Chapter 218 Guardiola Is Kneeling, Su Luo Is God, Right?

"David Silva! A shot from outside the box!"

"Courtois makes a fantastic save to keep Chelsea in the game!"

"Manchester City is taking the initiative right from the start, pressing hard in this title showdown!"

This Premier League clash is even more intense than the fans anticipated. Manchester City came out aggressive, nearly breaking through Chelsea's defense within the first minute.

The commentator, Zhan Jun, didn't even have time to introduce the starting lineups.

"Today, Guardiola has set up a 3-4-3 system for Manchester City."

"Bravo is the goalkeeper;"

"Stones, Otamendi, and Kolarov form the back three;"

"Fernandinho and Gundogan anchor the midfield;"

"Navas, Silva, De Bruyne, and Grealish line up in the front;"

"Aguero leads the attack up front!"

Manchester City's 3-4-3 formation has become a signature style for dominating the Premier League, focusing on full control in midfield.

"Chelsea is also sticking to a 3-4-3, a formation they've been comfortable with recently."

"Chelsea's goalkeeper is Courtois;"

"Azpilicueta, David Luiz, and Rudiger are the three central defenders;"

"In midfield, they have Kante, Matic, Marcos Alonso, and Willian;"

"The attacking trio consists of Hazard, Lukaku, and Su Luo!"

"They have the flexibility to shift Su Luo to the center and transform the setup into a 3-4-1-2 or push him to the right and go 3-4-3. Su Luo, playing as a free man, has the freedom to adjust based on how the game unfolds."

"But Manchester City clearly has the upper hand early on, using their possession to push Chelsea deep into their own half."

Manchester City launched wave after wave of attacks, while Chelsea played cautiously, relying on a defensive strategy and waiting for a chance to counter. Although they have recently favored ball control, their deeply ingrained counter-attacking mentality remained evident.

For the moment, Manchester City struggled to penetrate Chelsea's dense defense, constantly shifting the ball from side to side before passing back to the defenders to reset their attack.

"Manchester City enjoys possession at home, but Chelsea's defense is holding firm."

"The game has reached the 10-minute mark, and apart from David Silva's early long-range effort, neither side has managed a shot on target."

"Chelsea is being very cautious—even Su Luo has dropped back to help defend."

Su Luo found himself on the right, directly facing off against Grealish, with Willian alongside him. Off the pitch, they're friends, but on the field, they are fierce rivals.

Grealish tried to use his quick feet to dribble past Su Luo, but Su Luo executed a perfectly timed tackle, knocking him to the ground.

"Oh! That was a fierce tackle by Su Luo, completely taking out Grealish! But he got the ball first—no foul. It's a Manchester City throw-in."

Grealish, grinning despite himself, lay on the grass as Su Luo reached out a hand to help him up.

"Su, you're playing rough today!"

"I told you, I'm serious."

"Yeah, right!"

Grealish felt the intensity from Su Luo. This guy was proving to be a nightmare even in defense.

Guardiola had hoped Grealish could cause problems with his dribbling, but with the left side almost completely shut down, it was becoming difficult to create any real threats.

On the right, Jesús Navas was struggling as well, with Kante frequently stepping in to help out defensively. Despite their aggressive play, Manchester City found it difficult to break down Chelsea's defense.

From the perspective of the fans, it seemed like only a matter of time before their team scored. The Manchester City fans at the Etihad Stadium were singing and cheering with fervor, but professionals saw the potential dangers in City's approach.

Guardiola paced the sidelines, shouting instructions with his characteristic intensity.

"Defend! Keep your positions!"

"Push up! What are you doing?"

"Start running!"

His animated gestures caught the attention of the broadcast director, who zoomed in for several close-up shots. In contrast, Conte remained seated, appearing relaxed. Despite Chelsea's apparent passivity, everything seemed to be going according to his plan.

Because Chelsea had Su Luo.

As long as he got a chance, Manchester City's fortress would be under threat.

In the 26th minute of the first half, Manchester City began to show signs of frustration. With David Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, and others closely marked, City's only option was to rely on Stones to initiate the attack.

The central defender dribbled the ball dangerously close to Chelsea's penalty area. Unable to find an open teammate, Stones hesitated for just a moment—long enough for Kante to make his move.

"Opportunity! Chelsea's counterattack!"

Zhan Jun's voice spiked in excitement, capturing the fans' attention. Everyone knew what was coming.

Kante stole the ball and immediately found Su Luo, who had timed his run perfectly to get behind Gundogan.

Kante's pass was precise, and Su Luo's control was impeccable. With Fernandinho rushing to intercept, Su Luo executed a dazzling move, poking the ball through Fernandinho's legs while slipping past him on the other side.

The move was lightning fast, leaving Fernandinho bewildered as Su Luo breezed past him.

"Brilliant!! Su Luo breaks through Fernandinho and now faces Manchester City's defense!"

With Lukaku, Hazard, and Willian all charging forward, Chelsea suddenly had a 4-on-2 advantage in the attack. Stones pressed forward, leaving only Otamendi and Kolarov to defend.

"4-on-2 in the front! Su Luo is leading the charge!"

Otamendi marked Lukaku tightly, while Kolarov had to split his attention between Su Luo and Willian. Hazard, on the left, was left completely open.

Su Luo wasn't in a hurry to pass. He continued advancing with the ball, waiting for the perfect moment. As he approached the 35-yard mark, Lukaku drifted to the right, drawing Otamendi away.

At the last second, Su Luo played a perfectly timed pass to Hazard, who was just onside and stormed into the box!

"The timing is impeccable!! Hazard is through and one-on-one with Bravo!"

"Shoot!"

"His angle is tight—Bravo saves it!"

"Lukaku goes for the follow-up—he misses!"

"Otamendi clears the ball quickly..."

Hazard's shot was saved, and Chelsea's critical counterattack seemed to have been thwarted. But just as the fans began to sigh, something unexpected happened.

Before Otamendi could fully clear the ball, Su Luo leapt in to block, perfectly timing his jump to intercept the clearance!

As the Manchester City players were caught off guard, Su Luo took advantage of his long stride and sprinted forward, catching up with the ball in no time. With the power and precision of a sniper, he unleashed a thunderous shot from the edge of the penalty area. The ball rocketed into the net, leaving the goalkeeper utterly helpless.

"Goal! Su Luo has broken the deadlock with an unstoppable shot!"

"At 27 minutes into the first half, Su Luo seizes the opportunity for Chelsea! What a statement!"

"1-0!"

Su Luo's powerful play left Manchester City defenseless. From blocking the clearance to delivering a heavy strike into the goal, it all happened in a flash. Manchester City had no answer; it was as if Su Luo single-handedly forced the ball into their net.

The aura of a king was undeniable.

On the sidelines, Guardiola was stunned. It was Manchester City's clearance, yet somehow, they were the ones who ended up conceding. His legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Conte leaped from his seat, cheering with uncontained excitement.

"Well done! Fantastic!"

This goal was a major morale booster for Chelsea and a significant blow to Manchester City's confidence. As expected, after Su Luo's goal, Manchester City became even more hesitant. Though Chelsea's defense wasn't impregnable and there were fleeting opportunities, City didn't dare take the risks, and those openings quickly vanished. All they could do was pass the ball around outside the penalty area.

Chelsea, like seasoned hunters, waited patiently for their next chance. Everyone held their breath, knowing that with Su Luo on the team, their counterattack was unparalleled.

In the 41st minute, Chelsea found another opening. Otamendi, dribbling too far forward, was intercepted by Matic. In his panic, Otamendi's pass to Grealish was too weak, allowing Su Luo to pounce and intercept the ball, igniting another quick counterattack for Chelsea.

"... Su Luo, it's an opportunity! His teammate's already started, Su Luo dribbles past the halfway line! Oh no, look at that!"

With Su Luo's threat looming large, Fernandinho dared not take any chances. He lunged with a flying kick from the side, attempting to halt Su Luo's advance. But just as Fernandinho moved in, Su Luo nudged the ball away, though he was still caught by the reckless tackle. Su Luo lost his balance and crashed heavily to the ground.

Conte, watching from the sidelines, could no longer stay seated. If Su Luo were injured by such a foul, it would be a devastating blow to Chelsea. Anyone else could be hurt, but not Su Luo.

All eyes were on him as Azpilicueta rushed over to check on him. Fortunately, Su Luo gritted his teeth, stood up, and signaled that he was okay.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going down that easily."

Su Luo's determined smile reassured his teammates. Thanks to his quick reaction, he avoided a more serious injury. Referee Anthony Taylor didn't hesitate to show Fernandinho a yellow card. Even if he favored Manchester City, such a blatant foul couldn't be overlooked.

Su Luo wasn't interested in complaining to the referee. After being knocked down, he felt a surge of anger boiling within him, almost losing control like a beast. This feeling was different from his usual state of mind. Upon reflection, he realized that his rage was nearly at its peak. If it happened again, he might just snap.

There was an advantage to being fouled. Su Luo even considered imitating Grealish's flair for drawing fouls, sticking close to the ball and inviting challenges to provoke the opposition into committing fouls.

"Chelsea win a free kick in midfield, right in their wheelhouse."

"He's setting it up. In the penalty area, Lukaku, Rudiger, and David Luiz are ready and waiting."

Su Luo delivered the ball with pinpoint accuracy, sending it on a sharp, low trajectory straight toward Lukaku's head. Lukaku, firmly planted like a tree, didn't even need to jump. The ball arced perfectly around Otamendi, connected with Lukaku's head, and ricocheted into the net.

"There it is! Lukaku scores with a header from close range!"

"Chelsea lead 2-0 in the first half!"

"Su Luo's precision pass was a work of art! It's another assist from the master!"

Once again, Lukaku stood his ground and delivered.

On the sidelines, Guardiola nearly collapsed. Was this some kind of magic? After all the time spent practicing free-kick defense, it had all been in vain.

Guardiola finally realized that when the players are good enough, they transcend tactics. Before the game, he'd confidently claimed to have a strategy to shut down Su Luo. Now, it seemed he was the one being played for a fool.

As the Manchester City fans stared in silence at the 2-0 scoreline, they couldn't help but wonder: How do you win when the opponent has a god on their side?

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