Chapter 655: This Is a Great Start

"Another quick counterattack from City."

"Look at this attack, it's once again on the right, to Robben."

"Robben quickly advances with the ball along the right flank."

"Manchester City's counterattack is lightning-fast, and Lichtsteiner is overlapping on the right."

"Now in the final third, Robben passes to the right, Lichtsteiner goes to the byline and delivers the cross into the box."

"Suárez meets it at the spot and shoots!"

"Gomes makes a fantastic save!"

"Brilliant stop!"

"But Spurs aren't out of danger yet, Gareth Bale arrives..."

"And it's in again!!!"

"Gareth Bale! Gareth Bale again!"

"A brace!"

"Wow, every time Gareth Bale faces his old club, he always turns it on. Both goals were clean finishes, no hesitation."

"Three-nil!"

"Manchester City's counterattack is incredibly quick."

"Tottenham Hotspur really need to consider switching to a more defensive approach. If they go toe-to-toe with Manchester City, their backline will just keep getting torn apart."

"Gao Shen once said, the teams they fear the least are the ones that try to press high."

…

Manchester City went into halftime with a 3–0 lead.

Redknapp made his first substitution during the break, bringing on new signing Sandro for Lennon.

Tottenham shifted to a 4-3-1-2 formation, using three defensive midfielders to stabilize the middle of the pitch and pushed Van der Vaart forward into the No. 10 role.

But just 49 seconds into the second half, Manchester City launched a devastating attack.

David Silva dribbled past Huddlestone in midfield and played a perfectly weighted through ball to the right. Robben latched on, timed his run to beat the offside trap, and calmly slotted the ball past Gomes to make it 4–0!

Redknapp's changes started to show some effect after that.

The three holding midfielders barely managed to plug the gaps.

With a four-goal cushion, Manchester City slowed the tempo and switched to a possession-based approach rather than pressing for more goals, while Tottenham tightened up defensively.

In the 60th minute, Redknapp subbed off Džeko for Robbie Keane, clearly signaling a strategy to sit deeper and hit on the break.

It was clear to everyone that if Tottenham kept trying to go toe-to-toe with City, they would just lose by an even bigger margin.

Curiously, Manchester City didn't win their first corner of the game until the 63rd minute.

Gao Shen made his first substitution in the 70th minute.

Both sides continued to make changes as the second half progressed. Tottenham were trying to find chances on the break while keeping things tight at the back. Manchester City focused on game management. Neither side added to the scoreline.

Manchester City ultimately secured a 4–0 away win over Tottenham Hotspur.

…

When the final whistle blew, Gao Shen could finally relax.

Four–nil. What a fantastic way to start the season!

He let out a long breath, turned around with a smile, and raised his hands to high-five and hug his assistants. The players on the bench also came over to celebrate the win with him.

As the Manchester City players walked off the pitch, Gao Shen greeted each of them with a hug, showing how pleased he was with their performance.

White Hart Lane echoed with boos from the home fans, clearly frustrated with the defeat.

It wasn't just a big win for Manchester City, but a tough pill to swallow for Tottenham.

Redknapp's tactics on the night were a bit too risky.

That may have been influenced by Tottenham's strong preseason form.

With high-profile signings like Van der Vaart and Džeko arriving over the summer, expectations at Spurs were sky-high, and the team looked sharp in friendlies.

In contrast, Manchester City had a rocky preseason and even conceded three goals in the Community Shield against Manchester United.

That might have led Redknapp to believe his side could break through City's defense.

Steal a goal, and the rest would be easier—that was probably the thinking.

But he clearly overlooked the fact that Manchester City weren't at full strength in the Community Shield.

After sending all his players into the tunnel, Gao Shen ran into Modric.

The two were quite familiar. Gao Shen had tried to sign Modric for two straight seasons.

Unfortunately, the move never materialized.

Now, with City's midfield already stacked, Modric was no longer needed. After tonight's heavy defeat, Gao Shen could see the frustration and disappointment on the Croatian's face.

It was clear that Tottenham wasn't a big enough stage for Modric, but given his playing style, he needed to be the central figure in midfield. That made it difficult for top teams to place their trust in him. Gao Shen had always been one of the few managers who truly appreciated his talent.

In that sense, Modric couldn't help but feel a little envious of his national teammate Rakitic, who flourished under Gao Shen's management.

After a moment of silence, Modric smiled faintly and nodded to Gao Shen before walking down the tunnel.

Gao Shen could only sigh inwardly.

But that's professional football.

…

Manchester City's 4–0 thrashing of Tottenham in the season opener spread quickly across the UK, sparking intense discussion among fans online.

In the first match of the new campaign, City had demonstrated their strength and it was even greater than last season.

At his post-match press conference, Redknapp took responsibility for the loss, stating that it was down to his tactical approach and not the players.

"We thought we could score, but clearly, we still have a gap to bridge with the Premier League's top teams. We need to work harder and improve."

Despite the heavy loss, Redknapp said that Spurs' season objectives remained unchanged.

"We are still aiming to finish in the top four, and we're confident we can achieve it."

Compared to Redknapp, Gao Shen was visibly pleased with his team's first league performance. He believed they had played close to their true level and showed a lot of positive intent.

"The fact that we were still pushing for goals even when we were up 4–0 shows how hungry these players are."

Still, Gao Shen made sure to keep things grounded, reminding everyone that the victory was in the past.

"It doesn't mean anything now. It's over. We need to look ahead to the next match—against Liverpool!"

Facing a fellow title contender so early in the season was, in Gao Shen's words, "a big challenge."

"But I believe my players are ready."

…

Shortly after Manchester City's 4–0 away win, Aston Villa hosted West Ham United at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Villa ran out 3–0 winners, with goals from Downing, Petrov, and Milner.

It was a solid performance.

Elsewhere, the big surprise was Everton's 0–1 loss away to Blackburn. Moyes' side had a tough time last season, and based on this opener, their problems seemed far from over.

But the biggest upset came courtesy of newly promoted Blackpool.

With two goals from Haywood, they stunned Wigan Athletic 4–0 away from home.

That result took everyone by surprise.

Although Wigan narrowly avoided relegation last season, they weren't considered pushovers. For Blackpool to win so convincingly away in their Premier League debut was remarkable.

Some even began tipping Blackpool to be this season's dark horse.

In the evening's marquee match, Ancelotti's Chelsea hosted newly promoted West Bromwich Albion.

Just seven minutes in, Chelsea opened the scoring.

Drogba bagged a hat-trick. Lampard added one, and Malouda scored twice, including a late goal to wrap up a 6–0 demolition.

With that emphatic win, Chelsea jumped ahead of Blackpool and Manchester City to top the Premier League after the opening round.

The next day, Liverpool hosted Arsenal at Anfield.

Joe Cole, making his debut, was sent off in first-half stoppage time, forcing Liverpool to play the entire second half a man down.

Despite that, they still took the lead early in the second half thanks to a goal from Biglia.

But in stoppage time, Reina fumbled the ball into his own net, turning three points into one—a frustrating end for Liverpool fans.

How did the ball even go in?

At Old Trafford, Manchester United beat Newcastle 3–0 with goals from Berbatov, Fletcher, and Giggs.

As the first round wrapped up, Chelsea led the table with a six-goal win.

Blackpool were second, Manchester City third, and Manchester United fourth.

Though it's only the beginning, Chelsea, City, and United have all made strong starts.

Liverpool and Arsenal had to settle for a draw. In reality, it was a disappointing result for Liverpool, especially with Reina's own goal and Cole's red card.

Benítez was furious afterward, criticizing his players for lacking focus.

But for Manchester City, that wasn't bad news.

Liverpool's low morale could play into their hands in the next match, where City would host the Reds at home.

Still, Benítez's team was no pushover. Gao Shen was well aware of the Spaniard's tactical skill. If City weren't careful, they could easily slip up.

After all, City weren't yet in a position to dominate the league.

Based on what he saw in the first round, several teams looked sharp—particularly Chelsea and Manchester United.

Gao Shen's position was firm: these two sides would definitely be City's biggest rivals in the title race this season.

(To be continued.)