In last season's CIES data, Eden Hazard ranked first in Europe's Top Five Leagues with 6.4 successful dribbles per 90 minutes and a 75% success rate.
As for second place? It was Ling, with 5.7 dribbles per 90 minutes and an 83% success rate.
Hazard's dribbling moves are relatively straightforward, mostly involving slight changes of direction, nudges, and pulls of the ball.
His exceptionally high step frequency and quick ball touches allow him to evade defenders before they can make a challenge.
Meanwhile, his stable center of gravity and core physical strength enable him to withstand high-intensity duels.
Belgium national team coach Roberto Martínez once said, "Why is Hazard so good at dribbling? His ass are the key. They help him lower his center of gravity during dribbles, allowing him to use hip movements to shake off defenders one-on-one."
This is no joke; in fact, most top dribblers in football, like Raheem Sterling, generally have compact and prominent gluteal curves.
However, Ling and Hazard's dribbling techniques are entirely different in style.
As the first half at Stamford Bridge continued, Chelsea found themselves trailing 1-0 and being dominated by Man United.
Because Man United's defense remained incredibly compact, Chelsea's wing attacks were effectively halved.
Sarri's men were forced to attempt penetrating through the middle with short passes.
Here, N'Golo Kanté's role became immensely important.
He began taking on organizational duties on the right flank, pushing forward in an inverted triangle formation with Jorginho to strengthen ball retention in Man United's defensive third.
Five minutes after Man United's opening goal, Jorginho turned past Pogba and played a short pass to Kanté.
Kanté decisively launched a long, cross-field pass toward Willian on the opposite flank.
In football, players with afros seem to have excellent ball control skills.
Willian effortlessly controlled the ball while advancing, forcefully broke past Antonio Valencia, and sent a low cross along the goal line from near the byline.
Álvaro Morata's attacking instinct was sharp.
He accurately judged the ball's trajectory and managed a sliding shot before Harry Maguire could react.
Unfortunately, the shot from him flew straight out for a goal kick.
The Chelsea fans in the stands were beyond disappointed, reaching the point of cursing their own striker.
In their view, if they had a center forward like Ling instead of Morata, Chelsea might already be leading 2-1.
On the touchline, Sarri adjusted his glasses.
Indeed, Chelsea's forward line had significant problems this match.
Morata simply couldn't integrate into the tactics and Hazard was playing in an unfamiliar right-winger position, leaving only Willian performing relatively well.
Sarri thought about swapping Hazard and Willian's positions, as Hazard is far more dangerous as a left winger.
But Sarri promptly abandoned the idea.
He knew Mourinho would have already devised a countermeasure.
Looking closely at Man United's wing configuration—Valencia, Mahrez, Rashford, and Ashley Young—they are all speedsters, competing precisely on the efficiency of transitioning between attack and defense.
Swapping his wingers would be equivalent to cutting off his own team's retreat, exposing them to lethal counterattacks.
...
While defending with full intensity, Man United never forgot to seize opportunities for counterattacks.
They no longer launched hopeful long balls from the back; that type of attack was too inefficient and easily surrendered possession.
Instead, they relied on their captain.
Ling, given high tactical freedom by Mourinho, drifted like a ghost between Chelsea's formations.
He could always anticipate Chelsea's attacking focus in advance and position himself at the most suitable spot for a counter.
"This is a very unique ability that other players can't replicate," Drury had noted.
Antonio Rüdiger, tasked with marking Ling, was utterly frustrated.
Unable to defend effectively and outmatched in attack, Rüdiger felt as if he were surrounded by buzzing flies.
He had encountered many troublesome attacking players before.
Strength, speed, intelligence... usually, a player has one or two.
But when one person possesses all these qualities, it becomes a nightmare for defenders.
In the 41st minute, Chelsea tried to attack again.
Hazard received a pass from Kanté on the right flank and drove straight toward the edge of the penalty area.
Facing Nemanja Matić's aggressive press, Hazard abruptly cut to the left, then swiftly shifted the ball back to the right.
In the blink of an eye, he completed two rapid touches.
His exceptional ball control allowed him to execute an unexpected dribble through a tight space.
Peter Drury: "Hazard dances! He twists blood out of stone! He single-handedly breaks through the barrier of Matić and Herrera!"
Jim Beglin: "What brilliant dribbling. Even playing out of position, he is Chelsea's strongest explosive point!"
Peter Drury: "He surges toward the penalty area... he drops the shoulder, looking to beat David Luiz!"
Hazard aimed to declare himself Chelsea's true leader with a spectacular solo run, completely ignoring Morata's loud calls for a pass on the flank.
After all, who knew if the striker would just squander the chance again?
However, something unexpected happened.
Maguire, operating with a compressed defensive line that left no space behind him, aggressively stepped up to assist Luiz in a double-team.
Smack!
Peter Drury: "MAGUIRE! A precise, thumping tackle to deny the Belgian!"
Jim Beglin: "He read Hazard's intentions perfectly! And look at this—he didn't just clear it, he's bringing the ball out himself!"
Maguire also possesses a robust posterior—did that hint at his dribbling prowess? Indeed.
Although his stride frequency isn't high due to his massive 99kg physique, his rhythm and ball control are excellent.
Kanté closed in, attempting to dispossess Maguire on the spot.
Maguire habitually evaded the challenge by altering the ball's path and slightly raising his left arm to block.
Kanté (weighing just 68kg) suddenly faced a harsh reality: his legs were simply too short to reach around the giant Englishman!
After bypassing Kanté, Maguire heard a familiar voice.
Looking up, he saw Ling dropping deep to receive the ball.
Without a moment's hesitation, Maguire delivered a powerful, precise short pass.
Jorginho tried to intercept it midway but was distracted by Pogba, causing him to react a split second too late.
Peter Drury: "Maguire feeds Ling! Rüdiger is breathing down his neck... Sarri is waving frantically for Azpilicueta to help!"
Jim Beglin: "Ling knows he's there..."
Before receiving the ball, Ling had already scanned his surroundings.
He actively moved backward to meet the pass, using his body to block Rüdiger's line of sight.
The next second, Stamford Bridge erupted in gasps of astonishment.
Ling stood sideways, flicked the ball with his toe, and turn 180 degrees simultaneously!
The entire movement flowed with effortless grace.
Before Rüdiger could even react to pull his shirt, Ling had already elegantly slipped away.
Ling surged forward with powerful strides.
He lifted his head to search for teammates, but with Man United's wingers still tracking back from defense, he had only two options: slow down to wait for support.... or charge into the lion's den alone!
His body had already provided the answer: ACCELERATE!!!
Peter Drury: "Ling spins away from Rüdiger! He shifts into gear! He is a freight train with the grace of a ballet dancer! Azpilicueta comes across to cover..."
César Azpilicueta closed in from the side.
His defending wasn't characterized by rough tackles, but rather by exceptional positioning honed through years of experience.
But Ling proactively initiated contact with a hard shoulder bump.
Azpilicueta felt like he'd hit a brick wall; he stumbled two steps before tumbling helplessly to the grass.
The Blues captain could only watch Ling's rapidly disappearing figure.
Peter Drury: "He brushes Azpilicueta aside like a feather! He is into the penalty area! Only Gary Cahill stands between him and glory!"
Gary Cahill was a highly decorated defender, having won every major club honor available.
Knowing Ling's feints were exceptionally convincing, Cahill refrained from committing to a tackle, focusing instead on jockeying and disruption.
The problem was, Ling made no deceptive moves whatsoever.
He simply relied on his explosive absolute speed to shift into yet another gear, completely shattering Chelsea's defensive line!
Kepa Arrizabalaga lowered his center of gravity, preparing to dive.
He had rarely encountered such a brutal forward during his time in La Liga, even Neymar in his prime seemed less terrifying.
What scared Kepa most was how Ling maintained perfect control of the football at top speed, possessing the potential to shoot at virtually every step.
When Kepa could no longer resist the anxiety and launched himself forward to close the angle, Ling's powerful calf muscles instantly stabbed the ball sideways!
Peter Drury: "KEPA COMMITS... LING DIPS IT PAST HIM! IT ROLLS INTO THE EMPTY NET! IT IS A MASTERPIECE! A SCI-FI MOVIE FOR CHELSEA FANS, BUT A BEAUTIFUL REALITY FOR MANCHESTER UNITED!"
Jim Beglin: "What an otherworldly, perfect solo goal! He took on the entire Chelsea defense single-handedly! In mere seconds, he executed a series of breathtaking maneuvers. Everyone asks if Ling can snatch Hazard's title as the Dribbling King... I think we just got our answer!"
Peter Drury: "A brace before the halftime whistle! He has pierced Chelsea's heart once more!"
2-0!!!