Chapter 128: Top of the Table! Score, Bayswater Chinese FC!
"Sam, this is what you call the best football in England?"
In the north stand of Wembley Stadium, a group of young men and women were loudly watching the match.
Judging by their age and attire, they were likely a group of university students.
Everyone had a cup of British milk tea in hand, and some were enjoying a slice of cheesecake.
"It's been an hour, and not a single goal. Sam, this is so boring. American football is way more exciting," said Ben Turner, an American student, earning plenty of nods from his peers.
Clearly, the group was disappointed by what they were seeing.
"Today's just unlucky. Two starters went down injured in the first half," Sam explained anxiously.
"I swear, Bayswater Chinese FC plays the best football in the Premier League."
"Haha, I believe you, Sam. But if this is the best the league has to offer, then football is doomed to be overtaken by American football!"
Ben's comment got a round of laughter and support.
"Wait till the NFL comes to the UK. You'll see—it'll take the whole country by storm."
With Ben's remark, the debate heated up.
"The NFL is pretty awesome, I saw a game in the States—super intense."
"Football's just dull. Sometimes they don't even score in 90 minutes."
"Exactly, it's boring."
"Alright, leave Sam alone. He's the one who brought us."
"Haha, thanks for the invite, Sam. But maybe skip it next time."
"Seriously though, football's just not fun to watch."
"I saw that promo video they made about football culture—it was nice. But the actual games? Meh."
"Look, football's 11-vs-11, very tactical. It's hard to make it entertaining."
"I'd say it has more depth. That's why it's the world's most popular sport."
"Popular? This?" Ben scoffed.
The rest of the group looked a bit helpless.
Ben never liked football. He played on his school's American football team and always touted the NFL as the best sport on Earth.
"Just give them a bit more time, Ben. I believe they'll score," Sam pleaded, desperate.
He was British, a lifelong football fan. But his family had always forced him to focus on studies, never letting him play. Still, he'd always had a football dream.
To him, Bayswater Chinese FC embodied everything beautiful about the game.
Anything is possible.
"Come on, Sam, we already watched Chelsea. That was painful."
"Arsenal was no better."
"Now it's Bayswater, and it's still pretty mid. Not exciting at all."
Ben wasn't holding back.
"We came out to relax this weekend. We wanted a thrilling show—not 22 people grinding on a pitch."
It was harsh—but not untrue.
Their seats had cost over £50.
"Yeah, Sam, don't waste your money next time."
"Watching them struggle to a 0–0? Can't take it anymore."
"Totally not into goalless football games."
"Same here."
"Well, that's football. One goal a game is sometimes all you get."
Sam sat quietly, listening to his classmates, feeling anxious.
They were from University of London, students from around the world.
Sam felt they all had a bias against football and really wanted to show them what the game could be.
But so far, none of the matches he'd invited them to had delivered.
He was silently chanting in his heart:
Score already, Bayswater!
You pride yourselves on attacking football, don't you?
Then score, damn it!
…
On the pitch, Arshavin received a pass from Rakitić near the center-right circle in Wigan's half.
As the Russian took the ball, he looked up.
Wigan had just counterattacked, and their defense wasn't fully organized yet.
The back line was loose.
Three defenders were near Arshavin, but none rushed him—they were more focused on getting back into shape.
And their recovery pace was sluggish.
Realizing this, Arshavin touched the ball forward and exploded with pace,
breaking through two defenders.
Aussie midfielder Josip Skoko came across to intercept, but Arshavin continued charging forward.
Even as Skoko pressed him with a shoulder barge, Arshavin calmly kept possession.
He made it all the way into the right edge of the penalty area.
The entire stadium stirred.
Just when everyone expected a cross from the byline,
Arshavin stopped dead, cut inside, and created a passing lane by rolling the ball back with his right foot.
Then, with his left, he lifted a half-height cross into the center.
Lewandowski made a sharp run, controlled it with his abdomen,
shielded the center-back with his back, and trapped the ball.
A second Wigan defender came in to double.
With little room, Lewandowski turned and laid it back out to the right flank.
Arshavin didn't hesitate—he crossed again, this time high and toward the far post.
Bale leapt, but a Wigan defender beat him to the header.
The ball floated—not far—and dropped inside the box near the penalty spot.
And then—
A red blur charged in, shielded off the right-side defender, and volleyed with his left foot.
In that instant, Wembley erupted.
Behind Wigan's goal, a sea of red went wild.
Thousands of Bayswater fans, all wearing this season's home kit, rose as one.
The ball had struck the underside of the crossbar and crashed into the net.
"GOAL!!!!"
"53rd minute, Bayswater Chinese FC's No. 10, Captain Modrić, breaks the deadlock!"
"1–0!!"
"A beautifully constructed team move!"
"Arshavin's dribble from the right created the chance."
"Wigan defended well, but Bayswater's layered offense was just too much."
"Modrić's late run was perfectly timed!"
…
Down a goal, Wigan's gameplan began to crumble.
After the restart, they tried to press higher, hoping to create chances.
In the 56th minute, Wigan played a long diagonal from the left, aiming for Marcus Bent.
The ball landed near the top left corner of the penalty arc.
Thiago Silva wasn't as tall as Bent, but he kept his eyes on the ball.
As it dropped, he stepped in front, leapt, and headed it cleanly to Lass Diarra.
As soon as the French midfielder got the ball under control, he immediately passed it to Thiago Silva, who was sprinting forward after landing.
The Brazilian waved his hand, motioning for the team to push up.
He clearly remembered what the coach had said: the backline must press up whenever possible.
Thiago Silva carried the ball forward for three or four strides before Lewandowski raised his hand—then fired a sharp pass forward.
Lewandowski had dropped all the way back into the center circle of his own half to receive, but instead of stopping the ball, he one-touched it to Modrić.
The Croatian immediately understood and chased it down on Wigan's left side, then delivered a perfect through ball behind their back line.
At almost the same moment, Gareth Bale burst into a sprint.
The Welshman's acceleration was terrifying—he went from trailing by several steps to surging past everyone in the blink of an eye.
After catching up to Modrić's pass, he charged toward the left side of the box.
Noticing no one had arrived to support yet, Bale slammed the brakes and cut back with the ball.
His marker? Former Chelsea right-back Mario Melchiot.
The tall Dutchman was strong but lacked agility. He'd been sprinting hard to chase Bale, and when Bale slammed on the brakes, Melchiot couldn't stop himself and slipped right on the edge of the box.
Bale darted into the box, drawing defenders with him, then calmly squared the ball to the penalty spot.
Arshavin was already there, and with a first-time side-footed shot, buried the ball into Wigan's net.
2–0!
Wembley erupted.
The crowd was whipped into a frenzy.
…
Conceding twice in such a short time—Wigan completely lost their composure.
Modrić, as captain, had a clear read on the match and immediately signaled to Yang Cheng.
Yang Cheng gestured back—manage the tempo as you see fit.
Sure enough, every time Wigan won the ball, Bayswater immediately dropped back.
Wigan, now two goals down, were becoming desperate.
They frustratingly realized that every time they pushed into Bayswater's half,
the defense was already set up.
Their counters had turned into set-piece attacks.
Like in the 61st minute:
Marcus Bent dropped back to receive a pass.
Back to goal, with Pepe pressing tightly behind him, constantly harassing and denying him any chance to turn.
Bent had no choice but to pass it back.
Wigan's midfield, still unwilling to give up, tried to lob it forward again—
but Lass Diarra intercepted it mid-route.
Thiago Silva stepped up from the box, claimed the ball, and passed it to Rakitić.
Rakitić received it sideways, spun around, and looked forward.
Bale was ready.
The Croatian's long-passing isn't elite, but this was simple:
Boot it long and let Bale run.
The ball carved a beautiful arc through Wembley's sky,
dropping toward the left edge of Wigan's penalty area.
Gareth Bale, like a red lightning bolt, tore through the night sky of Wembley.
The entire stadium screamed.
His speed shocked everyone.
But no one knew—at that moment, Bale was grumbling in his head.
That pass was mid at best, Rakitić...
Even so, Bale chased it down before the baseline, but he'd just sprinted half the pitch and was out of gas.
Defenders closed in.
So he shielded the ball, took a step back, and passed it to the onrushing Leighton Baines.
The English left-back controlled it, then lifted a diagonal cross into the box.
Lewandowski met it with a header, and the ball zipped past the left post, into the net.
3–0!
"GOAL AGAIN!!!!"
"Three goals in less than 10 minutes for Bayswater Chinese FC!"
"My God—I can't believe what I'm seeing!"
"Bayswater Chinese FC have exploded for 3 goals in under 10 minutes!"
"3–0!"
"Gareth Bale's pace has been devastating. He's been sensational down the left."
"The attacking rhythm, the speed, the structure—this team's transitions are electric."
"Compare it to Wigan: every time they win the ball and push forward, Bayswater is already back and organized."
"But when Bayswater counterattacks, Wigan's defense is still scrambling."
"That's fatal."
"And without any individual superiority on their side, Wigan's players are just getting eaten alive."
"3–0! Hutchings has got to rethink his defensive setup."
…
If the first goal had been somewhat expected,
then the rapid succession of goals afterward left the crowd stunned—speechless.
Especially Sam and his classmates.
They had never seen football played with such blistering speed and attacking intent.
Three goals in ten minutes?
No—eight minutes, actually.
One goal? Okay.
Two? Impressive.
Three, back-to-back? Unreal.
"What... what kind of football is this?"
"My God—who's No. 16? That speed! I swear he could beat Bolt in a race."
"His name's Gareth Bale. He's Welsh. Only 18," Sam replied proudly.
"Only 18?! He has so much room to grow—he should do track & field!"
"Oh my, I had no idea football could be so intense—wave after wave of attack—it gave me goosebumps. It's addictive!"
"Right? I could barely breathe!"
"Unbelievable. I've never seen football this exciting."
"I swear, I'm becoming obsessed with this team!"
"Best football I've ever seen—and that was just ten minutes!"
From doubters to die-hard fans in minutes—
Sam beamed with pride.
"That's football. It's a tactical battle, like a war without gunfire.
Both sides probe, find the weakness—and then strike to crush the opponent."
Everyone nodded.
Even Ben Turner, the American football fanatic, was stunned.
"Ben, does the NFL have anything like that?" Sam teased smugly.
Ben didn't know what to say.
Truth was, he was hooked too.
That sensation, combined with the live atmosphere?
Incredible.
"Sam, after the match, take me to buy tickets. I want to come back next time."
"Count me in."
"Me too. I think I'm falling in love with football."
"Me as well. This team, this style—it deserves support."
"I'll buy one too."
Sam kept nodding, eyes gleaming.
Looking around Wembley, he was sure—
since last season, there were many more fans like him,
who had quietly fallen in love with Bayswater Chinese FC.
Every supporter who comes on their own brings others with them—family, friends, classmates.
Every match, every stand in the stadium, there are always countless fans walking in for the first time.
Not all of them will stay,
but some will fall in love—with this team, with this kind of football.
Little by little, the stadium will grow fuller.
And this team will grow stronger.
…
After scoring three goals in quick succession, Bayswater eased off the pressure a bit.
Yang Cheng, seeing the match was in hand, began to rotate his players.
Walcott came on for Arshavin.
But in the 73rd minute, Bayswater executed a high-press in midfield.
Lewandowski dropped deep, combining with Modrić and Rakitić to pressure two Wigan players and win the ball.
Modrić immediately played a through ball, this time again to the left wing.
Bale took off down the left flank, and no matter how Melchiot tried to chase,
he couldn't catch up with the Welshman's taillights.
After catching up to the pass, Bale didn't hesitate—left-footed cross.
On the pitch at that moment, no one could match his speed.
Except Walcott!
The Little Tiger tore through Wigan's defense, sprinting into the box to meet Bale's low cross with a clean finish.
4–0!
The two Bayswater youngsters sprinted to the sidelines, hugging in celebration,
while the entire stadium went absolutely wild.
The crowd roared the names of Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott—
Bayswater's Twin Stars!
They were shining under Wembley's night sky!
…
Yang Cheng was amazed that Norman Foster could look at a half-finished ruin and "see" a dream stadium.
Brian Kidd, however, was floored that Yang Cheng had already "seen" this moment when he first decided to sign Bale and Walcott.
Two young talents combining in a move no one could have imagined.
Their speed completely shredded Wigan's defense.
Especially Bale.
Time and again, he tore through their left flank like it was made of paper.
"This is the football you wanted?" Brian Kidd asked in awe.
Yang Cheng had once painted him a picture of the future:
Sharp, relentless front-line attackA midfield full of control, creativity, and balanceA back line that was mobile, tough, and well-organized
Was this it?
"Not yet," Yang Cheng chuckled.
This was just the beginning.
Thiago Silva and Pepe were a partnership he valued highly.
He saw them as the future core of Bayswater's defense.
But they were still young.
The midfield?
Modrić, Lass Diarra, and Yaya Touré—
An undeniably powerful trio, and growing stronger.
But when it came to creativity and control, they were still lacking.
Today, with Yaya Touré injured, moving Lass Diarra to holding mid and pairing Modrić with Rakitić
had given the attack more edge.
But replacing Touré or Diarra outright?
Still not possible.
The Premier League is not like La Liga or the Bundesliga.
In Spain, it's Real vs. Barça. Even with Atlético rising, there's room for all three in Europe.
In Germany, Bayern can toy around all they want and still stay top.
But in the Premier League?
The competition is fierce.
With so many young players, the midfield must stay stable.
Yang Cheng would rather play it safe.
As long as the midfield held, the team's results wouldn't collapse.
Top four was the baseline.
He was building a new stadium, after all—
so he had no choice but to hold on to Yaya Touré, Lass Diarra, and Modrić.
Two of them—Yaya and Modrić—were already on the team's top salary tier.
Diarra, too, was earning £35,000 a week.
That alone said everything about how seriously Yang Cheng took his midfield.
…
With a 4–0 lead, Bayswater didn't stop pressing.
They kept creating chances.
Both flanks were on fire, and the midfield continued to supply the ammo.
77th minute, Modrić received the ball in midfield.
Looking up, he saw the front three level with Wigan's back line.
A grin spread across his face.
Without hesitation—right-footed lobbed pass over the top.
It wasn't the flattest ball, but it had decent speed and found its mark.
Walcott, still fresh after coming off the bench,
burst down the right, outrunning his marker, and cut into the corner of the box.
He controlled the ball, chased it down, and fired a shot—
off the crossbar!
So close.
Two minutes later, Maicon chipped a pass down the line.
Lewandowski drifted right, headed it down to Walcott, then spun and ran.
Walcott fed it back through, and Lewandowski made a diagonal cut into the box.
Before the defenders could recover, he played a low ball across the face of goal.
Bale came flying in from the far post, throwing himself at it with a sliding shot.
Kirkland smothered it.
The relentless attacks didn't add another goal,
but the fans were absolutely mesmerized.
This tempo. The passing. The coordination. The wave after wave of attack.
It was something rarely seen in the Premier League.
Even Arsenal, known for their quick-passing style, rarely played this smoothly.
To be fair, Wigan were being overwhelmed.
Hutchings knew it was over.
His focus now was just damage control.
How to limit the bleeding.
So he went into full retreat.
But in the 83rd minute, Bayswater launched yet another attack.
Walcott on the right, dazzling with feints, tried to cross—
blocked by a defender.
Modrić regained possession, tried to chip it back in—headed clear again.
Rakitić picked up the loose ball and returned it to Modrić,
who pulled out to the 30-meter line, waving for the team to slow it down.
The fast breaks weren't working anymore.
He was waiting for the full-backs to arrive.
Once Baines and Maicon were in place, Modrić passed to Rakitić and gestured for a switch.
Rakitić instantly understood—diagonal ball behind the defense.
Maicon sprinted into the right side of the box, met the ball, and without stopping,
curled a cross into the center.
Walcott and Bale jumped—
but Lewandowski rose between two center-backs and powered a header into Wigan's net.
5–0.
Brace for Lewandowski!
The stadium exploded again.
The crowd, a sea of red, roared in ecstasy.
Lewandowski was so overwhelmed with emotion that he sprinted straight to the sideline and dropped to his knees beneath the stands, right in front of the fans.
"Bayswater Chinese FC's attack is multidimensional and extremely layered."
"This kind of relentless wave-after-wave pressure is nearly impossible to defend against."
"Just like that last sequence—Wigan thought they had weathered the fast break and were safe."
"But then Maicon sent in a deadly cross out of nowhere."
"As Ferguson said last season, what Manchester United lacked was a Džeko-type striker."
"Now, the United manager must be drooling over Bayswater's frontline—not just Džeko, but also Lewandowski, who's scored a brace tonight and been outstanding."
"And the shocking part is, Bayswater signed him for just £10,000."
…
Although Gareth Bale didn't score, he was named Man of the Match.
It was the first Premier League MOTM award of the young Welshman's career.
He also became the first of the three young wingers Yang Cheng placed his hopes on to earn the honor.
After the match, British media lavished praise on Bayswater Chinese FC.
A 5–0 win is always eye-catching, but what truly stood out was the football they played in the second half.
Wigan couldn't breathe under the pressure.
Wigan manager Chris Hutchings admitted in the post-match press conference that his side held their own in the first half:
"But after halftime, everything changed."
"I don't know what happened in their dressing room, but they came out more aggressive, sharper, and much harder to defend against."
"My players gave everything—but tonight belonged to our opponents."
5–0?
Hutchings accepted it without complaint.
Bayswater captain Luka Modrić, speaking on behalf of the dressing room, told reporters:
"This was a really tough match. Džeko felt discomfort during warm-up, so we had to make a last-minute change."
"Then during the first half, we lost two more players to injury."
"This was probably our worst situation going into a Premier League match this season."
"But everyone gave it their all."
"What gave us strength was our coach. At halftime, he told us exactly what to fix, what wasn't working, and how to improve."
"We're used to it by now—we trust his decisions unconditionally. And you all saw the result: in the second half, we ran riot and played our best football of the season."
When asked about Bale and Walcott, Modrić said, "They're still so young."
Then paused, realizing he himself wasn't exactly old, and added:
"Actually, we're all still young. This whole team has so much room to grow."
"I think we can play even better."
The 5–0 demolition sent shockwaves through the English football world.
But more important than the scoreline was the football on display—especially in the second half.
The Times hailed Yang Cheng's performance as a "breathtaking football feast for the Wembley crowd."
"Since their promotion in 2005, they've always played the most entertaining football in the Premier League."
"They are the banner bearers of attacking football in England."
The Guardian echoed the praise:
"Despite losing two players to injury, Yang Cheng's team delivered such a fluid, aggressive display—they fully deserve their spot at the top of the table."
Other media couldn't stop talking about the brilliant performances of Bale and Walcott.
The two "Twin Stars" of Bayswater were already being hailed as the Premier League's brightest homegrown talents.
Both were just 18 years old, yet playing with maturity and explosiveness that had traditional powerhouses like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool taking notice—especially Chelsea.
The Daily Mail even reported that Chelsea were interested in signing the duo.
Bayswater Chinese FC's response?
Total silence.
What was going on behind the scenes? Hard to say.
The Daily Mail had close ties to Chelsea—it could've been a deliberate leak to test the waters.
But since Bayswater had no intention of selling, they didn't even bother to respond.
…
Premier League Round 7: Manchester United 2–0 Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Ferguson fielded Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo, and Ashley Young together.
The first goal? Assisted by Young, finished by Tevez.
Both goals came in stoppage time—one at the end of each half.
It was clear: without Mourinho, Chelsea's performances were continuing to decline.
Liverpool drew 0–0 at Anfield against Birmingham.
Benítez's side had been on fire all season,
but failing to beat Birmingham at home meant they surrendered the top spot.
Arsenal, meanwhile, battered Derby County 5–0 at the Emirates.
That match highlighted the growing gap between the Premier League and the Championship.
Derby had spent a decent amount after promotion,
but their results were a disaster: 1 win, 1 draw, 5 losses.
They'd already lost:
0–4 to Spurs0–6 to Liverpool0–5 to Arsenal
All away games, all humiliating defeats.
It was still only September, and Derby were practically locked in for relegation.
Cruel—but true.
After 7 rounds, Bayswater Chinese FC had 5 wins, 2 draws, 17 points,
same as Wenger's Arsenal.
But on goal difference, Bayswater led the table with +14,
edging Arsenal's +11.
Top of the Premier League.
…
September 26, evening. League Cup, Round 3: Bayswater Chinese FC away to Sheffield Wednesday.
Yang Cheng stuck to his plan:
rotating the entire squad, giving minutes to backups and youth.
In addition to Bale and Walcott, players like Aaron Ramsey, Marcelo, and others started.
With Lewandowski starting in the league, this match saw Lambert in the XI.
Once an opponent back in the lower divisions,
now Lambert was seeing Bayswater blossom into a true Premier League force—
last season, even beating Manchester United to win the title.
Their rise was unmistakable.
The match attracted over 16,000 fans to Hillsborough.
Interestingly, it played out like a repeat of Round 7.
The first half ended 0–0.
The hosts defended like mad.
Bayswater pressed high, played brave attacking football—
but couldn't find the breakthrough.
Until the 60th minute.
Lambert scored.
From that moment on, the match completely fell under Bayswater Chinese FC's control.
Lambert bagged a brace and assisted Walcott for another, as the visitors cruised to a 3–0 win away at Sheffield Wednesday.
The English domestic cups are famous for their upsets—and this time was no exception.
Except this time, it was Ferguson's Manchester United who were on the receiving end.
United fielded a full rotation squad: Nani, Anderson, Evans, O'Shea, Piqué—all started.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, and Tevez were nowhere to be seen.
But under the eyes of over 70,000 fans at Old Trafford, they lost 0–2 to Coventry.
By contrast, Bayswater Chinese FC had thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 3–0 away.
The British press, always eager for a headline, jumped on it immediately.
The narrative?
"United's youth players are just not good enough—compared to Bayswater's, it's night and day."
Ferguson, for his part, was deeply disappointed with the result.
"We got hammered in our own backyard," he admitted bluntly.
"I'm not going to make any excuses. This was a poor performance—full stop."
When outlets like the Manchester Evening News pointed out that United had fielded five players born in 1987, many UK media scoffed.
"They should take a look at Bayswater Chinese FC's starting XI. They've already got players born in 1990 playing."
Who?
Aaron Ramsey.
Over the past few years, Bayswater had become renowned for developing young talent.
By contrast, Manchester United's once-glorious academy pipeline had clearly started drying up.
When Yang Cheng saw the post-match headlines at home, his opinion differed from the crowd.
To him, the root issue was still Ferguson himself.
Ferguson's greatness was unquestionable.
But he wasn't perfect.
He had his own stubbornness, flaws, and biases.
Let's be honest—was that United lineup really that bad?
O'Shea, Evans, Piqué, Anderson, Nani, Campbell…
Surely not so bad they'd get humiliated by a Championship side at home?
And yet, they were.
Take Piqué, for example.
Why did he eventually return to Barça without hesitation?
Because he never got a proper chance at United.
Fabregas, at least, had a rocky journey.
But Piqué? He was gone before he even started.
And his transfer fee wasn't even high.
The current Piqué had already sharpened himself at Zaragoza and played well in La Liga.
He was 20. Young, sure—but not unqualified.
To Yang Cheng, the blame lay with Ferguson.
He'd always preferred using old veterans like Giggs and Scholes
over giving meaningful minutes to younger players.
If someone claimed Bayswater's success was just because of Yang Cheng,
then fine—look at Arsenal.
They'd just beaten Newcastle 2–0 at home, with goals from Bendtner and Denílson.
Both born in 1988. Just 18 years old.
And don't forget Traoré, born in 1989.
In that Arsenal team, young players weren't just sprinkled in—they were the core.
So the issue was never about whether young players were capable.
It was about whether they were given the chance.
Yang Cheng always said—Ferguson, at his core, was a traditional British manager with a strong homegrown bias.
He always prioritized British talent in the academy and first team.
And to his credit, he produced some incredible homegrown players—like the Class of '92.
But when it came to foreign youth, especially young imports?
Ferguson had a long-standing habit of underrating them.
Deep down, Ferguson understood the winning formula in the Premier League:
Strong foreign stars + reliable homegrown base.
It's why he brought in Cantona in the early days.
When his defense faltered in '99, he signed Stam.
In 2003, he signed Cristiano Ronaldo—before Rooney even emerged.
And when Rooney did break through, Ferguson wasted no time spending big to get him.
Which, of course, led to later clashes between Ronaldo and Rooney.
But Ferguson's stubbornness showed again—
Even knowing English players weren't quite up to standard,
he refused to admit it, and continued to push them anyway.
As a foreigner, Yang Cheng could understand this—
but he would never do the same.
…
Weekend: Premier League Round 8. Bayswater Chinese FC away at Portsmouth.
Pompey's home turf had already proven itself a graveyard for big clubs this season:
United drew 1–1 hereLiverpool drew 0–0
Now it was Bayswater's turn.
Many predicted this would be Harry Redknapp's trap for Yang Cheng.
And based on the 0–0 first-half scoreline, it looked like they were right.
Redknapp played a 4-4-2 focused on deep defense and counterattack.
With Yaya Touré injured, Yang Cheng had Matuidi start,
pushing Lass Diarra into the holding role.
It was an away match—better to play it safe.
The first half ended goalless.
But less than a minute into the second half, Bayswater exploded.
Džeko created a chance and assisted Di María to score.
1–0!
Just three minutes later, Di María forced his way past Glen Johnson on the left and crossed into the box—
Džeko headed it home.
2–0!
In under four minutes, Bayswater had scored twice.
Their blitzkrieg stunned everyone again.
And poor Glen Johnson—
after being tormented by Di María while at Chelsea,
he thought a move to Portsmouth would give him peace.
Wrong. Same nightmare, new shirt.
Up 2–0, Bayswater played more patiently, controlling the game.
Portsmouth, desperate to save face at home, began to push.
But in the 79th minute, Baines played a diagonal ball behind the defense.
Walcott, just subbed in, timed his run perfectly, beat the offside trap,
raced into the box and coolly slotted it home.
3–0!
That made it three straight matches with a goal for the young Walcott.
Just like Bale, he was improving rapidly this season.
In the rest of the round:
Manchester City beat Newcastle 3–1Arsenal won 1–0 away at West HamLiverpool edged Wigan 1–0 awayChelsea drew 0–0 with Fulham at homeUnited beat Birmingham 1–0, thanks to a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo
The table didn't change much—
Bayswater Chinese FC remained top of the Premier League.
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