Amid the attention of countless fans, three days passed in the blink of an eye.
As per tradition, the final round of the Premier League would take place at 3 PM on May 12th, with all 20 teams playing their 10 matches simultaneously.
Truly, the suspense was kept until the very last moment.
Old Trafford.
Today, the number of Manchester United fans at the stadium far exceeded that of the Champions League Semi-final.
Despite the scorching summer heat, they remained undeterred, transforming into a sea of red that flooded the streets and alleys.
As the Manchester United team bus slowly approached, thunderous cheers erupted like crashing waves.
"Manchester United!!!" "Manchester United!!!"
Listening to the fans' cheers, Jeremy Ling opened the bus window and waved to the crowd outside.
The cheers instantly grew even louder.
Not long after, Ling stepped onto the green pitch.
Since the match hadn't started yet, most fans hadn't arrived.
But the die-hard supporters were already there, busy setting up the scene.
Smoke flares, posters, drums, flags...
To welcome the club's 22nd League Title, Manchester United fans had prepared thoroughly.
As for the Cardiff City fans in the stadium, they had never witnessed such a frenzied spectacle.
The deafening cheers and the vibrant red covering the stands couldn't help but affect their morale.
This was home advantage! This was a top-tier English football club!
Bang!
Ling received a pass from McTominay and unleashed a powerful shot with the instep of his foot from just outside the penalty arc.
The ball thudded against the crossbar, shaking the goalpost—a testament to the sheer force behind it.
De Gea swallowed hard, his heart pounding as he said, "Ling, you're a bit too fired up today. Stop practicing long shots and go play keep-away with the others."
That fierce shot from Ling was estimated to be around 110 km/h.
Although De Gea, as the goalkeeper, could have saved it, getting hit by it would still have been incredibly painful.
"I think my long shots feel pretty good. A few more to keep the momentum going!" Ling bounced on the spot, stretched his body, and continued practicing his long-range strikes.
Football is a sport heavily reliant on form. When you feel like everything you try works, it means you're in the hottest of hot streaks.
That was exactly how Jeremy Ling felt. Perhaps it was because the championship was just one step away, making his emotions unusually intense.
Hearing this, De Gea grimaced and waved to Romero. "Sergio, my stomach hurts a bit. You take over for a while."
Without giving Romero a chance to refuse, he hurried off toward the players' tunnel.
...
Meanwhile.
At the American Express Stadium, Guardiola stood by the pitch. "How are the talks with Atlético Madrid's Rodri going?"
"Atlético Madrid isn't willing to let him go, but Rodri wants to join Manchester City. We just need to pay the release clause, so there shouldn't be any major issues," Arteta replied.
Guardiola nodded.
Although Manchester City's squad seemed decent on paper, the aging issue had become quite severe.
Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Fernandinho... their performance levels were all declining, and there was an urgent need to find replacements for them.
What troubled Guardiola, however, was Manchester City's lack of a top-class target man.
That's right.
Guardiola favored a strikerless formation, but after spending a few years in the Premier League, he realized that not having a center-forward simply wouldn't work—especially when trying to break down packed defenses.
Moreover, many tactics could not be implemented.
The key question was, where could they find a tall center forward?
Guardiola first thought of Jeremy Ling, his most, most, most "familiar" future son-in-law.
Putting everything else aside. He believed that under his guidance, Ling could perform at a level far beyond what he achieved at Manchester United.
Perhaps this was the competitive drive of a middle-aged man.
"We'll wait a bit longer for the center forward position; Jesus can still manage for now," Guardiola said with a furrowed brow.
He planned to subtly probe his daughter when he got home, asking if Ling had any thoughts about transferring.
Although the chances were close to zero, there was always a slim possibility.
If Ling could come to Manchester City, the final piece of his ideal lineup would fall into place!
Forget about the Premier League Title; even a Champions League three-peat would be within reach!
....
At Anfield at that moment.
Klopp, wearing a baseball cap, watched the players warming up, his mind racing.
Today, Liverpool's opponent was Wolves, and victory shouldn't be too difficult.
The real question was, how would Manchester City and Manchester United fare?
Only if both teams lost their matches could Liverpool stage a comeback to win the championship.
"Next season, we won't have any new signings. The current squad is already quite good, what we need to do is manage injuries," Klopp said softly.
In truth, Liverpool's owner was quite stingy.
Apart from the initial purchase of the club, Liverpool had been self-sustaining ever since.
Essentially, if they made money, they could spend more; if not, there was no point thinking about new signings.
At the start of this season, Liverpool had already spent most of their transfer budget on players like Fabinho and Alisson.
Unless Manchester United and Manchester City were generous enough to hand them the Premier League Title, Liverpool had nothing left to squeeze out.
...
When the local time reached 3:00 PM.
The 38th round of the Premier League officially kicked off, with all ten matches starting simultaneously!
Old Trafford.
There was no Carragher in the commentary booth, instead, Neville and Rooney were paired up.
Neville spoke into the microphone.
"Wearing the red jerseys are Manchester United. Let's take a look at their starting lineup."
Manchester United
Goalkeeper: De Gea
Defense: Valencia, David Luiz, Maguire, Ashley Young
Midfield: Herrera, Kante, Nemanja Matic, Pogba
Forwards: Mahrez, Jeremy Ling
Cardiff City
Goalkeeper: Etheridge
Defense: Bennett, Manga, Morrison, Peltier
Midfield: Murphy, Bacuna, Gunnarsson, Ralls
Forwards: Zohore, Reid
"In this match, Manchester United has not taken anything lightly, fielding their strongest starting lineup! I think this is a very wise decision."
"Because Cardiff City is facing the threat of relegation and might unleash tremendous potential. Mourinho, with his many years in the Premier League, surely understands how terrifying relegation-threatened teams can be, which is why he hasn't let his guard down at all."
"At the same time, this is also the league farewell match for Manchester United's captain, Valencia. He is Manchester United's unsung hero, having endured multiple eras and becoming a legend in his own right!"
Neville did not hold back on the praise.
It wasn't because Valencia was leaving, but because of his contributions to Manchester United.
He had experienced the eras of Sir Alex Ferguson, Van Gaal, and Mourinho, and no coach had ever been dissatisfied with him.
He fought until his leg was fractured in a match, he resolutely fired his agent when the agent urged him to leave Manchester United, he switched to playing as a full-back for the club, and he tattooed the Manchester United crest on his body.
There are still many, many stories about this Ecuadorian that have yet to be told.
However, he is about to leave.
"One could say Valencia gave everything for Manchester United. I hope in his final league match for Manchester United, he can fully enjoy the honors that belong to him and revel in the cheers that ring out for him!" Neville's deep voice echoed.
Beside him, Rooney's eyes were filled with nostalgia as he too recalled his time with the Red Devils.
These memories—spanning from 2004 to 2017, from an 18-year-old tender youth to a 31-year-old hair-transplanted uncle, encompassing 559 matches, 253 goals, 16 championship trophies, and a series of numbers including the club's greatest ever scorer.
Time may have taken Rooney's hair, but it still preserved the dreams of his youth!
At Old Trafford in Manchester, his smiles and his spectacular goals are recorded, along with the youthful days of Rooney's generation.
"I hope every player who has ever played for Manchester United can retain a beautiful memory to savor in their old age." Neville understood Rooney's expression because he had once been the same.
Rooney seized the moment to reflect. "Ah, youth is so beautiful—its only flaw is that it fades too quickly!"
Neville: "..."
'Now you're getting sentimental. If you had even half of Ling's discipline, spent less time with those old woman, and avoided partying and drinking at nightclubs...'
'Even if you couldn't play until forty, at least your peak wouldn't have been so short. Look at Cristiano Ronaldo, who's enjoying his second wind at Juventus.'
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