After the break, the Man United players returned full of energy, and the Carrington Training Base became lively again.
Several consecutive days of training helped the squad regain their form.
During this time, the entire team took an official group photo.
Compared to last season, many faces were missing: Zlatan Ibrahimović, Juan Mata, Chris Smalling, and others.
Ling felt an inexplicable sadness, realizing that all good things must come to an end—no one can escape farewell in football.
However, he quickly brushed off the emotion because the 10th round of the Premier League was about to begin.
Man United would host Everton at home!
On October 29th, Old Trafford was packed and exceptionally noisy.
Mourinho fielded a 4-3-3 formation, with Riyad Mahrez, Ling, and Rashford forming the attacking trident.
Herrera, Matić, and Pogba anchored the midfield.
The defensive line was set with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Maguire, and Ashley Young.
Lukaku was unfortunately benched again, his missed golden opportunity in the previous Champions League match had ultimately affected Mourinho's perception of him.
In the players' tunnel, Ling spotted a familiar face—Richarlison with his dyed blond hair.
He had transferred from Watford to Everton in the summer window for €39 million.
Now, with stronger teammates and a new coach, Marco Silva, Richarlison believed he would not fall to Ling again!
Peter Drury: "Welcome to the Theatre of Dreams! The floodlights beam down on the hallowed turf as Manchester United look to continue their march. Standing in their way are the Toffees of Merseyside—Everton, clad in royal blue, hoping to cause an upset!"
Jim Beglin: "Everton's center-backs, Kurt Zouma and Michael Keane, are both towering figures over 190cm tall. Coupled with England's national goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, Everton's penalty area is going to be a no-fly zone today."
When the referee blew the whistle to start the match, Man United launched a fierce attack first, testing Everton's defensive strength through aerial crosses.
Everton, however, was not intimidated at all.
Ling, caught between the two giant center-backs, could only be at a disadvantage in the air.
In the 27th minute, Everton capitalized on their solid defense to launch a quick counterattack.
Theo Walcott sprinted with the ball, aiming to overpower Ashley Young with his speed.
This winter, Walcott had left Arsenal after 12 years, precisely to rejuvenate his career.
Peter Drury: "Walcott sets off! He drops the shoulder and accelerates! He's looking to leave Ashley Young in his wake!"
Jim Beglin: "But Young is a veteran who only grows more cunning with age. In this season's team speed test, Ashley Young still recorded 33.8 km/h. Walcott, plagued by persistent injuries at thirty years old, has lost that electric 35.9 km/h pace he once possessed."
In the end, the two tangled and fell to the ground, the ball rolling out of bounds.
Ashley Young kindly helped Walcott up.
Having been rivals in the Premier League for over a decade, there was still a mutual respect between them.
Not long after, an unexpected scene unfolded.
Peter Drury: "The ball falls to Gylfi Sigurðsson outside the area... Matić is half a step too slow to close him down!"
Jim Beglin: "You cannot give the 'Icelandic Sniper' that much time!"
Peter Drury: "SIGURÐSSON STRIKES IT! A bullet from the sniper rifle! It grazes De Gea's fingertips and buries itself in the net! Absolute silence at Old Trafford! Everton draw first blood!"
The away stand erupted in loud cheers.
Everton fans never dreamed they would score first—perhaps today they could take all three points!
The Man United players seemed to grow anxious, repeatedly launching high balls from the wings in an attempt to equalize.
But Everton had already dropped deep, packing the penalty area so tightly that not even a fly could get through.
In the 38th minute, Ling fought hard to shake off the two markers on him, but his header lacked power due to the physical interference.
The ball struck the crossbar and bounced out for a goal kick.
"Don't rush! Control the ball first—there's still plenty of time!" Ling shouted during the stoppage, pointing at the scoreboard.
"Stop launching high balls! Focus on combination play on the ground, and take long shots when there's an opportunity!"
The Man United players nodded in agreement.
Especially newly joined players like Wan-Bissaka, Mahrez, and Maguire—after all, when the sky falls, the captain will hold it up.
They just needed to fulfill their duties.
The sudden tactical shift initially left Man United struggling to adapt.
Just before halftime, in a chaotic scramble in the penalty area, the ball was poked out to André Gomes, sparking another Everton counterattack.
The Man United players, including Ling, sprinted frantically back to defend.
Gritting his teeth, Ling chased back desperately and finally caught up with the advancing Bernard near the 30-meter line.
Together with Herrera, they executed a successful tackle just as the referee blew the whistle for halftime.
Instead of being disheartened by the 1-0 deficit, the Man United fans responded with enthusiastic applause.
More than spectacular goals, they wanted to see the players' fighting spirit.
Because the creed of Man United is to never give up!
...
After the second half began, Man United didn't play with excessive frenzy.
Following Mourinho's instructions, they maintained possession, using lateral passes to stretch Everton's defense.
Everton's midfielders were technically limited, relying mostly on physicality in defense.
Meanwhile, Man United players like Mahrez, Pogba, and Ling possessed the ability to break through in tight spaces.
Everton's defense soon became disorganized, as defenders were repeatedly beaten, forcing others to cover the gaps.
After several such instances, inevitable holes appeared in their defensive line!
Peter Drury: "Pogba shakes off Gomes on the flank... he passes to Rashford, making a diagonal run! Rashford feigns the shot... chops it back toward the center!"
Jim Beglin: "It falls to Ling! But Zouma is lunging in desperately!"
Kurt Zouma, a typical powerful defender who had moved from Chelsea to Everton, would likely have become a world-class center-back if not for a major cruciate ligament injury two years ago.
His physical attributes were off the charts, but he had a fatal flaw—poor positional awareness!
When he realized the ball was rolling toward Ling, he frantically lunged forward.
What followed was a perfect first touch.
Ling gently cushioned the ball with the inside of his foot.
Precise and soft touches were common, but to read the defender's intention in that brief moment required incredible reverse thinking.
Ling slightly rolled his foot over the top of the ball, pulling it back just enough.
Zouma only felt a chill as the ball slipped right between his open legs!
Peter Drury: "LING WITH THE TOUCH! Oh, he's nutmegged Zouma! He's through! He pushes it toward the far corner... IT'S IN! Clinical! Devastating! Manchester United are level, and the roof comes off the Theatre of Dreams!"
@TacticalTimes: The absolute disrespect from Ling to nutmeg Zouma inside the box before scoring. Generational talent.
@EFC_Blue: Zouma is a physical monster but a tactical liability. Ling just ended his career with that touch.
After scoring the equalizer, Ling leaped high and punched the air in celebration.
Then Old Trafford erupted with an ear-splitting roar! No comeback, no Red Devils!
The game had only just begun.
Amid the loud cheers, the Everton players grew flustered.
Zouma, in particular, hammered his head in frustration.
In physical duels, he could hold his own against Ling, but once Ling resorted to speed or skill, Zouma turned into a clumsy robot.
The Everton players all turned their gaze toward Richarlison at the front.
The young blond immediately felt the immense pressure, his eyes nervously yet excitedly fixed on Ling.
He believed he could score a goal like that too!
Unfortunately, coach Marco Silva didn't give him the chance.
After the match resumed, the team dropped deep and parked the bus, hoping to leave Old Trafford with a point.
Everton was pinned back in their penalty area, getting thoroughly dominated.
In the 65th minute, Pogba combined with Rashford in a one-two, unleashing a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area!
The ball whistled toward the right side of the goal.
Pickford flew to make the save, parrying it away, and chaos erupted in Everton's penalty area.
Legs of all colors flashed about, like a game of 3D pinball.
Peter Drury: "Everton's luck is holding up! The ball bounces around and rolls out for a corner!"
Jim Beglin: "Mahrez delivers it... Pickford comes out decisively, punching it away right over Ling's head! Pogba tries a volley on the rebound... ah, such a pity, he couldn't keep it down."
Mourinho then began making tactical substitutions.
The first to be substituted was the left winger Rashford.
Jesse Lingard, who had been on the bench for over half a month, finally stepped back onto the Old Trafford turf.
Both wingers in the front line were now small, quick, and agile.
Mourinho's intention was clear: use Everton's reckless, physical defenders against themselves by letting the nimble players draw fouls and break the deadlock through set-pieces or penalties.
The effect was indeed quite good.
In the 72nd minute, Mahrez cut inside and took a shot, only to be subtly pushed by Idrissa Gueye.
The referee spotted it immediately and blew the whistle.
Pogba volunteered to take the free kick, but the ball slammed directly into the wall.
However, less than three minutes later, Lingard dashed swiftly down the left flank.
His technical skills had improved noticeably recently.
Michael Keane couldn't read Lingard's feints properly, mistimed his tackle, and ended up tripping Lingard to the ground inside the box!
Penalty!
Pogba felt too embarrassed to claim it again, so Ling naturally took the ball.
Peter Drury: "Ling steps up... cool as you like! He slots it into the bottom right corner! Manchester United have turned the game around!"
Jim Beglin: "Ling scores a brace! He's now broken into the top three of the Premier League scoring charts, just three goals behind Leroy Sané. And remember, he was suspended for three matches!"
Peter Drury: "I believe he has a chance to overtake him before the halfway point of the season!"
Mourinho then used his final substitutions to protect the lead: McTominay replaced Matić, and Kovačić came on for Pogba.
Due to the increasingly congested fixture schedule, the veteran Matić had been struggling physically.
The roles of the two teams reversed.
Everton launched a final onslaught, while Man United parked the bus in their own half.
However, whenever the ball was passed to Sigurðsson, McTominay would press aggressively, denying him any easy chances for long-range shots.
Richarlison was double-marked by Bailly and Maguire, leaving the young forward unable to even get a touch of the ball.
When Everton tried to create chances through aerial bombardment, they frustratingly discovered that Man United's players were also towering figures, equipped with special experience in defending high balls.
Until the final whistle, Everton failed to threaten Man United's goal again and had to bitterly leave Old Trafford with zero points.