"Last night, did you watch the match between Manchester United and Arsenal?"
Early in the morning, inside the Melwood locker room, Aurelio asked the question with a teasing smile as he looked at Yang Yang.
"No, I went to bed early," Yang Yang answered calmly.
Aurelio slapped his own forehead in exaggerated disbelief.
After spending so much time together, he had gradually discovered that Yang Yang truly was a very simple person. Just as Maicon and Maxwell had said, football seemed to be the only thing in his life.
Well—football and his beautiful girlfriend.
God only knew how this guy managed to win over someone that stunning.
"Manchester United lost," Aurelio said.
Yang Yang nodded. "Winston told me this morning."
Not only had Manchester United lost, Cristiano Ronaldo had fired off more than a dozen shots without scoring once. And in the final minutes, he even lost possession to Fabregas. The Spanish midfielder immediately launched a counterattack and assisted Adebayor, whose goal sealed United's defeat.
The British papers that morning were merciless, portraying Cristiano Ronaldo as the primary culprit in Manchester United's home loss. Many outlets even brought up Yang Yang to compare the two yet again.
Yang Yang had led Liverpool to a 3–1 away win over Chelsea, while Cristiano Ronaldo's performance ended with a 0–1 defeat at home to Arsenal. The comparison needed no explanation.
Despite the overwhelming criticism from the British media, Ferguson defended his player firmly at the post-match press conference. He insisted it was unfair to place the blame solely on Cristiano Ronaldo.
"The reason he lost the ball," Ferguson said, "was because, at that moment, he was still fighting with everything he had to score and beat Arsenal."
"Cristiano has a tremendous fighting spirit and a powerful desire to win. That aligns perfectly with our Manchester United identity. He's an emotional player—someone capable of changing a match. Unfortunately, he lost the ball, and the others didn't have time to recover."
"These things happen. Any player can lose possession. Unfortunately for him, he's Cristiano Ronaldo, so he gets all the attention and all the criticism, and that's unfair."
But aside from a few United-friendly outlets, Ferguson's words were drowned out by the tide of media condemnation.
The pressure around the Portuguese forward felt suffocating.
"I think after this match, he's going to be pretty down for a while," Aurelio said, a small note of satisfaction in his voice.
Liverpool players were naturally inclined to enjoy Manchester United's misfortune—including this one.
"I think Ferguson is right. He is an emotional player."
"And then?" Aurelio asked, puzzled.
Yang Yang looked at him seriously. "A player like that usually reacts in one of two ways. Either the pressure becomes too much and he collapses…"
"Or?"
"Or he grits his teeth, survives the slump, and comes out transformed—and explosive."
After finishing, Yang Yang spoke with absolute certainty. "Cristiano Ronaldo is definitely the second type."
"How do you know?" Aurelio asked again.
"This summer, the British media went after him just as hard as they are now. But what happened? He stayed at Manchester United anyway, fought for his place, and played a key role. And he's already improved noticeably this season."
Yang Yang shook his head and gave a helpless smile.
Every skill on the football pitch was earned through hard work—including shooting.
And shooting was a technique built entirely on repetition.
Yang Yang knew this better than anyone. In recent years, apart from his daily training, he had also practiced every night inside the Dream Training System. His shooting was more stable than that of most players his age precisely because he had put in more effort than they ever imagined.
Without all that extra training, his shooting would never have improved so quickly.
Cristiano Ronaldo didn't have a system. He only had relentless training and competitive matches.
Wild shots, forced attempts—those were just early signs of someone sharpening their finishing technique.
"You'll see. Cristiano will bounce back soon." Yang Yang sounded like he understood his opponent better than anyone.
Aurelio puckered his lips and eyed him teasingly, as if wondering what kind of strange relationship existed between him and Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to the British media, one of the reasons Cristiano Ronaldo stayed in the Premier League—besides Ferguson's support and Manchester United's insistence—was that he wanted to challenge Yang Yang.
There was no reason to believe Yang Yang hadn't seen those stories. But somehow, he didn't seem bothered at all. If anything, he sounded sympathetic.
Yang Yang only shrugged with a faint smile. He had no way to explain to this Brazilian teammate what it meant to "recognize a kindred spirit."
To him, Cristiano Ronaldo was a worthy rival.
And one who would continue to push him forward.
…
…
The fifth round of the Premier League had concluded.
Liverpool now had eleven points from three wins and two draws, placing them third in the league table.
Because Manchester United had lost at home to Arsenal this round, the Red Devils surrendered the top spot. Portsmouth took over first place with thirteen points from five matches.
Manchester United followed closely with twelve points. Liverpool had eleven. Everton, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Reading each had nine, while Arsenal sat in eighth place with only eight points.
In the Premier League scoring chart, Everton striker Andy Johnson, West Ham United forward Bobby Zamora, and Liverpool's Yang Yang were tied for first with five goals apiece.
Chelsea's Drogba and Portsmouth's Kanu followed with four goals each.
When the dust from the fifth round settled, England once again erupted in excitement.
Liverpool's performance this season had been impressive. After Manchester United's defeat to Arsenal, the Reds were one of only three unbeaten teams left in the Premier League. The others were leaders Portsmouth and the chasing Aston Villa.
Both Liverpool supporters and club management were pleased with the team's current form.
Benitez told the media that the squad was united and that everyone believed the team could achieve something this season.
Captain Gerrard echoed that sentiment in his own interview: "Right now, we feel stronger than ever!"
…
A week later came the sixth round of the Premier League.
Liverpool faced Tottenham at home.
Martin Jol's Tottenham side—a team guided by the Dutch coach—lasted only an hour at Anfield.
In the 63rd minute, Crouch converted Yang Yang's cross to give Liverpool the opening goal.
It was unquestionably an unselfish pass. Yang Yang himself was in a very good shooting position, but he chose to feed Crouch, who had an even clearer angle. After scoring, the first thing Crouch did was sprint directly toward Yang Yang.
Ten minutes later, Kuyt met Xabi Alonso's delivery at the far post and made it 2–0.
In the final stages of the match, Riise added another goal for Liverpool.
In the end, the Reds defeated Tottenham 3–0 at Anfield.
Yang Yang was tightly marked throughout the match by Tottenham. Having coached in the Netherlands, Martin Jol knew both Ajax and Yang Yang well, and he designed a special marking scheme specifically for him.
Although Yang Yang did not score, his selfless assist to Crouch earned unanimous praise from the media, the fans, and his teammates—especially inside the dressing room.
In the other matches of the round, Chelsea won 2–0 with two goals from Lampard against Fulham, while Arsenal beat Sheffield United 3–0 thanks to the returns of Gallas and Henry from injury.
Manchester United travelled to Reading. The first half ended 0–0, but Reading took the lead through a penalty. In the 73rd minute, Manchester United equalized through Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese winger's strike was exquisite—almost textbook perfection for a clean instep volley.
The only drawback was that he scored the goal after having missed seven earlier attempts in the same match.
But unlike the previous game, no one criticized him this time for shooting too much.
Instead, the media and fans praised him as Manchester United's crisis-solver. After all, his goal salvaged an important away point.
After the sixth round, the Premier League scoring chart remained unchanged. However, Lampard's brace allowed him to catch up to Drogba with four goals, while Yang Yang remained tied for first with Zamora and Johnson.
Since Portsmouth lost 0–1 at home to Bolton this round, the top of the league table shifted.
With three points earned, Liverpool moved ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea, Portsmouth, and the rest, reaching fourteen points—taking first place in the Premier League for the first time this season.
This immediately drew the attention of the entire British media and fanbase.
Everyone had to acknowledge that Liverpool's defense was not only as solid as before, but their attack was becoming increasingly sharp. As Yang Yang settled in and integrated more deeply into the squad, Liverpool's forward play continued to grow richer and more dynamic.
The team's rise to the top made the media and fans once again recognize the impact and contributions that Yang Yang had brought.
After this Premier League round, FIFA officially released the top thirty candidates for this year's FIFA World Player of the Year.
Liverpool had only two names on the list: Yang Yang and team captain Gerrard.
Manchester United also had two: Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney.
Arsenal had three—Henry, Lehmann, and Rosicky.
Chelsea had the most with six finalists: Drogba, Ballack, Lampard, Shevchenko, Essien, and Cech, a clear reflection of the Blues' strength and depth in the Premier League.
Yang Yang was not surprised to be among the thirty again. He had won both the European Golden Boot and the Champions League Golden Boot last season, and he had broken the Eredivisie scoring record. It would have been impossible for him not to be shortlisted.
The only question was how far he would go this year.
Last season, he had finished tenth—just barely squeezing into the top ten. So what about this year?
…
…
On the evening of September 27, at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium.
In the second round of the Champions League Group C stage, Liverpool hosted Galatasaray.
Kuyt was rotated out of the lineup, and Pennant started on the right flank.
Less than a minute after kickoff, Pennant created a cross from the right. Crouch, towering over the Turkish defenders inside the box, met the ball with a commanding header—but it went wide.
Three minutes later, Yang Yang delivered a pass and Gerrard attempted a long-range shot from outside the area, but it also missed.
Liverpool then launched a sustained and fierce assault on Galatasaray, finally scoring in the ninth minute.
Gerrard sent the ball to the left, Aurelio delivered it forward, Yang Yang crossed from the flank, and Crouch calmly stretched out his right foot in front of goal to score his first Champions League goal of the season.
Having received assists from Yang Yang in two straight matches, Crouch was clearly pleased with his strike partner. As he celebrated, he sprinted straight toward Yang Yang and pulled him with him toward the touchline.
Just one minute later, Yang Yang once again created danger by carving out a shooting chance for Aurelio, but the Brazilian full-back's attempt was saved by the goalkeeper.
In the fourteenth minute, Liverpool pressed aggressively in the attacking third. After Pennant dispossessed an opponent, he drove into the penalty area from the right.
Yang Yang kept a close eye on the positioning of every teammate nearby. The moment he saw Pennant cutting into the box, he immediately sensed that an opportunity would follow, because Galatasaray's defenders were focused on the middle—on Crouch—and on Pennant's right-side run.
He trusted Pennant to spot it too.
Sure enough, with Crouch tightly marked, Pennant chose to lift a delicate pass toward the far post.
Yang Yang burst forward and, completely unmarked at the back, headed the ball into the net from close range.
"Goal!!!"
"A header!"
"Yang Yang scores with a close-range header in the 14th minute!"
"It's brilliant movement. Pennant picked the pass perfectly, and Yang Yang met it with a simple close-range header to once again break Galatasaray's defense!"
"This should be the second headed goal of Yang Yang's career!"
After scoring, Yang Yang was visibly fired up.
All of Anfield erupted in cheers for him.
This was also Yang Yang's first Champions League goal of the season.
With a two-goal lead, Liverpool continued to press Galatasaray relentlessly.
Right after the second half began, Pennant intercepted the ball again on the right. Finnan overlapped and sent in another delivery. Near the penalty spot, Crouch executed a beautiful overhead kick, driving the ball into Galatasaray's net.
A brace!
The England striker burst into wild celebration, dragging his teammates to the sideline for a mechanical-dance routine, drawing loud applause from the entire Anfield crowd.
Galatasaray pulled one back in the 65th minute through a goal assisted by Turan.
In the end, Liverpool defeated Galatasaray 3–1 at home, securing their second consecutive win in the group stage.
PSV Eindhoven defeated Bordeaux 1–0 away in this round.
After two rounds of matches, Liverpool held two wins and six valuable points, topping the group.
Eindhoven followed with three points, while Bordeaux and Galatasaray occupied third and fourth place respectively.
…
…
Three days later, the Premier League entered its seventh round.
Liverpool travelled away to face Bolton.
Having just climbed to the top of the league table, the Reds were determined to win and hold their position.
The match initially appeared to be unfolding exactly according to Liverpool's rhythm.
Yang Yang, Crouch, and Kuyt once again formed the attacking trio. In midfield, Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Mohamed Sissoko all started together. Liverpool fielded their strongest lineup and looked sharp.
Right from kickoff, Liverpool launched wave after wave of attacks on Bolton, focusing heavily on the left and right flanks. The wingers were extremely active, constantly creating chances, often coming just one step short of scoring.
Bolton, however, played brutally, relying on physical challenges and heavy tackles. The lenient refereeing only encouraged their style.
In the twenty-fourth minute, Bolton defender Abdoulaye Faye clashed with Kuyt while contesting the ball, injuring the Dutch forward. Kuyt was forced off to stop the bleeding and could only return four minutes later.
On top of that, the referee judged Reina to have handled the ball outside the penalty area when he cleared it forward.
It was a blatant misjudgment. Every Liverpool player protested. Reina repeatedly insisted he had not stepped out of the box and that it could not have been handball, but the referee still awarded a dangerous free kick.
Bolton made the most of it. Former Real Madrid player Iván Campo rolled the ball sideways, and Speed struck a volley that flew in. Bolton took the lead and broke the deadlock.
After that, no matter how hard Liverpool pushed forward, they could not break through Bolton's defense.
In the end, Liverpool lost 1–0—their first defeat of the season.
It was also the first time Yang Yang truly felt the harsh, physical side of the Premier League.
The match had been extremely fierce, filled with questionable decisions by the referee—especially the call that led directly to the conceded goal. The media widely criticized the referee afterward, but the scoreline would not change.
Yang Yang also witnessed the toughness of Premier League players firsthand.
Kuyt, still bleeding heavily through half his shirt and most of his head, was desperate to get back on the pitch, which left a powerful impression.
While Liverpool were losing away to Bolton, Manchester United defeated Newcastle thanks to a brace from Solskjaer. With those three points, Ferguson's team reclaimed the top spot from Liverpool.
Chelsea also stumbled this round. At home, they drew with Aston Villa 1-1, with Drogba scoring just three minutes into the match.
Clearly, under the pressure of competition from Shevchenko, the Ivorian striker was fully motivated this season and had hit top form.
Arsenal came from behind to beat Charlton, with Van Persie scoring twice.
After this round, the Premier League's traditional top four gathered at the top of the table.
Manchester United led with 16 points. Liverpool and Arsenal both had 14, tied for second and third. Bolton, also on 14, ranked fourth. Chelsea, Portsmouth, Everton, Aston Villa, and Reading all sat just behind with 13 points.
As for the scoring chart, Andy Johnson scored again this round, leading with six goals. Yang Yang, Kanu, Drogba, and Zamora were all on five, tied for second place.
…
…
After completing the seventh round, the Premier League entered a two-week October international break.
Because these matches were Asian Cup qualifiers, Arie Haan once again did not call up the Chinese players based abroad. Yang Yang remained in the UK to continue training, but he made a short trip to the Netherlands midway through the break. He visited his uncle's family and returned briefly to Rotterdam to see his old school, which drew attention from Dutch media and fans.
Two weeks later, the eighth round of the Premier League began.
In the opening match, Manchester United overturned Wigan Athletic with goals from Vidic, Saha, and Solskjaer, earning a valuable away victory.
Liverpool, once again affected by the disruption of international fixtures, looked lethargic.
Although Yang Yang remained extremely active, even a tiger cannot defeat a pack of wolves alone.
In the Eredivisie, he had the ability to carry his entire team by himself, but in the Premier League, he was not yet at that level.
In the seventeenth minute of the first half, Benni McCarthy scored for Blackburn.
However, in the 64th minute of the second half, Yang Yang finally created and finished a chance on his own to equalize for Liverpool. He went on to create several more opportunities, but his teammates were in poor form.
In the end, Liverpool drew 1–1 at home against Blackburn.
Arsenal and Chelsea both won their matches this round, and Portsmouth and Bolton also defeated their opponents. As a result, Liverpool dropped four places in the league table, falling to sixth.
Yang Yang, however, after scoring, moved to the top of the scoring chart, tied with Kanu and Andy Johnson at six goals.
At the same time, his ten-goal target agreed upon with Benitez was getting closer and closer.
…
…
Three days later came the third round of the Champions League Group C stage.
Liverpool travelled away to face Bordeaux.
Having gone two Premier League matches without a win—one draw and one loss—Liverpool also faced significant pressure from Bordeaux on the road. The team ranked second in Ligue 1 played aggressively at home.
From the start, a group of players led by Micoud, Malouda, Faubert, and Chamakh launched sharp attacks from the wings. Their combinations were smooth and well-rehearsed, leaving Liverpool briefly overwhelmed.
But Benitez once again deployed three midfielders. Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Mohamed Sissoko all performed with exceptional grit, doing everything they could to protect the goal.
Just when it looked like Liverpool's sluggish performance might lead to another game without a win, Yang Yang stepped up at the crucial moment.
In the sixty-sixth minute, Crouch headed a knockdown inside the box. Yang Yang surged forward, met the ball in stride, and without taking a touch, unleashed a fierce volley that smashed into the Bordeaux net.
Afterward, despite Bordeaux's persistent attacks, Liverpool held firm.
In the end, thanks to Yang Yang's goal, the Reds defeated Bordeaux 1–0, earning their third straight win in the group.
It could be said that this victory had almost secured Liverpool's place as group leaders. As long as the team maintained stability, finishing first in the group would not be a problem.
Across the first three group matches, Yang Yang had assisted Gerrard in the opening round—helping Liverpool beat Eindhoven 1–0—registered both an assist and a goal in the second round, and scored the decisive winner in the third.
Yang Yang's decisive contributions in all three matches earned him unanimous praise from European media.
Benitez publicly stated that after defeating Bordeaux, Yang Yang had become an indispensable player for the team.
"After returning to the UK, we will visit Old Trafford and challenge Manchester United away."
"There is no doubt this will be another difficult test for us, and I believe Yang Yang's performance will influence the outcome."
The North-West Derby—one of the Premier League's biggest fixtures every season.