Wembley Stadium, one of the most modern yet historic venues in English football.
Officially rated a five-star stadium by UEFA, it enjoys global prestige and sits firmly in the top tier of world-class venues. Every English domestic cup final is held here.
All tickets sold out within just one hour of release.
May 2nd, 7:30 PM CET.
With around half an hour to go before kickoff, Barnett was escorted into a luxury box.
"Mary, go down to the hot dog stand on the right side of the first floor—the one with the hottest owner—and get me two hot dogs, a beer, and a coffee. Extra milk, less sugar."
Barnett instinctively delivered his usual line, sending his assistant off to fetch the food.
He even felt a little proud of himself, thinking that by ordering two hot dogs and remembering Delores's coffee preference, he was bound to earn her praise.
The next second, a chilling surge of killing intent rose from behind him.
It was refined, almost elegant—like a needle piercing straight through his back into his shoulder.
Sure enough, although Delores looked calm on the surface, her thumb had already dug firmly into the back of Barnett's shoulder.
"Oh?"
"The hottest?"
"Mary, I'm coming with you. I'd like to see just how hot she really is."
Barnett's face instantly crumpled as he looked out toward the pitch. Wembley Stadium was already packed to capacity.
Most fans were holding hot dogs and beer, enjoying the final moments of anticipation before the showdown.
Across Europe, over 130 media outlets—and more than 500 worldwide—were broadcasting the match live. And that was only the officially recorded number; the true figure was undoubtedly far higher.
In the ESPN commentary booth, Jon Champion and Derek Rae sat side by side, ready for the broadcast.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the 2017–18 FA Cup Final is about to begin! A clash between the two best-performing teams in English football this season!"
"Manchester City versus Liverpool! Both teams have submitted their starting lineups!"
"Let's start with Manchester City."
"Pep Guardiola has rolled out a very unconventional setup."
"Goalkeeper: Ederson."
"Three center backs: Kyle Walker, Otamendi, Laporte."
"Single defensive midfielder: Fernandinho."
"Dual central midfielders: David Silva alongside Bernardo Silva."
"Attacking midfielder: De Bruyne."
"Front three: Sané, Agüero, and Jesus."
"A three-center-back system, combined with a diamond midfield and three forwards—it looks quite unusual, and it does raise concerns about Manchester City's defensive stability."
"They're up against the most potent attacking side in European football right now. Guardiola is certainly being bold."
Live chat exploded.
"Is Guardiola pulling another stunt in a final?"
"This is huge. If it works, it's legendary. If not, City fans will tear him apart."
"So his elite coaching staff worked all night… and this is the result? Liverpool are going to rip them open!"
Derek Rae then moved on to Liverpool's lineup.
"After experimenting with a 4-4-2 in several matches, Liverpool return to their preferred 4-3-3 for this final."
"Goalkeeper: Mignolet."
"That's excellent news for Liverpool—Mignolet has recovered just in time for the final."
"Defense: Robertson, Lovren, Matip, Arnold."
"Midfield: Wijnaldum, Henderson, Leo Lin."
"Front three: Mané, Firmino, Salah."
At that moment, both teams were in their dressing rooms for the final team talk. Klopp looked composed.
"Alright, boys. This is the last cup match of the season. Win this, and we're double champions."
"But before the final whistle, I need absolute composure from all of you."
"Manchester City will come at us hungry for revenge. We've had the better of them in the league this season, and this is their last chance to take a trophy from us."
Klopp gestured for everyone to gather in.
"I know what's coming."
"Intense battles, tough moments—maybe even desperate situations. Or maybe we get the perfect start."
"But no matter what happens, you must stay calm in the key moments."
"Whether we're leading or trailing, stick to our football. From the first second to the final whistle—then accept the result calmly. That's what we need to do."
Klopp raised his hand. Players and staff gathered in close.
Arms stacked together.
Voices rose as one.
"Liverpool!"
"Everything for football!!!"
...
A moment later.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"The players are on the pitch! You're watching the 2017–18 FA Cup Final!"
"Manchester City in blue versus Liverpool in red! The referee is England's top official, Atkinson. Both starting lineups are ready!"
"Whistle!!!"
"And we're underway!"
"Liverpool push forward immediately—seven players charging ahead!"
"Leo Lin receives the return pass from Firmino and switches play long to the right!"
Leo Lin's long ball clearly aimed to stretch the play and open things up.
But suddenly, David Silva drifted wide and rose to head the ball clear, cutting off the pass.
Immediately, Manchester City's three-center-back structure morphed into an irregular diagonal diamond shape.
The two wide points of the diamond shifted outward, providing cover for the flanks.
De Bruyne operated centrally in an advanced position, while Fernandinho held deeper.
Klopp frowned, unable to read what Guardiola was planning.
Play continued.
Liverpool quickly resumed their dynamic triangle passing.
Leo Lin took on the role of facilitator, constantly making interweaving runs to drive the attack.
But soon, he realized something was wrong.
No matter how he adjusted his runs, he couldn't escape the containment of Manchester City's diamond midfield.
His movement patterns were perfectly matched—and neutralized—by City's defensive structure.
14th minute!
"Liverpool in possession through the middle—diagonal through ball! Arnold pulls wide to receive and sends it back inside!"
"Leo Lin on the ball! De Bruyne tight behind him, Fernandinho stepping up—Manchester City pressing high!"
With his back to goal, Leo Lin shielded the ball. De Bruyne and Fernandinho immediately closed in from both sides, leaving him no room to turn.
Playing it safe, Leo Lin opted for a backward diagonal pass.
But before it could reach Robertson, David Silva suddenly burst forward from a wide midfield position and nearly intercepted it!
Robertson, under pressure, cleared the ball long upfield, narrowly preventing a dangerous counterattack.
Leo Lin felt a jolt of shock.
He hadn't even noticed when David Silva had moved into that position—he had clearly checked his surroundings before passing.
On the touchline, Klopp rubbed the back of his head and paced repeatedly.
He had begun to understand Guardiola's plan.
The diamond midfield allowed incredible flexibility in central areas—Guardiola had fully unleashed all four midfielders.
David Silva and Bernardo Silva occupied the flanks.
De Bruyne appeared advanced but frequently dropped back.
Fernandinho coordinated with the entire defensive line to execute high pressing, combined with an offside trap.
A flawless three-center-back system.
It completely dismantled Liverpool's dynamic triangle, cutting off all links between their midfield and attack.
Jon Champion nodded repeatedly, eyes gleaming. As a master of tactical analysis, he immediately grasped the brilliance on display.
"This has to be a new tactical system developed by Guardiola and his elite coaching staff—highly advanced, unmistakably modern."
"Guardiola keeps finding success through these forward-thinking systems. From the very start, Manchester City have shut down Liverpool's attack and taken firm control of possession!"