Chapter 132: World-Class Strike! The Unbeaten Streak Ends! Not Every '88-Born Player Is Worth Trusting!
After the Round 13 clash with Arsenal, the Premier League was once again interrupted by a two-week international break.
As head coach, Yang Cheng was genuinely being driven mad by this season's international calendar.
Two weeks off in September, another two in October, and again two more in November.
The league kept getting interrupted.
And the worst part? Every month, players had to play two matches—absolutely exhausting.
For a team like Bayswater Chinese, which had a large number of internationals, it was downright painful.
And there was no legitimate reason to refuse call-ups.
The only thing comforting Yang Cheng was that none of his internationals came back injured.
But still, all the traveling took a toll.
Bayswater Chinese had already secured early qualification in the Champions League.
For Matchday 5, an away game against Lazio, Yang Cheng had no intention of fielding his full starting XI.
And once the players returned, Sade Fawcett and Oliver Bartlett both carefully assessed the internationals' physical condition and advised Yang Cheng to rotate in the league's Round 14.
As a result, in Round 14 of the Premier League, Bayswater Chinese lost 1–2 away to Manchester City.
The entire first half, Bayswater Chinese were poor.
Still, they managed to go into the break at 1–1.
In the second half, the team clearly improved, creating more and better chances, with a flurry of shots.
But neither Džeko nor Lewandowski could find their shooting boots.
Džeko missed a one-on-one in the 71st minute.
Lewandowski didn't fare much better.
The Polish striker came off the bench and, in stoppage time, found himself in a great position thanks to a chipped through-ball from Yaya Touré just outside the box. He timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap, brought the ball down with his chest, and tried to slot it past City keeper Isaksson—but hit it straight at him.
That very play led to disaster.
Isaksson launched a quick throw to spark a counter, Giovanni played a perfect pass, and midfielder Stephen Ireland smashed a stunning volley from near the penalty spot into Neuer's net.
Yang Cheng was disappointed with the result.
But in the post-match locker room, he didn't scold his players—instead, he showed understanding.
After a two-week international stretch and long travel, many had played back-to-back matches. How could anyone be in top form?
...
Following Round 14, Manchester United lost 0–1 to Bolton.
Chelsea won 2–0 away at Derby County.
Arsenal narrowly beat Wigan Athletic 2–0 at home, only scoring twice in the closing minutes.
Liverpool crushed Newcastle 3–0 away.
The top two teams both lost.
But the league table remained unchanged.
Manchester United stayed top with 32 points.
Bayswater Chinese, Liverpool, and Arsenal all had 30.
But Yang Cheng's team was second thanks to a superior goal difference.
Manchester City were fifth with 29 points, Chelsea sixth.
At the post-match press conference, Yang Cheng publicly defended his players and aimed criticism at FIFA's international schedule, calling the setup completely unreasonable.
Other strong teams? Sure.
But they don't have as many internationals as we do—we're the ones suffering the most!
...
Three days later, Bayswater Chinese traveled to face Lazio in Italy.
Since the team had already qualified, Yang Cheng fielded a full lineup of backups and young players.
Surprisingly, the youngsters, free of pressure and expectations, played quite well in the first half.
In the 30th minute, Walcott scored the opener.
Yang Cheng had long been pondering how best to develop Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott.
Both players had similar traits—solid fundamentals, but not particularly refined technically.
Gareth Bale was easier to position: think of him as a left-footed Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both had exceptional athleticism, and Bale was even faster in open space.
Walcott's situation was more awkward.
Michael Owen?
Come on, even Owen's own career was heading nowhere.
In today's football environment, there's little room for that type of striker—they've all been pushed wide.
Why? It's simple. They're short and lack physical strength.
Take a closer look—who are the shorter forwards who still hold their ground in the Premier League?
Suárez, Agüero, Rooney, Tévez, Jesus.
They all share one trait: not very tall, but physically strong.
And they've got good footwork.
Why was Rooney constantly criticized as a center forward?
Because his technical skill wasn't great—he often struggled to hold the ball up.
In comparison, Walcott—with his twig arms and legs—playing as a striker would get snapped in half by defenders.
So what were Walcott's strengths?
Aside from his blistering speed, Yang Cheng noticed he had decent ball control and dribbling.
More importantly, his off-the-ball movement and instinct for attacking space were top-notch.
When Walcott played, it was usually on the right wing. He could hit the byline and cross—and his crossing wasn't bad.
He could also cut inside.
Yes, a right-footed player on the right flank who could still cut in and drift diagonally into the half-space.
And he could do the same on the left.
In that respect, he was quite similar to United's Cristiano Ronaldo.
The club's plan for Walcott's development was to mold him into a pure attacker.
Later on, once he got older, he'd start bulking up—especially his upper body.
The sports science department had studied this in depth.
Take Bale and Walcott.
Both were lightning quick, but had different physiques.
The biggest differences were height and strength.
Bale trusted his strength—when pressed, he'd first use his body to shield the ball, then make a move.
Walcott? He lacked strength. One bump and his form broke down.
But this is the Premier League—you can't avoid physical battles.
So what did players like Walcott do?
They'd try to make their move before contact, shielding the ball with a quick touch.
That left them very vulnerable to injury.
Fans often joked about Walcott's "falling-over dribbles"—this was why.
With more muscle mass, he wouldn't need to be as bulky as Rooney or Agüero, but at least he wouldn't get tossed around so easily.
And strong muscles also helped prevent injuries during physical clashes.
To put it simply, if Bale and Ronaldo were off-road SUVs, Walcott was a supercar.
But both types of players required the same tactical condition:
Space.
Right now, Bayswater Chinese still played with a very high line, mainly to maximize Arshavin's strengths.
In the future, the team's shape would have to drop deeper, leaving more space in front for Bale, Di María, and Walcott to explode into.
At that point, Yang Cheng would miss "Professor Toni" even more.
Back when Bayern were about to sign Ribéry, Yang Cheng didn't try to include Toni Kroos in the deal—for two main reasons.
First, Bayswater Chinese's tactical system wasn't ready, and Kroos himself wasn't fully developed.
Bringing him in at that point would mean a long-term project.
Second, Bayern still saw a lot of promise in him.
If Yang Cheng made a bid and got rejected, things would get awkward.
So instead, he'd kept tabs through his scouts, quietly monitoring Kroos's development and occasionally passing messages to his agent—
Just to let them know: across the English Channel, someone was still watching.
Once the time was right, and "Professor Toni" had leveled up enough, Yang Cheng would definitely go and bring him back to London.
With Toni Kroos's long passing ability, Gareth Bale, Di María, and Walcott would truly take flight.
That would be the full realization of Yang Cheng's beautiful vision—
Elegant one-touch passes in midfield, chaos up front, and a front line charging like Yua Mikami on the attack.
...
Even though Walcott opened the scoring for Bayswater Chinese, in the second half in Rome, they conceded twice and lost 1–2 away to Lazio.
But no one really cared.
Bayswater Chinese had already qualified early.
Back in the Premier League, Round 15 saw them return home and confidently dispatch Middlesbrough 3–0.
Di María assisted Arshavin in the 21st minute of the first half to open the scoring.
Džeko doubled the lead in stoppage time.
And Yaya Touré put the game to bed with a goal in the 70th minute.
In the other matches this round:
Chelsea beat West Ham 1–0 at home. Grant's side had been very solid recently.
Arsenal came from behind to win 2–1 away at Aston Villa. With Wenger out of the UEFA Cup, he was now focused solely on the league, aiming for a top-four finish.
Liverpool demolished Bolton 4–0 at Anfield.
Manchester United defeated Fulham 2–0 at home, thanks to another brace from Cristiano Ronaldo.
...
Evening of December 8, Wembley Stadium, London.
Premier League Round 16: Bayswater Chinese hosting Liverpool.
It was halftime.
Both teams' starters had returned to their respective dressing rooms.
On the pitch, substitutes were warming up.
Along the sidelines, a stage and set were being assembled—soon, a well-known London band and singer would perform.
It was one of the club's signature touches to entertain the fans.
Many spectators had gotten up from their seats to leave briefly.
Behind the stands, the concourse was packed—every shop and vendor had long queues.
Despite the 1–2 score on the board, no one seemed anxious.
Everyone knew—over the past few years, Bayswater Chinese had never lost a match at home.
Through the bustling player tunnel, inside the home dressing room—
Yang Cheng stood in front of his players, a tactical board behind him displaying the starting lineups for both teams.
Bayswater Chinese were still using their familiar 4-3-3 formation.
But Liverpool, who usually stuck with a 4-2-3-1, had surprisingly switched to a 4-3-3 for this match.
Benítez's decision caught everyone off guard.
With Daniel Agger out injured, Benítez started Hyypiä and Carragher at center-back.
On the flanks: Riise on the left, Arbeloa on the right. Reina in goal.
If Agger had been available, this would've been Liverpool's full-strength back line for the season.
In midfield, Mascherano played deep, with Momo Sissoko and Gerrard pushed forward.
Up front, a rather unconventional trio:
Ukrainian striker Voronin, England's towering target man Peter Crouch, and Spain's golden boy Fernando Torres.
As the Sky Sports commentators quipped before kickoff, Benítez had seemingly thrown every striker and every defensive midfielder he had onto the pitch.
With Xabi Alonso frequently sidelined this season, Benítez had turned into a master tinkerer.
Just a week ago, in Round 14, Liverpool used a 4-4-2 and crushed Bolton 4–0 at home.
Most thought he'd stick with that approach.
But nope—he switched it up again.
Initially, everyone assumed it was a 4-2-3-1, with Sissoko and Mascherano as double pivots.
But during the game, it became clear—nope again.
Sissoko was pushed higher, while Mascherano anchored the midfield alone.
Tactically, Liverpool played primarily on the counterattack.
Sissoko acted like a wrecking ball in midfield, tirelessly harassing Modrić and company.
In simple terms: Liverpool didn't need to control midfield—they just needed to make sure Bayswater Chinese couldn't control it either.
Sissoko's job was pure disruption.
Bayswater Chinese actually had a solid start.
In the 8th minute, Arshavin dribbled into the box and drew a foul from Carragher, earning a penalty.
Modrić calmly converted. 1–0!
But in the 26th minute, Liverpool countered quickly. Torres burst into the box and was tripped by José Fonte.
The ref pointed to the spot again.
Gerrard slotted it home.
1–1!
Then in the 38th minute, Reina launched a long ball from the back that dropped behind the defensive line. Crouch brought it down on his chest near the edge of the box, took a step back, and laid it off to Torres, who had made a late run.
The Spanish striker surged into the box and smashed it in.
2–1! Liverpool had turned it around.
Throughout the first half, Liverpool's midfield completely disrupted Bayswater Chinese's rhythm.
Their fast, direct play took full advantage of the front three—especially Crouch and Torres—who would hold up the ball and play it back for late runners like Voronin or Gerrard to pounce on.
This strategy worked especially well against Bayswater Chinese's high-press system.
Bayswater Chinese still created chances.
But Liverpool's 4-3-3 had a glaring weakness: the flanks.
Sissoko and Gerrard stayed central.
So did Torres and Crouch.
That left Liverpool's wings exposed.
Bayswater Chinese kept exploiting the wide areas, but when trying to cut inside, they struggled to make it count.
Also, Reina and Carragher were in fine form.
...
"Actually, I think we played very well in the first half."
Yang Cheng's opening words set the tone.
The players all looked up at him.
They had been worried he might blow up.
But Yang Cheng knew what was up—the players had performed well. Liverpool's "wrecking ball" tactics had just thrown off their flow.
"Sure, we're down 1–2, but that's not the point."
"I have absolute faith in our attacking power. Once we get our rhythm back, we can definitely turn this around."
The players all nodded in agreement.
"Liverpool's weakness is still their wings, so in the second half, we keep attacking down the flanks and avoid their central block."
That guy Sissoko—big, fast, and aggressive—was an absolute pain.
Whether it was Modrić or Lass Diarra, neither had the upper hand against Sissoko and Gerrard.
"There's one player in Liverpool's back line you all need to focus on."
Yang Cheng picked up a marker and circled Carragher—number 23—on the tactical board.
"Carragher has played in every single Liverpool match this season. Only against Bolton did he play just 51 minutes. Every other game, he's gone the full 90."
"And he's already got four yellow cards. One more, and he's suspended for their next match—against Manchester United at Anfield."
"So Carragher's been very well-behaved today."
Yang Cheng's choice of words—"well-behaved"—made the players chuckle knowingly.
As an English Defender, How Could Carragher Possibly Be "Well-Behaved"?
Bottom line—it was all about avoiding a yellow card suspension.
"Three days from now, Liverpool has a Champions League do-or-die match against Marseille."
Having already lost twice in the group stage, Liverpool's qualification hinged on that match.
"So if you look closely, you'll notice that several Liverpool players—Riise included—clearly began holding back once they took the lead. I believe this trend will continue in the second half."
As Yang Cheng spoke, he pointed directly at the tactical board in front of him.
"Mascherano's range of movement today is smaller than usual. I don't know if it's because he's played too many games and is running out of gas, or if it's a coaching decision, or simply because he's more used to playing in a double pivot."
"That's made Liverpool's coverage on the flanks and half-spaces much weaker."
"Sissoko's passing has been awful. I just looked at the data—his passing completion rate tonight is very low. And we haven't pressured him enough."
"So, in the second half, whenever we lose the ball in midfield, we need to press him aggressively. Force him to make mistakes."
The players all nodded in agreement.
"Next Wednesday is Liverpool's Champions League group decider. That's why I'm convinced Benítez came into this game thinking a draw would be enough. Now that they're ahead, they'll likely play more conservatively in the second half."
"In fact, after the 60-minute mark, I expect him to start making substitutions to save energy for the Champions League."
Bayswater Chinese also had a Champions League match—at home against Werder Bremen.
But the difference was, Bayswater Chinese had already secured qualification.
Yang Cheng would rotate heavily in that game. A draw would be enough.
But Liverpool had no such luxury.
Their match against Marseille was all or nothing.
And judging by their performance so far, Liverpool's tactics were fairly crude—very English.
Long balls to the strikers.
Simple, direct, physical—but effective.
Yang Cheng's plan was clear: fight fire with fire in the second half. Keep exploiting the flanks.
Target Liverpool's weaknesses in midfield and defense.
And if that didn't work? He still had Lambert and Rakitić ready to come on at any time.
"Finally, guys—"
Yang Cheng checked the time. It was just about right.
"It's already December."
"Liverpool is the only team left in Europe's top five leagues that's still undefeated."
"They're not just any team—this is a side that reached last season's Champions League final and significantly strengthened over the summer."
All the players nodded. Everyone respected Liverpool's strength.
"But we're not just any team either."
"Have we not already taken down some of the strongest teams out there?"
"We did the double over Real Madrid. We beat Arsenal!"
"That's right—the same Arsenal that was also undefeated into December!"
"What I'm saying is, we have never been an ordinary team. Against any strong opponent, we've always stood our ground!"
"We don't fear any challenge—especially not in our home stadium!"
By the end, Yang Cheng's voice had risen, fists clenched, teeth gritted.
This was the confidence of Bayswater Chinese.
"1–2 is nothing. We still have the second half."
"All we need to do is execute the adjustments I've laid out—and hit Liverpool hard!"
"We've already ended one team's unbeaten run. We won't hesitate to end the last one too!"
"Today, in Wembley Stadium, in front of nearly 70,000 fans—we have only one goal."
"Victory!"
"I won't accept any other result!"
The players were fired up. They could feel the resolve and fire in their manager's voice.
José Fonte shouted out, rallying the team. Everyone stood up, forming a tight circle with Yang Cheng in the middle—shoulder to shoulder, heads bowed together—giving each other strength and belief.
...
As the second half kicked off, Liverpool, just as Yang Cheng had predicted, played more conservatively.
2–1 was a good enough scoreline for them.
But Bayswater Chinese didn't see it that way.
Especially after the halftime talk. With their coach's instructions in mind, they came out even more aggressive.
In the 51st minute, the team launched a series of attacks down the right.
Maicon overlapped and sent in a diagonal cross into the box.
Džeko darted to the near post, brought the ball down on his chest, and went for the shot.
It deflected off Hyypiä.
Arshavin was there for the rebound on the right side of the penalty spot—he struck it again.
Carragher slid in and blocked it.
At that moment, Liverpool's penalty area was packed with bodies.
The ball bounced out to the edge of the box. Modrić tried a shot from the top of the arc—but Mascherano blocked it again.
Three straight shots. All blocked.
Finally, Lass Diarra went for a long-range strike—but fired over the bar.
The crowd groaned in disappointment.
But they kept cheering, pushing their team forward.
Yang Cheng applauded constantly from the sideline.
He also noticed movement on Liverpool's bench. Players were getting ready to come on, running up and down the touchline.
He immediately called out to Lass Diarra and Modrić, reminding them to keep putting pressure on Sissoko.
The guy's passing was truly unreliable.
From the start of the second half, Bayswater Chinese had been attacking relentlessly. The players were giving everything.
Meanwhile, Liverpool were clearly pulling back, adopting a more passive approach.
By the 58th minute, Yang Cheng spotted Australian international Harry Kewell standing beside Benítez—clearly done warming up and ready to come on.
But just then, Sissoko intercepted a pass near the center circle.
Modrić immediately charged in.
Don't be fooled by the Croatian's slim frame—when it came to intensity, he never lost to anyone.
He closed in fast, forcing Sissoko into a rushed pass.
Lass Diarra, working in perfect sync with Modrić, read the play perfectly. He knew exactly where the space would open and pounced.
He cut out the pass cleanly.
Gerrard tried to press him, but Lass quickly returned the ball to Modrić.
As Sissoko turned to press Modrić again, the Croatian quickly shifted the ball left—to Di María near the center circle.
Di María didn't take it inside.
He'd already spotted Mascherano closing in.
Taking it central would be suicide.
So instead, he angled his dribble wide to the left.
Full-back Leighton Baines surged forward along the sideline, overlapping hard.
The two quickly formed a 2v1 on the wing.
Mascherano, now wary of Baines, began retreating—loosening his pressure on Di María.
The Argentine stopped on a dime and sent a curling diagonal pass with his left foot.
On the left edge of the box, Džeko had his back to goal, shielding Carragher with his body, and brought the ball down.
But his first touch was a bit heavy, pushing it slightly forward.
He chased it down quickly and poked it to the top of the arc—where Arshavin was waiting.
The Russian had barely received the ball when three defenders converged on him—Hyypiä, Gerrard tracking back, and Riise cutting inside.
All three swarmed toward Arshavin.
But the Russian maestro, with his signature close control, spun away from pressure and, just before they collapsed in on him, slipped a pass through the gap—an inch-perfect square ball...
The Ball Rolled to the Right Edge of Liverpool's Penalty Area
Maicon came charging in late, sprinting full speed and beating Gerrard to the ball. Without hesitation, he unleashed a rocket from just outside the box on the right.
It was a thunderous long-range shot—and the entire Wembley Stadium erupted once more.
Especially when the ball smashed into the net behind Reina, unstoppable, the crowd exploded in a deafening roar.
Maicon turned and sprinted out of the pitch in celebration, fists clenched, shouting all the way.
"Another wave of attack from Bayswater Chinese!"
"2–2!"
"A world-class strike from the Brazilian right-back Maicon!"
"That was a brilliantly constructed team play—truly showcasing Bayswater Chinese's dynamic and layered offensive style."
"You have to say, this team isn't just the most lethal in the Premier League this season—but maybe in all of Europe."
"Liverpool defended tightly, but they still couldn't stop this goal."
"And now the match is level again!"
...
As soon as Maicon's long-range screamer hit the back of the net, Yang Cheng saw Benítez wave to Harry Kewell.
The Australian international headed back to the bench.
Clearly, Benítez had scrapped his substitution plans.
That equalizer disrupted everything.
And the match pressed on.
Yang Cheng continued to signal to Lass Diarra and Modrić, instructing them to close down Sissoko, Gerrard, and Mascherano in midfield—with Yaya Touré now helping as well.
That goal had clearly lit a fire in the Bayswater Chinese players.
They were executing Yang Cheng's instructions with renewed energy.
In the 71st minute, once again it began with a midfield interception.
Yaya Touré won the ball and passed to Modrić.
The Croatian was immediately pressed by Gerrard and Mascherano.
At that moment, Džeko suddenly raised his hand and ran laterally to the left, creating a passing lane for Modrić.
The Croatian floated the ball over.
Džeko brought it down with his chest, shielding the ball with his body from Arbeloa. Before Gerrard could close in, he turned and sent a diagonal pass back into the center.
Di María, who had tracked back earlier and now surged forward upon seeing Džeko drift wide, broke into a sprint through the middle.
The Argentine was lightning fast.
He reached the ball just before Gerrard, tapped it forward into the box, and chased after it at full speed.
As Reina rushed out to meet him just outside the six-yard box on the left, Di María faked a move, deceived the keeper, and cut the ball left with his right foot, then calmly slotted it home with his left into the empty net.
Gerrard chased back with everything he had—but he was no match for the ball. He could only watch helplessly as it crossed the line.
Di María exploded with emotion, sprinting out of the pitch, leaping over the advertising boards and straight to the cheering fans.
The entire stadium roared his name—the acne-faced young Argentine was the hero.
In the stands, fans jumped to their feet, screaming his name in unison.
Bayswater Chinese players swarmed him, celebrating wildly.
3–2!
Yang Cheng clenched his fists in a frenzy of joy on the sideline.
If Liverpool hadn't held back in the second half, this match might've ended very differently.
But that's how it goes in the league.
Who told Liverpool to lose two group stage matches in the Champions League?
...
From 2–1 to 2–3.
Liverpool's players couldn't accept it.
Benítez made back-to-back substitutions in the 75th minute.
Kewell replaced Torres.
Babel replaced Gerrard.
Liverpool shifted to a 4-2-3-1.
Then in the 80th minute, Benítez made his third change, subbing off Carragher for 1988-born center-back prospect Jack Hobbs.
Carragher had clearly struggled defensively in the second half—he looked fatigued, maybe even a bit overrun.
Benítez had no choice.
Besides, Carragher was slated to start in the upcoming Champions League decider midweek.
But just six minutes after the substitution—
Bayswater Chinese launched another right-wing attack.
Walcott, who had come on as a sub, used his speed to force a foul from Riise.
Too fast!
Riise had to foul him—or the back line would've been left wide open.
He was booked for it.
Bayswater Chinese quickly took the free kick.
Near the right edge of the penalty area, Pepe attacked the near post and flicked the ball across the box toward the far post.
Lurking there was José Fonte—who calmly side-footed it into the net.
4–2!
Wembley exploded again!
And the man who lost track of José Fonte?
None other than the freshly-subbed youngster—Jack Hobbs.
Yang Cheng burst out laughing on the sideline.
That goal was a surprise, even to him.
As for Hobbs—Yang Cheng remembered him vaguely. But honestly, he didn't see a big future for him.
All born in 1988—but Bayswater Chinese had Matic, Di María, Marcelo, Lewandowski...
Same year, different class.
Benny, my man—not every '88-born player is worth trusting!
...
In the end, Bayswater Chinese completed a stunning 4–2 comeback win over Liverpool at home.
They ended the Reds' undefeated run!
After the match, Yang Cheng went over to shake hands with Benítez—who looked furious, his face stormy as if he were ready to kill someone.
Yang Cheng, on the other hand, was in high spirits.
At the post-match press conference, Yang Cheng praised his players, especially for their second-half performance.
"This was a match that really lifted our morale. I believe we'll only get better and better."
Benítez, meanwhile, was clearly disappointed.
He blamed the loss on his players losing focus after taking the lead in the second half.
British media, however, were full of praise for Bayswater Chinese.
The Sun even gave them a nickname that made Yang Cheng feel a little embarrassed—
The Unbeaten Terminators!
Why?
Because after ending Arsenal's unbeaten streak earlier in the season, Bayswater Chinese had now ended Liverpool's as well.
Those two teams had the longest unbeaten records in all of Europe's top five leagues this season.
And both had fallen at the feet of Bayswater Chinese.
Call it fate.
After this round, Bayswater Chinese had 11 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, with 36 points—good enough for second place in the Premier League.
Manchester United crushed Derby County 4–1 at home. Tévez scored twice, and United stayed top with 38 points.
Liverpool, after suffering this comeback loss, were now tied on 33 points with Arsenal.
The Gunners had lost 1–2 away at Middlesbrough and failed to capitalize on Liverpool's slip.
Manchester City also lost away to Tottenham this round.
Chelsea, on the other hand, beat Sunderland 2–0 and climbed to fifth in the table.
Now, the title race in the Premier League was coming into focus.
The top five—United, Bayswater Chinese, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea—were all tightly packed.
And that lined up well with preseason expectations.
This season, both Liverpool and Arsenal had clearly improved their squads.
Especially Liverpool—signing Torres had visibly boosted their attacking threat.
The increasingly fierce Premier League title race had fans around the world more excited than ever.
After the Match Against Liverpool, Bayswater Chinese Faced Werder Bremen at Home in the Final Champions League Group Stage Match
Although they had already secured qualification, over 60,000 fans still turned up for the game.
As Bayswater Chinese's results continued to improve, and with Adam Crozier placing more emphasis on home matchday operations, the club introduced an endless array of methods to attract supporters—pulling out all the stops to fill the stands.
As a result, home attendance had seen a significant boost this season.
In the first five group matches, Bayswater Chinese held a record of 4 wins and 1 loss, totaling 12 points.
Real Madrid had 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses—their defeats both coming at the hands of Bayswater Chinese—giving them 7 points.
Lazio also stood at 7 points with the same 2-1-2 record.
Werder Bremen, bottom of the group, had only managed 3 points.
According to UEFA rules, teams tied on points are ranked by head-to-head record first.
Werder and Lazio each had a 2–1 home win against the other, making their head-to-head dead even, including away goals.
But Werder Bremen had an inferior overall goal difference.
As for Real Madrid, they had done the double over Werder Bremen—home and away.
With that, the Bundesliga side was effectively eliminated before the final matchday and guaranteed to finish bottom of the group.
Thomas Schaaf had already started shifting focus back to the Bundesliga.
Yet even with a second-string lineup at Wembley, Werder Bremen stuck to their aggressive attacking philosophy.
In the 12th minute, Rakitić opened the scoring for Bayswater Chinese with a long-range strike from a counterattack.
The game remained back-and-forth until the 70th minute of the second half, when Lewandowski found the net.
Four minutes later, Gareth Bale added a third.
Final score: Bayswater Chinese 3–0 Werder Bremen.
They advanced to the Round of 16 with a commanding 5-win, 1-loss group stage record.
In the other critical match, Real Madrid beat Lazio 3–1 to clinch second place in the group.
After missing the knockout stages last season, Schuster's side finally made it through to the last 16.
But given their second-place finish, Yang Cheng didn't have much faith in Madrid going far.
Most likely another "Round of 16 regular."
...
Weekend—Premier League Round 17.
Fresh off their hard-fought win over Marseille and qualification to the Champions League knockouts, Liverpool returned home and lost 0–1 to Manchester United.
Benítez's side looked exhausted—but still fought hard.
No need to explain the importance of the North West Derby.
But in the end, Liverpool couldn't hold on.
A goal from Tévez sealed the deal.
Arsenal, meanwhile, won 1–0 at home over Chelsea thanks to a last-minute winner from Gallas.
It was the Gunners' only match of the week, but Grant's team had defended so well that Arsenal only found the breakthrough from a corner at the death.
Yang Cheng's side played away at Birmingham and scored early—in the 4th minute, Džeko opened the scoring.
Then in the second half, Arshavin added another.
2–0, a comfortable win for Bayswater Chinese.
...
Midweek—League Cup Quarterfinals.
Bayswater Chinese visited Everton.
Yang Cheng once again fielded an entirely rotated squad of backups and young players.
In the 12th minute of the first half, Lewandowski put his team ahead.
But in the 40th minute, Moyes' men equalized—Leon Osman beating Begović with a fine finish.
It wasn't until the 88th minute that Tim Cahill scored the winner for Everton.
Bayswater Chinese's young guns bowed out in the quarterfinals.
Also eliminated at this stage: Liverpool and Manchester City.
The final four were Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Everton.
...
December 22 — Premier League Round 18.
First up was the North London Derby.
Arsenal edged Tottenham 2–1 at the Emirates.
Adebayor and Bendtner each scored.
Bendtner, in particular, netted the decisive goal.
Among this season's emerging striker talents in the Premier League—excluding 1989-born Walcott and Gareth Bale—the two standout center-forwards were both born in 1988: Bendtner and Lewandowski.
Both were rotational or backup players, but every time they took the field, they made an impact.
Some fans even compared Bendtner to Zlatan Ibrahimović and Džeko.
Indeed, after last season's impressive form, Džeko had stepped up another level this year and was now viewed as one of the most promising strikers in Europe.
He'd even become a reference point for comparisons.
Nowadays, that story about Yang Cheng using the "special talent clause" to sign a £50,000 midfielder—and then insisting he was a "genius striker"—had become a legendary tale among football fans across Europe and the world.
From Modrić to Džeko, every special talent Yang Cheng brought in had turned out right.
That had plenty of curious eyes now locked onto two new "special talents" at Bayswater Chinese:
Marcelo and Thiago Silva.
Thiago Silva had been solid this season—not spectacular, but steady.
After all, he was still adapting to a new environment, so it wasn't realistic to expect instant dominance.
Still, his passing and individual quality stood out.
Marcelo, on the other hand, drew mixed reviews.
His offensive talent and flair were undeniable.
But defensively, he was notoriously shaky.
A classic case of contradiction.
Those who liked Marcelo, loved him.
Those who didn't, thought he was useless outside of attacking.
In any case, he was always an interesting player to talk about.
Liverpool, after two consecutive losses, bounced back with a 4–1 home win over Portsmouth—Torres bagging a brace.
Manchester United beat Everton 2–1 at home—Cristiano Ronaldo scoring both goals again.
This was truly Ronaldo's breakout season. His scoring numbers kept climbing.
Including his five goals and one assist in the Champions League group stage, he now had 11 Premier League goals—
—despite being suspended for three games early in the season for mimicking Zidane's infamous headbutt.
In the Premier League scoring chart, the top scorer was still Arshavin with 12 goals—
Though four of those came in one game against Derby County.
Behind him: Ronaldo and Džeko, both with 11.
In this round, Bayswater Chinese beat Sunderland 3–1 at home.
Džeko contributed a goal and an assist.
The other goals came from Yaya Touré and Pepe.
After 18 rounds, the Premier League officially entered its Christmas schedule.
Manchester United led the table with 44 points.
Bayswater Chinese followed closely with 42.
Then came Arsenal with 39.
Liverpool, after their back-to-back defeats, sat on 36.
Chelsea remained fifth with 34 points.
At this point, the title race had clearly tightened.
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