Jim Beglin chimed in. "Now, let's introduce the starting lineups for both teams. In red jerseys are Manchester United. Compared to the pre-season friendlies, Jose Mourinho has made significant changes."
"Due to injuries sidelining Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Valencia, and others, Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have been forced into the starting lineup. Manchester United's defensive line had major gaps before—it remains to be seen whether Mourinho has resolved those thorny issues during this adjustment period."
"There have also been major adjustments in the front line," Beglin noted. "Ling has shifted from left winger to center forward, which will inevitably demand different playing styles and poses a challenge! Ling leads the line as the lone striker, with Marcus Rashford and Mahrez occupying the wings to maximize the width of the pitch."
"Now, let's look at Leicester City's lineup," Drury continued. "Last season, they finished 9th in the Premier League. Although they sold two key players this season, they received £130 million in return, signing talented players like James Maddison from Norwich and Ricardo Pereira from Porto. Thus, their overall strength hasn't declined significantly, and they still retain enough competitiveness."
The camera panned to the pitch, where players from both teams had taken their positions, and the tension was gradually intensifying.
For the Leicester City players, they had achieved decent results last season and were united in their efforts to create another miracle.
But some had chosen to leave at a critical moment.
Even though they knew they shouldn't blame them, there was still lingering resentment in their hearts.
Therefore, they were determined to defeat Man United and make Maguire and Mahrez regret their decisions!
Mourinho glanced at the harmonious scene on the field and sighed inexplicably.
After leading Chelsea to a league title in 2015, he had experienced the darkest period of his coaching career, earning only 15 points in the first 16 league matches.
In truth, Chelsea's poor performance during that period had multiple causes: internal conflicts, player slumps, the female team doctor's antics, and more—it wasn't solely Mourinho's fault.
But he was determined not to repeat that nightmare.
He even hoped Lukaku would take a few more days off, allowing Mourinho to firmly position Ling as the central striker.
With the referee's whistle, the match resumed.
After the match began, Man United's formation swiftly adapted
Perhaps due to their similar technical styles, Mateo Kovacic and Paul Pogba were developing an increasingly seamless partnership, using quick one-touch passes to break through Leicester City's first line of defense.
Pogba, now a World Cup champion, radiated newfound confidence.
He executed a Marseille turn to bypass Wilfred Ndidi before casually chipping the ball to the left flank.
Returning to the left flank, Rashford was like a fish in water, cherishing every moment of his starting opportunity.
He also aspired to emulate his predecessors and write his own chapter in the Red Devils' legacy!
After creating space, Rashford delivered a sharp 45-degree cross.
The ball spun fiercely toward the penalty area!
Rashford grinned and said, "How about that pass? I'm improving too, you know!"
Amid a sea of blue-clad players, the red figure stood out dominantly.
Ling and Wes Morgan both accurately read the ball's trajectory, immediately engaging in a fierce physical duel.
Morgan felt as if he'd collided with a wild beast.
After a full season of honing, Ling's physical attributes had nearly reached their peak potential.
Why was Ronaldo Nazario called "The Alien"?
Primarily because of his terrifying physical prowess—in his youth, his explosive power and speed alone overwhelmed opponents.
But no one expected that in just one season, that young lad Ling would transform into a fearsome demon king.
After seizing the optimal position, Ling used his momentum to plant his foot and leap.
As the ball arrived, he twisted his head 180 degrees and powered a header!
Kasper Schmeichel's attention was drawn by the sound of contact.
Positioned slightly left of goal, he was caught off guard as Man United's No. 7 pulled off a stunning glancing header!
He launched himself toward the ball in the shortest time possible.
Kasper Schmeichel remained hyper-focused, ready to make a save at any moment—he was, after all, the heir to the Danish legend.
Never mind that he was now 34; even ten years earlier, he might not have withstood such force.
But his starting position was too far from the ball, and even stretching to his limit proved futile.
1-0!
"A BULLET FROM THE BOY KING!" Drury roared. "Jeremy Ling starts the season exactly how he finished the last! A majestic header to open Manchester United's account!"
Man United scored with their first wave of attack, sending the fans into a frenzy of celebration.
Old Trafford witnessed another classic celebration.
Man United fans synchronized with Ling's rhythmic fist pumps, erupting into excited roars!
Man United players swarmed around him.
"Hey, hey, hey!!!"
On the sidelines, Mourinho let out a long sigh of relief.
Pogba seemed to be in high spirits as well.
In contrast to others, Pogba got along quite comfortably with Ling—at least no major issues recently.
At his core, Pogba was like a child who never grew up, inherently disliking serious atmospheres and possessing a fair share of childishness and arrogance.
Moreover, unlike Mbappe, Ling was less arrogant and self-important, which naturally made him more acceptable in Pogba's eyes.
Meanwhile, Lukaku, undergoing rehabilitation training in the stands, felt a sudden surge of crisis.
Would he find his position gone upon returning from injury?
...
With the referee's whistle, the match resumed.
Leicester City didn't alter their tactics despite trailing—the miracle-working Blue Foxes possessed ample resilience.
Jamie Vardy also fulfilled his captain's duties, constantly shouting to motivate his teammates.
34th minute.
Mahrez was dispossessed through coordinated pressing from Ben Chilwell and Ndidi—after years as teammates, they knew each other's movements intimately.
Ndidi didn't hesitate, immediately launching a pass toward Maddison ahead.
As England's newly emerged star and Leicester's creative core, Maddison deftly evaded Kovacic with a simple touch before driving forward.
When McTominay pressed, Maddison directly delivered a long ball!
The spinning ball plummeted behind Maguire.
Manager Claude Puel, well aware of Maguire's slow turning speed, had designed this targeted tactic.
Vardy sprinted furiously, nearing the penalty area while subtly seeking physical contact.
Maguire, still inexperienced in this shirt, failed to notice Vardy's maneuvering and instinctively leaned into the challenge.
The referee's whistle sounded immediately.
He pointed to the spot!
"Penalty? Am I seeing this correctly?" Drury asked in disbelief.
"Isn't this controversial?" Beglin added. "Let's check the replay... Maguire had no excessive arm movement; the physical contact was within normal bounds. There's absolutely no justification for a penalty!"
"This reminds me of the 14-15 season when Leicester beat United 5-3—there was a similar penalty decision," Drury recalled.
While Vardy's off-pitch story was truly inspirational, his on-field style remained brutally pragmatic.
Having fought his way up from competitive lower leagues, he couldn't have survived without playing rough.
During his weekend league days, he'd played with an ankle monitor under house arrest—limited to half-games to avoid violating parole restrictions.
Having endured such hardships, what were mere boos to him?
Vardy amiably helped Maguire up, utterly unfazed by the piercing boos around him.
Maguire tried to explain to the referee, but ultimately failed to change the decision.
He could only trudge unhappily outside the penalty area.
Tweet!
As the referee blew the whistle, Vardy took a run-up and slotted the ball into the net with a single smooth push!
1-1!
De Gea had guessed the wrong way and punched the turf in frustration.
His performance in the World Cup had been disastrous, and he was desperate to silence the critics and return to last season's peak form.
Yet he still didn't vent his frustration at Maguire, only blaming himself for not being strong enough.
Ling quickly jogged toward his teammate, waving his fist and shouting.
"This is the Premier League, not the Champions League final! Our opponents are Leicester City, not Real Madrid! Have more confidence in yourself!"
Then he scooped the ball into his arms and silently waited for the match to restart.
De Gea gazed at that familiar back.
Perhaps it was precisely because of that final where they fell behind three times and equalized three times that every Man United player trusted this young captain so deeply.
Maguire waited for a long time, but no one blamed him.
His anxious mood inexplicably eased, and he fell in love with the harmonious atmosphere within the Man United squad.
Simultaneously, a powerful pressure grew in his heart.
Sometimes verbal pressure isn't necessary—leading by example earns far greater recognition.
This was the biggest difference between Ling and Ibrahimović.
...
After the match resumed, Man United launched a frenzied offensive, but Leicester City stubbornly held their defensive line.
The remaining time in the first half quickly dwindled away.
Back in the locker room, Mourinho briefly reviewed the match before making detailed adjustments.
"Ling, you don't need to constantly press Leicester's defensive line in the penalty area. Try dropping back to the edge of the box—that'll give you space to break through and take long shots!"
"Maguire and Bailly, close the distance between you. Luke Shaw tucks inside to fill the gap and increase defensive density in our half!"
Mourinho repeated the instructions once more before urging the players back onto the field.
Ling silently committed everything to memory.
Having played as a winger throughout the entire season, and with Ashley Young making fewer forward runs, he had grown accustomed to dropping deep to receive the ball.
So today he deliberately changed his previous approach, never expecting to fall into a mental trap instead.
It seemed he still had a long way to go in the striker position.
...
The second half clearly unfolded differently.
Man United stopped battling Leicester City in midfield, instead launching rapid attacks from the wings.
Mahrez and Rashford both achieved good results in one-on-one situations.
Consecutive bursts of speed followed by sudden stops—similar to Ling's breakthrough style—brought back a familiar sense of fear for Ricardo Pereira.
Moreover, Man United strengthened their wing-to-center connections, but Pogba and Kovacic both consciously positioned themselves in the half-spaces, drawing the attention of Adrien Silva and Ndidi.
Almost nobody noticed the growing space through Leicester's central midfield—precisely the area between their two defensive midfielders.
And this was the breakthrough space specially prepared for Ling!
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