Sergio Agüero waved toward the stands, urging the Man City fans to roar even louder.
Other Man City players rushed over to revel in the lead.
A goal within ten minutes electrified the City supporters.
A win today would extend their lead over United to six points—equivalent to a two-game cushion—making a title comeback nearly impossible for United.
After all, City had achieved a record-breaking 100 points last season and were arguably even stronger now, potentially setting new records.
The home fans wanted to let United taste what it felt like to be utterly suppressed.
Ling frowned toward the opposite half, mentally reviewing City's defensive positioning leading up to the goal.
Suddenly, he remembered his recent conversation with Pep Guardiola in the living room.
'City's attack lacks three-dimensionality...' Ling had told him.
He now realized City, like Juventus, shared a similar defensive issue—not with the center-backs, but with the left-back, Benjamin Mendy.
Though Mendy possessed a robust physique and excellent attacking prowess, he had a fatal flaw.
Here, "attacking prowess" meant not just crossing or dribbling, but a comprehensive, stable ability to dominate the flank.
However, Mendy had a tendency to lose his positioning.
This often became apparent after frequent attacking runs; the issue of pushing forward but failing to track back was quite noticeable.
A common flaw in modern full-backs, which definitely applied to Mendy, was insufficient protection in the half-spaces and a lack of proficiency in zonal marking. Mendy's awareness in providing defensive support to his center-backs was also quite limited.
During the transition from attack to defense, the connection between Man City's flanks and central areas became highly vulnerable.
Furthermore, Mendy relied too heavily on his physical attributes in defense. If he faced a winger with superior athleticism and tactical intelligence, he would struggle to cope.
Assaulting the opponent's core defense and controlling the game's tempo—the two most crucial elements in football—were responsibilities Jose Mourinho had placed heavily upon Ling's shoulders.
Ling was no longer just a traditional center forward, he was playing more like a trequartista or an attacking libero, a tactic with virtually no replicability because it placed extremely high demands on the core player.
It requires the player to possess a diverse set of technical abilities: the vision to spot gaps, organize combinations in tight spaces, and maintain possession under pressure from multiple defenders.
Although Ling hadn't yet demonstrated absolute, flawless control in this role, the overall outline of his new technical style was beginning to take shape.
He quickly gathered the Man United players. "During defense, stay aware of your surroundings and communicate frequently with teammates! Conceding early isn't necessarily bad, but we must avoid repeating the same mistakes."
The Man United players nodded emphatically.
They believed they were no less capable than City. Shaking off their brief despondency, they regained their fighting spirit.
"Riyad," Ling called Riyad Mahrez to his side. "When you get the ball later, try to use your skills to break through more often. Force Laporte to step out and cover for Mendy. At that exact moment, I'll make a diagonal run behind Laporte to create a one-on-one situation with Stones in the center."
The aim was to pull Man City's formation out of shape and create space for Mahrez on the right flank.
If they could breach Man City's defense on the left, they could launch a devastating attack.
Mahrez's eyes lit up in admiration, giving a thumbs-up. "Jeremy, your tactical idea is excellent, but it would be best to have Pogba push Herrera forward to prevent Fernandinho from dropping back and disrupting the play."
"Exactly," Ling agreed.
With Fernandinho's aging issues at 33, the Brazilian was often beaten by quick one-twos.
...
Although Manchester City's celebrations were winding down, the cheers at the Etihad Stadium remained thunderous.
City captain David Silva waved his hands to his teammates. "Don't forget how we lost the match against them last season! A one-goal lead isn't safe. Remember to mark Man United's number 7 tightly—don't give him any chance to receive the ball!"
Fernandinho added grimly: "As long as it's outside the box, foul him when necessary. Don't hesitate!"
Soon, the referee blew the whistle, and the match resumed.
The Man City players raised their hands and shouted in unison. "Let's go!!!"
Since Man United had just conceded a goal, the players hadn't yet found their rhythm and needed more touches to regain their feel for the game.
Ling didn't attempt risky passes into dangerous areas but opted for safe layoffs upon receiving the ball. In competitive sports, falling behind early is common.
The ability to maintain composure and patiently seek equalizing opportunities is what separates ordinary teams from top-tier ones. Just look at Liverpool—they famously came back from three goals down in Istanbul.
In Premier League matches, teams average around 410 passes per game, but only a few dozen are truly threatening.
Therefore, it was perfectly normal for United to patiently circulate the ball while seeking opportunities.
Tap, tap, tap... Amidst the crisp sound of continuous safe touches, time flew by.
On the touchline, Guardiola's assistant Mikel Arteta remarked with admiration.
"Boss, Ling's passing, receiving, and movement are so crisp and elegant. How can you tell he's only 19? I'd say it takes over a decade of training to develop such tactical awareness."
"It's good, but it's a massive shame he's not our player," Guardiola replied, rubbing his temples.
"And you're overlooking the most important point, Mikel—he's actually trying to control the tempo of the game."
Guardiola instinctively glanced toward the adjacent dugout, meeting Mourinho's gaze directly.
This was one of Mourinho's changes.
He no longer treated players as mere tools to execute rigid tactics, but actively encouraged his core players to develop their own ideas on the pitch.
Mourinho had learned from Guardiola and built a system centered around a key playmaker.
Unconsciously, the match reached the 31st minute.
During a dead ball situation, Ling gasped for air.
This style of play not only drained physical energy but also required processing vast amounts of information simultaneously.
It was both physically and mentally exhausting.
Ling had taken on more playmaking responsibilities in the attacking third, relying on his organizational skills, distribution, and exquisite technique to prevent Man City from winning back possession.
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