Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Chapter 382: Chapter 380: A Comeback Is Impossible — I Want It All!

Chapter 380: A Comeback Is Impossible — I Want It All!

What does it mean for Chelsea to take the lead first in a crucial knockout match?

Over the past two seasons, countless top teams have given vivid demonstrations to the fans of the price they paid after making that very mistake against Chelsea.

At this moment, Pellegrini and countless Bayern fans sighed helplessly, fully aware of the serious consequences of conceding a goal to Chelsea at home.

Other major clubs might care about saving face — even with a one-goal lead, they might not dare to shamelessly lock down the game.

But Chelsea had spent more than two seasons proving to fans worldwide that they truly didn’t care about outside opinions and had no qualms about playing ugly football if it meant winning.

In this respect, only Juventus could be compared to Chelsea now.

Conte’s obsession with winning by small margins was arguably even more “deep-rooted” than Mourinho’s.

Both managers were quintessential pragmatists in the football world — as long as they could win, they didn’t care how the football looked.

Even if the entire world criticized their teams for playing ugly, their commitment to winning at all costs never wavered.

With Chelsea and Juventus achieving continuous success in their respective leagues and the Champions League over the past few seasons, the European media had endlessly analyzed and dissected both managers’ tactical styles — their philosophies were now fully laid bare.

Perhaps before this season’s Champions League knockout stages began, some fans still harbored hopes that Chelsea, having already won a Champions League trophy and achieved full big-club status, might soften and refine their playing style.

It was true that Chelsea had produced some high-scoring matches this season, and their offensive firepower had undoubtedly grown.

But after suffocating Paris Saint-Germain over two legs and advancing into the Champions League quarterfinals playing the same defensive, pragmatic football, fans realized there would be no style change.

They finally understood — Mourinho could certainly coach attacking football when necessary, much like during his time at Real Madrid.

But unless they were thrashing weaker teams or forced into an attacking posture by circumstance, Mourinho’s teams always prioritized a rock-solid defense.

Mourinho was still Mourinho — inherently seeking economic, secure victories above all else.

And this Chelsea had clearly reached a hall-of-fame level defensively.

If they could suffocate Paris Saint-Germain over two legs with just a single goal, why couldn’t they do the same to Bayern Munich?

At first glance, it seemed difficult — Bayern’s attacking prowess appeared superior to PSG’s.

But once fans reminded themselves that Bayern was trying to breach Chelsea’s defensive line, it didn’t seem so impossible anymore.

Compared to the amused neutral fans, Bayern’s supporters were absolutely panicking inside.

They had no doubt that Mourinho and Li Ang would lead Chelsea in locking down the match if needed.

Pellegrini, too, had prepared himself for a full tactical overhaul and a fiery halftime team talk.

But neither he nor the Bayern fans could have predicted what happened next — Mourinho didn’t order Chelsea to fall back and park the bus!

The Bayern players, stunned after conceding, didn’t receive any urgent tactical changes from their bench.

And Chelsea? They kept playing the same high-pressure, aggressive attacking football!

This surprising twist delighted neutral fans.

Chelsea, after taking the lead, were not playing defensive counterattacks? They were continuing to push and press Bayern?

Had the sun risen from the west today?

While many neutrals couldn’t understand what was happening, everything was crystal clear to Chelsea’s coaching staff and players.

The truth was, Chelsea hadn’t initially planned to dominate and press Bayern from the start.

At first, their tactical baseline was to engage in a midfield stalemate with Bayern during the first half, feel out Bayern’s attacking intensity, and then ramp up aggression in the second half.

It was simple: playing away in the first leg, Chelsea needed to secure enough away goals. Two away goals would be ideal — back at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea could then slowly grind down Bayern without pressure.

But Bayern unexpectedly surrendered midfield control right from the opening whistle, and Mourinho, of course, wasn’t going to politely refuse.

The overall tactical plan hadn’t changed — Chelsea had just entered their attacking phase earlier than expected.

Now, having already broken through for the first goal, Chelsea weren’t about to stop — they were pushing to expand their lead.

This had nothing to do with any pending tactical adjustments Bayern might make. Chelsea had made up their mind — today was about attacking relentlessly.

Who cared whether Bayern was feigning weakness or planning to fight back?

As long as Mourinho didn’t call for a retreat, Chelsea’s attacking tempo would remain relentless!

Even if they got caught by a Bayern counterattack later, it wouldn’t matter — today’s objective was to score at least two away goals.

Winning 2–0 would be ideal. A 2–2 draw was also completely acceptable.

Everything was geared toward making the second leg at Stamford Bridge as comfortable as possible for Chelsea.

With that goal in mind, Mourinho and his staff had turned Chelsea into an aggressive, attacking machine.

Pellegrini had done thorough pre-match research on Chelsea’s usual tactics, but his rigid thinking left him unable to correctly read the unfolding situation now.

He was stunned, and so were Bayern’s players.

Chelsea were still attacking — and doing so ruthlessly and persistently.

This was nothing like the game script they had been prepared for!

So what now?

How were they supposed to handle Chelsea’s relentless full-court press?

Should they continue pretending to be weak, surrender midfield control, and wait for counterattacks?

Confused and lacking new tactical instructions, Bayern’s players looked increasingly disorganized.

Fortunately, Pellegrini only froze for a minute or two before regaining his composure.

Regardless of whether the adjustment was right or wrong, he at least issued a clear new tactical directive:

Stay calm. Keep looking for counterattacking chances.

This had been the most rehearsed tactical setup before the match.

And judging by the way the game had unfolded, exploiting the space behind Chelsea’s flanks during their aggressive pressing still made sense.

Once the Bayern players received clear instructions, they quickly unified their mindset.

Whether it would work or not, they had to keep trying.

If the counters failed, then the focus would shift to defense — survive until halftime, and reassess.

Bayern, looking to play it safe, continued to tighten the gaps between their midfield and defense while patiently waiting for a counterattacking opportunity.

Watching Bayern, even while trailing at home, sticking to their counterattack strategy without any confusion, Li Ang couldn’t help but feel a little impressed.

If it had been Heynckes’ Bayern from a few seasons ago, they would have been grabbing their swords and launching an all-out attack on Chelsea by now!

Li Ang wasn’t sure whether this Bayern’s patience was a sign of evolution or regression.

Either way, for Chelsea, it was undoubtedly a good thing.

As long as he and Kroos maintained control of the midfield, Chelsea’s overall dominance over Bayern wouldn’t change.

Chelsea would continue to generate wave after wave of threatening attacks against Neuer’s goal.

In contrast, Bayern’s chances to attack were few and far between.

And when it came to counterattacks, Chelsea were among the very best — not just in launching them, but also in shutting them down defensively.

Given the overall momentum of the match, absorbing some risk of counterattacks was entirely worthwhile for Chelsea.

Mourinho, from his seat on the bench, was calm as ever, showing no intention of interrupting Chelsea’s attacking momentum.

Li Ang was in excellent form today. With Bayern continuously retreating, he became even bolder in pushing forward.

In the 38th minute of the first half, Li Ang made a late run and leaped to head the ball — smashing it against Bayern’s crossbar!

The impact almost caused heart attacks among the tens of thousands of Bayern fans inside the Allianz Arena.

Neuer erupted in anger again, yelling at his defenders — and this time, both Boateng and Alaba switched into beast mode.

Both were already among the world’s best defenders, and under pressure, they elevated their performances further, making it much harder for Li Ang to find space in the box.

Seeing that direct attacks were now more difficult, Li Ang pragmatically shifted his role back to being a decoy, helping to free up Suárez.

However, during the final attacking sequences of the first half, Suárez also found himself tightly double-marked by Bayern’s full-backs and center-backs, leaving him few shooting opportunities.

Bayern, throwing everything into their defensive effort, managed to stabilize the situation and survived into halftime.

For Chelsea, leading 1–0 at halftime at Bayern’s home ground was a result they were very satisfied with.

Chelsea fans were equally content — after all, this was the fortress of the Bundesliga champions; what more could you ask for than a halftime lead?

Just as Chelsea’s internal pre-match planning had set out, expectations for the away leg were modest.

One or two away goals, trying not to lose, or even losing by just one goal would be acceptable.

As long as they weren’t shut out and beaten at Bayern, they would be fine.

Back at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea fans fully trusted their coaching staff to drag Bayern into a war of attrition.

Thus, they were very tolerant regarding the team’s performance and final result in this match.

Mourinho made no drastic tactical changes at halftime, merely reiterating one key point — every player must maintain defensive vigilance at all times.

Until the final whistle was blown, no one could relax.

While the plan was to attack, solid defending remained a fundamental tactical responsibility — the two were not mutually exclusive.

Li Ang summarized it succinctly during the halftime team talk, alongside Terry, as they rallied the squad:

“Everyone run a little more, constantly remind the brother next to you to get back and defend!

It’s just 45 more minutes — bite down and push through, there will be plenty of time to rest later…”

Li Ang’s interpretation of Mourinho’s tactics was simple and direct:

Run harder!

Attack must be sharp, but defense must be even sharper. To do both at once, there was no magic trick — only running harder and enduring more than your opponent.

Fortunately, Chelsea’s main players had been scientifically rotated throughout the season, preserving good fitness heading into this decisive stretch.

Moreover, without domestic cup distractions, Chelsea could now focus solely on the Premier League and Champions League.

Thus, in a hard-fought battle like this, Chelsea’s players had a notable fitness advantage compared to other elite teams.

As soon as the second half began, Chelsea’s players put their superior stamina to full use.

Don’t underestimate a few hundred extra meters or an extra kilometer of running — it made a massive difference on the pitch.

Chelsea’s relentless energy made it extremely uncomfortable for Bayern on both offense and defense.

Bayern’s players, eager to reclaim midfield control in the second half, quickly realized:

Not only were they being fiercely pressured while defending, but even after regaining possession, they faced aggressive Chelsea players harassing them during buildup.

The scene evoked memories for Bayern fans — of their own team just a few seasons ago, crushing other sides with overwhelming fitness and pressing.

Back then, Bayern, just like today’s Chelsea, ran harder than anyone else.

They attacked in waves and immediately swarmed back to defend.

Thanks to superior running ability, Bayern’s midfielders and forwards would frequently overwhelm opponents, prompting frustrated cries of “Bayern players are everywhere!”

But now, Bayern’s starting lineup had collectively aged.

And unlike Heynckes, Pellegrini didn’t focus heavily on maximizing physical conditioning.

Thus, today’s Bayern could no longer produce the same relentless full-pitch pressing football.

Was it fair to blame Pellegrini for that?

Not really — tactics must suit the physical state of available players.

Could anyone realistically expect Ribéry, Robben, Javi Martínez, and Lahm to sprint up and down the pitch like they did three years ago?

It simply wasn’t realistic.

Ribéry, Robben, and Lahm were all aging; stamina decline was inevitable. Javi Martínez, meanwhile, had become physically more fragile and needed careful management.

Pellegrini was forced to find ways to maximize the technical strengths of his aging stars.

Otherwise, he would have had to bench them and promote younger, more athletic players.

But would Pellegrini dare to do that?

Let’s be honest — if Pellegrini dared to clean out Bayern’s veteran stars in the dressing room, by tomorrow morning every newspaper in Germany would be screaming headlines about a locker-room civil war!

Bayern’s locker room was notoriously tricky.

There was a reason the club had long been nicknamed “FC Hollywood.”

Compromise and accommodation weren’t hard for a good-natured man like Pellegrini.

But today, those compromises left Bayern completely overrun on the field.

Chelsea’s superior stamina and ferocious pressing shredded Bayern’s structure.

Bayern tried to counterattack, but their transitions were disjointed and broken.

The targeted veterans on Bayern’s side could only feel more and more helpless against the tireless Blues.

Chelsea’s defensive players were blatantly exhausting Bayern’s stamina through targeted pressing, and Bayern had little they could do to respond.

If you can’t run, you just can’t run. Even gritting their teeth and enduring could only last so long — by the 70th minute, they would be physically spent.

The young substitutes Bayern could bring on for fresh legs lacked the necessary experience for a match of this magnitude.

How many Bayern fans realistically expected Coman and Douglas Costa to tear apart Chelsea’s rock-solid defense?

Thinking about this, even Bayern’s players on the pitch began to feel a bit of impatience creeping in.

But for Chelsea’s defenders, the more impatient Bayern’s attacks became, the more secure they felt.

Li Ang didn’t even have time to pass on any special defensive tricks to his teammates, but some players just had a natural instinct.

Take Trippier, for instance — he successfully provoked Ribéry into losing his temper.

The French wing superstar was never known for being mild-mannered; when his temper flared, his small, dirty moves in duels were countless.

But that was exactly what Trippier was waiting for.

Just past the 60th minute of the second half, facing Ribéry’s deliberate shove during a duel, Trippier went down cleanly and decisively.

The live broadcast cameras might not have caught the full detail of the altercation, and the referee was about to check with the assistant referee for more information.

But Scarface Ribéry, in a moment of pure emotion, didn’t wait — he yanked the prone Trippier aggressively while he was signaling at the referee.

That did it.

Trippier let out a theatrical yelp, clutching his shoulder where Ribéry had grabbed him, and fell dramatically back onto the pitch.

Kroos and Matić, being nearby, immediately rushed in to separate the two, keeping things from escalating.

The referee, having seen Ribéry’s rough tugging with his own eyes, no longer needed any input from the linesman.

Amid Ribéry’s furious accusations of Trippier for diving, the referee calmly asked him to cool down and step aside.

Chelsea players didn’t even need to fan the flames — Li Ang hadn’t even gotten close before he saw Ribéry, still ranting, receive a yellow card!

“A yellow card? From the referee’s initial reaction it didn’t look like he was planning a booking… Looks like Ribéry must’ve said something disrespectful to the referee as well. He really can’t complain about that yellow!”

The Bayern fans booed the referee loudly, but after expressing their dissatisfaction, many of them couldn’t fully defend Ribéry’s actions.

This was a critical moment. Fans were counting on Ribéry to lead the charge — not to lose his head and get himself carded.

No matter what club you’re at, it’s never acceptable for your attacking core to do something so foolish at such a key moment.

Watching Ribéry being restrained and calmed by his teammates while he continued arguing, Li Ang had some new thoughts in his mind.

So what if you’re an experienced veteran?

When emotions run high, mistakes still happen.

Ribéry’s notorious temper was nothing new, and Li Ang felt he could exploit that to make an even bigger “contribution” to Chelsea.

Thus, in the next few passages of play, Li Ang deliberately moved closer to Ribéry’s side of the pitch.

However, to his disappointment, after venting his anger, Ribéry somehow managed to regain control over his emotions.

Facing Li Ang’s provocations, the French wing king didn’t bite — on the contrary, he even drew a few fouls from Li Ang!

This left Li Ang quite frustrated.

Usually, he was the one getting opponents riled up — today, he ended up getting outsmarted by a supposedly hot-tempered veteran. It was not easy for him to swallow.

Seeing the referee’s gaze starting to turn suspiciously towards him, Li Ang wisely gave up his plan of continuing to mess with Ribéry and returned to his proper defensive duties.

Though he hadn’t gotten further advantage, the whole episode had still eaten up valuable game time.

Li Ang kept his head cool in the subsequent defensive phases, avoiding unnecessary risks with the referee.

Meanwhile, Bayern managed to push their lines a bit higher, and momentum seemed to slowly shift toward the home team.

In the 69th minute of the second half, after a long quiet spell, Lewandowski finally linked up successfully with Müller.

Receiving Müller’s low, sweeping pass after a wide run, Lewandowski fired his first threatening shot of the second half.

But Oblak remained fully alert, making a clean save and refusing Bayern any chance for a second ball shot.

Seeing several tall Bayern players rushing into Chelsea’s penalty area for the ensuing corner, Li Ang covered his mouth and quickly exchanged words with Terry.

The ball sailed through the air in a beautiful arc, dropping straight into the middle of Chelsea’s box.

From a God’s-eye view, it was clear: Matić had already broken free from Müller’s attempts to block him at the near post.

And Terry, battling Boateng at the heart of the box, muscled through and was first to meet the ball — clearing it with a powerful header.

But the most eye-catching figure was not Terry.

It was Li Ang, who had anticipated the clearance, reversed his run early, and was now sprinting forward like a rocket!

His decisive movement stunned countless neutral spectators.

It was as if Li Ang already knew his teammate would win the aerial duel and where the ball would land.

This absolute trust in his defensive partner allowed Li Ang to react immediately.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Terry had indeed resisted the pressure and won the crucial header.

Li Ang, having constantly adjusted his position while observing the play, was already sprinting onto the ball.

The ball was still descending when Bayern’s deep-lying midfielder, Thiago, courageously tried to intercept Li Ang’s path.

Perhaps Thiago knew he couldn’t stop Li Ang — the physical mismatch was too great — but he still bravely stepped up.

Fueled by that courage, he probably intended to commit a tactical foul before Li Ang could get moving.

But Li Ang, as if predicting Thiago’s intentions, didn’t wait for the ball to fully drop.

At the moment they were about to collide, while still sprinting, Li Ang extended his right foot and flicked the ball high over Thiago’s head!

Li Ang then exploded forward, tearing into the open field.

He had just pulled off a sublime flick-over — beating his marker clean!

Li Ang, with a touch of flair reminiscent of a young Ronaldo, skillfully flicked the ball over Thiago to beat his interception attempt!

Before the Bayern fans could even react with a full gasp, Li Ang was already sprinting after the ball, chasing it toward the open space ahead.

In front of him stretched a wide-open highway, perfect for a devastating counterattack!

Bayern’s players truly panicked at this moment, and Pellegrini instinctively rushed to the sideline, frantically signaling for the others to retreat quickly.

But Li Ang’s sprinting speed was simply too fast — in a blink, he had already charged into Bayern’s defensive third.

Lahm and Alaba immediately dropped back without hesitation. Neither dared to step forward and challenge him now.

After all, they had both suffered at Li Ang’s feet last year. They had learned their lesson and prioritized keeping the final defensive line intact.

But very quickly, they realized the defensive situation was much worse than they had anticipated.

Chelsea’s counters weren’t just about Li Ang’s acceleration — Suarez and Hazard had also sprinted past Bayern’s midfielders and were charging toward the penalty area alongside him!

It was a 3v2! A golden opportunity for Chelsea!

Although Hazard and Suarez weren’t entirely free of their markers, just having them as options was enough to split Lahm and Alaba’s focus.

Faced with this, the two Bayern defenders were hesitant — and most neutral fans expected Li Ang to shoot himself.

Neuer clapped his gloves hard, muttering to himself as he focused intensely on Li Ang’s footwork.

He wasn’t afraid of Li Ang shooting from outside the box — he even welcomed another showdown between them.

But just as Neuer braced himself for that 1v1 duel, Alaba edged forward slightly to try and block Li Ang’s shot.

And at that precise moment, Li Ang calmly slid the ball to Suarez on his right!

Alaba’s positioning had left an opening, and Suarez took the pass in stride, charging into Bayern’s penalty area!

The highly anticipated direct duel between Neuer and Li Ang didn’t happen.

Suarez, entering the box, immediately fired a low shot aimed at the far post — a sneaky and deadly finish.

Neuer barely had time to react — he lunged full stretch toward the corner!

But it was too late.

Against a clinical finisher like Suarez, half a step of separation is fatal. Even for Neuer, there was no chance to recover.

His fingertips couldn’t reach the ball.

Suarez’s shot was placed perfectly, skimming the inside of the far post and nestling into the net!

Neuer, furious and frustrated, pounded the turf hard with both hands.

But this time, he didn’t yell at his teammates. He blamed only himself for not anticipating Suarez’s strike.

Meanwhile, Suarez celebrated exuberantly.

He performed his trademark celebration, kissing his hand and sprinting toward the end line.

Laughing wildly, Li Ang chased after him and leapt onto Suarez’s back, pumping his fist toward the cameras!

Countless Bayern fans clutched their heads in despair at this scene.

Not because they had given up hope, but because rationally, they knew the comeback was now almost impossible.

When Li Ang assisted Suarez to make it 2-0, the smartest thing Bayern could do was stabilize their defense and prepare for the second leg.

What else could they do?

Chelsea had given Bayern so few opportunities the entire match. From a defensive standpoint, Bayern simply weren’t on Chelsea’s level tonight.

Maybe Bayern’s tactical plan was wrong from the start — maybe they should never have conceded control so easily.

Had they fought for midfield dominance early on, maybe this match would have gone differently.

Bayern fans, filled with regret, couldn’t help but wonder about what might have been.

But the reality was clear: this match was effectively over.

Their hopes now lay in the second leg.

As everyone expected, Mourinho, after securing a two-goal lead, immediately switched to a more defensive setup.

Hazard, who had shown signs of fatigue, was subbed off first.

Kalas came on, slotting into a three-center-back system.

Six minutes later, Mourinho made another substitution during a stoppage, sending on Van Ginkel for Suarez — purely to disrupt Bayern’s attacking rhythm.

Pellegrini was visibly frustrated by these obvious tactical fouls, but he had no choice.

In the 89th minute, Mourinho used his final substitution, bringing on young Gnabry for De Bruyne.

However, by stoppage time, Chelsea had nearly the entire team camped around their own box, leaving Gnabry no chance to exploit his pace.

The final score stayed 2-0.

Chelsea left Munich with a near-perfect result.

Li Ang, with a goal and an assist, was deservedly named Man of the Match!

Once again leading his team to a crucial victory, Li Ang became the center of heated discussion among fans and pundits alike.

His decisive plays, his selfless assist, even his confident pre-match smile to the cameras — everything about him became a hot topic.

Chelsea fans, brimming with confidence, flooded the internet:

“As long as Li Ang plays like this, Chelsea’s dream of defending the Champions League title will not crash!”

Some pointed out it was too early to be this confident — after all, this was only the first leg of the quarterfinals — but Chelsea fans didn’t care.

They had reason to celebrate:

Chelsea had gone to Bayern’s home and beaten them convincingly!

They earned the right to brag across sports forums worldwide.

Even if later Chelsea stumbled and other fans laughed at them, that was a worry for another day.

For now, the football world could only marvel at Chelsea’s power.

Yes, a few voices of dissent remained, but compared to the overwhelming praise, they were barely noticeable.

Riding the momentum of their Champions League triumph, Chelsea had no time to relax.

Three days after conquering Bayern, they faced Premier League Round 33.

Their next target: a tough away trip to Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, where their points chase would continue.

Currently, Swansea sat 12th in the Premier League standings — long since safe from relegation, but also far from qualifying for European competition.

They were essentially just waiting for the summer holidays to begin, playing without much pressure.

Neither good enough to move up nor bad enough to go down, Swansea had been living a comfortable life in recent seasons.

Just staying in the Premier League and receiving massive broadcasting revenues each year was already a huge success for them.

Swansea’s relaxed state was undoubtedly favorable for Chelsea’s quest to collect points.

With no real motivation to win, Swansea were hardly going to risk injuries by fighting tooth and nail against Chelsea at the season’s end.

At most, they would put on a spirited display to entertain their home fans.

Thus, for Chelsea, the pressure for this match was minimal.

To better prepare for the upcoming Champions League second leg against Bayern, Mourinho decisively rotated several key players for this league match.

Hazard, Suárez, Kroos, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, and De Bruyne — all starters in the last Champions League game — were given the day off to rest at home.

Though Chelsea’s rotation seemed extensive, the replacements were still top-class players.

Maguire and Bertrand remained sidelined with injuries.

Maguire, however, was showing signs of recovering in time for the Bayern rematch, while Bertrand was all but ruled out.

Thus, even though Azpilicueta still had the fitness to play, Mourinho chose to rest him carefully — after all, Chelsea only had one genuine left-back available.

In league matches against mid-to-lower table sides, Mourinho could have Trippier fill in temporarily.

Azpilicueta’s energy needed to be preserved for the crucial Champions League battles.

On the afternoon of April 9th, Chelsea — heavily rotated — took to the field at Liberty Stadium.

Seeing Chelsea’s lineup with so many changes, Swansea fans couldn’t help but nurture a glimmer of hope.

But they didn’t even last thirty minutes before Li Ang and young Loftus-Cheek shattered their illusions.

Without Kroos, Chelsea’s midfield control had indeed weakened.

However, it still depended on the opponent — if it were Manchester City, it might have been a struggle.

But against Swansea? Even without Kroos, with Matić alongside him, Li Ang had no trouble dominating.

Early on, Li Ang played cautiously, dropping deep to organize and control the tempo.

Swansea’s midfielders had no answer — they couldn’t win the ball back, and they couldn’t outmuscle Li Ang.

Within 10 minutes, they realized reality and stopped pressing aggressively.

Li Ang wasn’t arrogant about it.

He simply settled into a rhythm, directing play from deep, leaving the ball-carrying responsibilities to Loftus-Cheek.

Loftus-Cheek, much like “the old face” Lampard, loved to push forward.

To keep the kid from earning a hairdryer treatment from Mourinho at halftime, Li Ang specifically instructed him:

“Don’t over-dribble. Get the ball forward and give it to Salah as quickly as possible.”

Though Loftus-Cheek sometimes made mistakes up front, he had great respect for Li Ang, who often mentored him and was generous both on and off the pitch.

Following Li Ang’s advice, Loftus-Cheek kept it simple — using his physicality and focusing solely on ball progression.

He wasn’t flashy but was very effective, showcasing his potential as a classic box-to-box midfielder.

With Li Ang orchestrating midfield possession and Salah constantly fed with good balls, Llorente acting as the tactical pivot, and space opening up for Salah and Gnabry, Chelsea’s attacking system flowed smoothly.

Today, Salah, as the focal point of Chelsea’s attack, was a constant menace once he got enough service.

Meanwhile, Li Ang and Matić completely snuffed out Swansea’s chances of launching fast breaks.

The strategy was simple: persistence wears down resistance.

Chelsea’s attacking efficiency wasn’t outrageously high, but by the 34th minute, Llorente managed to break the deadlock — smashing home Salah’s low cross at the far post!

With the breakthrough goal secured, the match became much easier for Chelsea.

In the 57th minute of the second half, Matić made a successful sliding tackle, dispossessing Swansea’s Sigurðsson.

Li Ang immediately surged forward, receiving the ball and launching a sharp diagonal counterattack pass — using a decoy movement to help Gnabry break free!

The young winger showed surprising composure.

First, he smartly cut inside, beating Swansea center-back Ashley Williams.

Then, when everyone expected him to drive into the box, he coolly curled a shot from the edge toward the far corner!

Swansea’s goalkeeper Fabiański was caught off guard —

By the time he reacted, the ball had already kissed the top corner of the net!

Scoring a rare Premier League goal, Gnabry ran straight toward Li Ang, who had assisted him.

Li Ang hugged the excited youngster and patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to run toward the corner flag and celebrate in front of the cameras.

The rest of the Chelsea players smiled warmly, surrounding Gnabry to congratulate him.

With the second goal in the bag, Swansea’s remaining fighting spirit completely crumbled.

Seeing this, Mourinho wisely decided to conserve energy, and Chelsea calmly saw out the 2–0 win, continuing to pile pressure on Manchester City.

After the match, Li Ang spoke openly in interviews:

“Chelsea now fully controls the title race. We won’t give City any chance.”

At this point in the season, Chelsea still collapsing?

Forget it. It wasn’t even worth imagining.

This summer, Li Ang vowed — he would claim both the Premier League and Champions League titles!