BEEP!!!
A sharp whistle interrupted their thoughts as another match kicked off at Old Trafford.
Manchester United versus Cardiff City!
No probing, no cautious passing—straight to the big moves from the start.
If they hesitated against a relegation-threatened team, what was the point of Manchester United competing for the Premier League Title? Might as well call it a night early and hand it over to Manchester City.
The formation pressed forward past the halfway line, organized by three defensive midfielders, relentlessly pressuring Cardiff City!
Kante seized the moment and delivered a through pass.
The ball found Pogba perfectly. The Frenchman shielded it against Gunnarsson, flicked it with his ankle, and sent it backward to the right.
Manchester United's number 7!
Under the tense gazes of Manchester United fans.
Jeremy Ling quickly moved laterally to receive the ball. Facing two defenders in front of him, he charged forward without hesitation.
Left foot nudged the ball, shifting his weight. As Ryan lunged in, he tapped it again with the outside of his right foot.
The ball slipped neatly through Ryan's legs.
Peltier tried to cover. Ling seemed to have anticipated it, lightly dragging the ball back before pushing it forward sharply!
"A beautiful V-drag!"
"Ling's consecutive breakthroughs on the wing—this is what you call an explosive player!"
"Forward!" Neville roared excitedly.
Old Trafford erupted as Ling surged into the penalty area, opening his body as if to cross it into the center.
Manchester United players coordinated perfectly.
Mahrez, Pogba, Herrera, and others made rapid runs into the box, leaving Cardiff City scrambling to mark them all.
Cardiff City goalkeeper Etheridge instinctively shifted slightly off his line to guard against Ling's potential cross.
But this left a narrow gap at the near post!
BANG!
The ball flew straight into that gap and nestled into the Cardiff City net.
1:0!!!
In less than two minutes—to be precise, 1 minute and 46 seconds—Manchester United took the lead!
At this moment, countless people were slapping their thighs in frustration.
Weren't the relegation-battling teams supposed to be tough?
Why were they so underwhelming during the match, getting torn apart on the flank by Ling alone and conceding a goal in such a manner?
Yes, that's how other fans felt.
Manchester United players and fans only needed to immerse themselves in the game, defeat their opponents, and strive for victory.
But other fans had much more to consider.
After scoring, Ling faced the summer's hot breeze, leaped high, clenched his fist, and punched the air!
"Hey, hey, hey!!!" Three roars responded to him.
No one knew exactly when it started, but this celebration had become a signature of Manchester United.
"A flawless performance!"
"It seems Ling is in scorching form today, helping Manchester United achieve a dream start and pushing the Premier League scoring record even higher!"
"Mane in second place, Leroy Sane in third, and Salah in fourth can already bid farewell to the Premier League Golden Boot in advance!"
Neville couldn't stop grinning and turned to ask Rooney, "Guess how long it'll take Ling to break your club's all-time scoring record."
Rooney: "..."
'What nonsense is that? Do you even know what 253 goals mean? Sir Charlton had four fewer than me!'
'Even if Messi performed at his 91-goal-a-year level every season, it would take at least three seasons to break it!'
But considering Jeremy Ling's growth rate... Even if he couldn't do it in three seasons, he'd probably surpass it in four, right? Yet it had taken him a full 13 years.
At the thought of this, Rooney wore an utterly defeated expression.
Why did he have to run into such a freak?
The camera returned to the green pitch.
Ling was still interacting with Manchester United fans when Maguire quietly crept up from behind.
"Ling, during the corner kick later, could you cover for me? I want to score a goal too." Though Maguire was a center-back, he had the heart of a striker.
"Get lost! You should be covering for Ling. Every goal he scores now is making history. And we share in the glory." Nemanja Matic gave Maguire's big head a firm knock.
"But this is the last league match, right? I thought scoring a goal would look good, something to brag about during the break." Maguire deliberately clutched his head and groaned.
"Next time, definitely next time," Ling said with a smile.
He was indeed chasing records, so covering for Maguire really wasn't appropriate! And this wasn't about being selfish or anything.
The Cardiff City players just watched quietly—the joy of scoring belonged to others, while the disappointment of conceding was all theirs.
Their bold pre-match declarations had been ruthlessly shattered by Jeremy Ling, making them realize just how harsh reality could be.
What nonsense about there being no weak teams in the Premier League.
Cardiff City were heading to the Championship—how strong could they possibly be? Deep down, they knew the truth better than anyone.
They were just clinging to their last shred of hope.
In the stands, Manchester United fans celebrated by jumping and cheering as the match resumed with the referee's whistle.
...
Meanwhile, on the sidelines.
Mourinho wore an Armani gray trench coat, just as he had over a decade ago.
Rigorous yet unrestrained, cautious yet arrogant...
Someone once analyzed Mourinho and Guardiola's fashion choices and concluded, "They wear clothes that reflect who they are." Guardiola's style carried a stronger romantic flair, emphasizing freedom even more.
And what about Mourinho.
He fought his way up from the bottom of football. He endured more hardships and suffered more disdain.
He believed hard work was his only path to success, yet he also knew he had to be slightly different from others, because only then could he reach greater heights.
Unconsciously, another season was about to end.
"Faria, do you know something I once said?" Mourinho paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile.
"I've won more Premier League titles alone than the other 19 coaches combined—they have two together, I have three. So show me some respect. Now that statement still holds true, and I've already won five Premier League titles, while the other 19 head coaches have, well..."
Faria chuckled twice, proudly raising his head to add: "Zero! None of them have won a Premier League title yet, including Guardiola, Klopp, and Pochettino."
Mourinho sighed silently, lifting his gaze to look at Jeremy Ling running on the field, and said something tinged with complex emotions.
"But I'll never say those words again."
...
"Manchester United with a free kick on the right side, sent directly into the box!"
"Ling!!!"
"Heads the ball straight into the net, the Cardiff City goalkeeper didn't even have time to react. Now Manchester United leads Cardiff City by two goals, and it's only been 30 minutes!"
Neville glanced at his phone and continued, "Let me update everyone on the other two matches. Liverpool scored in the 17th minute and now leads Wolves 1-0. But Manchester City has surprisingly dropped the ball—they just conceded a goal to Brighton!"
Upon hearing that Manchester City was trailing, Manchester United fans grew excited.
Isn't Manchester City usually the best at dominating weaker opponents? Could it be that, seeing no hope for the title today, they've started to slack off?
Liverpool fans were also delighted.
Even if they can't win the championship, finishing second isn't bad—at least the broadcasting revenue will be much higher! Wouldn't that be great for future signings?
Ling also heard the news of Manchester City's deficit from the fans' cheers, but he didn't think Manchester City would give up voluntarily.
After all, his future father-in-law isn't that type of person.
With over sixty minutes left in the match, Manchester City would likely equalize and even take the lead.
"Let's slow down the pace a bit later. Don't be too fixated on attacking. Cardiff City's counterattacks still pose a threat," Ling said to his teammates.
With a two-goal lead, Manchester United could afford to play more relaxed.
What is Manchester United best at? Naturally, the Defensive Counterattack!
Why not lure Cardiff City out? That would create more space in the backfield, allowing Ling to utilize his speed advantage.
Scoring twice wasn't enough—far from it. Ling had never scored five goals in a single match in his career.
Now, in the final match of the 2018-19 season, he wanted to see if he could achieve it.
"You can push a bit further forward later. I'll do my best to get the ball to your feet," Valencia said with a smile.
He felt that his final days at Manchester United were the happiest of his entire career, without a doubt.
And he had also won quite a few honors.
The domestic treble, the double, and the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup already secured this season.
He could say he had achieved success at Manchester United.
"Captain, thank you!" Ling waved his hand and suddenly thought of something.
He turned to Valencia and said, "Why don't you come to my hometown too? I heard Fellaini is doing well there. You two could become teammates again."
"I've put my family through enough hardship after all these years of playing football. It's time to go back home and retire," Valencia simply shook his head.
"Alright, then let's give you a perfect farewell!" Ling looked at his teammates. "Guys, let's push a bit harder. Treat this match like the Champions League final!"
The Manchester United players hadn't reacted much, but the Cardiff City players on the other side couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
Thank you very much!
Cardiff City has been around for a full 120 years, and the highest-level match we've ever played is the FA Cup final.
And you're talking about the Champions League final?
On the other side, the Manchester United players raised their hands and chimed in loudly, "Give the captain a perfect farewell!"
With this excitement, the Manchester United players launched another offensive.
In the 38th minute of the first half, as the match neared its end, another opportunity arose.
Valencia received the ball on the wing, exchanged a one-two with Nemanja Matic, and then passed it to Mahrez.
The "King of Dribbling" deftly flicked the ball back with his heel.
Valencia curled the ball with his left foot to the far post of the penalty area.
Jeremy Ling forcefully pushed past the defender to claim his position, then threw his entire body forward to stretch out his foot for a cushioned volley!
The ball just brushed past the goalkeeper and dropped right into the net.
3:0!!!
Old Trafford erupted into frenzy!
Every Manchester United player knew the League Title was now secure!
The morale of the Cardiff City players plummeted from the clouds to the depths with this goal.
Manchester United was simply unimaginably strong!
But they couldn't lose so easily either, so they aimed to leave a strong impression on the Premier League and the world with aggressive physical play.
And Mourinho keenly sensed the opponent's intentions.
Manchester United's tactics immediately turned conservative, avoiding hard challenges as much as possible and instead passing the ball around to run down the clock.
Beep-beep!
Soon, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the first half.