This was Luton's second home game of the season.
Because of the big victory in the first match, the fans were brimming with confidence. Compared with the atmosphere of the opening home fixture, the roar at Kenilworth Road today was far stronger, the energy sharper, the anticipation heavier in the air.
This time, Gao Bo was not booed. Almost as if trying to compensate for their earlier doubt, the home supporters erupted with their loudest cheers the moment he stepped out of the players' tunnel — even louder than the applause for captain Kevin Nicholls.
John Aston looked around the stadium with visible satisfaction. Every seat inside Kenilworth Road was filled, and outside the ground, crowds overflowed along the surrounding streets. Fans who failed to buy tickets pressed against the barriers, eager to be as close as possible to the action. The Luton city government had even deployed additional police units to maintain order, a rare sight for a lower-league match.
Last season, Luton had been deducted ten points due to financial issues. The team's morale collapsed, performances spiraled, and relegation became inevitable. After the drop, they lost key players, endured a series of setbacks, and the fanbase fell into the same gloom — far removed from the spirited days when they competed in the Championship.
It seemed that victory really was a cure for everything.
If one win wasn't enough, then two wins could solve everything that remained.
Gao Bo, dressed again in his black suit jacket, cut a sharp figure against the bright pitch. His build looked stronger under the crisp lines of his shirt. He smiled as he heard the cheers and waved toward the supporters, showing no sign that the boos from the opening league match had ever bothered him.
The fans responded with even louder applause.
As for Gao Bo, his emotional connection to Luton was still limited. Before becoming their head coach, the only time he had heard of the club was through a newspaper article reporting their points deduction. Although he was a passionate football fan, he had never attached himself to one "home team" like many supporters did. He enjoyed watching all kinds of matches, studying how players reacted under pressure and how opposing managers made decisions during tactical battles.
Perhaps that habit was what eventually pushed him toward a coaching career.
Confidence.
The first victory had given confidence not only to the supporters but also to the players.
Nottingham Forest did not send out their full-strength lineup. About half of their regular starters were on the pitch, while the rest of their core players waited on the bench, ready to enter if needed. Their presence made it clear: Nottingham Forest did not intend to bow out of the League Cup easily. For many clubs the competition meant little, but throwing it away without trying would still be wasteful.
"It seems this game won't be easy," John Aston said as he sat beside Gao Bo. His eyes drifted toward Billy Davies, seated on the away dugout. Davies was well-known in the lower divisions — a respected manager with extensive experience in Championship-level football, even if he had never led a Premier League side.
Unlike many English lower-league managers who prioritized speed, physicality, long balls, and high-altitude play, Billy Davies preferred more ball control and detailed passing combinations. His approach was considered unconventional compared to the typical English style.
And in a way, he fit perfectly with Nottingham Forest. Long before Arsenal became famous for their modern technical football, Nottingham had been one of England's earliest advocates of a more possession-based, skill-focused style.
"But the atmosphere is fantastic today — much better than in the first round," John Aston added.
"If we keep winning, keep pushing forward, we'll always hear cheers like these — even louder," Gao Bo replied calmly.
"It's not easy to win all the time, Gao…" John shook his head.
"But that is our goal in every match, isn't it? Winning. It's difficult to win every game, yes, but how would we ever know unless we try?"
At that moment, the players lined up in the tunnel and began to walk out onto the pitch. Gao Bo rose to his feet and joined the fans in applauding the players.
Yes.
If the goal of a match was not to win, then what was the point?
If winning was possible, then they should win.
...
As everyone expected before the match, Nottingham Forest controlled possession and overwhelmed Luton early on.
But on the touchline, Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies was frowning.
Even with a dominant possession rate, possession itself meant nothing. If the ball never reached the opponent's net, even 100 percent possession would produce no more than a draw.
And Nottingham Forest's players were feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
Wherever they tried to advance the ball in the final third, it felt as if Luton had extra players on the pitch. Every passing lane seemed to be suddenly crowded. Every attempt to combine in tight areas collapsed under immediate pressure.
From the players' perspective on the pitch, Luton's shape was difficult to recognize. But Billy Davies could see it clearly from the sideline.
Dense.
Luton's formation was incredibly compact.
Their lateral coordination was exceptional — as if an invisible rope connected all of Luton's players, pulling them together wherever the ball went. The result was simple but suffocating: in every zone where the ball appeared, Luton always seemed to have superior numbers.
If only Forest could switch play quickly…
Billy Davies immediately recognized that as the weak point of Luton's structure.
But recognizing it was one thing — executing it under pressure was another.
Luton were not only shifting their block well; they were also pressing the ball carrier aggressively. No Nottingham Forest player had enough time to spray a long diagonal or switch the play across the pitch. Under such close pressure, simply retaining possession without losing the ball was already a respectable outcome.
Twenty minutes had passed. The match remained calm. Nottingham Forest enjoyed plenty of possession and had avoided major mistakes, but not much more.
Luton fans continued singing and celebrating. To them, Nottingham Forest belonged to another tier entirely — one club in the Championship, the other in League Two. The difference in status only made the home supporters louder.
Gao Bo did not rush. He was very satisfied with the match so far. Defensively, the team were performing well. Up to this point, Forest had only been allowed passing lanes on the flanks and in harmless areas outside the penalty box.
As for shots…
The total between both teams was still zero.
Because Gao Bo's tactics did not prioritize possession, Nottingham Forest holding the ball did not concern him. To Gao Bo, the foundation of victory was always defense.
But only defending could not win a match.
He understood that perfectly. He glanced at the clock. The 23rd minute of the first half. Despite Forest keeping most of the ball, Gao Bo believed the match tempo belonged entirely to his side.
This — this exact scenario — was what Luton wanted. Nottingham Forest's possession was hollow, sterile, and ultimately meaningless. As far as Gao Bo was concerned, Forest were dominating statistics, not the match.
And Luton had not even begun to exert real pressure.
Now, the moment was approaching.
It was time to change the rhythm.
Gao Bo planned to shift the tempo around the 30th minute.
Coincidentally, Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies was thinking along the same lines. He saw no real attacking danger from Luton. From his perspective, Luton defending this deeply was completely reasonable. Their defensive shape impressed him, but he saw nothing beyond that — nothing threatening.
Gao Bo had already equipped all three cards available to him today.
In addition to the blue match card boosting tackling ability by 13%, he equipped the two white cards earned after their first league win:
[Player Card (White): Increase heading ability of the designated player by 2%.]
[Player Card (White): Increase passing ability of the designated player by 3%.]
The white cards were weak, almost worthless — but better than nothing.
He assigned the heading boost to Jeffrey. Heading mattered on both ends of the pitch, and Jeffrey excelled at aerial duels. Maximizing the effect made perfect sense. The passing boost went to Kevin Nicholls, whose crossing and distribution were already the best in the squad.
While Gao Bo adjusted the Football Edge System interface on the bench, he noticed movement from the Nottingham Forest staff.
Billy Davies walked to the touchline and gave a forward pressing gesture.
Gao Bo's eyes brightened.
Forest could not maintain wait any longer.
Gao Bo immediately stepped forward toward the sideline and made his own gesture.
Instantly, every Luton player on the pitch understood.
Nottingham Forest's players were just preparing to press higher when they suddenly sensed the shift.
The rhythm of the match had changed in an instant.
Until now, Luton's defensive pressure had been relatively polite. They stuck to their positions, closed passing lanes, and maintained shape, but rarely committed aggressively.
The moment Gao Bo made that gesture on the touchline, everything changed.
Luton's players accelerated immediately.
Forest midfielder Matt Thornhill had just received the ball when Kanté and Drinkwater surged toward him — one from the left, the other from the right.
Matt saw Drinkwater closing in, but he never noticed Kanté approaching from his blind side.
The result was inevitable.
Kanté lunged in, Drinkwater shut down the escape route, and the ball was cleanly stolen.
Instead of carrying the ball himself, Kanté played the simple choice. He immediately released a short pass to Drinkwater.
Drinkwater received it, dragged the ball outward with his right foot, and slipped a crisp pass into the feet of Kevin Nicholls.
Kevin took one touch and immediately played it down the wing.
And Vardy was already sprinting into space like a missile.
Billy Davies shot up from the away bench.
He is fast.
Too fast.
Not only was Vardy rapid — the entire Luton counterattack was lightning-fast.
Three touches.
Just three touches.
And the ball had traveled from Luton's defensive half to Nottingham Forest's penalty area.
Vardy reached the ball on the right side of the box, well ahead of the trailing defenders.
Forest center-back Chris Gunter threw up his right hand, signaling to the assistant referee for offside. Convinced the flag would come, he stopped running altogether.
But the linesman kept his flag down.
The referee made no signal.
And Kenilworth Road erupted.
"VARDY IS THROUGH!!!"
Back at the entrance of Luton's training base, Magis jolted upright from his chair, clutching the radio with both hands.
Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith — a keeper with Premier League experience — stepped forward aggressively. He widened his stance, arms stretched, eyes locked onto Vardy. Smith was quick, agile, and excellent in one-on-one situations.
Most forwards would panic with a goalkeeper charging straight at them.
But Vardy didn't.
He behaved as if Smith didn't even exist, keeping the ball tight to his feet as he drove forward.
"Shoot…!"
John Aston shouted nervously beside the bench.
Vardy shaped his right foot as if preparing to strike.
Smith reacted instantly, shifting his weight and leaning to dive.
But Vardy wasn't shooting.
With a smooth, deceptive touch, he cut the ball onto his left foot, gliding past Smith as the goalkeeper committed the wrong way.
"THE GOAL IS EMPTY!!!"
Vardy took one calm step and rolled the ball into the wide-open net.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The entire stadium exploded.
John Aston shot up from the bench, swinging his fist and yelling directly into Gao Bo's ear.
"Gorgeous!! Absolutely gorgeous!! This kid is a natural-born striker!!!"
Gao Bo endured the spit that sprayed across his cheek.
If only you knew he'll win the Premier League Golden Boot one day…
Then you'd be even more shocked.
Matches like this were simple for Vardy.
Inside the stadium, he was the center of the world, and thousands of Luton fans thundered his name.
In the first official match of his professional career, he had scored a hat-trick. And now, against a Championship club, he had once again opened the scoring.
No one dared mock him as an "amateur player" anymore.
If anything, calling him that now felt like praise — a reminder of how far he had come.
Outside the stadium, streets were packed with fans wearing Luton's orange home shirts. Though separated by concrete walls, it felt as if they were inside the stands. When the roar burst out from Kenilworth Road, the fans outside jumped and shouted in unison:
"LUTON! LUTON!!!"
Magis, glued to the radio, shot up from his seat and roared along with the commentator. He had barely finished celebrating and sat back down when another thunderous cry exploded from the speakers:
"Jamie Vardy!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!! He scores again!!! It's 2–0!!!"
Back at the stadium, Kenilworth Road was in absolute chaos.
Luton's second goal had come almost immediately after the first.
When Vardy sent the ball into the net for the second time, commentator Bill Leslie actually hesitated. The roar inside the ground was so overwhelming that the TV cameras shook violently. His monitor vibrated, and for a moment he couldn't even see whether the ball had crossed the line.
But then he saw Gao Bo sprint out of the technical area in celebration — and the swarm of Luton players piling onto Vardy on the screen.
There was no doubt about it.
The goal stood.
"It's unbelievable!" Bill Leslie shouted over the noise. "Just moments before the twenty-nine-minute mark, Luton looked as though they were simply defending for a draw, possibly aiming to take the match to penalties… but in the space of two minutes, they have scored TWICE!!!"
"Jamie Vardy!! The player brought in from the amateur league by Luton's Chinese head coach has become the hero of the entire city of Luton tonight!!! Incredible!! What kind of magic does this Chinese manager possess to unearth Vardy from a field of gravel?!"
Gao Bo certainly had no intention of telling Bill Leslie that his "magic" came from knowing information ten years ahead of this timeline.
At that moment, Gao Bo clenched his fists, thrust his arms into the air, and shouted with pure exhilaration.
His tactical system worked.
His approach — ahead of its time — was proving effective on the pitch.
"Did you see that, John!!" Gao Bo yelled beside him. "Our tactics are working!! Nottingham Forest can't find a single weakness. They can't break us down. All they're doing is meaningless possession!! We don't need the ball — and we can still score!!!"
Even if Nottingham Forest were a Championship team, Luton could beat them.
...
...
After the goal, the match restarted, but Luton still spent most of the time without the ball.
Now, however, everyone understood that Luton didn't want the ball. Even with Nottingham Forest controlling possession, the rhythm of the match belonged entirely to the home team.
Just before the end of the first half, Luton produced several dangerous attacks that nearly stretched the scoreline further. If not for the outstanding interventions of goalkeeper Paul Smith, Nottingham Forest would have trailed by more than 2–0.
Gao Bo was more than satisfied. Everything was under control.
The first half passed quickly, and Luton entered the break with a two-goal lead. The fans in the stands applauded the players and the manager without hesitation, proud of every second of the performance.
During halftime, Gao Bo praised Vardy's explosive first half and commended the entire team. Every element of their training had been executed perfectly — the compact defensive shape, the discipline, the rapid and ruthless counterattacks. Their efficiency was extraordinary. There was nothing to criticize, and the winning team would not be changed. Gao Bo simply asked them to continue playing exactly as they had in the first half.
Inside Nottingham Forest's dressing room, the atmosphere could not have been more different.
Billy Davies was furious. He unleashed all the frustration built up during the first half onto his players. Nearly every starter received a scolding. For a Championship team to be embarrassed like this by a League Two side was unacceptable, and Davies' temper finally exploded.
He refused to believe Luton were actually strong. Yes, Vardy was quick and clinical. Yes, Kanté and Drinkwater were excellent on both ends. But in Davies' mind, all of this stemmed from Nottingham Forest's complacency. They had underestimated the opponent, and this humiliation was the result.
"How could a League Two team, one that lost most of its main squad, possibly be this good?" he thought.
He was convinced his players were far superior to Luton's, but performances on the pitch determined results. He needed to shock the dressing room awake — urgently.
Nottingham Forest were no longer the European juggernaut of the late 1970s, but they were far from weak. And losing to a team two tiers below them was intolerable.
Meanwhile, the once-roaring stadium had quieted slightly as halftime arrived.
Fans needed the break to recover — because they intended to scream their lungs out again in the second half.
Rae, sitting in the media booth, was frantically writing.
Even though Gao Bo still irritated her, her professionalism required her to report the match truthfully.
"…In the first half, Luton appeared to be suppressed by Nottingham Forest, but around the twenty-ninth minute, Luton suddenly exploded. Their two goals were strikingly similar. Anyone who watched their first League Two match would recognize the pattern: they rely on a dense, disciplined defensive block that leaves opponents helpless, and when they win the ball, they counter with lightning speed. Just a few passes, and the ball is already in a lethal position. Their forwards, Vardy and Charlie Austin, are both quick, and Vardy's finishing is outstanding. Austin's movement is clever, and more importantly, both forwards work defensively. No player in Luton enjoys the privilege of not defending."
"…Based on these two matches, Gao Bo's transformation of the team has been extremely successful."
Rae closed her notebook.
Her newspaper, The Hat Seller, catered mostly to local Luton residents — meaning its readership overlapped heavily with the club's fanbase. News about the team was vital.
Even if she refused to admit it, Gao Bo truly was a competent coach.
The realization irritated her.
Why did talent always appear in people who infuriated her?
"Asshole!!!"
The memory of Gao Bo's eyes lingering on her chest made Rae bristle with anger.
"Miss Rae! How are you doing?"
Gao Bo had stepped out of the dressing room early. After covering a few tactical details with the players, he left them to prepare.
Rae turned her head and saw him emerging from the tunnel.
"Mr. Gao Bo, halftime is a very important moment for a head coach," she said coldly, as if refusing to look directly at him.
"For others, but not for me…" Gao Bo replied, suddenly leaning closer.
The media bench sat right beside the player tunnel, and Rae was seated at the far end. With her sitting and him standing, his face was almost level with hers.
Rae felt his breath for a moment. She turned — and suddenly found herself staring straight into his face.
Oh… he's actually pretty handsome…
Before she could respond, Gao Bo stepped back.
"After all, I'm a liar coach… just like you said, Miss Rae."
Rae froze. Her jaw clenched, ready to retaliate — but before she could speak, the stadium announcer's voice exploded overhead.
"Luton fans!! The second half is starting soon!!! Let us welcome the heroes of Luton back onto the pitch!!!"
A thunderous cheer rolled across the stands, drowning out anything Rae could have said. She could only glare as Gao Bo walked away, getting smaller in the chaos of fans chanting his name.
The second half began with Nottingham Forest launching an aggressive offensive immediately. But Luton hit back instantly with another sharp counterattack, snuffing out Forest's momentum.
This time it was Charlie Austin.
Drinkwater sent a long pass to the flank, Lewis Chapman chased it down and whipped a cross from the byline — and Charlie Austin rose in the center of the box, powering a header into the net to make it 3–0.
"Nottingham Forest are being dismantled! Luton are truly astonishing today!" the commentator exclaimed. "Here's a statistic that will shock everyone: Nottingham Forest have taken three shots, all of them off target. And Luton? Three shots — all on target — all goals!! This level of finishing is unbelievable!"
Gao Bo did not celebrate wildly.
He simply rose, applauded calmly, and sat back down.
The match ended 3–0.
Luton had defeated Nottingham Forest at home and advanced to the second round of the League Cup.
When the final whistle blew and Gao Bo walked toward the Forest bench with a smile, Billy Davies shook his hand with a dark expression and retreated toward the locker room.
The Nottingham Forest players were surely in for a brutal lecture.
Gao Bo and his team stayed on the pitch to celebrate the victory.
Two straight wins to start the new season filled him with complete confidence in his tactical direction.