Chapter 340: Dribbling and Finishing Upgraded—Don't Be Surprised, Li Ang Is Still Evolving
The afternoon sun filtered softly through the rafters of Wembley Stadium, casting a golden glow across the pitch.
It was a perfect day for football. And beyond the die-hard fans of Chelsea and Manchester City, the stands were also filled with spectators from around the world—tourists eager to catch a glimpse of the reigning Champions League winners.
Without question, Chelsea was the center of attention in today's Community Shield.
Pre-match predictions from major European sports outlets overwhelmingly favored the Blues to secure their fifth trophy of the year.
After all, in the past half-season alone, Chelsea had lifted three cups at Wembley.
They hadn't lost a single cup final they'd reached.
Wembley was even being joked about in Premier League circles as Chelsea's lucky stadium.
Looking at cup form and head-to-head records over the past two seasons, both journalists and fans had every reason to believe Chelsea would once again emerge victorious.
Manchester City, for now, remained the challenger.
Even though they'd made several major signings this summer and had closed the financial gap with Chelsea, until they beat the Blues and reclaimed the Premier League crown, they'd continue to be the underdog in the media's eyes.
Before kickoff, all of City's new signings—whether starting or on the bench—couldn't help but sneak glances at Li Ang, now wearing Chelsea's captain's armband for the very first time.
Li Ang, too, was observing them.
Sterling, Gündoğan, Bravo, Sané, Otamendi…
Some he had faced before. Others were new opponents.
But there was one thing in common—he was familiar with all of them.
After two seasons at the helm, Guardiola had finally made a definitive step in reshaping City.
This was no longer last year's team.
Li Ang knew these players well. His Chelsea teammates, however, did not.
When Mourinho received City's starting XI in the dressing room, he even briefly suspected Pep had given up on winning the Community Shield.
After all, Pep had boldly started several newcomers.
In contrast, Mourinho had made just two starting lineup changes in attack and defense.
And not daring to rush Oblak into the starting role, Mourinho stuck with veteran keeper Petr Čech.
Guardiola, meanwhile, continued his experimental trend.
Having failed to replicate Valdés's success from his Barça days, he now brought in Bravo, another ball-playing keeper from La Liga.
Joe Hart? Once again benched.
Whether this would work remained to be seen, but one thing was certain: Pep had guts.
Seeing City's XI, Mourinho shook his head.
He hadn't expected his old friend to start "cooking up new ideas" this early in the season.
Commentators worldwide excitedly introduced City's new faces to audiences.
Despite the bold player selections, Guardiola didn't revert to his trademark 4-3-3.
Against a dominant Chelsea, he opted for a more controlled 4-2-3-1, focusing on midfield dominance.
City's lineup:
GK: BravoDefense: Kolarov, Otamendi, Kompany, Jesús NavasMidfield: Fernandinho, Gündoğan (double pivot); Fàbregas (CAM), Sterling (left), David Silva (right)Forward: Agüero
Chelsea responded with a confident 4-3-3.
GK: ČechDefense: Bertrand, Maguire, Thiago Silva, AzpilicuetaMidfield: Matić (holding), Kroos and Li Ang as dual advanced midfieldersForwards: Hazard (left), Suárez (center), De Bruyne (right)
The lineup hadn't changed much, but the bench told a different story.
Gone were many of last season's veterans. Now, Salah and Kalas were leading the bench—once the junior players, now among the experienced substitutes.
Others like Oblak, Trippier, Gnabry, and Zouma were unfamiliar faces to most Chelsea fans.
Many British media outlets had already published predictions that Chelsea's performance would dip across multiple competitions this season.
But with their core starters still intact, the team remained highly competitive in both the Premier League and Champions League.
This match might not have meant much to Mourinho and his players.
But to the media, it was Chelsea's first real test of the new season.
Every pair of eyes was trained on the squad, hungry to find evidence of a drop-off.
After winning the coin toss, Li Ang handed the exchange flag to a sideline official and jogged back to his half.
It was his first official match wearing the captain's armband.
His expression hardened, weighed by the responsibility.
But his preparation had been thorough.
He rallied the team before kickoff, leading the final pre-match huddle.
Terry, missing from the squad due to a minor calf issue from preseason training, watched from a luxury box alongside Abramovich and other senior Chelsea staff.
As he saw Li Ang flawlessly handle the captain's duties, he smiled and nodded in approval.
He and Lampard were no longer on the pitch, but they trusted Li Ang completely.
This trust wasn't based on instinct.
Li Ang had earned it through his performance and unwavering will over the past two seasons.
Just as Mourinho had once told the media:
"He's a born leader. He's proven that on the pitch. When the team needs him, when his teammates need him, he's the most dependable man out there…"
And his teammates agreed.
When the referee's whistle sounded, Li Ang received the ball from the back and immediately signaled for the team to open their shape.
Chelsea's midfield now revolved around Li Ang, as they began battling City for control.
Guardiola's squad was still evolving.
They hadn't beaten Chelsea in a single match last season, but they had clearly learned from every loss.
Chelsea had also picked up a few tactical ideas from City along the way.
But this year's City felt different—more aggressive in midfield duels.
Li Ang was surprised.
Pep's team wasn't just about silky passing anymore.
Maybe all those years of suffering at Mourinho's hands had forced a change—now he, too, had embraced physicality and defensive shape.
City still weren't quite on Chelsea's level physically.
But football isn't just about strength and stamina.
Tactics, systems, mental toughness—all matter just as much.
City, at their core, were still a technically dominant side.
Chelsea had faced dozens of such teams over the past two seasons—and beaten most of them.
But when a technical team suddenly gains the courage to press and scrap, when they learn to play ugly and disrupt rhythm—they become dangerous.
"Interesting," Li Ang thought.
"We're street-smart intellectuals. And now City wants to be intellectual thugs? Looks like we're meeting in the middle."
Years of Mourinho's influence had shaped Chelsea's identity.
Now, perhaps Guardiola had been inspired to blend finesse with ferocity too.
The difference lay in style: Chelsea thrived on pressing and running, while City might still lean toward possession and manipulation.
But if City kept heading down this path, it wouldn't be long before they stood toe-to-toe with Chelsea.
Guardiola's ability to adapt and evolve his tactics was impressive.
But still…
"No Messi. No De Bruyne anymore. Pep, even if your ideas are sound, where are you going to find a frontman strong enough to carry them?"
Li Ang couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.
It would be hard for City to find a player capable of executing Pep's system to perfection.
Meanwhile, in Chelsea's camp, the Little Lion hadn't stopped evolving.
He was still growing. Still getting better.
City's high-octane pressing had dazzled many neutrals watching the match.
In the first 10 minutes, Chelsea and City fought tooth and nail for midfield supremacy—a battle with no clear winner yet.
It didn't seem like either side would be able to dominate the midfield battle anytime soon.
But just as Li Ang began to grasp the intensity of City's pressing, he suddenly changed gears.
Abandoning his usual role as a stable orchestrator alongside Kroos, he launched a direct, aggressive dribbling run from midfield.
This was completely uncharacteristic.
Li Ang had always had strong ball-carrying ability, but he usually only broke forward during transitions—when the opponent's defense was still reorganizing.
Now, with Manchester City's midfield perfectly set, he charged forward anyway.
Fabregas, watching him closely, immediately called off Fernandinho and Gündoğan from committing.
He and David Silva went in to double up on Li Ang.
From what Fabregas knew of him, Li Ang would likely just shield the ball, look for a safe pass, or even turn back to recycle possession.
Stealing from Li Ang in open play was nearly impossible. His security on the ball was elite.
Fabregas was confident—until Li Ang nutmegged him, dancing past with a fluidity that completely shattered Fabregas's assumptions.
Silva was still sliding into position to close the gap.
Fabregas—now turned into a traffic cone—was momentarily stunned. Silva rushed in to cover.
Fabregas stumbled after him, still in shock from what had just happened.
"That can't have been Li Ang! There's no way that move came from him!"
He wasn't the only one stunned.
Viewers watching live were just as shocked, staring at their screens in disbelief.
Li Ang had never been known for this type of dribbling.
Sure, his control had improved dramatically since his La Liga days. But tricks? No one had seen that in his repertoire.
Many fans chalked the nutmeg up to a lucky touch.
But at Wembley, tens of thousands of Chelsea fans roared in delight.
Li Ang accelerated, and the ball stayed glued to his foot—fluid, connected, precise.
This wasn't a one-off. This wasn't luck.
This was the result of deliberate, focused growth.
After last season ended, during his first round of offseason training, his dribbling stat had hit 89.
With over 3,600 development points to spend, Li Ang unlocked three Diamond-tier skill fragments.
He chose to invest in his weaker areas—jumping, balance, and ball control.
He drew Bergkamp's peak-level balance and Ronaldinho's peak ball control, both capped at a monstrous 98.
Although he didn't have a long break this summer, he trained smart during preseason and focused on elevating those numbers further.
As of now, his balance and control were both at 89, and his agility had crossed 90.
Pair that with his 89 pace and 91 acceleration, and Li Ang now felt he had everything he needed to be more than just a deep-lying playmaker.
He was ready to break lines on his own—even against organized defenses.
Mourinho had noticed this evolution in training and had already begun encouraging Li Ang to take more risks with the ball.
Today, against Manchester City, Li Ang was showing his new tools—and using them like a scalpel.
From the touchline, Guardiola's heart jumped.
Logically, he told himself this was no big deal.
But his instincts—shaped by painful defeats—told him Li Ang was about to pull something off.
Pep shot to his feet, eyes locked on his two holding mids, silently pleading: don't let him through.
Fernandinho and Gündoğan closed in fast.
This time, they didn't flank him.
They approached from front and back, forcing Li Ang toward the sideline.
If one got beat, the other could recover. Plus, Kolarov was behind them, forming a defensive triangle.
From a tactical perspective, this was airtight.
"Now!"
Fernandinho barked at Gündoğan and lunged.
Li Ang had reached the touchline.
As Gündoğan slid in, Li Ang calmly cut inside with his left, shifting his entire weight smoothly like it was his dominant side.
City's midfielders had kept safe spacing, but Li Ang sliced through it like a needle.
The ball and his body slipped between the two—into City's box from the right wing.
Gündoğan turned too slowly. He couldn't recover.
Fernandinho lunged to body him off, but Li Ang's physical strength held up, and Fernandinho didn't dare foul him in the penalty area.
Kolarov raced in.
But Li Ang, now at a slower pace, cut back again—a fake cross, sharp drag-back.
With a burst of quick touches and perfect balance, he left both defenders in the dust.
Wembley exploded.
Li Ang had broken through three defenders and now had space to shoot.
Bravo braced in the center of the goal, expecting a curler to the far post.
Instead, Li Ang trickled the ball toward the near post, low and hard.
The net rippled.
He roared, pumping his fist as he sprinted to the corner flag, while the crowd erupted behind him.
Guardiola felt his vision spin.
The goal was brilliant, but what shook him more was the method—the inside dribble and low finish to the near post, exactly like Messi in his prime.
For a moment, Pep thought he was seeing a supersized version of Messi running riot at Wembley.
Fans around the world either shouted in amazement or sat speechless.
They hadn't expected to see this version of Li Ang—not in the Community Shield, not today.
He had always been growing steadily.
From a defensive mid, to a deep-lying playmaker, to a box-to-box engine.
But now—he looked like a winger. A forward. A solo assassin.
His leap was no longer linear—it was exponential.
After celebrating with teammates, Li Ang looked at the camera, shrugged, and smiled.
As if answering the stunned fans:
"Don't be surprised. I'm still evolving."
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