswater Chinese FC: 7 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss – 24 points – 2nd placeChelsea: 9 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss – 28 points – 1st place
But Bayswater had already made English top-flight history—
The best start by a newly promoted team in 28 years.
The last time a promoted side performed this well?
Back in the old First Division: Nottingham Forest.
They were top of the table at this stage—
and went on to win the league that season.
Bayswater hadn't matched that, but their run was still spectacular.
After 11 matches:
19 goals scored – tied 2nd in the league with Manchester United6 goals conceded – tied 1st with ChelseaUnited? They'd conceded 11.
As The Times wrote in their post-match analysis:
"Bayswater's results speak for themselves—but so do their warning signs."
"The attack lacks a clear focal point."
Ribéry was brilliant, but he wasn't a high-volume scorer.
Lambert? Not quite there either.
"As more teams figure out Bayswater's tactics, things will get harder."
"Two recent wins—against Newcastle and Fulham—came from last-minute goals."
"That's not luck. That's a pattern."
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