Once again, Masuaku displayed his speed advantage.
Like three times five divided by two—
He quickly charged down the flank into Chelsea's territory.
But just as Masuaku was about to make a cross, Chelsea's wide player Marcos Alonso reappeared in front of him.
In their previous duel,
Marcos Alonso had arguably lost out to Masuaku.
But this time, Alonso was clearly more focused.
He had learned from his earlier mistake and didn't recklessly dive in for a challenge.
Instead, he used his excellent physical strength to maintain his position and block Masuaku's path.
Unfortunately—
Masuaku didn't choose to cross the ball from the 80-yard line.
Instead, he passed it centrally to João Mário once again.
João Mário was also a player with strong offensive capabilities.
His speed and shooting ability were both quite impressive.
Receiving the ball just inside the penalty area,
João Mário still posed a significant threat to Chelsea's defense!
He glanced at the goal.
He noticed that Ivanović wasn't well positioned, and nearby, Gary Cahill and Azpilicueta were applying constant pressure.
If he tried to force a pass into the box—
There was a high chance it would be cleared by either Azpilicueta or Gary Cahill.
It wasn't the best option.
So after a brief moment of hesitation,
João Mário chose to pass the ball to Edimilson Fernandes in the center.
To be honest, among West Ham United's current squad,
The player in the best form was undoubtedly Edimilson Fernandes.
In the current Premier League season,
Edimilson Fernandes had already scored 8 goals and provided 11 assists.
The reason West Ham United was sitting sixth in the league table—
Was largely due to his individual brilliance.
In crucial matchups against top teams,
Edimilson always managed to step up when it mattered most and help his team win.
This time was no different.
After João Mário delivered the ball to him,
Chelsea fans immediately sensed danger.
As expected—
The very next second, Edimilson Fernandes displayed his brilliant form.
Chelsea's center-back Azpilicueta had already stepped up,
Attempting to block Edimilson's shot.
But he was a step too slow.
Azpilicueta couldn't keep up with the rhythm of Edimilson's movement and shooting technique.
Just like that—
Azpilicueta could only watch helplessly as the ball slipped past him.
In the blink of an eye,
The football seemed destined for the back of the net!
Just when everyone thought Edimilson Fernandes' long-range shot was going to score—
Another Chelsea player rose to the occasion.
His name was Courtois.
Although he hadn't quite found his rhythm at the start of the game,
At this crucial moment—
Courtois once again showed his world-class ability.
Leaping into the air,
He caught the ball securely with both hands.
Then, he quickly got back to his feet.
Without wasting a second, he launched the ball by hand to Su Luo.
Su Luo then swiftly passed it to Lukaku.
And just like that—
Chelsea had a counterattacking opportunity.
Their center-forward, Lukaku, now found himself one-on-one with Cresswell.
Although Cresswell's defensive skills were relatively average,
His speed wasn't bad.
So the moment he saw Lukaku receive the ball,
Cresswell didn't dare to relax—
He immediately sprinted forward to intercept and positioned himself in front of Lukaku.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
There are 500+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[Naruto: I Don't Want Recognition]