But despite everything, Shaqiri managed to break through.
He effortlessly passed Cesc Fabregas with a clever nutmeg.
In the next moment, Shaqiri found himself at the top of the penalty area arc.
At that exact moment, both Christensen and Azpilicueta closed in on him.
However, Shaqiri made a smart decision—he didn't press forward.
Instead, he spotted a teammate in a better position.
Without hesitation, Shaqiri delivered a quick pass to Choupo-Moting.
In this spot, Choupo-Moting was unmarked, with no defenders nearby to challenge him.
Without wasting any time, Choupo-Moting lined up his shot.
It has to be said—Choupo-Moting's individual talent is quite remarkable.
His shot was dangerous.
Suddenly, the ball flew towards Courtois.
Once again, the Chelsea goalkeeper was put to the test.
But this time, Courtois didn't falter.
He stretched out his right hand and successfully blocked Choupo-Moting's shot.
There's no doubt—it was a brilliant save.
The commentator, Zhan Jun, couldn't help but exclaim into the microphone, "What a fantastic save!!"
"At this crucial moment, Chelsea's goalkeeper Courtois has demonstrated his exceptional ability!"
"As one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Courtois puts immense psychological pressure on any opponent as long as he's in goal!"
"If Courtois hadn't been there, Choupo-Moting's shot might have ended in the back of the net!"
For the next stretch of the game, Chelsea dominated possession.
It was clear.
Chelsea, as a team, had superior individual skill.
And, of course, Chelsea had Su Luo on their side.
There's no denying it—Su Luo's individual talent is simply terrifying.
Within the next five minutes, Su Luo started to take control of the game's rhythm with his extraordinary ability.
After receiving the ball in midfield, Su Luo didn't go for a solo run.
Instead, he chose to link up with his teammate, Fabregas.
In Chelsea's current lineup, Fabregas is the ideal partner for Su Luo's style of play.
And this time was no exception.
Su Luo and Fabregas played a series of quick, precise one-twos.
Before long, Su Luo had torn through the opponent's defense.
Unfortunately, just as Su Luo was about to take the shot, Mam Diouf's perfectly timed tackle blocked his effort.
At that moment, Stoke City launched a counterattack.
Once again, Choupo-Moting received the ball as Stoke's key player.
Not long after, Choupo-Moting stormed down the field with long, powerful strides.
But Chelsea's defenders were no pushovers.
Both Azpilicueta and Christensen reacted with lightning speed.
In no time, Azpilicueta was right in front of Choupo-Moting.
Seeing this, Choupo-Moting made a quick decision.
Rather than attempt to dribble past Azpilicueta, he passed the ball to Shaqiri.
Immediately afterward, Shaqiri glanced at the goal.
Without a second thought, he prepared to take a shot...
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