Chapter 686: Never Stop Moving Forward
On January 31, the winter transfer window for the 2018–2019 Premier League season closed. Manchester United had a very quiet window, with no incoming or outgoing players for the first team.
Currently, United's squad is very stable, performing exceptionally well and consistently winning trophies. No player wants to leave, and with no significant injury crises, there's no need to strengthen the squad.
Chelsea, however, made a splash by spending €64 million to sign the talented winger Ivan Perišić from Borussia Dortmund, making him the most expensive signing of the winter window.
Aside from Chelsea, other traditional powerhouses were as inactive as United. Liverpool even sold forward Dominic Solanke.
Across Europe, only AC Milan and Barcelona made notable moves. The Rossoneri spent €70 million to sign Krzysztof Piątek and Lucas Paquetá. Meanwhile, Barcelona sold Paulinho for €42 million and used €75 million plus €11 million in add-ons to acquire 21-year-old midfield prodigy Frenkie de Jong from Ajax. However, de Jong would only officially join after the season ended.
...
February Begins: Premier League Matchday 25
United's first match in February saw them visiting the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City.
United struck early. In the 10th minute, Bruno Fernandes delivered a perfectly weighted overhead pass to the right side of the penalty area. Rashford latched onto it and smashed the ball into the net with his right foot.
The rest of the game saw both sides trading attacks, but no further goals were scored.
United secured a narrow 1–0 away victory. With 22 wins and 3 draws in 25 matches, they amassed 69 points, pulling away from the pack at the top of the table.
Liverpool's two consecutive draws and Manchester City's recent upset loss to Newcastle meant United extended their lead to 9 points over Liverpool and 12 points over City.
...
February 9: Premier League Matchday 26
United traveled to Craven Cottage to face Fulham.
Fulham had been dreadful this season, with just 17 points from 25 matches. They were 7 points behind 17th-place Burnley and sat 19th in the table, deep in the relegation zone.
Just 10 rounds earlier, United had crushed Fulham 4–0 at Old Trafford. Their goal for this away fixture was simple: another three points.
Within the first 10 minutes, Bruno had already created two dangerous chances—one for Rashford, who missed, and another for Ander Herrera, whose long-range shot gave Fulham a scare.
In the 13th minute, Bruno created yet another opportunity. Cutting inside near the edge of the box, he passed to Dalot, who was overlapping on the right flank. Dalot drove to the byline but, finding no crossing angle, passed back to Bruno in a triangular play.
Bruno drove along the edge of the penalty area, using his speed and the wet grass to his advantage, slipping past two Fulham defenders. Near the byline, he whipped a high, looping cross into the box.
Harry Kane positioned himself perfectly, rising above the defenders to head the ball home from close range.
1–0!
...
Just when it seemed United would dominate, Fulham struck back with a surprise counterattack nine minutes later. Schürrle made a quick diagonal run behind the defense, received the ball, and finished clinically in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
1–1!
The United players were stunned. Dalot, in particular, covered his face in shame.
After joining United in the summer, Dalot had struggled to compete with his Portuguese compatriot João Cancelo for game time. This error would likely hurt his standing with Mourinho, potentially reducing his future chances.
Bruno noticed Dalot's frustration and quickly approached him.
"Don't do this, Diogo. You need to believe in yourself," Bruno said, offering encouragement.
"No, I feel like I've been terrible lately," Dalot replied, gripping his hair in frustration.
Bruno firmly placed his hands on Dalot's shoulders, looking him in the eye. "Trust me, brother. You've got this. Have faith in yourself and in me. You can do it!"
Other teammates, including Mbappé, also came over to console Dalot.
Dalot was well-liked in the dressing room. Friendly and kind to everyone, he was a teammate no one could dislike. Mistakes and self-doubt were common in football, and his teammates understood that.
"He stole one from us, right? So find a way to steal one back!" Bruno encouraged with a determined tone.
Dalot looked at Bruno deeply and nodded resolutely.
Redeeming himself was the best way to turn things around!
...
In the 33rd minute, Bruno, finding no opportunity on the left wing, switched the ball to the right.
Dalot received it on the flank, shook off his marker, and cut inside before passing to Mbappé.
The French international played a quick ball into Dalot's path. Dalot surged forward, caught up with the pass near the edge of the box, and unleashed a thunderous strike that tore through Fulham's goal.
2–1!
Dalot, overwhelmed with emotion, sprinted off the pitch, leaped over the advertising boards, and celebrated wildly in front of the away fans.
Bruno, Herrera, Mbappé, and other United players rushed to join him in celebration.
"Thank you!" Dalot said, gripping Bruno's shoulder tightly.
Bruno grinned, flashing his bright white teeth. "Then get me an assist next time!"
With a 2–1 lead heading into halftime, Mourinho highlighted defensive issues in his team's performance. However, he refused to blame Dalot entirely for the earlier mistake, recognizing that offensive-minded fullbacks like Dalot often came with defensive vulnerabilities.
In the second half, United resumed their attack. In the 53rd minute, Herrera evaded a challenge and passed to Mbappé on the right wing. Mbappé sent the ball into the box, where Bruno turned and finished sharply into the near corner.
3–1!
This was Bruno's 29th Premier League goal of the season!
...
With a two-goal cushion, the victory seemed assured, but Bruno remained relentless.
As a time-traveler, Bruno knew how strong Liverpool and Manchester City were this season. Despite their current lead, United couldn't afford any complacency.
In Bruno's memory, Manchester City had edged out Liverpool with 98 points to Liverpool's 97 in this season, making Liverpool the highest-scoring runners-up in the history of Europe's top five leagues.
While City couldn't reach 98 points this time around, Liverpool's tally after 25 rounds suggested they could still hit 97 points. To counter this, Bruno aimed to help United secure as many wins and goal differences as possible.
...
In the 83rd minute, Fulham's defense finally cracked again.
Bruno moved to the left, received a pass from Mahrez, and sent the ball back to the overlapping Dalot.
Dalot cut inside, drew defenders, and passed back to the edge of the box. Bruno controlled the ball, shifted it centrally, and unleashed a curling strike that kissed the inside of the post before finding the net.
4–1!
Bruno completed his brace and reached his 30th Premier League goal of the season. He became only the second player in Premier League history to score 30 goals in three consecutive seasons, following the legendary Alan Shearer.
Bruno's feat was even more impressive, as it came in the 20-team Premier League format with a 38-game season.
This was also Bruno's 100th Premier League appearance. In those games, he had scored an astonishing 109 goals.
Although Bruno wasn't the highest scorer in his first 100 league games across Europe's top five leagues—that record belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo with 111 goals in his first 100 La Liga matches—Bruno's achievements remained extraordinary.
...
Following Manchester United's 4–1 victory at Craven Cottage…
The Premier League's traditional powerhouses followed with wins of their own.
Arsenal edged out Huddersfield 2–1 away, Liverpool cruised to a 3–0 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield, and Tottenham defeated Leicester City 3–1 at home.
However, the biggest shock of the round came in the match between Manchester City and Chelsea.
While it wouldn't typically be considered an upset for either team to win, the scoreline of this game stunned everyone.
At the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola's Manchester City thrashed Sarri's Chelsea 6–0!
This season, Chelsea's defense hadn't been poor. Before this match, they had conceded just 25 goals in 25 league games—an average of one goal per match. Yet, in this single game, City tore through their defense with six unanswered goals.
City scored four goals within the first 24 minutes, leaving Chelsea completely overwhelmed.
Adding to their woes, Chelsea had also suffered a 0–4 defeat to Bournemouth in their previous away game (Matchday 24). The last time Chelsea conceded four or more goals in consecutive away matches in England's top flight was December 1990.
This result shattered a nearly 30-year-old unwanted record for Chelsea.
Furthermore, the 6–0 loss marked Chelsea's heaviest league defeat in nearly 30 years. Including all competitions, they hadn't suffered such an embarrassing scoreline since 1990. Their last six-goal league defeat came in 1986, a 0–6 loss to Queens Park Rangers.
Manchester City's Resurgence
City's emphatic victory highlighted their continued threat as title contenders. Guardiola's team seemed to have recovered their attacking sharpness, and this result sent a clear message to their rivals, particularly Manchester United and Liverpool.
As the season moved toward its climax, the title race was set to remain fiercely competitive.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10