Chapter 180 – Consecutive Big Wins! The Sudden Rise of Drogba's Successor
August 16th, afternoon – Old Trafford, Manchester.
Premier League Matchday 1: Bayswater Chinese away to Manchester United.
This was United's opening match of the season, and Ferguson went with a full-strength squad:
GK: Van der SarDEF: Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Wes BrownMID: Carrick, De Rossi, FletcherFWD: Rooney, Berbatov, Robben
Ferguson's game plan? Cautious and compact.
His midfield was set up to disrupt Bayswater Chinese's passing rhythm, while the front line was designed to strike on the counter.
From kickoff, Bayswater Chinese dominated possession and created chance after chance.
United, despite being at home, didn't register their first shot until the 14th minute.
Now armed with a midfield enforcer like De Rossi, Ferguson's side played with more courage.
Evra bombed down the left flank aggressively, playing more like a winger during counters.
In the 34th minute, Evra launched a high-speed run and whipped in a cross.
Berbatov's header was parried by Neuer, but Rooney pounced on the rebound and smashed it home from close range.
1–0 United.
After conceding, Bayswater Chinese upped the tempo.
Lewandowski, however, was tightly marked by Vidic and Ferdinand, and couldn't find his rhythm.
In the second half, Robben cut inside from the right, burned past Marcelo, and fired off a shot that struck the post. The rebound fell back into the box.
Berbatov's first attempt was blocked by Pepe, but his second was a clean finish into the net.
2–0.
Bayswater Chinese responded with fury.
In the 78th minute, Marcelo drove down the left and played a straight ball to Gareth Bale, who used his speed to power past his marker.
From the left channel of the box, Bale fired a fierce left-footed strike into the net.
2–1!
Yang Cheng brought on substitutes and turned up the pressure.
In the 91st minute, Di María cut inside from the right and slipped in a through ball.
Lewandowski broke free, collected the ball inside the right of the box—one-on-one with Van der Sar—
And fluffed the finish.
The Dutch keeper saved it for a corner.
That final corner failed to produce a goal.
Final score: 2–1. United win at home.
…
When referee Lee Mason blew the final whistle, Ferguson's face lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum.
And that signature red nose? It looked more smug than ever.
2–1.
United's name came first, as per tradition.
For the first time, United had beaten Bayswater Chinese at Old Trafford.
As soon as the match ended, Ferguson strolled over to Yang Cheng, grinning ear to ear.
"I told you before the season—this year, we're fixing our record in big matches. See?"
He spread his hands wide and smiled proudly.
"Selling Džeko… biggest mistake of your career."
Yang Cheng shot him a look, expressionless.
"After all the titles we've taken from you, you finally win one game—and look at you."
"United really have fallen."
The jab wiped the smile right off Ferguson's face.
And truth be told, Yang Cheng wasn't wrong.
"Whatever," Ferguson muttered. "All the trophies we lost last season—we're getting them back this year!"
He was fired up.
That sounds familiar…
"Talk to me when you've won something."
Then Yang Cheng muttered under his breath loud enough to hear:
"Can't stand all these loudmouths."
Ferguson rolled his eyes.
He knew Yang Cheng was just sore from the loss, so he let it go.
"After the presser, drinks are on me."
"No time."
And with that, Yang Cheng turned and walked off.
Ferguson stood there, still smiling.
"Why's he being so petty? I've lost to him plenty of times—and I still bought the drinks."
Pause.
"Wait… did I actually buy them? …Well, I must've. I'm not that stingy."
…
"I have no concerns about Robert," Yang Cheng told the media post-match.
"Form fluctuations are completely normal for young players."
"There's no need for the media to overreact or pile pressure on him."
He shared several stats to show Lewandowski's hunger for goals.
But after a wasteful Community Shield and a miss-filled league opener, critics were circling.
Yang Cheng remained firm in his support.
"He just needs time to get back to the sharpness he had last season."
As for losing the opener?
"It's not the end of the world. United aren't weak. Of course, we came here to win—but losing was always a possibility. Especially since we had more chances than they did."
Asked about United's title chances?
"They'll challenge, for sure," Yang Cheng said.
"But we're still the favorites."
Ferguson, meanwhile, was ecstatic.
"To win the title, you need to beat the bottom half—but also earn points in the big games."
"In recent years, the title race has often come down to head-to-head records."
"So yes, I'm very happy we beat Bayswater Chinese!"
United would carry that momentum and aim for the title.
…
Matchday 1 brought mixed results.
United edged a tough win.Bayswater Chinese fell just short.
Chelsea, hosting Hull City, went down early but came back with a Drogba brace to win.
Manchester City beat Blackburn 2–0 thanks to goals from Adebayor and Kaká.
Spurs stunned Liverpool, winning 2–1 at home.
Before the match, Benítez was all bravado.
Afterwards? Not so much.
The loss wasn't just about the scoreline—it was the performance.
Liverpool were disorganized and toothless.
Their only goal came from a penalty.
Losing Xabi Alonso had wrecked their midfield.
On the flip side, Arsenal obliterated Everton 6–1 at Goodison Park.
Wenger's side delivered the most dominant attacking display of the weekend.
Star of the show?
Fàbregas, with two goals and two assists.
That win put Arsenal top of the table.
Fun fact:
Every Premier League match this round had a winner—no draws.
Both Bayswater Chinese and Liverpool lost 2–1, placing them joint-11th in the standings.
…
Paul Hart, 56, from Golborne in northwest England.
A former pro, he played in the English First Division in the '70s and '80s, turning out for Blackpool, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, and Birmingham.
He retired in 1988, briefly coached Chesterfield, then was unemployed for years.
In 2001, he returned to coach a relegated Nottingham Forest side.
Later, he had stints at Barnsley and Rushden & Diamonds—both lower league, both unspectacular.
In 2007, he lost his job again.
As the saying goes…
When God closes a door, He always leaves a window open.
It's just that sometimes… the window opens a little late.
Two years later, Paul Hart would never have imagined he'd get the chance to coach again—let alone a Premier League team.
He took over a Portsmouth side teetering on the edge of relegation.
The 2008/09 season had been full of chaos for Pompey.
Harry Redknapp, who had coached the team since 2005 and delivered great results, left at the end of October to take over Tottenham.
His assistant, Tony Adams, stepped up.
A club legend from his days at Arsenal, Adams was widely expected to succeed.
As Redknapp's trusted deputy, with a glowing playing career, he seemed the perfect choice.
But things went horribly wrong.
From matchweek 10 to 25, Adams managed just 2 wins, 4 draws, and 10 losses, dragging a top-eight side straight into the relegation battle.
Pompey scrambled for a replacement.
But at that point, the club had lost its appeal—and with financial problems brewing, no one wanted the job.
Enter Paul Hart, who'd been out of work for two years.
Nobody expected much from a journeyman coach with a spotty track record and long spells in the lower leagues.
But he managed to keep Portsmouth up, and did it without too much drama.
So he earned a full-time contract and started his first full Premier League season as a manager.
No money?
No problem.
He sold Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch, and Niko Kranjčar, bringing in over £30 million.
He used loans and free transfers to build a squad from scratch.
Twelve new players arrived—making Portsmouth one of the busiest teams in the window.
In their first match of the season, they lost 0–1 to Fulham—but the performance wasn't bad.
Given how recently the squad had been rebuilt, it was acceptable.
Paul Hart remained optimistic about survival.
Now, visiting Wembley, he wasn't taking any chances.
He lined up in a 4-5-1, determined to scrape out his first point of the new campaign.
Bayswater Chinese, meanwhile, were coming off a 1–2 loss at Old Trafford.
Just three days later, they were already playing matchday two, and Yang Cheng made some rotations.
Pompey's tight defensive shape successfully blunted Bayswater's early flurry.
After 15 minutes, the score was still 0–0.
"It's working, Paul!"
Paul Hart stood at the edge of the technical area, pumped his fists in excitement.
He turned to his assistant, Paul Groves.
"Ferguson was right—selling Džeko was Yang Cheng's biggest mistake!"
"Now Lewandowski and Andy Carroll can't score to save their lives!"
In his mind, he was already imagining Portsmouth escaping with a precious away draw.
But just as the words left his mouth…
…
"The ball's still at the feet of Bayswater Chinese."
"Tonight at Wembley, they've dominated possession from the start."
"They're playing to Andy Carroll's strengths—long balls, first touches, and second waves of attack."
"So far, Portsmouth center-backs Distin and Kaboul have done well."
"But here's Bayswater's problem post-Džeko—they're struggling to convert chances."
"Now let's see… left-side buildup, Marcelo to the byline, crosses into the box…"
"Deflected. Corner."
"Modrić to take…"
"Near the far post—going for the high ball again."
"Cleared by Distin—ball's out of the box."
"We're 16 minutes in. Plenty of attacking from Bayswater, but no real threat yet."
"Up front tonight it's Di María, Carroll, and Walcott—all very young."
"Di María's 21. Carroll and Walcott are just 20."
"Lewandowski's on the bench after missing a string of chances last match."
"Ball recycled—Ramsey to Modrić… switches to the left—Marcelo again."
"He's pushing high."
"Ramsey links with Di María. Lovely triangle play… down to the corner."
"Marcelo crosses!"
"Who's in the middle?!"
"Carroll! HEADER!"
"GOAL!!!!!"
"Andy Carroll scores with a bullet header!"
"His first ever goal for Bayswater Chinese, and the third Premier League goal of his career!"
"He rose between Distin and Kaboul, used his strength and timing to smash the ball into the net!"
"1–0!"
…
The moment Carroll powered home that header, Wembley erupted.
All 90,000 fans were stunned at first—then roared in approval.
The sight of a handsome, long-haired English striker wheeling away in celebration sent the whole stadium into raptures.
"Classic target-man header!"
"Let's look at the replay—his jump, the timing, the placement… absolutely clinical."
"What power! What precision!"
"At that moment—Carroll looked like the second coming of Didier Drogba!"
…
After Portsmouth kicked off again, Bayswater Chinese immediately pressed high.
They quickly regained possession near midfield.
Ramsey intercepted on the left, passed to Javi Martínez, who shifted it to Modrić.
Early in the season, players were still finding their rhythm.
Fatigue from constant starts was a concern.
That's why Yang Cheng was rotating—but Modrić remained untouchable.
From the right center circle, the Croatian passed forward to Carroll, who was tightly marked.
Carroll didn't hesitate—first-time layoff back to Modrić.
The midfielder pointed forward, gesturing for the line to push up, and sprayed a pass out wide to the right.
Piszczek took off, sprinting down the touchline.
At the 30-meter mark, he crossed diagonally to the right corner of the box, where Walcott was waiting…
Near the right touchline, the "Little Tiger" Walcott received a pass and immediately faced off against Portsmouth's left-back Belhadj.
With dazzling control, Walcott closed in, baited his defender with a feint, then suddenly jabbed the ball forward into the right edge of the penalty area with his right foot—before accelerating sharply and cutting inside.
Ball one way, man the other—classic split dribble!
Walcott's acceleration was blistering, and the sudden move caught Belhadj completely off guard. He was left in the dust.
Wembley's 90,000 spectators exploded with thunderous cheers—Walcott's dazzling skill had sent a jolt through the crowd.
Flying down the right channel, Walcott caught up to the ball, but Distin, Portsmouth's left center-back, had already scrambled to cover.
As Walcott glanced inside, he saw Carroll charging toward the six-yard box, ready for the cutback.
But Distin smartly positioned himself to block the pass.
If Walcott went low across goal, it'd likely be deflected out.
He could go high—but instead, he picked the smartest option.
Just before Distin could close him down, Walcott slotted a low pass across the box toward the penalty spot.
And who was waiting?
Aaron Ramsey, who had just made a recovery run and arrived perfectly on time.
One-touch.
Right foot.
Driven low into the net.
2–0!
Wembley erupted.
The goal was textbook—and came less than two minutes after the opener.
Back-to-back goals in under two minutes?
Football doesn't get much sweeter than that.
…
On the sidelines, Paul Hart panicked.
He was already rattled after conceding the first.
Now the second came in a flash, and he was completely lost.
He didn't know what to say, what changes to make.
Because as Portsmouth kicked off again, Bayswater Chinese continued pressing high.
The ball was passed to Distin at the back—and Andy Carroll was already breathing down his neck.
Distin had no choice but to clear it long.
Result?
Possession lost again.
Hart ran to the edge of his technical area, waving for his players to drop deeper.
"Bayswater Chinese are going for the kill."
"Look at this young lineup—they've started several under-22 players tonight."
"But they're playing with incredible poise and maturity."
"This is the benefit of a club with a clear, cohesive tactical system."
"Yang Cheng's team is truly special."
"In the Premier League's high-octane environment, they're executing complex passing sequences with such fluidity—it's rare."
"Across Europe, only Bayswater Chinese are doing this now."
"Even Arsenal are shifting away from youth, relying more on experienced players these days."
As the Sky Sports commentators analyzed, Bayswater Chinese's crisp passing game continued.
Portsmouth looked completely disoriented.
In the 23rd minute, Bayswater played it back to reset.
Portsmouth's midfield and forwards instinctively pushed up.
Carroll, Di María, and Walcott dropped deep.
Pompey's backline followed, pulling higher…
And that's when Thiago Silva launched a perfect long ball over the top, dropping it behind the right side of Portsmouth's defense.
Walcott was already sprinting.
He caught up, controlled it forward, and burned into the box.
Before Distin could close him down, he squared it across goal—
Andy Carroll arrived on cue and tapped it in with his right foot.
3–0. Brace.
…
When Carroll scored his second, Yang Cheng's first reaction was surprise.
Then he glanced toward the bench—at Lewandowski.
The Polish striker's expression? Not great.
Yang Cheng turned back toward the dugout and exchanged a wry smile with Brian Kidd.
"East didn't shine, but the West did. Who'd have thought it'd be him?"
Kidd didn't quite know what to say.
As an Englishman, of course he was thrilled to see Carroll step up.
But deep down, he knew Lewandowski had the higher ceiling.
He was the one the club had poured its development into.
Though they were close in age—Lewandowski born August 21, 1988, Carroll January 6, 1989—only about four months apart.
But Yang Cheng wasn't worried.
With the way Bayswater Chinese created chances, any competent striker should be scoring.
In his previous life, when Newcastle were relegated, Carroll became their top scorer, bagged assists, and fired them back into the Premier League.
In the 2010/11 season, Carroll led the scoring charts in the first half of the Premier League season.
In 18 appearances, he scored 11 goals and had 8 assists—and that's including one match where he only came off the bench for 10 minutes.
Hence the nickname: "The White Drogba."
And he wasn't padding stats against weak teams.
He scored against Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and City.
That 11-goal, 8-assist run was no fluke.
So why hadn't he done anything last season?
Simple: he never got a chance.
Newcastle were in turmoil—four different managers, a chaotic front office, and an overloaded squad.
Speedsters like Martins and Owen, target men like Viduka, Ameobi, and even Xisco from Deportivo.
In that environment, with the club scrambling to avoid relegation, no coach was going to risk trusting a young academy kid.
Had Newcastle not been relegated, Carroll would've never gotten his shot.
And that's exactly what made him a bargain for Yang Cheng.
In 2024, many fans might write Carroll off as a flop.
But if that's the case, why did Liverpool pay such a massive fee for him?
Yang Cheng remembered one stat from when Newcastle returned to the top flight:
Carroll led all Premier League strikers in chance creation in the first half of the season.
He ranked 4th among all strikers in passes completed, and 5th among all Newcastle players.
Which meant: Newcastle's entire attack was built around him.
And the foundation?
He averaged 7.1 aerial duels won per match.
To compare, in Drogba's peak 2009/10 season, when he scored 29 league goals, he averaged just 1.8 successful headers per match.
But the match had already swung entirely in Bayswater Chinese's favor, and Portsmouth's substitutions had little effect.
Wigan Athletic were in total disarray.
And this was their own home ground.
In the 83rd minute, Wigan won a free kick about 30 meters from goal.
But when the ball was floated into Bayswater's box, Pepe was first to it, heading it clear.
Modrić brought it down and immediately launched a pass upfield.
Lewandowski sprinted into Wigan's half, charging into the final third. Under heavy pressure, he barely got off a through ball—too rushed and underhit.
Still, Di María chased it down.
Just as Figueroa tried to clear, Di María stretched a leg out and deflected it.
The ball bounced toward the left channel of the box.
Gareth Bale stormed forward, took one touch to control it into the penalty area, and smashed it left-footed into the net.
4–1!
Bale spun and sprinted away in celebration as the JJB Stadium fell completely silent.
Wigan's morale was shattered.
But Bayswater Chinese weren't done.
As Yang Cheng put it: "If you want to teach them a lesson, make it one they'll never forget."
Now pushing forward with full force, Wigan were helpless.
Exhausted, they couldn't keep up.
In stoppage time—92nd minute—right-back Maicon played a cross-field pass.
Yaya Touré, charging from deep, beat three defenders, burst into the right side of the box, and fired a rocket past Kirkland.
5–1!
The entire stadium was stunned.
Earlier in the half, after going ahead, Wigan's fans were euphoric.
Now, they were devastated.
They had given it everything.
Especially manager Steve Bruce, who was still making defensive substitutions as late as the 85th minute.
And yet, they still conceded again.
From leading 1–0 to trailing 1–5 in just about 30 minutes.
"This has to be Bayswater Chinese's most thrilling performance of the season!"
"They came into the JJB Stadium and absolutely dominated, showing their strength, courage, and determination."
"Yang Cheng's side reminded everyone that behind their deadly attack lies an unbreakable spirit."
"Steve Bruce's tactics worked for 60 minutes, but Bayswater only needed 30 to smash Wigan's iron wall into pieces."
"It's not that Wigan played poorly—it's that their opponent was too strong."
…
Back on the team bus from London to Manchester—a 340-kilometer, four-hour trip—Manchester United's players weren't quite sure how to feel.
As soon as they got on, they noticed Sir Alex Ferguson watching Sky Sports live on his phone.
On a tiny Nokia screen, no less.
Painfully awkward to watch, but the old man was completely engrossed.
He even chimed in from time to time, offering commentary to no one in particular.
Everyone could tell—he was in a good mood.
Until the bus entered Birmingham.
That's when Bayswater Chinese equalized… and then scored again… and again.
They had trailed for nearly an hour and turned it into a rout.
When Yaya Touré scored the fifth—after dribbling past three defenders—Ferguson stood up in fury.
"Bloody hell! What the hell was Wigan doing?!"
In a fit of rage, he slammed his phone down on the seatback in front of him.
His famously tough Nokia, capable of cracking walnuts, cracked instead.
The brand-new phone was dead.
The players—those not sleeping with earbuds in—were frozen in silence.
They all glanced nervously toward the front of the bus.
Ferguson was seething, breathing heavily.
Finally, he slumped back into his seat.
Then, glaring at his broken phone, he grumbled:
"Damn that Yang Cheng… he owes me a new phone!"
"Bayswater are in top form. Wigan aren't even close," assistant Mike Phelan offered diplomatically.
Ferguson wasn't ready to concede the title just yet.
In his mind, if Bayswater slipped, and United won the two head-to-heads, the race was still alive.
That was a nine-point swing.
But now, Wigan hadn't just lost—they got hammered.
Which only boosted Bayswater's confidence.
"Underdog wins happen," Ferguson muttered. "Wigan went too hard in the first half."
Phelan wanted to say: If they didn't, they'd have been torn apart in the first half too.
Bottom line—Bayswater Chinese were just too strong.
Still, he understood Ferguson's rage.
The next week was packed:
Midweek international fixtures,Followed by the FA Cup,Then a massive league clash at Old Trafford: United vs. Bayswater.
United's recent form was shaky—everyone knew that.
Bayswater, meanwhile, had just completed a 5–1 comeback away win.
They were coming into Old Trafford red-hot.
"Should've never watched that damn live stream…"
Then Ferguson turned to Phelan again.
"This is your fault! You're the one who got me that stupid 3G plan, convinced me to buy the package—now look! Broken phone, ruined mood!"
Phelan looked absolutely crushed.
He wanted to scream: Boss, it was YOUR idea!
You broke the phone yourself!
But looking at Ferguson's thunderous face, he swallowed every word.
Then again, everyone knew Sir Alex.
His temper flared hot—but cooled just as fast.
Moments later, he was already back to normal, as if none of it had happened.
"Back at Carrington, get the staff together. I want a full breakdown of that game."
"When Bayswater come to Old Trafford on February 18th… I want Yang Cheng and his team to leave in pieces."
His voice was low, but filled with steel.
If you want the title… you have to take it yourself.
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