Chapter 458 - 458

The next day.

Ling had just come out of the gym when he saw Grealish.

Grealish's legs were a little weak, and there were marks on his neck. It was obvious he had not rested much last night.

"How was it?" Ling asked knowingly.

"Ahem... no different from Manchester, really. I was just experiencing the local culture."

Grealish flirtatiously played with his hair. "Someone with looks like mine could walk into a bar and leave with two girls."

"Then how many do you think I could take away?" Ling raised an eyebrow.

Grealish looked him up and down, stroked his chin seriously, and said, "You could probably take away the head coach's daughter."

...

Back in Manchester, the schedule was not too tight, since half of September had been taken up by international fixtures.

The team worked on fitness while preparing for the sixth round of the league.

It was best to start building stamina early so there would not be any issues when the hectic Christmas schedule arrived.

Grealish, however, was so exhausted every day that he did not even feel like going to the pub.

Soon enough, Premier League matchday arrived.

West Ham United hosted Manchester United at home.

📰 Sky Sports: Manchester United Return From Amsterdam With West Ham Trip Ahead

📰 Manchester Evening News: Mourinho Focuses on Fitness as United Prepare for Premier League Restart

📰 The Athletic: Grealish's Role Grows as United Balance Europe and Domestic Demands

📱 @UnitedStand ✔

United beat Ajax 3–0, got a day off in Amsterdam, and somehow Grealish came back looking more tired than the players who played ninety minutes.

| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom

| Reply: Local culture undefeated.

📱 @MaguireAgenda

Maguire giving a lecture on labor rights in the red-light district was not on my Champions League bingo card.

📱 @TacticalTim ✔

United's depth will matter now. Champions League away nights, Premier League away trips, and fitness management before Christmas. This is where Mourinho's rotation plan gets tested.

Ling and Mahrez sat on the bench with their chins propped in their hands, gazing at the green pitch.

Given how frequently they had started in recent matches, both needed proper rest, so Mourinho had left them out of the starting lineup.

"Honestly, Rice is really good, especially with his distribution from deep," Ling said with a hint of regret.

Manchester United had made an offer for Rice at the start of the season, but West Ham had rejected it.

Otherwise, Rice could have been groomed as Kanté's successor.

But it did not matter too much.

Kanté's career longevity was quite impressive, even though injuries would become more frequent later on.

As long as he was not overused, he would be fine.

"After getting used to playing with you, watching Greenwood feels..." Mahrez clicked his tongue.

It was not that he looked down on young players.

The gap between the two was simply too vast.

Like comparing the bright moon to a faint glow.

Perhaps because of that, Greenwood was under immense psychological pressure, and his performance was far from satisfactory.

...

As the first half drew to a close, the score remained 0–0.

This left Manchester United fans deeply dissatisfied.

Was West Ham strong?

They could be considered strong, especially given their nickname: Robin Hood.

A wealthy giant like Manchester United was the perfect target for a robbery.

Suddenly, the momentum on the pitch shifted.

Grealish broke through down the left flank and charged into the penalty area for a one-on-one opportunity, only for Rice to intercept and clear the ball.

Fredericks slid in to rescue the ball near the touchline.

Counterattack!

West Ham's current manager, Pellegrini, nicknamed "The Engineer" by fans, had set up a meticulous tactical plan.

West Ham advanced rapidly along the touchline, executing a series of quick passes through midfield.

Fredericks to Noble.

Noble to Anderson.

Anderson to Yarmolenko.

They tore through Manchester United's transition defense and created a golden scoring opportunity.

Yarmolenko fired a low shot.

Even with De Gea stretching his body to the limit, he could not keep the ball out.

1–0!

West Ham, playing at home, took the lead!

The Hammers fans inside the London Stadium erupted into thunderous cheers.

What did it mean to lead the Seven-Title Winners, Manchester United?

Even though United had fielded a rotated lineup, it was still exhilarating.

Indeed, the Red Devils' dynasty had begun to take shape, leaving a deep impression on every major club.

Pellegrini pumped his fist in excitement.

But the next second, his smile vanished.

Ling had already put on his training vest and was warming up in the designated area.

"Damn it," Pellegrini cursed under his breath.

Three years ago, he had taken over as the head coach of Hebei China Fortune, thinking he could make a fortune in the Chinese Super League.

But what happened?

He was forced out after just two years.

In the final eight rounds of the Chinese League One that year, Hebei China Fortune won all 24 points, defeating Yuhang to earn promotion to the CSL.

He had thought Li Tie had left him a strong squad.

But upon closer inspection, he realized it was a mess.

Those results had all been bought with money.

Only later, as Ling's influence grew, did the CSL face stricter scrutiny.

If Jeremy Ling had debuted two years earlier, perhaps Pellegrini could have stayed in China a few more years.

Tweet! Tweet!

Soon, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the first half.

Back in the dressing room, Mourinho did not mince words.

"You didn't play well in the first half. Whether it was the finishing up front, the transitions in midfield, or the defending at the back, there were problems."

He was not Ancelotti, who could calmly console his players when trailing.

Mistakes meant criticism.

This was Mourinho's football philosophy and his life creed.

"West Ham's high number of tackles means they're controlling the match."

Mourinho did not dwell too long on criticism and quickly began reviewing the game.

"In the second half, I need you to increase the intensity."

"Defending, attacking, duels, pressing — everything. Reshape the tempo of the match."

"Ling."

Mourinho looked at Ling. "You need to press up front and pin down West Ham's defensive line. Expand the space in the attacking third so your teammates can perform better. As long as we cut off the connection between their defense and defensive midfield, we'll dominate the dangerous areas, and scoring will only be a matter of time."

"Understood."

Ling nodded.

There were not many teams in the world that dared to play with a single defensive midfielder.

Even Mourinho would not casually do it.

The demands on that player were too high.

For example, Kanté was not strong in aerial defense, while McTominay lacked mobility.

Rice, on the other hand, was more balanced in every aspect.

...

Halftime soon ended, and the London Stadium returned to its roar.

West Ham changed their earlier aggressive approach and began parking the bus in their own half.

There was no other way.

Pellegrini was not a fool. He knew how strong Ling was.

Rice definitely could not hold him off alone.

In that case, it was better to sit deep and stubbornly defend the lead.

Maybe they would even have a chance to upset Manchester United.

For a short while, United did not create much danger and only passed the ball around the edge of West Ham's block.

Rice really did have talent.

Organizing the defense, coordinating the press, distributing from deep — he handled everything methodically.

When the clock reached the 67th minute, Manchester United changed tactics and began actively creating set pieces.

Grealish, true to his reputation as a foul magnet, was brought down by Fredericks.

A yellow card, a free kick in a prime position!

"Havertz will take it," Gary Neville said. "I wonder whether the youngster's delivery can be trusted here."

"But it does look like there's no one else standing over the ball."

"Ling, Scott, and the others are all in the box, and Havertz isn't exactly built for wrestling with Premier League giants, is he?"

Neville joked lightly.

Soon, Havertz delivered the cross, sending the ball straight toward the penalty spot.

"Oh no!"

Ogbonna and Diop, both towering over 190cm, failed to gain any advantage in their duel with Ling.

On the contrary, they could only watch helplessly as Ling sprang upward, hanging in the air with terrifying balance before meeting the ball with his head.

He did not put all his power into it.

But the ball arced beautifully, soaring past Fabiański's fingertips and dropping into West Ham's net.

"Beautiful goal!"

"Jeremy Liiiiiiiiiiiing!"

"Twenty minutes after coming on as a substitute, he has dragged Manchester United level!"

"The genius from Carrington has grown into the leader of the Red Devils, and once again, he steps up when they need him most."

Neville no longer chased controversy-driven clicks.

Now, he simply rode the wave of praising Ling!

But the words were sincere.

He truly believed Ling was the most talented player Manchester United had produced in recent years, perhaps even in the club's entire history.

Even the Class of '92 could not compare to him.

Rice watched helplessly as Ling celebrated.

The two had been rivals for over eight years, from the youth teams to the first team.

Early stage: evenly matched.

Middle stage: Rice is stronger.

Later stage: Ling completely dominant.

Rice never imagined that Ling, who had once played alongside him in Premier League 2, would now lead Manchester United to such glory while he was still struggling to hold up West Ham.

Perhaps it was precisely because the two had competed since childhood that he had subconsciously refused Manchester United's invitation.

They should be lifelong rivals.

"Don't lose heart. Treat it like the match has just begun. We still have a chance to score!"

Rice also took on the responsibility of a leader.

Unfortunately, his influence could not compare to Jeremy Ling's.

Manchester United were like a tightly twisted rope, launching an all-out offensive with every ounce of strength.

Even with their "rob the rich to help the poor" buff, West Ham could not withstand it forever.

In the 83rd minute, Jeremy Ling broke through continuously through the central area and cleverly slipped a through ball to Grealish.

This guy perfectly illustrated the saying: Fang Shiyu outside the box, Lin Daiyu inside it.

Fredericks did make contact with his foot.

But the force was not as heavy as Grealish made it look.

He still gave up the shooting opportunity and decisively threw himself onto the turf, rolling around dramatically.

The referee had no objections and awarded a penalty.

"That night doing cosplay with the window girl, my acting skills skyrocketed to Hollywood level."

Grealish shook his head proudly, seeking credit.

Ling took the ball, speechless.

Not because of the method, but because of Grealish's tank attribute.

How did this guy manage to make people want to kick him at first sight?

Facing former Arsenal goalkeeper Fabiański, Ling changed his penalty-taking approach.

He started with small, quick steps during the run-up, then paused on the final step, watching the goalkeeper's weight shift before slotting the ball into the opposite corner.

This was something he had learned from watching Neymar's matches, and he had practiced it for many days.

1–2!

Fabiański lay on the turf, thinking there was almost no way to stop that kind of penalty.

Manchester United's near-winner left little suspense in the match.

Until the final whistle blew, the score remained unchanged.

Manchester United narrowly took three points away from home!

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