Beep!
With a blast of the referee's whistle, the match officially began.
Man United did not immediately launch an attack.
Instead, they patiently circulated the ball in the midfield to settle into the game.
Meanwhile, West Ham proactively compressed their defensive lines, building a dense blockade in the center.
The two wingers dropped deep to help block passing lanes.
Pellegrini had prepared specifically for this.
The defensive line and the midfield were split into two distinct units.
When United passed centrally, West Ham compressed inward.
When the ball went wide, the fullbacks and wide midfielders closed down together, cutting off the crossing lanes.
Furthermore, Declan Rice closely shadowed Ling.
Rice was determined not to give Ling any space to receive the ball, using simple, tight marking to neutralize Man United's most explosive threat.
Because of this, Man United didn't attack recklessly.
Knowing they had the full 90 minutes, they maintained possession patiently, concentrating their forces deep in West Ham's half to overpower them through the center.
When Rashford and Mahrez suddenly converged in the central areas, Rice felt unprecedented pressure.
Dealing with Ling alone was exhausting, let alone dealing with three highly skilled dribblers at once.
The trio formed a sharp spearhead, relentlessly assaulting West Ham's defense.
In the 14th minute, Mahrez dribbled past Felipe Anderson with a series of feints, played a quick one-two with Ling in the middle, and curled a shot from the right edge of the box.
It whistled just past the post.
West Ham fans broke out in a cold sweat.
Pellegrini frantically gestured for his team to push higher to suppress Man United's attack.
This played right into Mourinho's trap; his initial aim was to stretch the opposition and create space behind them.
As West Ham's defensive line advanced, they left massive unmarked zones in the penalty area.
Minutes later, Man United tore through the left flank.
Pogba surged toward the byline. Zabaleta had drifted too centrally and was badly positioned, forcing him to desperately sprint back.
Meanwhile, United's front Trident sprang into action.
Their interchanging runs left Rice completely disoriented.
By the time Rice belatedly tried to track Ling's movement, his heart leaped into his throat!
Ling had already accelerated unnoticed into the box, heading straight for the gap between center-backs Fabián Balbuena and Issa Diop.
Pogba whipped a precise left-footed cross around Balbuena!
"Watch your left!" Rice screamed.
But neural transmission takes time.
Before Diop could react to clear the ball, Ling had instantly filled his field of vision.
However, Fabianski had kept Ling in his peripheral vision.
The goalkeeper rushed out without hesitation, throwing his body into a textbook dive to maximize his coverage.
To the fans, it all happened in a split second. The two collided in a tight space, and no one believed Ling had the room to score.
But Ling possessed absolute control, instant decision-making, and the ability to perfectly read his opponent. Ling lifted his right foot slightly, as if to blast a shot.
The exact moment Fabianski shifted his weight and dropped, Ling's foot paused almost imperceptibly, before gently nudging the ball.
Fabianski's pupils contracted in horror.
He instinctively brought his hands down to protect his groin, but his momentum was already committed.
He could only watch helplessly as the ball slipped right between his legs and rolled across the white goal line!
"GOALLLLLL"
Peter Drury: "Pogba with the delivery... Ling is there! Oh, the cheek! The absolute audacity of the boy! He paints a masterpiece in a telephone box! A delicate nutmeg to leave Fabianski grasping at thin air! Manchester United draw first blood!"
Jim Beglin: "It's top-class integration of player and ball, Peter. In such a tight space, Ling still managed to execute a hesitation feint. It's as if he has an extra acceleration gear installed in his brain. Mourinho tactically stretched West Ham's defense, and the positioning of that front three was just exquisite."
Ling happily ran toward the away stand to celebrate.
He had finally opened his scoring account in the league following his three-match suspension.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Zlatan Ibrahimović closed his phone, changed into his gear, and walked out of the LA Galaxy locker room.
A smile of deep satisfaction spread across his face.
The young man who had once eagerly followed him had grown into an independent leader.
Suddenly, an impulse struck Zlatan: Why not return to Europe's top leagues next season?
He desperately wanted to experience what it felt like to face Ling as an opponent.
...
On the United bench, Lukaku felt like crying.
Just last season, he and Ling were a duo and he had secretly laughed when Rashford lost his starting spot.
Fate had turned the tables.
Lukaku silently resolved to speed up his weight loss immediately—he would even offer to play right-wing if it meant avoiding direct competition with Ling for the striker role.
With the lead secured, Man United took control of the game's rhythm.
West Ham's players exhausted themselves chasing shadows.
Rice, in particular, felt the full force of Ling's dominance; the moment Rice showed the slightest lapse in concentration, Ling vanished from his sight like a phantom.
On the touchline, Mourinho smiled. "Ling's role is becoming increasingly versatile. It makes our tactical planning so much simpler."
"Indeed," his assistant Rui Faria agreed in admiration. "We just need to build everything around him."
Pellegrini made adjustments.
West Ham's defenders promptly disrupted United whenever they tried short passes through the center.
The Hammers' defensive resilience was formidable, showing why they were the "Robin Hoods" of the league.
They didn't hesitate to use tactical fouls on Ling to stop him.
Interestingly, after every foul, the West Ham players would immediately help Ling up with friendly, apologetic smiles.
Ling couldn't help but laugh—his reputation from the tunnel brawl clearly meant something.
No one wanted to fight him.
As the second half ticked away, Mourinho shifted to a high-altitude bombing tactic, slowing the intensity.
Pellegrini finally grew restless and signaled his team to go all-out in attack.
This gave Mourinho exactly what he wanted: the perfect counterattacking opportunity.
In the 69th minute, West Ham substituted Lucas Pérez for Marko Arnautović and pushed forward for a corner.
Harry Maguire used his immense physical strength to overpower Pérez and head the ball clear.
United's rapid counterattack began instantly.
Crisp passes broke through West Ham's press until the ball landed perfectly at Ling's feet.
Suddenly, it was five United attackers sprinting against a single defender: Declan Rice.
Rice trembled like a frightened quail, forced to retreat rapidly to buy time.
'Please be selfish,' Rice prayed, hoping Ling would try to shoot on his own.
"Stop retreating!" Fabianski shouted from the goal.
Hearing this, Rice seized the moment Ling touched the ball and charged forward to intercept!
But Ling selflessly slid a sideways pass to the completely unmarked Mahrez.
Mahrez didn't disappoint, firing a powerful shot into the back of the net!
Peter Drury: "A devastating breakaway! Five red shirts swarming forward! Ling holds it... waits... feeds Mahrez! And it's a dagger to the heart of the Hammers! Manchester United double their advantage!"
Mahrez excitedly jumped onto Ling's back, waving to the traveling fans.
Truthfully, every forward craves goals, and Mahrez hadn't expected Ling to pass.
He was deeply moved.
He used to think Ling was too young to be a considerate captain, but he was happily proven wrong.
"Dinner's on me tonight!" Mahrez shouted happily.
The rest of the team joined in, playfully slapping Mahrez on the back.
Mourinho brought on two defensive players to kill the game.
The final whistle blew.
West Ham United 0 - 2 Manchester United.
...
@ZhanJun_Pundit: Finally! Ling is off the mark in the Premier League. The Golden Boot defense begins now!
@RedDevilsDaily: What a tactical masterclass from Mourinho. He's got his UCL-winning groove back!
@TacticalTimes: Man United are evolving. Better timing on full-back runs and great support for Ling. Once they adjust fully, they will be stronger than last season!
@UtdFaithful: 3 points in London! The suspension shadow is gone. Bring on the Champions League!
...
With confidence fully restored, the fans eagerly looked forward to October's Champions League fixture.
Man United would travel to Germany to face Hoffenheim—the village club boasting Julian Nagelsmann, the youngest-ever manager in the Bundesliga.
Remarkably, Nagelsmann was even younger than Cristiano Ronaldo!
Taking a relegation-threatened team into the Champions League meant Nagelsmann was not to be underestimated.
Mourinho held the young coach in high regard and had started studying his tactics days in advance.
After only a few days of rest, the Manchester United squad boarded their flight to Sinsheim.
The second round of the Champions League group stage was about to begin!
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