The two-day holiday passed in the blink of an eye.
After returning to Manchester, Ling resumed his high-intensity training, filled with renewed vigor.
Only seven days remained until the highly anticipated "Red vs. Blue" clash against Chelsea.
As the Man United players returned from national team duties, Mourinho and the coaching staff were somewhat troubled.
Most of the squad had played two international matches, and the "FIFA virus" had left the players noticeably sluggish.
Fortunately, Chelsea faced the exact same issue.
The hype for the match began building days before kickoff.
Last season, during his visit to Stamford Bridge, Mourinho endured relentless taunts from Chelsea fans after being unceremoniously dismissed by the club.
Yet, ironically, Mourinho had led Man United to two trophies last season, while Chelsea barely scraped into the Europa League, leading to the sacking of Antonio Conte.
This season, under new manager Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea's performance had been nothing short of spectacular.
They sat third in the table, scoring 21 goals and conceding only 5.
Sarri brought his refined "Sarri-ball" tactics from Napoli, significantly enhancing Chelsea's attacking quality.
Mourinho prepared extensively.
While Sarri's tactics aren't easily disrupted by man-marking, Man United's approach operates within broader zonal frameworks.
For instance, Ashley Young marks players entering the half-spaces.
When Eden Hazard moves into these areas, Young sticks to him.
Once Hazard leaves the zone, Young retreats to maintain defensive shape, and Nemanja Matić takes over marking Hazard.
The closer to the penalty area, the denser the defense—this is the essence of Mourinho's defensive artistry.
However, the downside of deep defending is reduced offensive potency.
Ling might find himself isolated, forcing him to rely on his individual skill to create chances.
Mourinho sought out Ling for a heart-to-heart conversation about this burden.
Ling didn't feel particularly pressured; in fact, he enjoyed the tactical freedom.
Mourinho had once made a poignant remark: both he and Ling were, at their core, drawn to immense challenges.
...
On October 20th, all eyes were on Stamford Bridge.
Unsurprisingly, Chelsea fans were anything but hospitable.
As the Man United bus pulled in, they unleashed a chorus of loud, piercing boos.
Every Chelsea fan held an indelible memory: the image of Ling silencing tens of thousands of fans with a defiant gesture last season.
To them, it was a humiliation.
Inside the stadium tunnel, the tension was palpable.
There was no communication between the opposing sides.
When Matić left Chelsea, Hazard and others had played a significant role in pushing him out; the relationship was filled with intense hostility.
Watching Ling chat with his teammates, Hazard felt a twinge of bitterness.
Hazard had always considered himself a top-tier talent, yet he never managed to achieve a breakthrough in the Champions League.
Seeing Ling win a double in his first Premier League season under Mourinho—the very manager Hazard had helped force out, it feels very stung.
Moreover, under Sarri, the core of the team had shifted to Jorginho, leaving Hazard to compete for wing spots.
N'Golo Kanté's gaze also fell upon Ling.
As a recent World Cup champion, Kanté wondered if he could contain Ling today.
But deep down, having watched Ling's overpowering performance in the Champions League final, Kanté wasn't entirely confident.
He looked down at his short legs and let out an inexplicable sigh.
Immediately, massive blue TIFOs unfurled across all four stands of Stamford Bridge, accompanied by the soaring club anthem.
"Blue is the colour, football is the game! We're all together, and winning is our aim!"
Ling couldn't help but smile.
The song sounded like a nursery rhyme, perfectly suited for a children's spring outing.
Peter Drury: "A very good afternoon to you from the capital! The battle lines are drawn at Stamford Bridge. It is the deep, royal blue of Chelsea against the blazing crimson of Manchester United! Maurizio Sarri, the smoking philosopher of Naples, pits his wits against the Machiavellian master, Jose Mourinho!"
Jim Beglin: "Sarri sticks with his trusted 4-3-3, Peter. They spent a hefty €70 million on Kepa Arrizabalaga to replace Courtois. And keep an eye on Jorginho—he is the heartbeat of this Chelsea side."
Peter Drury: "For United, injuries to Scott McTominay and Luke Shaw mean veterans step into the fray. Nemanja Matić returns to his old stomping ground. The stage is set. The actors are ready. Let the drama unfold!"
Beep!
Chelsea immediately started passing after kickoff.
If Chelsea is a blue giant, then Jorginho is the giant's brain, completing nearly 1.2 passes per minute.
The passing was fluid and terrifyingly precise.
Peter Drury: "Chelsea weaving their blue tapestry early on. Jorginho orchestrates... a beautiful evasion! He launches a direct long pass to Hazard on the flank!"
Jim Beglin: "Hazard controls it instantly. He's running right at Ashley Young!"
Hazard quickly dribbled toward Young, aiming to tear open Man United's wing defense.
However, Young deliberately gave up the outside lane, using physical pressure from behind to force Hazard into a rushed cross.
Smack!
Peter Drury: "Hazard clips it in... Álvaro Morata rises to meet it!"
Morata, the striker who had lost his confidence at Chelsea, judged the ball's trajectory and leaped powerfully.
Unfortunately, Hazard's cross wasn't high quality.
The ball skimmed past Morata's gleaming hair and fell to Antonio Valencia, who cleared it away.
Jim Beglin: "Chelsea's first attack comes to nothing. It seems there's a curse on Chelsea's number 9 shirt, Peter. Mateja Kežman, Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao, and now Morata—they all seem to lose themselves here."
The match settled into a tactical battle.
Man United's combined zonal and man-to-man defense made their midfield impregnable.
With Jorginho neutralized by Pogba's relentless pressing, Chelsea lacked a bridge connecting their defense to their attack.
However, Man United didn't mount any particularly threatening attacks either.
Ling was quietly observing Chelsea's defensive setup.
He noticed their full-backs frequently pushed high up the pitch, forcing their center-backs to shift wide.
This left the central area highly exploitable.
In the 31st minute, Morata dropped back to receive the ball.
Ander Herrera seized the moment, aggressively pressing him and winning possession.
Bypassing the crowded midfield, Herrera launched a pinpoint long ball perfectly behind Jorginho.
Simultaneously, Rashford and Mahrez made rapid runs down the wings, while Pogba moved closer to support Ling.
Peter Drury: "Herrera launches it long! Ling battles Antonio Rüdiger in the air... he wins the header, nods it down to Pogba, and spins instantly into the space!"
Jim Beglin: "Look at the movement! Chelsea's center-backs have been pulled wide!"
On the touchline, Sarri's right eyelid twitched violently as he screamed, "Tuck inside! TUCK INSIDE!"
Peter Drury: "Pogba drives a low pass back into the path of Ling! He lets it roll across his body, shielding it from Gary Cahill!"
This was top-tier tactical awareness—planning his next move before even making the run.
Cahill was helpless inside the box; the slightest contact could concede a penalty.
Kepa, the €70 million goalkeeper, braced himself, closely tracking Ling's weight distribution. In a split second, Ling adjusted his stance.
His left leg coiled like a spring, unleashing all its stored power in a whip-like motion!
Peter Drury: "LING STRIKES IT! Oh, what a hit! It's an absolute thunderbolt! Kepa dives, but he is grasping at thin air! The net bulges, and Stamford Bridge is stunned into silence! A strike of pure, unadulterated venom!"
The fiercely spinning ball tore into the net at over 110 km/h.
The hearts of Chelsea fans plummeted into despair.
Ling didn't add insult to injury by taunting the home fans.
Instead, he sprinted toward the corner flag, pointed at the camera, pointed at himself and finally made a heart gesture with his hands.
@RedDevilsDaily: Holy shit! Ling hits the heart celebration! The rumors are true!
@UtdFaithful: I hereby declare Man City belongs to Man United! Our boy won over Guardiola's daughter!
@CityZenTears: Look at how worried Pep is... he's gonna lose whatever hair he has left!
In a classroom at Manchester University, Maria gazed at Ling on her phone screen, smiling warmly as she touched the new Chanel necklace resting on her chest.
As for the distant Guardiola, his expression was grave.
He wasn't thinking about the romance; he had keenly noticed Mourinho's tactical adjustments.
Giving Ling the freedom to operate outside strict tactical constraints was the perfect counter to modern pressing systems.
Guardiola rubbed his aching temples, realizing the future Manchester Derbies would be incredibly tough.
Down on the touchline, Sarri angrily threw his water bottle aside.
"Man-mark! Do you understand what I'm saying?!" he screamed at Rüdiger. "Why didn't you follow him immediately when he turned?!"
After the match resumed, Rüdiger decisively opted for close-marking defense.
Regardless of whether the right flank needed covering, he devoted all his attention to Ling.
Coupled with Man United's compact defense sweeping up possession, Chelsea's attacks quickly stalled, and the match situation became a tense, tactical deadlock.
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