Chapter 92: Cristiano Ronaldo Has Transformed! Tonight's Liverpool—They're Mine!
February 11, midday. Loftus Road Stadium, London.
Premier League Round 26 — Bayswater Chinese FC hosted Liverpool at home.
Black suit, white shirt, hair neatly groomed, shoes polished to a mirror shine.
This had already become Yang Cheng's signature look.
In just over half a year, football fans around the world had come to know that the Premier League had birthed a 26-year-old genius coach.
And the kicker? He was handsome too.
Yang Cheng never deliberately dressed up.
From FIFA to UEFA to the FA, the requirement for coaches was always formalwear.
At the very least, one had to be presentable.
His attire? Perfectly standard.
But more than that, he liked dressing this way. It was comfortable.
Whenever he stood on the touchline, he didn't spare a thought for his outfit.
His mind was fully occupied with the match ahead.
Benítez's Liverpool had always had one glaring issue—attack.
He took over the team in 2004, and that same year, Michael Owen left Liverpool for Real Madrid.
In the 2004/05 Premier League season, Liverpool scored just 52 goals—fifth-best in the league.
Dig a little deeper, and it turned out not a single player in the squad had reached double figures in goals.
For a top-four team, that was shocking.
By comparison, Manchester United's top scorer Van Nistelrooy had an injury-riddled campaign in 04/05, only managing six league goals.
But the newly signed Rooney contributed 11.
United scored 58 goals that season—finishing third, while Liverpool ended up fifth.
David Moyes' Everton took fourth.
This season, Liverpool had made efforts to fix their scoring woes.
They signed Peter Crouch in the summer and veteran Robbie Fowler in the winter.
But still, the Reds' attack remained toothless.
After 25 rounds this season, Liverpool had only scored 29 goals.
That ranked 14th out of 20 teams in the Premier League.
Even Middlesbrough, sitting 17th, had scored two more.
Worse yet, in their last four league matches, Liverpool had scored just two goals.
Benítez defended his team, pointing out that they'd faced tough opponents:
Home to Spurs, away to United, away to Chelsea...
But he didn't dare bring up their Round 24 match—at home to Birmingham.
Despite Birmingham going down to ten men in the 28th minute, Liverpool managed just one goal.
And even worse—they let ten-man Birmingham equalize.
Yang Cheng always believed: don't listen to what they say, look at what they do.
In recent rounds, Benítez had tried almost every possible striker pairing.
Crouch, Cissé, Morientes, Fowler...
He juggled every attacking combo he could think of.
But the result? Nothing.
Yang Cheng actually had a bit of admiration for Steven Gerrard.
When Owen's return was being speculated, Gerrard had been vocal.
As Liverpool's attack sputtered in winter, he once again brought up Owen, now at Newcastle.
"I have a great relationship with Michael. I know what he's thinking—if the club's willing, he'll come back to Anfield anytime."
"We need Owen!"
"Crouch needs a prolific scorer next to him—and there's no one more suitable than Owen!"
Gerrard wasn't wrong.
No matter how Benítez tinkered with his forwards, he couldn't change the brutal truth:
Crouch was the only reliable striker in the squad.
But where should Liverpool use Crouch's height and aerial presence?
Keep him high up in the box?
Or pull him deeper for tactical purposes?
Pull him back?
Then who scores the goals?
Keep him up front?
Who's supplying him the ball?
Against Bayswater Chinese FC, Benítez abandoned his usual 4-2-3-1 and went with a 4-4-2:
Goalkeeper: Reina
Defense: Warnock, Hyypiä, Carragher, Finnan
Midfield: Gerrard, Hamann, Xabi Alonso, Kromkamp
Forwards: Crouch and Fowler
Clearly, this didn't look like a typical Benítez lineup.
Especially the flanks—Kromkamp, a right-back, was being deployed as a right winger. A last resort.
Yang Cheng stuck to his trusted 4-3-3:
Goalkeeper: Neuer
Defense: Leighton Baines, José Fonte, Škrtel, Maicon
Midfield: Andreasen (holding), Modrić and Lass Diarra (central)
Forwards: Arshavin, Lambert, and Ribéry
This match marked the debut of two winter signings—Maicon and Arshavin.
Yaya Touré had just helped Ivory Coast reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Sadly, they lost to Egypt and finished runners-up.
He'd arrived in London that very morning.
Yang Cheng didn't include him in the matchday squad, allowing him time to rest.
At that very moment, the Ivorian was sitting in the stands.
...
With home advantage and an opponent lacking firepower, Yang Cheng had no intention of playing defensively.
But Liverpool were wary of Bayswater's offensive threat.
Right after kickoff, they pressed aggressively.
That, too, was a hallmark of Benítez's tactical style.
But Andreasen launched a long pass from deep, sending the ball forward.
Lambert held off Hyypiä with his body, chested the ball down, and passed it left to Arshavin.
Yang Cheng clapped from the sideline.
A product of Liverpool's own youth academy, Lambert was especially fired up when playing against his former club.
The reason Džeko didn't start today?
Physicality.
If it had been Džeko on that ball just now, he likely wouldn't have held off Hyypiä.
The first attack didn't amount to anything.
But soon, Bayswater regrouped and launched another offensive.
In the 2nd minute, Lambert again switched the ball left—and to everyone's surprise, Ribéry was there.
And not only that—he combined beautifully with Arshavin on the left channel.
Arshavin slipped a through-ball down the inside lane.
Ribéry beat Finnan on the dribble and crossed into the box.
Lambert was a half-step too slow.
Reina came out and claimed the ball.
Still, the crowd erupted into applause.
Just one minute later, the same duo—Ribéry and Arshavin—combined again on the left edge of Liverpool's box.
Ribéry dribbled from distance. Arshavin overlapped to support.
Ribéry played him in, and Arshavin, with a deft flick of the right foot, chipped it over the defense.
Ribéry burst into the left side of the penalty area and squared the ball across goal.
Carragher got there just in time and cleared it before Lambert could reach it.
Not even four minutes in, and Bayswater had launched two threatening attacks—both from the left flank.
The match tempo was intense.
Liverpool's defense played with extreme caution, terrified of making a mistake.
Especially whenever Ribéry, Arshavin, and Modrić found themselves in close proximity—they looked ready to tear the defense apart.
Then in the 7th minute, Maicon received a pass on the right around 30 meters from his own goal.
He surged down the flank, entering Liverpool's half before cutting inside and feeding Ribéry.
Moments ago, Ribéry had been attacking down the left. Now, he was on the right.
He brought the ball down, dribbled past Warnock, then exploded past Hyypiä into the box.
At the byline, he squared the ball across goal.
And Lambert—at the crucial moment—sent it sailing over the bar.
"Damn it! I told you—he crumbles in key moments!" Yang Cheng shouted toward the pitch, half-laughing, half-scolding Lambert.
Brian Kidd and the other staff members all burst into laughter.
Only a few minutes in, but everything was unfolding exactly as the coaching staff had predicted.
Though the game had only just begun, Bayswater Chinese FC had already seized the initiative.
And judging from the early combinations, Arshavin was performing brilliantly.
He was exactly the kind of player who could engage in tight, rapid give-and-go passes with Ribéry and Modrić.
That already demonstrated both his skill and football IQ.
More importantly, like Ribéry, he was two-footed.
That meant Yang Cheng's plan to have his wingers switch flanks mid-match could now become a reality.
As for Maicon, his earlier push down the right wing—especially that quick shimmy to avoid Gerrard's press, followed by his cut inside after entering Liverpool's half—had all the hallmarks of a classic Brazilian fullback.
There's a well-known saying in European football:
There are only two types of fullbacks—Brazilian fullbacks, and everyone else.
And what Brazilian fullbacks are most famous for?
Late runs and surges forward to join the attack.
Before signing Maicon, Yang Cheng had discussed Sevilla's Dani Alves with Brian Kidd.
Kidd had praised Alves' technique, but doubted whether his physical attributes were suited to the Premier League.
Brazilian players often struggled in the English game—too many had flopped.
Maicon, however, was different. He had the physicality and the defensive awareness.
...
While Liverpool's attack was blunt, Benítez's defensive organization remained excellent.
He had clearly anticipated that Yang Cheng would go on the offensive, so Liverpool started with extreme caution.
Bayswater, despite not getting an early breakthrough, kept the tempo high.
That was exactly Yang Cheng's plan.
Technically, Bayswater were better than Liverpool.
Maintaining a fast rhythm allowed them to keep playing crisp passing sequences—but Liverpool couldn't match that speed or accuracy.
More importantly, Yang Cheng gave specific instructions to Modrić and Lass Diarra:
Shadow Xabi Alonso.
At this stage, Xabi was the most underrated player at Liverpool.
So underrated, in fact, that even Benítez didn't rate him highly—which is why, in the summer of 2009, he was allowed to leave for Real Madrid.
It wasn't a rare thing.
Michael Carrick, Sergio Busquets—both had been looked down upon by their own fans at one point.
But Yang Cheng told Modrić and Lass:
No matter what, one of you must always stay near Alonso.
As soon as he receives the ball—close him down immediately.
Because Alonso was Liverpool's primary outlet after winning possession.
And once he was neutralized, their passing game collapsed.
In the first 25 minutes, Liverpool didn't even register a single shot.
Then in the 26th minute, Maicon carried the ball past midfield and passed inside to Andreasen.
The Dane moved it out left to Leighton Baines.
Baines then played it diagonally into the left half-space for Modrić.
Facing the sideline, Modrić used his body to shield the ball from Xabi Alonso.
One touch to control—then a perfect outside-foot pass with his right.
The ball slipped perfectly between Finnan and Carragher.
A red shirt burst forward—Arshavin, ghosting in behind.
He latched onto Modrić's through ball inside the box on the left.
Hyypiä scrambled across to cover.
Arshavin slowed down, gave a subtle pause.
It tricked Hyypiä.
Ribéry, in similar situations, would usually pass—so Hyypiä assumed Arshavin was setting up for a square ball.
But instead, the Russian stopped—and then smashed it with his right foot.
The ball flew past Reina's head and buried itself into the Liverpool net.
"GOOOOOAL!!!"
"Oh my word!"
"26th minute of the first half—Bayswater Chinese FC takes the lead!"
"And it's their new winter signing—Russian international Andrey Arshavin!"
"What a pass from Modrić, and the way Arshavin took it—pure class!"
"That was beautiful football!"
On the touchline, Yang Cheng leapt into the air, pumping his fists.
He genuinely hadn't expected Arshavin to score on his debut.
Was Liverpool's goal just made for him?
The entire stadium erupted.
And this was against Liverpool!
One of the Premier League's Big Four!
Since when had Bayswater Chinese FC grown strong enough to completely shut down a Big Four team—even denying them a single shot?
Yang Cheng, beyond thrilled, was also deeply satisfied.
This was exactly what he'd envisioned.
Both Arshavin and Ribéry were devastating on the dribble, with silky footwork.
But they were different types.
Ribéry loved to hold the ball and pass. Arshavin, at heart, was a forward.
This system—wingers constantly switching sides—would drive defenders crazy.
"Tonight's Liverpool… they're ours!"
"I told you!"
...
With Alonso contained and both flanks unable to make headway, Liverpool's attack hit a massive wall.
How were they supposed to get the ball to their forwards?
Gerrard was a right-footed player stuck on the left, and Kromkamp offered little threat down the right.
What then? Depend on Dietmar Hamann?
In this situation, Liverpool only had one option: long balls.
Crouch ran around like a tireless bee, chasing every second ball.
Poor guy—2.01 meters tall, huffing and puffing all over the pitch.
In the 36th minute, after another recycling phase, Carragher launched a long ball forward looking for Crouch.
But the big man was clearly gassed.
Škrtel got to the ball first, heading it down straight to Lass Diarra.
Diarra calmly controlled it with his chest—then showed off a bit, juggling two or three times, even spinning as he did it.
Only when Hamann approached did he lay it off to Maicon.
Earlier, Škrtel had stepped up to challenge, so Maicon instinctively tucked inside to cover the central space—exactly as his coach at Monaco, Francesco Guidolin, had taught him.
But seeing the ball bounce to Diarra, Maicon instantly turned and sprinted up the right channel.
As he passed Škrtel, he gave a quick shout.
They couldn't communicate verbally yet—but on a football pitch, many things went without saying.
As Diarra finished his little flourish and saw Hamann closing in, Maicon charged into position.
"Ici! Ici!" ("Here! Here!") he called in simple French—enough for Diarra to understand.
Not wanting to risk losing the ball—and the £200 fine that would come with it—Diarra quickly played it into Maicon's path.
Maicon flew forward like a bullet, powering past the halfway line with massive strides.
Hamann turned and gave chase, but couldn't close the gap.
Down the right, Ribéry didn't come toward the ball.
Instead, he ran alongside Maicon, pulling Warnock wide with him.
Gerrard followed Ribéry from behind, trying to track back.
Bayswater Chinese FC's counterattack accelerated.
Lambert stuck tightly to Carragher. Hyypiä stepped forward to confront Maicon.
As they entered Liverpool's final third, Hyypiä stopped retreating.
Hamann was closing in, setting up a potential pincer move.
Hyypiä, always experienced, angled slightly toward Warnock's side.
Had he not, Maicon could've played the ball behind him and sprinted past on the inside.
But now, with Hyypiä closing that option and Hamann blocking the middle, Maicon had no obvious path forward.
Just as it looked like Hamann and Hyypiä were about to trap Maicon, Lambert suddenly stepped off Carragher, dropped back a step, and raised his hand to call for the ball.
That movement opened a perfect passing lane for Maicon.
The Brazilian quickly slid the ball across, neutralizing the pincer from Hamann and Hyypiä.
As Lambert brought the ball under control, only Carragher stood in front of him.
Hyypiä had no choice but to abandon Maicon and shift over to Carragher's side, wary of Lambert trying to create a shooting angle.
Hamann also rushed in to press Lambert.
It was all instinct—defenders reacting automatically to danger.
At that moment, all eyes were on Lambert and Arshavin, who was darting over from the left to offer support.
But Maicon?
He slipped right into the gap between Hyypiä and Warnock, drifting into the right side of the box just outside the arc.
"Here! Here!" Maicon shouted, using the English words he'd only just learned.
Facing Carragher and caught in two minds about whether to shoot, Lambert heard the unfamiliar shout—and immediately recognized the call for the ball.
He delivered a diagonal pass, threading it perfectly between Hyypiä and Hamann.
Maicon, carefully staying onside, resisted the urge to surge too early.
When the ball arrived, he took one touch with his right foot to push it ahead—then exploded through Liverpool's back line with a burst of pace.
He'd beaten the offside trap!
Maicon reached the ball just outside the right side of the six-yard box—Reina had already rushed out to meet him.
No hesitation.
The Brazilian smashed a rocket of a shot straight into the bottom right corner of the net.
Reina had already gone to ground, but he was a step too late.
"GOAL!!!"
"36th minute—Bayswater Chinese FC strike again!"
"It's Maicon—the Brazilian right-back!"
"My God, what is happening today?!"
"Both goals scored by Bayswater's winter signings!"
"2–0! Maicon doubles the lead!"
...
Yang Cheng could hardly believe his eyes on the sideline.
He froze for a second, then erupted in celebration, roaring and applauding with all his might.
This was completely beyond his expectations.
He never imagined both of his debutants would score on their first appearance.
Even more incredible—Maicon was a defender!
"Did I see that right? That was Maicon?"
Brian Kidd blinked, wondering if his vision had gone bad.
But the stadium announcer confirmed it—Maicon.
The Brazilian right-back had already sprinted out of the pitch in celebration.
It wasn't just Yang Cheng and Kidd—everyone was stunned.
Two players, both debuting, both scoring?
Unreal.
"He's been making those forward runs all game. This one just paid off," Yang Cheng said, calming down and reflecting.
Gerrard, a right-footer playing awkwardly on the left, was already out of position.
Maicon's run through the half-space came at the perfect moment—exploiting the gap in Liverpool's defensive transitions.
"This kid's better than Chimbonda," said technical coach Danny McGrain, nodding with conviction.
McGrain had been a right-back himself—he knew how to judge them.
"Of course he is. I paid £4 million for him," Yang Cheng replied, not even trying to be humble.
With Arshavin and Maicon both scoring in their debuts, it was a storybook start.
Everyone broke into laughter.
But in their eyes, the admiration for Yang Cheng only grew stronger.
Chimbonda had cost just £500,000 and was sold six months later for £15 million.
A thirty-fold return.
From what they were seeing today, Arshavin and Maicon had cost more—but they were also far more capable.
After all, not every deal could be a Chimbonda-style bargain.
Right now, Bayswater Chinese FC were prioritizing firepower—especially in the winter window.
Yang Cheng didn't hesitate to spend money, as long as it was spent right.
The team needed immediate impact, so he brought in Arshavin and Maicon.
And just like that—they slotted in seamlessly.
Scoring on their debuts—what better way to make an entrance?
...
From the moment the match kicked off, Benítez's round face had been tightly furrowed with frustration.
He'd known Liverpool's attack was weak—but he never expected to be overwhelmed like this by Bayswater Chinese FC.
In the entire first half, Liverpool couldn't muster even a single dangerous chance.
Not one.
The Spanish manager was furious inside—but remained calm and composed.
At halftime, he subbed on Harry Kewell for Kromkamp.
Kewell moved to the left wing; Gerrard returned to his natural position on the right.
He also clarified the team's attacking roles:
Crouch was to contest every first ball.
Fowler would hover nearby, looking to pounce on any loose ball.
Liverpool's plan was still to attack down the flanks.
But Benítez couldn't possibly have imagined that this very substitution would trigger disaster.
Only three minutes into the second half, Arshavin tried to break past Finnan on the left but was tackled.
Trying to win it back, the Russian knocked the ball out of play.
Finnan took the throw-in quickly to Hyypiä.
The Finnish center-back switched play to the left and gave it to Warnock.
Warnock pushed up the left flank and, before Ribéry could close him down, booted it forward toward Kewell.
Kewell, harried by Maicon, didn't control the ball and immediately tried to send it toward Xabi Alonso.
But Lass Diarra was lurking nearby.
With three quick strides, the Frenchman slid in ahead of Alonso and knocked the ball away.
Still on the ground, Diarra saw the ball bounce to Maicon's feet on the right—and let out a triumphant shout:
"Eight hundred pounds!!"
But no one had time to figure out what this strange guy was on about.
As soon as Maicon got the ball, Kewell and Alonso rushed to close him down.
He danced between them, shifting the ball with both feet as he tried to dribble forward.
He broke free at an angle—but couldn't shake them completely.
Before crossing midfield, he spotted Ribéry cutting inside from the left, creating a passing lane.
Maicon sent it into the center circle.
Warnock came in hard with a sliding tackle, skimming across the turf.
But Ribéry, already used to this kind of challenge after a few seasons in the Premier League, deftly lifted the ball as he received it and hopped over the tackle.
Catching up to the ball again, he beat Hyypiä to it and poked it forward to Lambert, then peeled away diagonally toward the left channel.
Lambert knew exactly what to do—he laid it off into Ribéry's path.
But this time, Ribéry didn't get to the ball.
He and Arshavin had overlapped their runs and nearly collided.
It was their first official match together—these things happen.
Normally, such a mix-up would end the attack.
But Ribéry and Arshavin weren't just "normal" players.
Ribéry stopped in time.
Arshavin took over, carried the ball toward the center, controlled it smoothly, and used his dribbling to draw Carragher's attention.
At the same time, he was waiting—for Ribéry to make his next move.
As soon as Ribéry made his run, Arshavin played a pinpoint through ball.
It might sound like a long sequence, but in reality, it all happened in less than two seconds.
By the time Ribéry burst into the left side of the penalty area and met Arshavin's pass, it was already over.
The scar-faced assassin calmly side-footed the ball past Reina and into Liverpool's net.
3–0!
Loftus Road erupted in a frenzy.
All 18,000 fans were on their feet, chanting Ribéry's name.
"Absolutely brilliant!"
"Bayswater Chinese FC's counterattack was executed to perfection!"
"And Ribéry—what a player!"
"He received the ball on the right side of the halfway line and cut diagonally all the way to the left of the penalty area, combining beautifully with two teammates along the way. Just breathtaking!"
"And let's not forget Arshavin."
"In his very first appearance, he's already delivered a goal and an assist. Especially that third goal—even though his link-up with Ribéry wasn't perfectly in sync, you could still feel that instinctive understanding between two top-tier players."
"This was their first match together, yet they've already given us several moments of magic!"
"At this rate, Liverpool will struggle to escape in one piece tonight!"
...
At this point in the match, the result was all but sealed.
Benítez's substitutions had backfired—especially since his tactical change directly led to Bayswater Chinese FC's third goal.
And the fact that it came right at the start of the second half hit Liverpool like a sledgehammer.
Yang Cheng kept shouting from the sidelines, urging his players to keep the pressure on and push for a bigger lead.
But if Liverpool couldn't score, they could still defend—and Benítez knew it was damage control time.
At the 63rd minute, he made his second substitution—Luis García came on for Robbie Fowler.
Liverpool switched back to a 4-2-3-1.
Gerrard moved into the number ten role, with Kewell, Crouch, and Luis García forming the front line.
But by then, it was already too late to truly threaten Bayswater Chinese FC.
Yang Cheng responded by subbing off Ribéry and Modrić, among others, giving some of his starters a breather.
In the final 30 minutes, both sides created a few chances, but no more goals came.
Final score: Bayswater Chinese FC 3 – 0 Liverpool.
...
Not even the heavens could explain what kind of day February 11th really was.
At 2 p.m., Bayswater Chinese FC had thrashed Liverpool 3–0 at home.
The team in second place had just crushed the team in fourth.
And they were a newly promoted side, no less.
This alone was headline-worthy.
And to make it even more unbelievable, they had sold two core players during the winter break—replacing them with two newcomers.
Yet both of those new signings had scored in their debut.
Two debutants. Two goals.
It was almost too surreal to believe—but it had happened.
This match proved just how far Bayswater Chinese FC had come.
Liverpool stayed in fourth, but the psychological blow of this loss was far more damaging.
As Benítez said after the match, "This game showed us the gap."
Later that afternoon, Arsenal hosted Bolton at Highbury.
On paper, it should've been an easy win.
But to everyone's shock, Wenger's side failed to take the three points.
Kevin Nolan scored in the 12th minute to give Bolton the lead.
It wasn't until stoppage time that Fàbregas assisted Gilberto Silva to salvage a 1–1 draw.
To make matters worse for Arsenal, West Ham beat Birmingham 3–0 at home—matching Arsenal's points total.
Another stunning twist.
Two newly promoted teams—Bayswater Chinese FC were second in the league.
West Ham had the same points as Arsenal, only trailing on goal difference, sitting in seventh.
But the biggest surprise came in the evening.
Chelsea traveled to face Middlesbrough.
Mourinho's side had been the model of consistency all season.
But this time, the Blues were humbled in shocking fashion.
Just two minutes in, Dave Kitson opened the scoring.
Then Stewart Downing doubled the lead.
By full-time, the scoreboard read: Middlesbrough 3 – 0 Chelsea.
Not only had Chelsea lost, they'd conceded three.
When Manchester United later beat Portsmouth 3–1 thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo brace, no one even batted an eye.
Because February 11th had been packed with surprises.
After 26 rounds, the Premier League table looked like this:
Chelsea – 60 ptsBayswater Chinese FC – 55 pts (16W, 7D, 3L)Manchester United – 54 ptsLiverpool – 48 ptsTottenham – 45 ptsArsenal & West Ham – 41 pts
Looking at the current situation, Arsenal's hopes of breaking back into the top four were slim.
Which is why reports surfaced that Wenger was now employing a two-pronged strategy:
Push hard in the league, but go all in for the Champions League.
...
Midweek, the UEFA Cup Round of 32, first leg.
Bayswater Chinese FC traveled to Switzerland to face FC Basel.
Gökhan Inler, facing his former club, played with extra fire.
In the opening minute, he unleashed a long-range shot that nearly found the back of the net.
But that same intensity cost him his usual composure.
In the 15th minute, Leighton Baines took a quick free kick down the left and delivered a beautiful ball to Ribéry, who cut into the box and slotted it low past the keeper.
1–0!
Just ten minutes later, Ribéry drew a foul just outside the box on the left.
Baines stepped up—and curled a perfect free kick into the net.
2–0!
Then came the turning point.
In the 32nd minute, Basel's center-back Patrick Müller elbowed Džeko during a marking battle.
The referee saw it clearly—straight red card.
From that moment on, Basel had no hope of a comeback.
In the second half, Yang Cheng rotated the squad, giving his starters some much-needed rest.
Final score: 2–0 for Bayswater Chinese FC, away from home.
Baines finished with a goal and an assist—earning widespread praise.
Many media outlets began calling for Eriksson to bring him to the World Cup in Germany.
With Ashley Cole still injured, Baines had emerged as a genuine option for England at left-back.
...
Back in the Premier League—Round 27.
Bayswater Chinese FC visited Tottenham.
Thanks to their trademark high press, they won a free kick in the 10th minute.
The ball was floated into the box—Škrtel headed it down to the edge of the area.
Yaya Touré, still recovering from the Africa Cup of Nations final loss, had skipped the Basel trip and had been saving his energy.
Now, chesting the ball down and charging into the box, he unleashed a thunderous strike that ripped past Paul Robinson.
1–0!
But shortly after, a failed offside trap gave Defoe a one-on-one chance—and he beat Neuer.
1–1.
In the second half, Yaya Touré made another run—this time combining with Modrić for a slick one-two—slicing into the center of the box and smashing home his second.
2–1!
In the 78th minute, Michael Dawson launched a long ball forward. Mido rose high and nodded it on, and Defoe latched onto it from behind José Fonte, lifting it coolly over the keeper to level the match once again.
2–2!
With so many matches piling up, even with squad rotation, it was natural that some players' form would dip.
In the end, the two sides shook hands on a 2–2 draw.
Elsewhere in the league, Chelsea beat Portsmouth 2–0 at home.
Liverpool edged past Manchester City 1–0.
Manchester United narrowly beat West Ham 1–0 at Old Trafford.
Only Arsenal, as unlucky as ever, lost 0–1 away to Blackburn.
All of the other Champions League contenders were playing at home and had rotated their squads—but still managed to win, albeit narrowly.
Only Arsenal crashed out after a rotation-heavy away match.
In a way, this just underscored the quality gap between truly elite teams.
...
Midweek: second leg of the UEFA Cup Round of 32.
With the League Cup final looming that weekend, Yang Cheng deliberately held back in this match, opting to rotate heavily and give his young players a chance.
After all, they'd already won the first leg 2–0 away, and Basel's starting center-back Patrick Müller was suspended after a red card.
That made a second-leg win highly probable.
And the match played out accordingly.
In the 21st minute, Inler made a late run into the box and scored, giving Bayswater Chinese FC the lead.
Basel equalized in the 56th minute.
But in the 78th minute, Theo Walcott broke down the right and whipped in a cross.
Lambert rose and headed it home.
2–1!
The match ended 2–1, and 4–1 on aggregate—Bayswater Chinese FC moved comfortably into the Round of 16.
The draw revealed their next opponent: Romanian side Steaua Bucharest.
...
February 26, 2:00 p.m.
Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. The League Cup final kicked off with a Manchester United long ball.
From deep in United's half, Rio Ferdinand launched a pass that bypassed the press and dropped into Bayswater's 30-meter zone.
Both Saha and Rooney arrived in the area—right in the center.
It was Rooney, to the right (Bayswater's left side), who got to the ball first.
Back to goal, he controlled it expertly with his chest, turned to his right, and passed into the right half-space.
Freeze-frame that moment and you'd see something quite telling.
Only two Manchester United players were in the shot—Saha and Rooney.
But Bayswater Chinese FC had six: Škrtel, José Fonte, Leighton Baines, Yaya Touré, Lass Diarra, and Modrić.
That's the hallmark of Yang Cheng's team—lightning-fast transitions.
Where was Cristiano Ronaldo?
The TV camera hadn't picked him up yet.
But on the sideline, Yang Cheng had been watching him the entire time.
Moments earlier, Ronaldo had tracked back to help defend, positioned about 30 meters into his own half.
Now he was sprinting forward again, just crossing the halfway line.
Ribéry was on him, hounding and grabbing at him along the flank.
Yang Cheng couldn't help but feel something:
If the cameras had caught this exact moment, how many fans would one day remember it with awe?
In that very instant, Rooney released the ball—passing into space in the right channel.
It was as if he knew Ronaldo would get there.
Leighton Baines, who had been covering Rooney, immediately broke off to chase the pass diagonally.
Two seconds—no, maybe just over one.
Ronaldo exploded into the camera frame like a lightning bolt.
Ribéry had already been left in the dust—no chance of catching the muscular, physically perfected Portuguese phenom.
Fans watching on TV could never grasp how jaw-dropping it was.
Ronaldo's speed at that moment hit its absolute peak.
He looked like a thunderclap, splitting the Cardiff sky and leaving everyone stunned.
Even Manchester United's fans were already on their feet, screaming.
Baines, to his credit, just barely reached the ball first—but he didn't dare try to control it.
Instead, he booted it into touch.
Throw-in for Manchester United.
Bayswater's left-back wasn't tall, but he wasn't slow either.
...
"That kid has really transformed!"
Brian Kidd's eyes widened as Ronaldo sprinted all the way into Bayswater's penalty area.
If Baines had hesitated for even a moment, it could've been a disaster.
And this was just the opening minutes.
"He's still not totally consistent, but already stunning," Yang Cheng nodded.
He wasn't insulting Ronaldo with that statement—he was being honest.
Because Ronaldo's transformation had only started recently.
And ever since his brace against Bolton on December 31, he had begun to show glimpses of something new.
After several rounds of trial and error, he had now delivered back-to-back braces in the league—finally breaking out.
But he still lacked consistency.
The key to Ronaldo's recent surge was this:
He had abandoned his obsession with flashy tricks and started using his speed, movement, and killer instincts.
Years of hard training had given him a sculpted physique, explosive power, and remarkable stamina.
He could repeat sprints like the one just now all game long.
Neither Fulham nor Portsmouth had been able to stop the new Ronaldo.
This transformation had cemented the foundation for the future legend who would stand atop the world.
But his metamorphosis also created some problems for United.
To get the best out of Ronaldo, he needed space.
Which meant someone else had to absorb the pressure from defenders.
Just like in the earlier attack—Saha and Rooney played that role.
And Saha was perfect for it. His strength and back-to-goal play were outstanding.
Which is why Van Nistelrooy had been phased out by Ferguson.
Then there was Rooney.
He had always thrived in the center of the pitch.
With Saha or Van Nistelrooy, Rooney could play freely around them—they could shoulder the defensive burden.
But Ronaldo?
Now he was drifting central too—into the penalty area—and he needed someone to absorb contact for him.
That made the central space crowded.
It also made Rooney's role awkward.
Just like earlier—Rooney ended up playing Saha's role.
He became Ronaldo's support act.
Most casual fans wouldn't notice this shift.
Even in matches, it was hard to see clearly.
But the professionals—especially those inside Manchester United—knew exactly what was going on.
This was the root of the tension between Rooney and Ronaldo.
And that conflict would explode at the 2006 World Cup.
But Ferguson? He knew exactly what Ronaldo brought to the table.
Rooney was good—but after Ronaldo's transformation, they were no longer on the same level.
That's why, after the World Cup, Ferguson did everything in his power to keep Ronaldo at Old Trafford—
Even if it meant sacrificing Rooney and forcing him to "grin and bear it."
That's why, in those years, United legends and veterans constantly praised Rooney:
"He puts the team first."
"He's the most important player in the squad."
But make no mistake—against a red-hot Cristiano Ronaldo, with back-to-back braces under his belt, Yang Cheng had prepared thoroughly for this final.
If they couldn't stop Ronaldo, they could forget about lifting that League Cup.
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