Who Is the King of Old Trafford?

"GOAL!! Just 1 minute into the game, Lin from Manchester City has broken the deadlock with a lightning-fast goal!"

"Manchester United has been pushed to the edge of the cliff. If they lose this match, their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League will be greatly reduced!"

At Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, the fans who had come with high hopes of seeing their team make a comeback were left stunned as they watched the opposing team celebrate on their home turf.

This was the Manchester Derby—were they really going to lose at home to their rivals again?

Moyes, in a rare show of anger, shouted from the sidelines, urging his players to focus and stay alert.

He seemed to blame the early goal on his players being distracted.

On the field, the United players hung their heads, their eyes filled with confusion.

Weren't they told the opponent was in poor form?

Does this look like a team that's out of form?

With such an early goal conceded and facing a powerful Manchester City, they couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding.

This match was going to be very, very difficult.

The camera panned to Manchester United's legendary coach, Sir Alex Ferguson, seated in the stands. His expression was extremely serious.

He knew there were already signs of unrest in the United dressing room. If they lost to City at home, not only would the club's management be displeased with Moyes, but even the players might turn against him.

Moyes hadn't yet established strong roots at United, and if he lost the players' support, he would likely be gone by next season.

It would be easy for United to sack Moyes, but where would they find a suitable replacement?

They couldn't possibly expect an old man like him to come out of retirement, could they?

Although there had been recent calls from United fans for him to return, Ferguson knew that even if he did come back, he wouldn't be able to solve the problems.

His age was a major factor—he wouldn't be able to coach for long.

What United needed now was a coach who could rebuild the team from the ground up, a process that would take a long time.

Thinking about all of this only made Ferguson's mood worse, and he found himself chewing his gum more rapidly.

"What's wrong with Manchester United? How did they fall apart this season?"

"Who knows? It's all Moyes' fault!"

"Moyes was pretty good at Everton before this. How did he mess things up so badly at United?"

"Everton is a mid-table team; Manchester United is a top club. Moyes might be suited for a mid-table team, but that doesn't mean he's right for a top club!"

"So, Ferguson picked the wrong successor?"

"Definitely. Manchester United originally wanted to bring in Guardiola, but Bayern snapped him up first!"

"Sigh, if United had moved quicker and brought in Guardiola, how great would that have been!"

"True. If Guardiola had come to United, it's likely Lin would have joined as well. United would have had both the best coach and the most talented young star!"

"Too bad there are no ifs in life!"

"Sigh, poor United. They might have to play in the Europa League next season."

"Haha, if they lose this match, they'll drop to eighth in the league, and they might not even qualify for the Europa League!"

The Premier League has seven spots for European competition: the top four qualify for the Champions League, while the fifth and sixth spots go to the Europa League. The final Europa League spot goes to the FA Cup winner.

United's current league position was very awkward—they were far from the Champions League spots, and even qualifying for the Europa League wasn't guaranteed.

If they couldn't even secure a spot in the Europa League, Manchester United would face a very bleak future next season.

After falling behind, Manchester United immediately launched a counterattack, trying to equalize.

City wasn't afraid of an attacking game—they feared teams that sat back and defended, then hit on the counter. So, United attacking was exactly what they wanted.

In the 16th minute, City won the ball in their half, and Kroos quickly switched it to the wing.

David Silva sent a through ball forward, and Lin, charging towards United's penalty area, picked it up.

Fellaini couldn't afford to let Lin go past him, so he pushed Lin down from behind, earning a yellow card and stopping City's attack.

The foul occurred about 35 meters from the goal. Lin, Kroos, and De Bruyne discussed their options.

Shooting directly from that distance was a bit too far, and none of them were confident, so they decided on a tactical play.

Lin pretended to take the free kick, stepping back several paces before sprinting forward. But just as he reached the ball, he faked the kick and let it pass by.

De Bruyne immediately passed the ball to Kroos near the left edge of the penalty area. Seeing the tactical play, United's wall dispersed, rushing towards Kroos.

Kroos calmly lofted the ball into the box, aiming for Lin at the far post.

At that moment, United's players were moving out of the box, but Kroos's pass went right back in, leaving United scrambling to intercept—but it was too late.

Somehow, Lin, who had feigned taking the free kick, was already there.

The pass was quick, but Lin didn't even look at the ball as he effortlessly trapped it. The ball seemed to stick to his foot, obediently settling at his feet.

Even United fans couldn't help but admire that perfect first touch.

Ferguson, watching from the stands, was reminded of Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp.

This is bad!

With such a superb first touch, Lin had plenty of time to adjust and shoot. Could De Gea stop him?

As Lin received the ball, sweat began to bead on De Gea's forehead.

As Lin's national teammate, De Gea had faced him many times in training and knew how deadly his finishing could be. Before Lin took a shot, you never knew which foot he would use or how he would strike it.

So De Gea decided to charge out right away.

Lin seemed to anticipate this, and as soon as De Gea came forward, he took the shot.

Just as De Gea knew Lin, Lin knew De Gea, and he had already planned how to handle this situation the moment he received the ball.

De Gea tried his best to block the shot, but Lin's placement was too precise, and De Gea, still moving, couldn't fully prepare for it.

In their one-on-one duel, De Gea was defeated, and the score became 2-0. Lin had scored twice at Old Trafford in just 16 minutes.

And there were still seventy or eighty minutes left for him to complete a hat trick!

In the stands, the United fans fell into a stunned silence.

If conceding the first goal left them with a sinking feeling but still some hope that their team could equalize or even turn the game around, the second goal shattered those illusions.

They finally realized that Manchester City and Manchester United were no longer on the same level.

The "noisy neighbors" they once looked down on had now transformed into an unbeatable giant standing in their way.

At some point, beating City had become a distant, almost unattainable dream.

"Ugh, I'm a United fan, but I'm also a fan of Lin. Lin, go easy on us! It hurts!"

"As a United fan, I'm numb. This isn't the Red Devils I know. Just look at the expressions on the players' faces—they've been turned into Muggles!"

"Sigh, this is too painful. In just one season, our team's performance has declined so much. Last season we were Premier League champions, and now we're a mid-table team. Are we going to be fighting relegation next season?"

"Glazer family, do something good for once! Spend more money and buy some players. With United's current squad, how can we compete with City?"

"Who can we buy? Up front, we have Van Persie, Rooney, and Mata. In midfield, we have Carrick, Fellaini, and Kagawa. The defense is a bit thin, but the problem in this match isn't really the defense!"

The fans' concerns were the same ones Ferguson was pondering.

United's squad needed reinforcement. Ever since Scholes retired, they had lacked a midfield general.

Fellaini and Kagawa hadn't lived up to expectations.

They needed a player with excellent technique, strong vision, and a good fit for United's tactical system.

The only player who came to mind was Juventus's midfielder, Paul Pogba.

Pogba was a product of United's youth academy, and although he hadn't proven himself at United, he would be familiar with the team's tactical style.

Plus, his technical skills, vision, and physical attributes perfectly matched United's needs.

However, given his importance to Juventus, bringing him back to Old Trafford would likely require a hefty price.

...

After conceding the second goal, United's players were more cautious, focusing on defense to stabilize the situation.

They managed to hold City off and didn't concede any more goals before halftime. City went into the break with a 2-0 lead.

At the start of the second half, United made a bold change.

Moyes brought on Shinji Kagawa, who had been on the bench for a long time, replacing Cleverley.

It was clear Moyes realized the problem: United's midfield lacked creativity and couldn't produce any threatening attacks.

On the other hand, City had Kroos orchestrating the play and De Bruyne delivering unbelievable passes, making United's defense

 jittery.

If United had a player like De Bruyne, perhaps Van Persie and Rooney wouldn't have been left without a decent shot.

Seeing that Moyes had chosen him, Kagawa's spirit soared.

Finally, they've realized my importance?

Finally, they've decided to let me save the team?

Bring it on, Lin, let's have a showdown!

As soon as Kagawa came on, he eagerly ran towards Lin, who had the ball.

He was confident he could shut Lin down and become United's hero.

As he imagined the scene of 70,000 United fans cheering for him, Kagawa felt elated.

Lin glanced at him and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

He didn't pay much attention to Japanese players in the top leagues, and many of them dyed their hair different colors, making it hard to remember their faces.

Plus, Kagawa had so few appearances for United that Lin had almost forgotten he existed.

Seeing Kagawa smiling foolishly, Lin felt a bit speechless.

He didn't even bother with a feint—just used his speed and strength to brush Kagawa aside, surging towards United's goal.

United fans, initially hopeful that Kagawa would bring some magic, watched in disbelief as he was beaten so easily.

This made them lose confidence in him quickly. What was Moyes thinking, putting this guy on at such a crucial moment?

After Lin breezed past him, Kagawa finally snapped back to reality.

That one doesn't count—I wasn't ready!

Next time, I won't let you get past me so easily!

Five minutes later, City launched another attack, and the ball found its way to Lin again.

Kagawa once again mustered his courage and charged at him.

Lin didn't even look at him this time, relying on his speed and strength to power past him again.

Here we go!

Seeing the same move, Kagawa prepared for the physical battle, already planning how he would organize a counterattack after stopping Lin.

But the harsh reality proved Kagawa was thinking too much!

With a loud thud, they collided.

Despite having the height advantage, Kagawa was sent flying like a kite with a broken string!

The United fans gasped in shock. They hadn't expected Kagawa to stop Lin, but they also hadn't expected him to be so thoroughly overpowered!

On the sidelines, Moyes was livid.

I didn't put you on the field to be a battering ram; I put you on to organize our attacks.

Isn't defending supposed to be Fellaini and Carrick's job?

Fortunately, after two failed attempts, Kagawa seemed to realize something.

When Lin came at him again, he didn't dare challenge him directly.

But after bullying Kagawa twice, Lin had already mentally tagged him as "the softest target."

So even if Kagawa didn't come looking for trouble, Lin would go looking for him!

In the 67th minute, Kagawa received a pass from a teammate.

He was just about to look up and assess the defense and his teammates' positions when he saw a shadow rushing towards him.

Before Kagawa could react, with a loud thud, he was sent flying again.

In midair, Kagawa finally saw who had knocked him down—it was Lin again!

He was about to cry. I'm not even challenging you anymore, so why won't you leave me alone?

Lin had expected the referee to call a foul, as his tackle was a bit rough.

But this was the Premier League, where the referees' standards were much more lenient!

No whistle?

Well then, I won't hold back!

Encouraged, Lin continued his advance. Fellaini cursed Kagawa for being useless and abandoned De Bruyne to challenge Lin.

But as soon as Fellaini moved, Lin immediately passed to the now-open De Bruyne.

De Bruyne took a few steps before passing back to Lin, freeing him from Fellaini's challenge.

Lin then passed to David Silva, who had cut inside, and the two completed a one-two that bypassed United's full-back Evra, allowing Lin to break into the box.

Here we go again!

De Gea, seeing Lin in the box once more, felt his scalp tingle.

He quickly signaled to Ferdinand to cover, but if Ferdinand moved, Lin would likely pass to the unmarked Agüero.

Ferdinand knew this but had no choice but to cover Lin, who was a bigger threat than Agüero and already had two goals. They couldn't let him complete a hat trick at Old Trafford.

Sure enough, as soon as Ferdinand moved, Lin passed to Agüero.

Ferdinand was stunned.

Not going for the shot?

This is the Manchester Derby—you could have completed a hat trick!

At that moment, Ferdinand couldn't help but admire Lin.

This guy is such a team player. Most others in his position would've gone for the shot!

Agüero had also expected Lin to take the shot. In his position, he certainly would have gone for the hat trick!

But Lin passed it to him, catching Agüero off guard and leading to a slightly rushed shot.

De Gea reacted quickly, diving to parry the shot.

But the danger wasn't over!

The ball bounced back into the box, rolling straight to Lin's feet.

Lin hadn't been particularly aiming for a hat trick, just wanting his team to win. It didn't matter to him how many goals he scored.

But since the ball was at his feet, he couldn't pass up the opportunity!

Without hesitation, he swung his foot and fired.

This time, De Gea was truly helpless. Lin's shot was far more precise than Agüero's!

With a swish, the ball hit the back of the net.

Lin had completed his hat trick at Old Trafford, becoming only the second Manchester City player in history to do so at the stadium.

The last City player to score a hat trick at Old Trafford was Francis Lee in 1970.

Lin hadn't celebrated much after his first two goals, but this time, after completing his hat trick, he couldn't resist.

He popped his collar, then looked around the stadium with an air of confidence, like a king surveying his domain!