Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

”This is a moment I’ll never forget! I’m really happy to achieve this with Chelsea and my teammates. But we can’t relax yet—winning the Club World Cup won’t be easy either.”

”I’ve said this before—Luis fits our system perfectly. I think he’s the ideal striker. Yes, he’s technically complete, and there’s no real weakness in his game. The two trophies he’s already won with us—he absolutely deserves them.”

”The biggest credit for this win? No, I wouldn’t say that belongs to me. If anyone deserves that title, it’s our coaching staff. They’ve worked so hard and done an outstanding job.”

”Talking about the seven-trophy season is still premature. It’s our goal, sure—but that’s also what every team heading to the Club World Cup is aiming for. We’ll prepare with everything we’ve got. That said, our current focus will shift back to the Premier League and Champions League.”

After Chelsea’s triumphant win in the UEFA Super Cup, Li Ang became the only active player in football history to have won a six-trophy season with two different clubs.

Naturally, the post-match interviews saw him surrounded by reporters.

But Li Ang—ever composed—dodged all the personal achievement traps those reporters tried to spring.

He had plenty to say about the team’s performance.

But when the topic shifted toward personal accolades, he lost interest.

Because it was all the same recycled praise.

Back when he’d just started his pro career, maybe those headlines would have excited him.

But now?

He couldn’t care less.

Today the media’s hailing him as the best—tomorrow they’ll be praising Ronaldo or Messi like gods again.

Consistency of narrative? Integrity? Forget about it. These reporters never had it.

Li Ang had no intention of sacrificing his current goodwill just to give these journalists clickbait.

Back in the locker room, Chelsea kept their celebration low-key.

They showered, packed their bags, and flew straight back to London that very night.

At the hotel celebration, Abramovich once again handed out bonuses in person, and Mourinho rewarded the squad with another day off.

Yes, the second round of the Premier League kicked off in just two days.

But the FA pushed Chelsea’s fixture back by three days, giving them extra recovery time.

Mourinho, for once, even praised the FA in his press interviews.

Most fans agreed—Chelsea deserved the break.

After all, they had just set a new record for the most trophies won by an English club in a single season.

Six. Trophies.

In the past, La Liga fans used to brag about Barcelona’s six-trophy season all over social media.

Then Bundesliga fans had Bayern’s own six-trophy achievement to cling to.

And now?

The Premier League had Chelsea.

With the possibility of a historic seventh trophy still looming, English fans had every reason to be proud.

Should Chelsea pull it off, they would permanently silence La Liga’s online flamers.

Because a Spanish club winning seven trophies? Not happening.

With Chelsea claiming that title, no Barcelona or Real Madrid fan would ever dominate a football forum again.

It sounded ridiculous, maybe even childish.

But that’s how things worked on the internet.

On August 14, Manchester United kicked off the second round of the Premier League away to Aston Villa.

A second-half equalizer from their new signing Lukaku salvaged a 1–1 draw.

It was their second straight 1–1 in the league, after opening with a similar result at Old Trafford against Spurs.

Two games, no wins—and United fans were already moving from offseason excitement to rising anxiety.

Across town, their rivals Manchester City were flying.

City opened their season with a 4–0 away win over West Brom.

And this round, they crushed Everton 3–0 on the road, securing two straight victories in dominant fashion.

Joining City at the top were Arsenal and a shock contender: Leicester City.

Last season, Leicester had comfortably avoided relegation.

This summer, after some smart transfers, pundits predicted a mid-table finish—maybe even a decent cup run.

But Leicester opened the new campaign with two straight wins, including a gutsy comeback against West Ham.

Media ”experts” were stunned.

Even more surprising was how organized and coherent their tactics were.

Defensively solid, sharp on the counter—the difference from last season was night and day.

Tactical cohesion like that usually takes a long time to build.

Yet Claudio Ranieri had seemingly put together a fully functioning system in record time.

Despite rotating midfielders to test combinations, Leicester’s shape remained intact.

With a spine of Morgan, Drinkwater, and Vardy, and explosive wide men like Mahrez and Albrighton,

they looked like a team capable of finishing in the Premier League’s upper mid-table.

Fans and analysts alike began to take notice.

Even Li Ang found himself recalling Leicester’s shock title run.

And when he saw that the current Leicester side featured Vardy, Okazaki, Kanté, and Mahrez,

he realized: this might just be the breakout season.

Still, he wasn’t afraid.

Li Ang remembered clearly: Leicester’s title win only happened because that season’s Premier League had no dominant force.

Usually, a title-winning team needed close to 90 points.

To win it all with only low-80s points? That was rare—once in every seven or eight years.

This season was different.

Chelsea were back, as the undisputed kings of England.

Manchester City, unlucky runners-up the past two seasons, had cleared 90 points both times.

Arsenal were in strong form, too.

No matter how promising Leicester looked, they weren’t in the same tier as those three.

Their starting lineup was good, but their bench depth was lacking—and that would cost them.

Chelsea had nearly hit 100 points one season.

They’d broken the 100-point barrier the next.

This wasn’t a close race—it was domination.

So while Li Ang admired Leicester’s rise, he didn’t dwell on them.

He turned his attention back to Chelsea’s preparations.

August 17, away to West Bromwich Albion—the final match of Matchday 2.

Chelsea fielded a full-strength lineup.

Facing a parked bus, Mourinho ordered an all-out assault.

Starting as an attacking midfielder, Li Ang showed off his long-range threat—a skill he hadn’t used in a while.

Within ten minutes, he fired two shots from outside the box.

Neither went in, but both forced corners.

With Ibrahimović gone, Chelsea had lost a major aerial presence.

But Maguire, now the starting center-back, more than made up for it.

With superb positioning and physicality, he became Chelsea’s new set-piece monster.

They’d built several routines around him over the summer.

And in the 14th minute, Maguire justified it.

On a corner drawn by Li Ang, he rose at the far post and thundered home a header, bulldozing the defense.

Mourinho clapped in approval.

Once the first goal was in, West Brom’s wall crumbled.

Chelsea countered at will.

By halftime, it was 3–0—goals from Maguire, Suárez, and De Bruyne.

In the 63rd minute, Li Ang fired in a screamer from the break to make it 4–0.

He’d already assisted Suárez earlier.

Another goal and assist. Another masterclass.

Chelsea’s 4–0 away win mirrored City’s.

But that wasn’t the end of the story.

On August 22, Matchday 3 began.

City, playing their third straight away game, crushed Watford 5–1.

Chelsea, hosting Crystal Palace, put on a clinic.

Suárez scored twice. Hazard and Kroos added one each.

And yes—Li Ang recorded yet another goal and assist, guiding Chelsea to a 5–0 win.

At this point, fans of mid and lower-table clubs across England began to panic.

”Oh no. This season, the Premier League has two teams that just obliterate the weak…”

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