At this moment, the away stand at Anfield exploded like a bomb.
All Manchester United fans could no longer hear their own cheers, as if they had entered a state of deafness.
They stood up and embraced each other, feeling as though it were unreal.
Some even tasted a slightly salty flavor—it turned out to be tears shed by the Red Devils.
They had already etched this feeling deep into their hearts.
"Another goal?" Neville's mouth hung open, his face filled with disbelief.
From the first leg's 1-3 to the second leg's 3-0—how arduous the journey had been.
Even from a spectator's perspective, he felt it hadn't been easy.
"Since the Champions League reform, no one has achieved this, but Manchester United has! I think Manchester United's loyal supporters will firmly remember tonight. Perhaps even ten or twenty years from now, they won't forget this feeling."
"I recall a line from the live commentary in 1999."
"Can Manchester United score? They always score!!!" (Classic)
"You can feel that this year belongs to Manchester United!"
Neville stood up from the bench, raising his arms and shouting with all his might!
An epic comeback!
Perhaps this was the most difficult match in Manchester United's century-long history to advance to the Champions League final.
Facing their arch-rivals Liverpool, they delivered a dismal 1-3 result in the first leg, and in the second leg, they had to create a record that had never been achieved before.
Just thinking about it felt overwhelming.
"But no matter what, we've done it!" Neville laughed heartily.
Meanwhile, sitting nearby, Liverpool legend Carragher buried his fingers in his hair.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to accept the reality of Liverpool trailing 0-3.
'This damn football!
"This damn team!"
Neville heard Carragher muttering to himself, but he keep quiet.
...
On the green pitch.
Ling no longer retrieved the ball and ran back. Instead, he sprinted toward the Corner Arc.
Leaping, punching, striking the air!!!
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
The Manchester United fans followed the rhythm, letting out three short, fierce roars.
Looking back at Liverpool's record this season.
Their biggest loss was only 0-2, against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League group stage.
Even against the formidable Manchester City in the league, they only lost 1-2.
As for their Champions League matches against Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, they had never suffered a single defeat.
Yet against Manchester United, their century-old rivals, they conceded three goals!?
To be honest, even if Manchester United fans had imagined it, they still couldn't believe it.
Although the match wasn't over yet, even if Liverpool scored another goal, the result would only lead to extra time.
And with the current state of the players laid bare for all to see, Manchester United still had the better chance of securing the final ticket!
The Manchester United fans looked toward the pitch, at their favorite player, who hadn't finished celebrating.
Ling took off his jersey, displaying it to tens of thousands of Liverpool fans!
Liverpool wanted to trample over Manchester United to reach the Champions League final?
Liverpool wanted to show Manchester United how cruel reality could be?
Ling used his actions to tell them: tonight belongs to Manchester United!
The Manchester United No. 7 jersey was like a sharp thorn, piercing the eyes of Liverpool fans.
They couldn't bear to see Anfield humiliated by their arch-rivals!
"Damn Mancunians, the match isn't over yet!"
"You won't leave Anfield standing upright!"
"The last one who popped the champagne early, I don't need to say what happened to them. Looking forward to seeing you wiping your nose in embarrassment later!"
Middle fingers accompanied by insults surged like a tide, but Ling reveled in it.
Because.... The more people who hate you, the more people love you.
The more people who want to defeat you, the more it proves how strong you are.
Seeing Ling's indifferent expression, Liverpool fans gritted their teeth in anger, with some even throwing their phones and keys onto the pitch.
Referee Cakir quickly pulled Ling back.
"According to UEFA regulations, taking off your shirt to celebrate is a yellow card. Also, don't provoke the home fans, or it could easily lead to a conflict."
Ling gladly accepted the yellow card.
As for the second half of the sentence, Ling didn't quite agree.
The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool had been long-standing, and there had been even more arrogant celebrations before.
The organizers had already made preparations in advance.
Didn't you see those fans who threw things had already been taken away?
Moreover, just as Liverpool fans looked down on Manchester United players, Ling genuinely looked down on Liverpool fans.
It had nothing to do with discrimination—it was purely a matter of differing allegiances.
He had grown up in the Manchester United youth academy, and the culture he was immersed in was—hating Liverpool!
But he didn't provoke the Liverpool fans any further.
What if someone had good aim?
Objects thrown from a height were extremely dangerous, and what if he got seriously injured?
Even if the fans would be punished, he would still be the one getting hurt.
Ling walked toward his teammates, raising his arms and shouting, "No matter how much time is left in the match, we just need to hold on until the last moment, and we'll reach the Champions League final again!"
"Let's go!!!"
Mahrez excitedly yelled, "Champions League final, here I come!"
Ashley Young couldn't hide his excitement either.
He had been at Manchester United for eight years and had won quite a few honors, but playing with these kids gave him a different feeling, as if he had become younger again.
Look at tonight's match—everyone worked together as one.
Going from trailing to leading on aggregate, how many players in their entire careers never experienced something like this?
And over the past two years, even though he hadn't slacked off in training, his form had been declining, yet he had still won quite a few trophies.
He really owed it to Ling.
Ashley Young slapped Ling on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Before, when fans mentioned you, they would say 'Manchester United's Ling.' Now they say 'Ling at Manchester United.' You can't hog all the spotlight—the rest of us need to show what we can do too!"
"Just wait and see my performance later!" Maguire said, shaking his head and grinning foolishly.
Ling chuckled, "You'd better not have a chance to show off. We need to keep attacking later and not let Liverpool build momentum."
After all, with the precedent of the Miracle of Istanbul, any team facing Liverpool would be on high alert.
They had to thank AC Milan for that contribution.
Ling felt that Liverpool's players weren't in good form, but who knew if things could turn around?
McTominay stood beside Ling.
When he was young, he was bullied in the youth academy because of his short stature, and it was Ling who stood up for him.
So, he didn't feel that Ling was stealing the spotlight at Manchester United.
On the contrary, he loved fighting alongside Ling.
Standing behind Ling, watching him dribble past defenders, break through, and shoot... Just like today.
The feeling of marching toward victory together was truly wonderful!
"Scott, I heard you've been staying in the dorm for the past week. Looks like abstinence is having a good effect." Ling put his arm around Scott McTominay's shoulder, flashing a bright smile.
"Let's grab a meal after the match. Why don't you bring Maria along?"
McTominay grinned back.
"Sure, if we win. No appetite if we lose!" Ling waved dismissively.
The Manchester United players joked and laughed as they returned to their half.
...
Meanwhile, the Liverpool players stood rooted to the spot, heads nearly drooping to the turf—especially Matip and Arnold.
The two had been completely dominated by Ling today.
Their minds were filled with nothing but images of him bursting past them, and even the thought of Ling sent shivers down their spines.
What does it mean to have your confidence shattered?
All three of Manchester United's goals had come from the flanks, and to be more precise—from Arnold's side!
His disastrous performance had allowed United to score three consecutive goals, creating a new piece of history.
Arnold thought of the infamous "Highway 66" and was nearly overwhelmed with shame.
Matip had no energy left to console Arnold.
What good is an attacking full-back if they stray from their core duties?
Even someone as talented as Tottenham's Bale eventually had to switch to playing as a winger.
Arnold had lost his sense of positioning.
At that moment, he didn't even want to stay on the pitch.
But when he glanced at Klopp on the sidelines, he suddenly remembered Liverpool had no substitutions left.
Firmino's unexpected dip in form had put Liverpool at a disadvantage.
No wonder Klopp hadn't subbed him off earlier.
Arnold genuinely felt the heavens were conspiring against Liverpool. How else could everything go so wrong?
"Keep fighting." Van Dijk left those words behind as he walked to his position.
The current Liverpool squad lacked the old guard like Gerrard and Alonso.
Whether they still possessed the never-say-die spirit was a question worth pondering.
Alisson's composure was also on the verge of crumbling.
Not only had he made a costly error leading to a goal, but he'd also conceded three at home to Manchester United!
He was being etched into the annals of shame!
Do all Liverpool goalkeepers have a tragic streak?
...
"The match resumes!"
"Liverpool's form seems off. Why do they look so passive?" Neville couldn't help but smirk.
Carragher let out a long sigh, unable to find the words.
The singing in the stadium hadn't stopped.
The melody of "You'll Never Walk Alone" still lingered over Anfield. The 60,000 Liverpool fans in attendance hadn't given up!
But as the Liverpool players continued their listless performance, the singing slowly faded into the night, replaced by the resounding anthem of Manchester United!
We march forward in the Premier League with no rivals to compete!
We are world champions, we are a great club! Glory, glory, Manchester United!
The Red Army marches on!
We've silenced Liverpool, we've muted the Mersey sound!
As the familiar tune spread, the Manchester United players grew more energized, eager to score another goal.
Ling had no intention of holding back either, signaling Rashford to press on.
Liverpool's right-back Arnold was the weak link.
Why not exploit it relentlessly until Liverpool's entire defense collapsed?