Back in the locker room.
Maguire somehow pulled out a bottle of champagne, which infuriated Valencia so much that he chased after Maguire, giving him a good beating.
This match was meant to be his farewell game at Manchester United.
Although Cardiff City's strength made a miracle unlikely, the cautionary tale of Milan was still fresh in everyone's minds.
Besides, popping champagne at halftime always left a bad taste.
Mourinho was also more lenient than usual.
He watched the Manchester United players joke and play around, waiting for the locker room to settle down before speaking
"The first half went well. Cardiff City tends to Park the Bus, but their level is poor. Once they fall behind, they don't know how to play. We'll make substitutions early in the second half to prevent key players from getting injured."
...
The halftime break passed quickly, and both teams returned to the green pitch.
The Cardiff City players seemed pumped up, engaging in reckless challenges and earning three yellow cards in just ten minutes.
Jeremy Ling also reduced his time on the ball, opting instead to act as a supporting player.
True, he had an injury immunity module, but that didn't mean he wouldn't feel any pain if someone fouled him maliciously.
By the 68th minute of the second half, Mourinho made his substitutions.
Lukaku replaced Mahrez, McTominay replaced Herrera, and Luke Shaw replaced Ashley Young.
The Belgian lad made an impact as soon as he stepped onto the pitch!
After receiving a pass from Jeremy Ling, he charged into the penalty area, where a defender recklessly stepped on his foot, causing him to fall.
Beep!
The referee immediately signaled for a penalty.
Ling thought for just a moment before handing the ball to Valencia.
"Captain, even if I score more goals today, it's unlikely I'll break Messi's record. And I'm confident I can do it in the future, so you take this penalty."
Ling wasn't as obsessed with statistics as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back when he was promoted to the first team, it was Carrick who taught him long pass techniques, Valencia who practiced one-on-one with him, and Ibrahimovic who trained him in taekwondo.
Since he had once received kindness from others, why couldn't he extend some kindness in return?
Just as Ling had said a few dozen minutes earlier, he hoped Valencia could have a perfect farewell, leaving Manchester United without any regrets.
Valencia didn't hesitate either, nodding firmly.
He took the ball, placed it on the penalty spot, and after the referee blew the whistle, decisively struck it toward the right side of the goal.
The ball flew in the opposite direction of the goalkeeper, crashing fiercely into the net.
4:0!
The match had long lost its suspense.
Amidst the resounding chants of Manchester United fans, the game slowly drew to a close, finally ending with the referee's whistle.
Manchester United 4:0 Cardiff City, successfully defending the Premier League Title!
A clear victory, marking a perfect conclusion to Manchester United's Premier League journey this season.
Instantly, smoke billowed across all four stands.
Faintly visible through the red haze were the ecstatic figures of Manchester United fans celebrating wildly, waving their red scarves and unleashing deafening cheers.
"We've defended the Premier League Title!"
"Back in the day, we achieved two trebles—1998-2000 and 2006-2008. I thought I'd never see anything like it again, but today, the lads of the Red Devils have reignited that hope!"
"Glory belongs to Manchester United!"
"We are the greatest club in the world!"
Every fan clad in red was filled with joy.
They had accompanied Manchester United on such a long journey—and finally, at the end, received the best reward!
At the same time, the entire city of Manchester erupted in celebration.
Countless people surged toward Old Trafford, singing their passionate anthem with fervor, forming an unstoppable crimson tide.
Defending the Premier League Title!
It's worth noting that today's Premier League is nothing like it was two decades ago.
Beyond the traditional "Big Six," there are many other formidable teams.
In fact, since the 2010 season, no team had managed to defend the League Title, a testament to the fierce competitiveness of the Premier League.
And yet, Manchester United, who had trailed Manchester City and Liverpool early in the season and even dropped to sixth place at one point, climbed steadily up the table.
Just like Old Trafford itself—a witness to the birth of legends, a symbol of the dreams in the hearts of Manchester United fans, and an embodiment of the club's never-say-die, never-give-up spirit—they surpassed Liverpool and Manchester City, reclaiming the top spot and ultimately defeating Manchester City by a single point.
Once again, they draped the trophy, a symbol of honor, with the red ribbons uniquely belonging to Manchester United!
How could Manchester United fans not be ecstatic?
As for Manchester City and Liverpool fans, watching the scores of 4:1 and 2:0, they sighed in unison.
What good is winning a match if you still can't claim the title? Manchester United left them no opening.
The pre-prepared championship celebrations of both teams, along with their replica Premier League trophies, now seemed meaningless.
But even more excited than the fans were the Manchester United players on the green pitch, for they had been part of the journey to defend the title.
Speaking of which, a word must be said about the Cardiff City players.
According to Premier League tradition, they were supposed to stay and form a guard of honor to congratulate the Manchester United players on their victory.
However... Having lost this match, Cardiff City had confirmed their relegation to the Championship next season.
Who would be in the mood to line up and congratulate others?
Not that the Manchester United players minded, of course.
Their focus was entirely on celebrating, and they wouldn't force anyone to do something they didn't want to do.
"We are the champions, my friends!!!"
"We'll keep fighting till the end!"
"We are the champions, we are the champions!!!"
Lukaku, who frequented nightclubs regularly, belted out the lyrics at the top of his lungs, and the Manchester United players joined in loudly, singing Queen's classic anthem—"We Are the Champions."
Ling held the match ball, looking up at the distant sunset. It truly echoed that old saying—Manchester is red.
At least for this season.
Then he joined the jubilant crowd, and they even lifted Valencia up, tossing him repeatedly into the air.
After celebrating for quite a while, Ling suddenly remembered something.
Could he open the system rewards now? However, considering that the system rewards might cause drowsiness, he decided to wait until he got home that evening.
"Boss, why do I feel like you're not too excited?" Faria, having just finished celebrating, asked curiously.
"I'm actually quite excited," Mourinho replied.
Although he was nearly sixty, his competitive spirit hadn't faded, it still beat strongly.
It was just that his way of expressing it had changed a lot.
...
Soon, the staff began setting up the venue, and the championship trophy was wheeled out.
The Premier League trophy, like the Champions League trophy, couldn't be kept as the original by the club—they could only take home a replica.
Ling leaned in for a closer look.
'Hey, it really was different from last season, because there was an extra line engraved on the base: 2018-19 Manchester United.'
Ling reached out and hefted it—it weighed about 25 kilograms, and he heard it was made of pure silver.
If the Premier League had the same tradition as the Champions League, where clubs could keep the trophy after winning it a certain number of times, the competition would probably become even fiercer.
A few days ago, Ling had scrolled past Liverpool's Champions League trophy on social media.
Manchester United's name was engraved on it too.
To be honest, he was quite envious.
"Let's go change into clean jerseys first, then come back to receive the award!" Ling called out to his teammates.
Maguire kept looking back reluctantly, taking three steps forward and one step back.
After all, this was the Premier League trophy—something many players never got to touch in their entire careers.
Ahem, like Tottenham's Harry Kane, for example.
Who knew if he'd ever get the chance in the future?
Maguire skipped over to Ling's side, asking like an inquisitive child, "When you won the League Title last season, what were you thinking about?"
"Hmm... probably about the Champions League final, since Real Madrid put so much pressure on us," Ling recalled carefully, though he wasn't entirely sure.
Maguire nodded with a grin. "It's fine, anyway, there's no Real Madrid this year."
"Manchester City isn't weak either," Mahrez retorted, then turned to Kante. "So, how about it? I told you coming to Manchester United was the right move. Staying at Chelsea would've just been a waste of time. Forget about trophies for a moment—the atmosphere in the team is just too..."
Kante neither nodded nor shook his head.
His personality mirrored his playing style—always quietly contributing to the team.
Something like gossiping about his former club? The honest and humble Kante would never do that.
"Chelsea really is in a tough spot. They're banned from signing players next season, and Lampard doesn't have much experience. Their results probably won't be too great," Maguire chimed in with a complaint.
After they changed into clean jerseys, they lined up again in the player tunnel—this time not to play another match, but to welcome the honor that belonged to them.
"De Gea!"
"Wan-Bissaka!"
"Nemanja Matic!"
As the stadium DJ announced each name, Manchester United players emerged from the tunnel one by one, and Old Trafford erupted with thunderous applause.
"Jeremy Ling!"
The decibel level instantly peaked, with the cheers from tens of thousands of fans causing Ling's eardrums to throb.
He waved to the stands on all sides and strode quickly toward the podium ahead.
The second-to-last player to emerge was Valencia, making his final appearance as Manchester United's captain.
Whoosh!!!
Manchester United fans showed their utmost respect for the veteran.
"Jose Mourinho!"
Mourinho walked out from the tunnel, gazing at the sea of red in the stands as a faint smile crossed his face.
Back when he first took charge of Manchester United, he had made a promise: "I will bring Manchester United back to the pinnacle of English football!"
Now, he could proudly say he had delivered on that promise!
Next.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!—
Countless fireworks shot into the sky, painting it a brilliant shade of red!
A single, unified chant echoed through Old Trafford.
"The 2018-19 Premier League Title belongs to—Manchester United!!!"
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