When the match reached the 56th minute, Leicester City fans suddenly widened their eyes in alarm.
After a series of passes, the ball arrived at Kovacic's feet.
Kovacic's through ball found Mahrez, who didn't give Chilwell and Ndidi any chance to tackle. Upon receiving the ball, he sharply swept it with his left foot!
The ball slipped through the gap between the two defenders, arriving perfectly at the edge of the penalty area.
Morgan and Jonny Evans aggressively closed down to press, knowing full well about Ling's formidable long-shot ability—they absolutely couldn't allow him an uncontested shot!
Without the slightest hesitation, Ling actively dribbled straight toward the two defenders!
His upper body swayed violently, his touch rhythm constantly changing, yet his speed never decreased!
Evans, being Maguire's substitute at Leicester, never had high defensive capabilities to begin with.
Now completely disoriented, he instinctively stuck out a foot.
However, Ling swiftly nudged the ball outward, narrowly evading Evans' tackle.
Morgan, with his seasoned experience, immediately closed in to intercept the moment Ling made contact with the ball!
But in the next second, his pupils abruptly contracted.
Ling seemed to have anticipated it all along, cutting inside with the ball once more.
The seamless adjustment and the cohesion between the ball and the player made it feel as though the football had come to life!
Two simple touches broke through Leicester City's defensive line!
In Kasper Schmeichel's intensely anxious eyes, it seemed as though a violently swaying pendulum had appeared.
This wasn't just a simple leg movement but a complex full-body feint!
Kasper Schmeichel couldn't discern Ling's intentions at all, gritting his teeth as he desperately lunged toward the ball at Ling's feet.
Old Trafford seemed to fall silent, with everyone expectantly gazing at the pitch, witnessing that unparalleled impact unfold once more!
As Kasper Schmeichel clumsily collapsed to the ground, he turned his head just in time to see Ling elegantly glide past and slot the ball into the empty net, reclaiming the lead.
2-1!
"ABSOLUTE MAGIC!" Drury's voice cracked with excitement. "The Pendulum swings again! Schmeichel is sent to the shops, Evans is left in a tangle, and Morgan is chasing ghosts! Jeremy Ling dances through the Leicester defense!"
"Beautiful!" Beglin praised. "In the opening match of the new season, Ling has already delivered a powerful breakthrough, scoring a brace! And with Ling temporarily filling in as a center forward, his breakthroughs through the middle pose a direct threat to the goal, proving even more effective than when he plays as a winger. I think Mourinho should seriously consider redefining Ling's role."
"If Ling can fully adapt to the center forward position, with his excellent dribbling, shooting, and heading abilities, how many goals might he score across all competitions this season?" Drury pondered.
"Could he potentially break into the top ten of the annual goal-scoring records?"
"The tenth spot is currently held by Lewandowski and Ronaldo, with 69 goals in a single year," Beglin noted.
"Jim, let's be bolder," Drury said with a smile. "With Man United's comprehensively upgraded squad this season, they're sure to compete fiercely in all tournaments, allowing Ling's firepower to be maximized. I'll throw out a number—top three!"
"It's not that I lack confidence in Ling, Peter, but breaking into the top three is incredibly challenging. The first place is held by Messi in 2012 (91 goals), the second by Gerd Müller in 1972 (85 goals), and the third by Pelé in 1958 (75 goals). Without the perfect alignment of timing, conditions, and teamwork, it's nearly impossible to reach such heights in a lifetime!"
While the two debated annual goal-scoring records, Ling was running with his teammates toward the sidelines, exchanging high-fives with the ecstatic Man United fans.
"Well done! Let's see if Leicester City can equalize again? Not every team is Man United!"
"Ling, Transfermarkt only values you at 135 million euros, less than that overrated player at PSG. Go prove to them that you're the strongest!"
"One more! A hat trick!"
The Man United fans roared at the top of their lungs, their excitement palpable.
In their hearts, Ling was the ultimate forward, the most dazzling beacon on the pitch in any match.
This wasn't a quality born merely from outstanding athletic achievements.
Just like the former Manchester United king Cantona, everyone could mimic the raised collar, but no one could replicate the overwhelming aura that looked down upon all.
Ling's charisma was different from Cantona's—it was a subtle, pervasive influence.
He always influenced others through his actions and words, making them imitate and follow.
Only those who had fought alongside him or faced him on the pitch could truly grasp the immense energy of this influence.
There was no superiority or inferiority—just different personalities.
Feeling the pressure on his arm and seeing the smiles on his Man United teammates' faces, Ling suddenly understood the meaning of being a captain more profoundly.
Not far away, Morgan shrugged helplessly. "I just can't stop him!"
He even wondered if he should retire.
But then he remembered that even Ramos and Varane had been helpless, and he felt a strange sense of validation.
...
Kasper Schmeichel quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead, Vardy encouraged his teammates not to lose heart, and the Leicester City players waved their arms and shouted "Keep going!"
Leicester City then made a substitution, bringing on Vicente Iborra for Adrien Silva.
The former was a 190cm powerhouse, and Puel's move was clearly to strengthen the defensive solidity at the back.
As for Mourinho, he made no changes, mainly because there were too many injured players and no suitable replacements.
However, he directed his players to fall back into their own half and park the bus at Old Trafford.
The Manchester United giant formation constructed a tight and relentless defensive line.
Pogba and Kovacic pushed forward, with McTominay acting as the sole defensive midfielder.
Without Mahrez on their side anymore, Leicester City had little means to break down the dense defense and could only watch helplessly from the outside.
Puel even burst out cursing on the touchline, mocking Mourinho for having no shame—how could a Premier League and Champions League champion park the bus at their own home ground?
Wasn't he afraid of becoming a laughingstock?
But Mourinho was determined to win the match with minimal expenditure—his ambitions for the season extended far beyond just two trophies!
Left with no choice, Leicester City resorted to crosses and long-range shots.
However, the pairing of Maguire and Bailly had no trouble suppressing Vardy, and the harmless long shots only padded De Gea's stats.
As the match entered its final stages, the Leicester City players grew increasingly anxious, even earning three yellow cards in their efforts to prevent Man United's counterattacks.
An old saying holds true: "Wasted opportunities will be punished!"
When the fourth official raised the LED board to announce four minutes of added time, Maguire once again won an aerial duel, heading the ball firmly out of the penalty area.
McTominay headed it on to the back.
Pogba held off the black and tough Nampalys Mendy with sheer strength, then cleverly flicked the ball backward with his heel.
Smack!
The ball slipped through Mendy's legs and landed at the feet of Ling, who had dropped back to the center circle.
Morgan cautiously maintained his distance, wary of being beaten by Ling's back-to-goal move, but Ling had trained an entire season with Michael Carrick on long passes.
Leaning slightly, Ling swung his right leg fiercely.
The ball whistled toward the right flank!
"That's a difficult ball to control!" Beglin noted.
"Beautiful!" Drury shouted. "It's like Mahrez has glue on his feet! Cutting inside directly from the right side of the penalty area! Is he going to shoot?"
No.
Mahrez chose to curl a left-footed cross, and Rashford sprinted in to slide it home from a tight angle!
3-1!
"RASHFORD WRAPS IT UP!" Drury roared. "A classic Mourinho-style counterattack—just five touches in total, a truly pleasing sight to behold. Manchester United are off and running!"
...
Those who used to clamor about Mourinho's conservative tactics have now vanished, while Gary Neville in the Sky Sports commentary box lavished praise, claiming he had always spoken up for Mourinho.
Jamie Carragher sneered beside him, "I wonder who it was that said Man United's matches were boring and winning didn't bring any joy!"
Neville slammed the table in a rage, "Jamie, you bastard, dare to bet with me again!"
"Bet on what?" Carragher refused to back down, glaring back at him.
"Let's bet... who will win the North West Derby?"
Neville initially wanted to bet on Ling scoring a hat trick, but considering Liverpool's comprehensive reinforcements this season, he ultimately decided to change the bet.
Carragher said confidently, "The wager is still wearing the opponent's jersey? That's probably not enough. How about walking a lap around Anfield!"
Seeing the smug expression on the other's face, Neville gritted his teeth and agreed to Carragher's demand.
He silently prayed that Man United wouldn't slip up, or else all the face he had earned would be lost, and he would even become a laughingstock in European football.
As for Carragher, he was already embarrassed enough and adopted a "nothing left to lose" attitude.
...
Soon, with the referee's whistle, the match officially ended, and Man United secured their first victory of the new season.
At the post-match press conference.
"Although Man United won in the end, many issues were exposed during the process. What are your thoughts on this?"
Mourinho was the first to respond, "It's common for a new season with a new squad. As for the issues, the sooner they are exposed, the better, so we can address them quickly and return to the championship-contending form of last season."
"Does Man United have confidence in winning the title this season?" another reporter asked.
Mourinho glanced at him, "Of course we have confidence. Man United has the best players and coaches. But confidence doesn't mean arrogance. We still have a lot of room for improvement and need to keep working hard. Because without effort, there will be no rewards. Especially when our opponents are also putting in the effort, if we want the title, we must double our efforts. This is an unchangeable law."
Mourinho used the reporter's question to remind the Man United players, as last season's double title win might have made some of them a bit complacent.
If anyone showed a lack of commitment in training, he wouldn't hesitate to take action, even if it were Ling.
With his authority within the Man United squad, he could easily bench someone.
But that would escalate dressing room tensions, something he had experienced at Real Madrid and Chelsea, so he opted for a more subtle approach.
This hint was one of them.
"Jeremy, you scored two goals today. How would you evaluate your performance?" a reporter from The Guardian asked.
Today, Ling was attending as the Man United captain.
He adjusted the armband and replied earnestly, "I still have a lot to learn. There's a fundamental difference between playing as a center forward and a winger. If we were up against a team of similar strength, the match might have been much tougher."
"So, are you suggesting that Man United will struggle to win the league title?" a The Sun reporter interjected.
Jeremy furrowed his brows slightly, "Not at all. I am equally confident. But I believe we shouldn't be constrained by last season's honors. Instead, we should approach every match with greater humility, constantly improving and growing through matches and training."
Then the two of them stopped answering any more questions and returned together to the Carrington Training Base.
...
After receiving his physiotherapy massage, Ling drove to Hale, located just ten miles from the city center—a popular choice for many football stars.
Players like Alisson, Sterling, Pogba, Rashford, and others lived there.
Ling drove straight into the garage of one of the mansions, which Manchester United had rented for him after renewing his contract.
The mansion not only had seven bedrooms but also featured a high-tech fitness center, complete with a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, and a cryotherapy chamber.
Most importantly, it came with a five-member security team and a domestic staff.
But that wasn't all—Manchester United had also arranged a luxurious penthouse on Deansgate, making it convenient for him to stay in the city center.
To keep Ling from being poached by Real Madrid or Man City, the Manchester United management had shown him the utmost respect.
Ling greeted the head of security and walked alone into the spacious house.
He couldn't help but feel that a house this large wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Maybe he could get a dog in the future, just to liven the place up a bit.
After a simple, healthy meal and finishing his recovery training and match analysis, Ling left home and headed to the other side of Hale.
Under Pep Guardiola's murderous glare, he took Maria for a walk by the nearby stream!
After returning home, Guardiola pulled out recordings of Manchester United's matches and began analyzing them intently, determined to crush United in their November fixture.
To his surprise, he noticed that Ling had grown even stronger, especially in the commanding presence he displayed during the second goal.
His strength and speed were exceptional, his ball control was polished, and his explosiveness had improved as well.
"Damn it, Jose really hit the jackpot!" Guardiola cursed.
He had recently scoured Manchester City's youth academy but hadn't found any player remotely similar.
However, Ling's fellow countryman, Zhang Yang, seemed promising.
Guardiola began devising counter-tactics based on Ling's technical strengths—his tactical mind remained sharp as ever.
By cutting off the wings' connection to the central area and assigning a dedicated marker in key zones, he could effectively isolate Ling and limit his impact.
In simple terms, it was a strategy of divide and conquer.