Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Lukaku ultimately parted ways with Chelsea. Just three days after the Community Shield, he reported to Carrington, full of hope for a new start.

Chelsea and Manchester United released simultaneous announcements that morning, confirming the transfer.

United had paid a hefty £65 million, including a sell-on clause entitling Chelsea to a portion of any future resale.

Realistically, United didn’t need to pay that much.

But once Paris Saint-Germain—those deep-pocketed oil barons—started sniffing around, United panicked.

After all, PSG never played fair with the market.

They could drop €70 or €80 million like it was nothing, completely ignoring the transfer ecosystem.

Not wanting to be outbid, United rushed to seal the deal with Chelsea—even if it meant overpaying.

With Lukaku gone, Salah officially became Chelsea’s first-choice bench option for the attacking line.

Like Lukaku before him, he could play on both wings.

And after a year of dedicated training, his weaker-foot crossing and shooting had improved significantly.

Even though Chelsea weren’t playing on four fronts this season—only focusing on the league and Champions League—Salah would still get plenty of minutes.

The coaching staff promised him at least 35 appearances, with at least 20 starts.

That guarantee convinced him to sign a contract extension in peace.

As for Gnabry, he’d be the mainstay in domestic cup competitions.

Fifteen combined appearances in the league and Champions League would be more than enough for him this year.

Li Ang praised him in interviews, even calling him a player with the same level of talent as Lukaku.

But truthfully, in terms of physicality and endurance, Gnabry still trailed behind Lukaku at age 20.

Two seasons ago, Lukaku had already proven himself in the Premier League.

While on loan at West Brom, he scored 17 league goals in a single season.

Yes, he lacked spatial awareness and tactical instincts, but his physical dominance was undeniable.

Gnabry still needed time to grow.

As a pacey winger, he had to be nurtured and protected. That was best for his long-term development.

Too many minutes too soon could be dangerous.

Just look at Bale and Walcott—both burst onto the scene as young Premier League sensations.

Now, they were injury-prone, struggling to complete a full season.

The old-school method of overplaying young talents simply didn’t work anymore.

Gnabry understood that.

He knew Chelsea valued his talent—but wouldn’t abuse it.

Unlike Arsenal, Chelsea offered him a personalized growth plan, and real minutes in top-level competitions.

You’d be hard-pressed to find another European giant willing to do that.

So he was at peace—no longer fretting about which league he should go to next, like he did at Arsenal.

Talents who graduated from top academies often received more attention and special development opportunities than those who rose from the lower leagues.

Which is why, compared to Gnabry’s composure and confidence, Chelsea’s new signing from Burnley—Kieran Trippier—seemed far less self-assured.

And you couldn’t blame him.

His youth career began at Manchester City, a mid-table club back then.

Even among his peers, he wasn’t considered a standout prodigy.

He never earned a senior contract at City, just a series of loans to the Championship.

From Barnsley to Burnley, and finally a permanent transfer—he’d worked four full seasons just to build a name for himself.

Last year, at age 24, he finally debuted in the Premier League.

Hardly the story of a fallen star making a comeback.

There are no ”genius” players who debut in a top league at 24.

Even Miroslav Klose—the ultimate late bloomer—made his Bundesliga debut at 22 and was the league’s top scorer at 24.

Trippier had never aimed too high.

He just wanted to stay in the Premier League. If, in his prime, he could be a squad player for a top club, then retire in England—he’d be happy.

But after just one full Premier League season, his dream came true ahead of schedule.

When Mourinho personally called him, Trippier couldn’t believe it.

He was grateful he chose to be a fullback.

Had he been a winger or a striker, Chelsea’s coaches would’ve never looked at him.

But his consistent performances at right-back—and perfect attendance last season—earned him this dream contract.

After moving to London, he didn’t bask in the glory of his transfer.

He didn’t even celebrate much with his family.

Before preseason even began, he was already training individually.

Once he joined the squad, he threw himself into every session with total focus.

No one could match Li Ang’s legendary work ethic, but Trippier was still easily top five in effort and discipline.

That effort paid off.

After the Community Shield, Chelsea played Fiorentina in their final International Champions Cup friendly.

Trippier got the start—his first since joining the club.

He didn’t record any stats, no goals or assists.

Just a rock-solid defensive performance.

Not flashy, but reliable.

Gnabry, by contrast, scored and assisted in that match.

So when assistant coach Holland read out the squad list for the Premier League opener, many expected Gnabry to make the 18-man roster.

Instead, he was left out.

And Trippier was named a starter—Chelsea’s starting right-back for the league opener.

He was so stunned he didn’t even know what to say.

It was Li Ang who congratulated him first, joking that he’d have to buy everyone dinner after the match.

Dazed, Trippier just smiled and nodded.

He didn’t know why Bertrand was benched—why Azpilicueta was shifted to left-back to accommodate him.

He only knew one thing:

He was being given a real shot.

Earned through hard work and consistency.

And recognized by Mourinho.

It was overwhelming.

And no matter what, it was a moment he would never forget.

August 8th, afternoon. After completing the warm-up at Stamford Bridge and going through the pre-match locker room rally, he stood quietly in the tunnel, taking deep, deliberate breaths to steady his nerves and calm his heart.

”Hey, Kieran, how you feeling? You’re gonna have to clean up after Kevin today, maybe even push forward to help him out in attack.”

Li Ang patted Trippier on the shoulder.

He didn’t tell him to relax, nor did he offer words of comfort to the slightly older newcomer.

Because he trusted Trippier’s ability. He believed that a player who had already fought his way through six full years of professional football would know how to adjust himself when the moment arrived.

Making a sudden leap from a mid-table Premier League side to a newly crowned champion—and starting in the first match of the new season? Anyone would be pumped for days.

But what mattered was performance on the pitch.

And Li Ang just happened to believe that Trippier was one of those players who would zone in completely the moment he stepped on the field—a big-game player with a steady heart.

”No problem at all. I’ll give it everything.”

Trippier exhaled deeply, turned to face Li Ang, and firmly grasped the hand offered to him.

They shared a quick smile before Li Ang clapped to rally the others in the tunnel.

Chelsea’s opening Premier League match of the 2015–16 season was against Swansea.

Last season, Swansea had been one of the biggest surprises in the league—another dark horse after Southampton.

They finished just behind the Saints in eighth place, missing out on a European spot by only six points.

Unlike Southampton, who saw their top talent poached again in the transfer window, Swansea had retained most of their starting lineup.

For a club of their size, keeping their core intact and continuing to invest in reinforcements was impressive.

Chelsea’s coaching staff had taken note.

Except for the surprise promotion of Trippier at right back, today’s starting lineup was composed entirely of Chelsea’s first-choice players.

Oblak started in goal.

Across the back line: Azpilicueta, Maguire, Thiago Silva, and Trippier.

In midfield, the familiar trio of Matić, Kroos, and Li Ang.

Up front, the new season’s trident made its debut at Stamford Bridge: Hazard, Suárez, and De Bruyne.

Swansea also fielded a full-strength side, looking to make a statement in the season opener.

Gomis, André Ayew, Sigurðsson, Ki Sung-yueng, Shelvey, Ashley Williams, and Fabiański were all in the starting XI.

Aside from the earlier kickoff between Manchester United and Spurs, this was the most watched match of the Premier League’s opening day.

At 17:30 London time, with the opening ceremony complete, Chelsea and Swansea stood poised at midfield.

The referee’s whistle sounded, and the 2015–16 Premier League season was underway.

Swansea, having won the toss, kicked off and immediately pushed forward.

Ki Sung-yueng lofted a long ball toward Gomis in a classic opening salvo—a standard way to test the defense.

Long balls have their value in every footballing era.

But today, trying to win an aerial duel in Chelsea’s half was an uphill battle.

Maguire rose early and crushed Gomis in the air, powerfully heading the ball back into midfield.

Li Ang tangled with Sigurðsson and came out on top, controlling the ball on his chest before calmly laying it off.

Kroos stepped up and delivered a sharp reminder of what Chelsea could do—his diagonal long pass arcing gracefully out to De Bruyne on the wing.

Unlike Swansea’s central long ball, Kroos’s delivery cleverly bypassed the dense midfield and found space.

Swansea’s players, who had just surged forward, had to spin around and scramble back.

De Bruyne brought the ball down and surged along the touchline.

Swansea’s backline was still adjusting, and he considered whipping in a cross early.

But a shout caught his ear.

He turned his head—Trippier had made an overlapping run on the inside channel, slipping into the right half-space just outside the box.

It was an unconventional run.

Fullbacks typically overlap on the outside to hit the byline.

But Trippier ran inside, almost like a central midfielder.

Chelsea’s players had grown accustomed to these unique runs from him during training.

Mourinho hadn’t discouraged it, and now De Bruyne wasn’t surprised.

No hesitation—De Bruyne tapped the ball across.

Trippier controlled the pass and scanned ahead.

At that moment, Li Ang flew past him on a diagonal run.

Trippier lifted the ball perfectly over the defense with a lofted through pass.

”Not offside?! What a ball from Trippier! Li Ang’s through on Fabiański!”

Zhan Jun shouted with joy from the studio.

Li Ang, having perfectly timed his run, now faced Fabiański one-on-one.

His first touch was flawless, knocking the ball forward and shielding it from a chasing Ashley Williams.

His finishing stat had risen to 87, and he was now equally strong with both feet.

Calm and composed, he feinted a left-footed chip toward the far post.

Fabiański bit—his upper body shifted, bracing for the high shot.

But in the next instant, Li Ang poked the ball low with his left, threading it through the keeper’s legs.

The ball slid along the grass and into the back of the net.

Just over one minute into the game.

Commentators across Europe hadn’t even settled in—and were already screaming praise for Li Ang and Chelsea.

The home fans weren’t even cheering that loudly—most were still stunned.

That’s it? We already scored?!

Having netted the fastest goal of the new Premier League season, Li Ang pointed toward Trippier, calling for his teammates to celebrate with him in the corner.

Caught on live broadcast, Chelsea’s players gathered in a confident, roaring embrace.

Media outlets that had questioned Mourinho’s decision to start Trippier were now eating their words.

One minute into the season, and the new signing had already assisted Li Ang for a goal.

You can bet tomorrow’s headlines would feature both of them front and center.

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