Chapter 29

Alonso didn't lift his head. He sent a direct pass forward, the ball slicing through the air along the left flank, deep into Liverpool's half.

At that moment, a black shadow burst forward like a bullet Mahrez!

Both Manchester United's manager, Jintag, and Liverpool's boss, Rodgers, sprang to their feet, eyes locked on the unfolding play. Their reactions were the same, but their emotions couldn't have been more different.

Mahrez, United's left forward, was flying down the wing. Though he had only joined in the summer, his chemistry with Alonso was already seamless, as if they'd played together for years.

Just moments ago, Alonso had dispossessed Aspas but was immediately surrounded by two Liverpool players. With no time to scan the field, he relied on instinct. The connection with Mahrez in training told him all he needed Mahrez would be cutting in along the sideline.

So Alonso played it blind. A long pass, no hesitation.

When he finally lifted his head, he saw Mahrez sprinting onto the ball, just as he had predicted.

Perfect.

Alonso clenched his fist in satisfaction, instinctively wanting to rush forward and join the attack. But then he hesitated.

"The boss told me to hold my position."

With that in mind, he stayed back, his eyes locked on Mahrez as the winger surged toward Liverpool's penalty area.

Everyone's focus was on Mahrez now. In the box, Van Persie positioned himself while Giggs charged forward, mirroring the move that had led to the first goal.

But Liverpool weren't caught off guard this time. Their defensive midfielder, Lucas, recognized the danger instantly.

"Good thing the gaffer told me to hold back," Lucas thought. "Otherwise, this would be a three-on-two nightmare."

He sprinted after Mahrez, glancing at Giggs over his shoulder. His mind raced.

"United caught us last time with that Giggs cutback. If I dive in now, Mahrez could lay it off to him again. No I need to block the pass and force Mahrez to the byline. That way, he'll have no choice but to cross to Van Persie, who's marked by two center-backs."

Lucas adjusted his run, positioning himself to cut off the passing lane.

Mahrez noticed immediately.

"Damn. Giggs is shut down. No room to cut inside. What now?"

Then, out of nowhere, Van Persie made a sharp retreat, pulling away from the center-backs.

Mahrez's eyes lit up.

That's it!

In the commentary box, Morris could barely contain himself.

"Mahrez has no clear passing lane what will he do?"

"Wait! Van Persie is pulling away! The defenders didn't see it!"

"Mahrez plays the pass! Van Persie in the box!"

Van Persie controlled the ball, but his angle was tight almost impossible to shoot from. Meanwhile, Giggs had arrived at the far post. Would they replicate their earlier goal?

Liverpool's Agger thought so. He rushed toward Giggs, leaving Skrtel alone with Van Persie.

But then Van Persie didn't pass. Instead, he took a sharp touch toward the byline. Skrtel was caught off guard. He lunged, but Van Persie was already gone, accelerating past him.

"Van Persie's gone!" Morris shouted. "He's beaten Skrtel!"

"Will he square it to Giggs?!"

Van Persie looked up then fired from an impossible angle.

GOAL!!!

The ball rocketed into the net. A moment of silence, then Anfield erupted not in celebration, but in stunned disbelief.

"Van Persie has done it!" Morris roared. "A world-class goal from nothing!"

"That strike was pure Van Basten! It's almost identical to his legendary goal in the 1988 European Championship final! And now, 15 years later, Van Persie has recreated it!"

On the sidelines, Jintag leaped into Scholes' arms. Assistant coach Ferran shouted, "Tiger, we're up 2-0! We've done it!"

Scholes didn't say a word, but his grip on Jintag's shoulders said it all he was just as overwhelmed.

Liverpool threw everything forward after halftime.

Jintag, meanwhile, remained composed. Two goals up, his team was in control.

As the clock hit 70 minutes, he made tactical adjustments. Van Dijk, already on a yellow, was subbed out for Ferdinand. Ashley Young replaced Nani to add fresh legs to the attack. Then, Giggs physically drained made way for Martial, with Rooney dropping into midfield.

Liverpool countered with aggressive substitutions. Rodgers brought on Sterling and two more attacking players. He was going all-in.

But his gamble backfired.

With ten minutes left, United struck again.

Kanté intercepted a loose pass in midfield and fed the ball to Ashley Young, who surged down the right flank. Near the byline, he whipped in a cross.

Van Persie timed his run perfectly, launching himself at the ball.

A bullet header.

3-0. Game over.

On the touchline, Jintag finally relaxed.

He turned toward Rodgers, who was still barking orders, his frustration evident. Jintag smirked.

"The season sweep of Liverpool is almost complete. One down. One to go."

XXXX

The third round of the 2013-2014 Premier League season saw Manchester United dominate their arch-rivals Liverpool with a commanding 3-0 victory.

At the post-match press conference, an elated Jin Taige confidently addressed the media:

"The goal of killing Liverpool twice this season is halfway achieved. We won, and we've completed the first kill!"

Beside him, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was fuming. Unable to contain his anger, he abruptly left the press conference hall.

That night, in the studio of the UK's Second Entertainment and Sports Channel, host Taimi invited The Sun's football journalist, Wolf, for a discussion on the weekend's matches.

Wolf began his analysis:

"Chelsea edged past Aston Villa 2-1 at home. Mourinho's team struggled, and while they secured three points, it was far from convincing. Though Mourinho has a great Premier League track record, reclaiming his former glory will be tougher than expected."

Taimi probed further. "What about Manchester City?"

Wolf nodded. "City had a smoother match, winning 2-0 at home against Hull. With their stacked attacking options, Pellegrini's main challenge now is selecting a starting striker from his luxury squad."

Finally, Taimi guided the conversation toward the game everyone wanted to hear about. *"And the big London Derby?"*

"Arsenal hosted Tottenham in an intense, attacking game. Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory, but at a heavy cost—Rosicky, a key midfield presence, was injured. His absence could pose serious problems for Wenger's side in the coming weeks."

Taimi smiled. "Mr. Wolf, you've covered all the big matches. Now, let's talk about the most important game of the round Manchester United's dominant 3-0 win over Liverpool. What are your thoughts?"*

Wolf's face tensed.

"Well... despite the scoreline, it wasn't as easy as it looked. Liverpool put up a fight and caused United problems..."

But Taimi pressed on. "At the post-match conference, Jin Taige said, 'Half the goal of killing Liverpool is complete. One kill is successful!' Does that statement worry you?"

Wolf shifted uncomfortably. Ever since the final whistle, he had dreaded discussing this match. If not for his prior commitment to the show, he would have avoided the topic entirely.

After an awkward pause, he finally muttered, "The season is long. Winning one game doesn't decide everything. I believe Rodgers' team will get their revenge at Old Trafford in the second half of the season."

The next day, Rodgers himself echoed that sentiment in an interview. His voice carried a bitter edge: "My team will win at Old Trafford in the return fixture!"

Meanwhile, back at United, assistant coach Ferran turned to Scholes and grinned.

"Tiger knew exactly how to get under Rodgers' skin before the match. He baited him into playing aggressively. That was the key to our win."

Jin Taige, however, had already moved on. The victory was secured, three points were in the bag, and his focus had shifted to the upcoming fixtures.

With no league games the following weekend due to international duty, players departed for their respective national teams. The European World Cup qualifiers were reaching their climax, and while most traditional powerhouses had already secured their spots, France and Portugal found themselves in precarious second-place positions. Their fate hinged on the final group matches win, and they qualify directly; lose, and they face the dreaded playoffs.

Back at Manchester United, Jin Taige was preparing for a brutal schedule. Between September 14 and October 5, the team faced seven matches in 22 daysincluding four Premier League games, two Champions League group-stage matches, and a League Cup tie.

The sheer intensity meant squad rotation was unavoidable. However, while United had enough players to rotate, the disparity in quality between starters and backups posed a dilemma. Rotate too aggressively, and results could suffer. Stick with the main squad, and fatigue could take its toll.

Jin Taige had no choice but to gamble.

On September 14, United hosted Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. With one eye on their upcoming Champions League fixture, Jin Taige fielded a heavily rotated squad:

- Formation: 4-4-2

- Goalkeeper: Alisson (resting De Gea)

- Defense: Smalling, Van Dijk, Alonso, Jones

- Midfield: Kanté, Anderson, Ashley Young, Valencia

- Forwards:Icardi, Martial

Palace manager Ian Holloway, seeing the young lineup, thought his team had a chance to pull off a shock.

But he was mistaken.

Despite the youthful squad, United controlled the game. Ashley Young and Valencia provided dangerous deliveries from the wings, while Icardi and Martial tormented Palace's defense with their movement and pace.

The result? A 2-0 victory, with Icardi and Martial both getting on the scoresheet.

More importantly, Jin Taige's decision to rest his key starters paid off. His main squad would be fresh for the Champions League opener.

However, one unexpected highlight of the game was Wilfried Zaha, United's young winger on loan at Crystal Palace. His performance impressed Jintag, raising questions about his future role at Old Trafford.

With Crystal Palace dealt with, United now turned their attention to the next challenge European competition awaited.