Chapter 110: England's Future Star! Beating Chelsea to Win the West London Derby!
Christmas was just around the corner.
While the war of words off the pitch raged on, the on-field action told a very different story.
In Premier League Matchday 18, Bayswater Chinese came from behind at home to beat Blackburn 2–1.
After relentless pressure in the first half but no breakthrough, they conceded in the 41st minute.
But in the second half, goals from Ashley Young and Lambert turned it around.
At home, Bayswater Chinese hadn't lost in over three years.
Arsenal, meanwhile, came back from two goals down to draw 2–2 with Portsmouth.
Chelsea twice came from behind to equalize against Everton.
With Terry out due to a back injury, Chelsea were clearly affected.
Still, thanks to a Drogba winner in the 87th minute, they edged it 3–2 away.
United, away at West Ham, needed a 75th-minute goal from Carrick to win 1–0.
After this round, Arsenal dropped to fifth.
Liverpool climbed above them into fourth.
The top three stayed the same: United, Bayswater Chinese, and Chelsea.
As The Times columnists pointed out—
With the Christmas period approaching and every squad battered by the season's long grind, every team had injuries and fatigue.
This was when managers needed to get creative to inspire their players.
And so, the war of words off the pitch became a low-cost but high-impact motivational tool.
…
Matchday 19 — the final round before Christmas.
United beat Aston Villa 3–0 away, powered by a Cristiano Ronaldo brace.
Chelsea, despite leading 2–0, let Wigan claw it back to 2–2,
but then Robben scored a last-minute winner in stoppage time—3–2.
Liverpool beat Watford 2–0 at home.
Arsenal demolished Blackburn 6–2 at the Emirates.
Wenger was all smiles again.
But the real issue for Arsenal had never been one match. It was consistency.
Bayswater Chinese, meanwhile, handled Everton at home with clinical efficiency—
Ashley Young with a goal and an assist, Džeko also scoring,
2–0.
Both goals came early in each half—4th and 47th minute.
The blitz attack was quickly becoming Bayswater Chinese's signature weapon.
With the roaming Arshavin, the increasingly dangerous Ashley Young, and the ever-improving Džeko, Premier League defenders were struggling to cope.
Ashley Young had now scored in three consecutive league matches.
…
With Matchday 19 done, the Christmas schedule began in full swing.
Under Adam Crozier's leadership, the club was busier than ever.
Community and charity events had increased dramatically.
Most of them didn't require player appearances.
But for places like orphanages, children's hospitals, and senior care homes, player visits were a must every year.
Crozier, as a former FA chairman, understood community work intimately.
He even created a Supporters & Community Relations Department, focused entirely on public outreach.
Every major holiday, the entire team was swamped—delivering goods to the elderly, gifts to orphaned children, and organizing player visits.
Because the club's roots were shallow, they focused outreach on Bayswater, Notting Hill, and especially Brent Reservoir, near Wembley.
Since renting Wembley, the surrounding residential areas became a key focus.
Wembley was one of London's most densely populated districts.
But what no one expected was this:
Adele and her song "Dream It Possible" were exploding in popularity.
And with it, Bayswater Chinese's cultural promo video was going viral.
At the club's pre-Christmas executive meeting, Crozier shared a surprising update:
"We just got results back from a third-party survey. The anthem and our cultural video have had a massive positive impact on our brand and commercial value."
"The academy has reported a surge in youth signups, many of them saying they joined because of the video."
"It proves—we still have untapped potential!"
The board applauded, all eyes turning to Yang Cheng with admiration.
He looked a little embarrassed.
From concept to production, the club anthem and cultural video had been Yang Cheng's passion project.
He personally signed off on the final cut.
Now, with the video resonating across the country, he was the one to thank.
Because the best advertising doesn't sell a product—
It sells a value system.
And Bayswater Chinese's football culture video did exactly that.
Whether it was Ribéry, Modrić, or Harry Kane,
fans saw a piece of themselves in those stories—and felt something.
Especially with Adele's soul-piercing voice, and the cinematic direction—
the video stirred something deep and personal.
One viral comment summed it up:
"You don't have to like this club. But it's hard to hate them."
That alone was a massive win for the club's image.
And in the years ahead, as Ribéry, Modrić, Kane, and Adele herself rose to fame,
the anthem and video would only become more iconic.
Yang Cheng had recently received a report from the academy.
Several youth players from Arsenal and Chelsea's academies had switched to Bayswater Chinese after watching the promo video.
Who among them might become future stars? Yang Cheng didn't know.
But if they were scouted by Arsenal or Chelsea in the first place, they couldn't be bad.
He even checked the names in the system himself.
And there it was—
A familiar name: Reece James.
Another future England star.
He had just turned 7.
His father, a football coach, was of Grenadian descent, while his mother was English.
(And yes, many have probably never even heard of Grenada—a small island in the Caribbean, northeast of Venezuela, with a population of just over 100,000.)
Reece had started training early thanks to his father.
The family lived in Redbridge, northeast London—
Not far from Harry Kane's family home.
At the time, Reece James wasn't a right-back, but a forward.
His idol?
Didier Drogba.
Yes—this Drogba-loving kid left Chelsea's youth system to join Bayswater Chinese,
because after watching the club's promotional video,
he fell in love with their football culture.
Of course, the bigger reason was that Chelsea's youth academy wasn't yet fully developed,
while Bayswater Chinese's satellite center in northeast London was right nearby.
Signed by Chelsea at age 6, Reece's early recruitment alone spoke volumes about his talent.
And now, he wore Bayswater red.
A future English star, born under Yang Cheng's system.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, if it hadn't been for Reece James refusing to undergo a hamstring surgery in order to play in the World Cup—leading to repeated injuries and eventually becoming injury-prone—his future would have been truly limitless.
So, Yang Cheng specifically instructed the academy to keep a close eye on the kid.
And with good reason.
He came over from a fierce rival with sincerity.
We've got to treat him well.
"You know the saying—spend a fortune just to buy the right bones?"
…
As the club anthem and cultural promo video went viral, Adele's value soared too.
Not only did record labels start to take her seriously, the market began embracing her as a true soul artist, and her name recognition skyrocketed.
She hadn't even released an album yet—but with just one song, she was already in the spotlight.
Adele now proudly identified as a die-hard fan of Bayswater Chinese,
frequently performing the anthem at home matches and appearing in the press.
It was a classic case of mutual success.
…
"We can't yet say what our final revenue will be this season, but our target is £100 million."
As CFO, Xia Qing gave her financial report on the club's earnings and expenses for the first half of the season.
"Our revenue has three major sources."
"Matchday income—we're aiming for £35 million."
This was calculated based on 23 home matches: Premier League, Champions League group stage, and one Round of 16 match.
Current attendance averages around 40,000, though average ticket price had dropped since leaving Loftus Road—now about £35.
Main issue?
Side stand seats, which are more expensive, don't sell well.
Watch a Bayswater home game and you'll notice: the stands behind the goals are full—
The side stands? Sparse.
This means the club currently attracts price-sensitive, neutral-leaning fans who love the Premier League.
There are high-end fans, sure—but not many.
Some even choose the cheaper end stands because the atmosphere is better.
It's a long-term operations issue.
"Commercial revenue this season is projected to be around £30 million."
"Broadcasting rights and prize money from the Premier League and Champions League—we estimate over £35 million."
Unlike many clubs, they broke these categories apart:
Premier League TV rights: approx. £27 million.Champions League TV + prize money: £8 million+ (approx. €12 million).
That's fairly standard.
The Premier League earns the most from the Champions League—but four clubs share the pot, and they all made the knockouts.
"We're still confident we'll hit our £100 million goal," Adam Crozier said proudly.
Last season, revenue exceeded £50 million.
This season, they aimed to double it.
That kind of growth was astonishing—but not unreasonable.
Commercial income was up by £30 million.Champions League participation brought a massive windfall.
All told, £100 million was within reach.
But going forward, growth might slow.
Unless Yang Cheng could lead the team to even greater heights on the pitch.
That would unlock new markets and higher matchday income.
Yang Cheng carefully studied the financial breakdown.
The club's income structure looked balanced—three pillars holding firm.
Next season, Premier League broadcasting revenue was set to increase again, which would boost the club's share.
Promising signs.
Of course, rising income meant rising expenses.
Xia Qing noted that they were carefully keeping player wages within the 50% threshold.
What about the remaining 50%?
Plenty of expenses:
Satellite training centersNew stadium investmentBrent training baseFacilities, logistics, and more
Spread too wide—and costs balloon.
Even keeping salaries at 50%, Xia Qing was feeling the pressure.
"If the season goes well, bonuses alone will be a massive payout."
Add in Christmas expenses:
Gifts for communities, nursing homes, orphanages, various charity events…
Traveling to away games required:
Top-quality hotelsTeam buses loaded with water, food, suppliesExtra drivers and staff
Xia Qing had told both Yang Cheng and Crozier that Bayswater Chinese's logistics and support spending was far above average.
Yes, their player wages were lower—but infrastructure spending was high.
Overall, they were on par with most mid-to-upper Premier League clubs.
At best, you could say Yang Cheng put the money where it mattered.
And when it came to bonuses, he didn't hold back:
Adam Crozier: £1 millionOmar Berrada: £700,000Department heads and key staff: various bonuses
Even Wembley's grounds crew, hired by the FA—not the club—received red envelopes.
Head groundsman Karl Standley got a particularly thick one.
…
"I don't get it," Xia Qing said over dinner, "he's not even our employee. Why give him such a fat bonus?"
They were having beef hot pot—her treat.
Yang Cheng had given her a bonus too. She felt she should at least return the gesture.
But she still questioned some of his "generosity."
"You're starting to sound like a housekeeper," Yang Cheng teased, swirling slices of beef.
Once the meat was ready, he passed it to her bowl.
"Mine's done. Yours is still empty—eat more."
Only after serving Xia Qing did he start cooking his own portion.
"Do you know how important pitch quality is to a football match?"
"No."
"Of course you don't," Yang Cheng grinned.
"Did you know that Britain leads the world in sports turf research and maintenance?"
Xia Qing looked up, visibly surprised.
"Yes. Wembley's Karl Standley is the best pitch manager in Britain—arguably the best in the world."
"Isn't he under 30?"
"That's normal. The UK has a complete training system for this field. They even have a dedicated turf science center in West Yorkshire."
"Warwickshire has the world's best blade sharpening system for lawnmowers."
"Staffordshire and Derbyshire specialize in high-end lawn care equipment."
"The entire turf industry here is a closed-loop ecosystem. Most of the world uses British systems. Quietly, it's a multi-hundred-million-pound industry."
"Hundreds of millions?" Xia Qing was floored.
"No wonder everyone says Premier League pitches look the best. I used to think it was just the broadcast quality."
"Of course not. It took decades of R&D and iteration to get to this level."
Niche professions like turf management—who pays attention to that?
But in the UK, they're the undisputed world leader.
And yes, the UK also produces the world's best pitch managers, who are in demand globally.
"Build a relationship with Karl Standley. He'll keep the pitch in top shape for us. It's funded by the FA and part of his official duties, so he's more than happy to help."
"Otherwise, how do you think our home pitch stays so pristine every single match? Grass trimmed to perfection?"
Both the FA and UEFA have guidelines for pitch height—ideally between 24mm to 28mm—so it needs daily upkeep.
It even gets as specific as cutting direction and angle.
That involves a ton of variables: sunlight, wind, humidity, temperature.
Yang Cheng remembered from his previous life—Guardiola, during his time at Barcelona, demanded a grass height of just 19mm.
Why?
To reduce friction on the ball and make tiki-taka even smoother.
So Mourinho, being Mourinho, intentionally left the grass longer—
He even ordered sand to be dumped into it.
Sounds petty?
Actually, football pitches already contain sand.
Mourinho just told the grounds crew to add a little more.
Karl Standley once complained to Yang Cheng:
"Wembley is built like a shoebox."
From a turf management perspective, its design has a lot of flaws.
For example, the stands are 50 meters high. Given the UK's latitude and sun angle from September to March—right during the season—
the grandstands cast shadows over large areas of the pitch.
During those months, the grass gets "lazy," sometimes even wilts and dies.
To fix this, Karl had to experiment with tools and special materials,
even importing sand from Surrey to modify the root zone beneath the turf.
Sounds like voodoo?
Nope. It's science.
Karl explained: London's native soil is clay-heavy and poorly drained,
so sand improves water permeability.
That's just basic agronomy.
Yang Cheng once discussed a bold idea with him:
"What if we cut the pitch into three massive sections, each in a steel tray with soil and roots intact, then lower them underground using machinery?"
"Down there, we can simulate sunlight, irrigate, and perform all maintenance work."
Karl's head nearly exploded.
No one had ever tried anything like that.
Sure, Schalke in Germany had a retractable pitch, but that was rolled outside on rails to soak up real sunlight.
Yang Cheng's idea was to maintain the turf underground.
A massive challenge.
But Karl was intrigued. He said he'd run it by some colleagues.
As he often said:
"A football pitch may look simple, but it's actually a chemical system made up of thousands of compounds."
And if it's a chemical system—there's always a solution.
Yang Cheng, of course, was already thinking ahead…
Planning for his future stadium.
…
"You're more calculating than I thought."
Xia Qing couldn't help but laugh after hearing Yang Cheng's turf science monologue.
She'd just been worried he was too generous with club money.
Now, seeing how meticulous he really was, she felt more at ease—though she couldn't resist teasing.
"Let me tell you, this isn't 'calculating'—it's called rational analysis."
"Too rational," she smirked. "Cold and logical. No wonder you're still single."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Plenty! Love isn't rational!"
Yang Cheng looked at her attentively, half grinning.
"Have you ever read those CEO romance novels?"
"No."
"The male lead is ruthless in the boardroom, decisive and dominant—but the moment he's with the heroine, he turns into a sweet puppy. Totally irrational. Loves her so madly he loses his mind."
Yang Cheng burst out laughing.
"Sis, you really believe that?"
"I told you—it's fiction. But that's what most women want. No matter how powerful he is outside, when he comes home, he loves me like he's insane."
Yang Cheng chuckled, "So, have you found someone who's both a cold-blooded killer in society and a love-crazed fool for you?"
Xia Qing laughed too. "I said most women, not me."
"So what kind of man do you want?"
Yang Cheng asked it casually, but the moment the words left his mouth, he realized it was… a bit too personal.
He glanced at Xia Qing—she looked slightly shy, but not angry. He relaxed.
"I don't know."
"Never had a boyfriend?"
"Nope."
"Back in college, I heard tons of guys were into you—writing you love letters and everything."
"Please. I don't believe in campus romances."
"How about here in the UK?"
"I came to study. Spent all this money to learn something—why would I waste it on dating?"
Yang Cheng burst out laughing. "No wonder you're still a single dog from birth."
"Get lost!" Xia Qing glared at him. "Like you're so experienced?"
"Honestly? I've got none."
She blinked, surprised. "You? No experience?"
Yang Cheng nodded seriously.
In this life, he'd never been in a relationship.
In his previous life? He'd slept with plenty of women—models, actresses.
But it was all superficial. No feelings, no strings.
And before that?
Also single from birth.
"And yet you talk like an expert," she grinned, suddenly in a very good mood.
"Hey, does talking about your feelings require firsthand experience?"
"Fine. Then analyze my love life."
Yang Cheng lit up, set his chopsticks down, and looked at her with mock seriousness.
"Sis, you're beautiful, smart, and capable—yet you've never had a boyfriend. That means one of two things…"
"Cough!" Xia Qing interrupted, raising her head with a murderous glare.
Little brother, be careful what you say.
What do you mean "at your age"?
Which age, exactly?
"I was wrong!" Yang Cheng quickly raised both hands in surrender, laughing.
To prove his sincerity, he scooped up another slice of tender beef for her.
"As I was saying, girls like you usually fall into one of two types…"
"Type one: Pure and idealistic. Still dreaming of Prince Charming."
"Type two: Completely clear-eyed."
"Unfortunately, you're both."
Xia Qing blinked, caught off guard.
He'd hit the nail on the head.
After a long pause, she lightly bit her lower lip, picked up the beef, and casually asked:
"Do you say that to every girl?"
"Never. I swear—I've only ever talked about this with you."
Xia Qing bit a little too hard—nearly broke the skin.
The sting brought her back to her senses.
"Hmph. At least you earned this hotpot."
…
Sometimes, Yang Cheng couldn't help but notice—
The real playboys were rarely good-looking.
So what made women like them?
He eventually figured it out.
Emotional value.
Xia Qing was right.
Most women are emotional creatures.
Truly rational women?
Still a rare breed.
And that explained why someone like Yang Cheng—highly educated, handsome, and wealthy—was still, inexplicably, single.
Like how, after dropping Xia Qing off at her rented flat near Notting Hill, he instinctively declined her casual invitation to come up for a bit.
Because all he could think about was the upcoming match against Chelsea on the 26th.
He needed to get back and start reviewing footage.
By the time he realized what had happened, he was already standing at the entrance to the Queensway Station.
And then he remembered Xia Qing's fuming, utterly speechless expression just moments before.
Only then did he realize—
He'd pulled a classic cold-blooded rational move again.
Steel-clad emotional detachment.
No wonder he was a certified mother-of-all-single-dogs.
Go back and apologize?
Not a chance. He didn't have the face for it.
Besides, he really was stressed about the Chelsea game.
Bayswater Chinese were missing Yaya Touré.
Chelsea were without Terry.
Terry had gone down with a back injury in Matchday 18, right before their win over Everton, and had undergone surgery—he'd be out for at least six weeks.
In the last two matches—wins over Everton (3–2) and Wigan (3–2)—Boulahrouz had been paired with Carvalho at center-back.
Performance-wise, the gap between Boulahrouz and Terry was glaring.
So what would Mourinho do on the 26th?
Would he dare go with the same setup against Bayswater Chinese?
Then there was Makelele, who was about to turn 34.
He played on the 23rd. Would he go again just three days later?
Another big question.
Lately, Mourinho had reverted to a 4-3-3.
Shevchenko was pushed out wide.
And that only made things worse.
Chelsea's wing play this season had been lackluster at best.
Ashley Cole, still recovering from last season's leg fracture, wasn't back to top form.
Paulo Ferreira on the right wasn't exactly an attacking full-back.
Robben was always injured, and with Duff sold, Mourinho didn't fully trust Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Shevchenko out wide?
No explosiveness.
No penetration.
Just… misplaced.
As a result, Chelsea's attack had become incredibly one-dimensional.
Basically—it was Drogba vs the world.
In theory, if you could shut down Drogba, you could beat Chelsea.
Of course, easier said than done.
Nobody had been able to cage the Ivorian beast yet.
In short—facing Chelsea was giving Yang Cheng a headache.
Since his transmigration, Yang Cheng had basically lived at Bayswater Stadium.
First, he slept in a cramped office.
Later, they partitioned a space and turned it into a simple residence.
Same with the administrative offices.
When he got back to his room and had just opened his laptop to review Chelsea's recent matches, his phone rang.
Xia Qing.
"Hey, senior."
"Are you home yet?"
They both spoke at the same time.
"Just got back."
Yang Cheng felt a warmth in his chest.
And then he remembered that look Xia Qing had just given him downstairs—equal parts furious and speechless.
And he realized…
Yep. He'd screwed up. Again.
Classic emotionally unavailable mistake.
No wonder he was single.
But go back now?
Nope. Not happening.
"Senior, actually…"
He hesitated.
Damn that Jay Chou song from earlier. What kind of lyrics were those?
"What is it?" Xia Qing asked gently, with a tinge of curiosity.
"Just… I forgot to ask you earlier. You said those over-the-top romantic gestures—CEO driving a car full of flowers to a girl's dorm—do you really find that romantic?"
Xia Qing giggled on the other end.
"That's what this is about?"
"Yeah. I just don't get it."
"I mean… it's not bad. Probably wouldn't reject it."
"What if it was even more over the top?"
"Like how?"
"Like… really over the top."
"I don't know," she laughed. "But if the girl really likes that CEO, I think she'd love anything he did."
"Still, you can't expect her to make the first move."
"Why not?"
"Because… that's just not how it works. Girls aren't supposed to say it first."
Yang Cheng almost blurted out: That's gender discrimination! Where's that written in law?
But thankfully, he stopped himself.
No need to commit conversational suicide.
"Yeah, you're right," he said, survival instincts kicking in.
"You're thinking about the 26th, aren't you?"
"Of course. I told you—I'm going for the title this season."
There was a pause.
Then Xia Qing softly replied, "I believe in you. Good luck."
When the call ended, Yang Cheng pressed a hand to his chest.
Damn.
Stupid hormones… I think I'm catching feelings.
And Xia Qing?
Every smile, every glance—she was getting under his skin.
Even in his past life, where he was surrounded by models and actresses, few had made him feel like this.
Now, under the influence of male hormones, Yang Cheng found himself asking a completely ridiculous question:
If this were a CEO romance novel… and I tried to "make a move" on Xia Qing… would her dad and brother send someone to assassinate me?
Snipers? Secret agents? Some Jason Bourne type stuff?
Or maybe just send someone to ruin him.
Wait… where's the romantic rival? Where's the angsty antagonist?
How come he didn't have one?
Aren't novels supposed to have some jerk come in so the hero can win the girl?
Where's my villain?
Whoever wrote this script, step forward.
Yang Cheng wants a word.
…
Between Matchdays 19 and 20, there was only the 24th and 25th off.
So strictly speaking, the club only gave players Christmas Day.
This year, the club invited all first-team players' families to join the holiday celebration.
Even better—the club bought tickets for all of them to watch the Chelsea match on the 26th at Stamford Bridge.
Chartered buses would transport everyone.
On the morning of the 26th—right after Yang Cheng and Xia Qing's dinner—players reported back.
The match was at midday, so they held a short, low-intensity recovery session at Bayswater Stadium to shake off the rust.
Thankfully, London hadn't seen snow this Christmas.
If it had, their training ground wouldn't have been usable.
Because of the holidays, the scouting department couldn't gather reliable intel on Chelsea.
No one knew what Mourinho was planning.
Yang Cheng?
He was sticking to his principles:
Attack.
Yaya Touré still wasn't fully fit.
So Yang Cheng would stick with Gökhan Inler as the holding midfielder, alongside Lassana Diarra and Modrić.
Right now, that was the best midfield trio he had.
Matuidi had played well, but wasn't ideal as a lone pivot.
Matić was too risky—still too young.
If he flopped in a big game, it could shatter his confidence.
Three matches over Christmas.
Two tough away games—Chelsea and United—and one home match.
It was almost like the fixture list had been designed to break him.
Yang Cheng felt the pressure.
But what could he do?
Take it one match at a time.
And fight.
All the way.
On the morning of the 26th, The Observer published a rare interview with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Rumors had already been swirling: Abramovich had sold off his Siberian oil company and resigned from all related positions. To stay in favor with the Kremlin, he shifted investments—buying up a controlling stake in a steel firm and increasing support for the Russian national team.
This interview was essentially Abramovich's way of clarifying Chelsea's strategy and spending outlook for the next few years.
The Russian oligarch reaffirmed his commitment to the club, saying he had no plans to scale back investment, and even intended to deepen his support for charity work.
Much of the content was boilerplate PR—but what caught Yang Cheng's eye was what Abramovich said about Mourinho and Chelsea's transfers, directly addressing the long-standing public speculation.
Was Shevchenko a signing forced by Abramovich?
"I have a close relationship with Mourinho," Abramovich said, "but we are not friends."
"I never interfere with his starting XI decisions, but I won't pretend I have no say in transfers."
"Of course, if my manager didn't want a player, I wouldn't force him."
No one was fooled.
Everyone now waited to see how Mourinho would set his lineup for this high-stakes showdown.
Just before Christmas, in a pre-match press conference, Mourinho told reporters:
"I've always supported Shevchenko, but now it's time to give others a chance."
Was that misdirection? Or the truth?
After a long season, everyone had seen it: tensions were real between Mourinho and Shevchenko.
Meanwhile, in the build-up to the winter window, the Daily Mirror reported Chelsea were preparing a £20 million bid for Man City's academy product Micah Richards.
If true, it would be another massive transfer—and showed how homegrown English talents were skyrocketing in value.
…
December 26, midday.
Stamford Bridge, London.
Attendance: 41,885.
Nearly 1,000 over official capacity.
Chelsea had sold every seat, every box, every standing space—even overflow corridors.
London fans were hyped for this clash.
Chelsea vs. Bayswater Chinese.
As Sky Sports put it, this match officially felt like a real West London Derby.
Because the outcome would shape the title race.
United were top. Bayswater Chinese trailed closely. Chelsea were third.
Whoever lost today would take a serious hit in the race for the Premier League crown.
By the 26th, Yang Cheng had thrown all distractions aside, fully focused on preparing for this match—especially player condition and tactical meetings.
When Bayswater Chinese arrived at Stamford Bridge for warm-ups, the stands were already packed with buzzing fans.
Just like the broadcasters hyped, it was starting to feel like a proper derby.
Chelsea fans whistled and booed the Bayswater players loudly.
Some even threw objects down toward the pitch, interrupting the warm-up.
Back in the dressing room, when Yang Cheng saw Chelsea's starting XI, he raised his brows in surprise.
"Robben's injured again."
No one knew anymore when Robben was actually injured or just nursing something. He was always on and off.
Chelsea Starting XI:
GK: ČechDefense: Bridge, Carvalho, Ferreira, GeremiMidfield: Lampard, Essien, BallackAttack: Kalou, Drogba, Shevchenko
Mourinho had dropped Boulahrouz.
"He knows we would've targeted Boulahrouz," said Brian Kidd.
Boulahrouz's biggest issue? Terrible against pace.
In the last two matches, Chelsea conceded four goals—Boulahrouz was directly involved in almost every one.
Dropping him was the obvious choice.
"No Makelele. He's probably being saved for the next match. Lampard, Ballack, and Essien—definitely not to be underestimated."
Yang Cheng had originally planned to rest Maicon and start Piszczek, specifically to deal with Robben.
But with Robben out, Piszczek could probably handle Kalou too.
What really stood out was the pairing of Carvalho and Ferreira at center-back.
That was unusual.
After selling Gallas, Chelsea had only three reliable center-backs left.
With Boulahrouz in poor form and Terry injured, they were out of options.
Carvalho and Boulahrouz were both front-foot defenders—both liked to step up.
In Mourinho's system, Terry typically held the line while Carvalho pressed.
Pairing Carvalho with Boulahrouz had led to confusion—neither wanted to sit deep.
Worse still, Boulahrouz had horrible defensive habits, constantly diving into tackles. Against pace, he was doomed.
If his first challenge failed, he was always out of position afterward.
That's why many fans hated front-foot center-backs—too risky.
But when paired well, they were crucial.
Carvalho and Terry had perfect balance—one stepped, one held.
"Ferreira is there to cover Carvalho," Kidd commented.
Yang Cheng understood.
Shevchenko's impact wasn't just about position or chemistry.
He'd broken Chelsea's original 4-3-3 entirely.
That's why Mourinho had been flip-flopping between 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 all season.
No fixed shape. No consistent lineup.
No chemistry.
That was the biggest reason Chelsea had fallen off a cliff after two dominant years.
As for "Mourinho's Third-Year Curse"?
Yang Cheng believed in case-by-case analysis.
After seeing Chelsea's lineup, he already knew exactly how to play.
"Gentlemen, today's match is being broadcast worldwide by Sky Sports and other major networks!"
"Calling it a global spectacle wouldn't be an exaggeration!"
"Back in 2005, when we were first promoted, Mourinho swore he'd stomp us back down to the Championship."
"Chelsea were untouchable back then—conquering Europe, feared by all."
"But today—this is a derby! This is war!"
"When we step into Stamford Bridge, there are only two paths—either they die, or we do!"
"So what do you choose?!"
And with that final roar, Yang Cheng shouted with all his might—
"Destroy Chelsea!"
The dressing room erupted.
Every single player shouted back with fire in their eyes.
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