Chapter 387: Theme: Massacre
On the first weekend of November, the 11th round of the Premier League kicked off.
Manchester City was the first to play and ended up with a somewhat surprising result, drawing 1-1 at home against Middlesbrough. Former Barcelona goalkeeper Valdés made several key saves, Agüero broke the deadlock, and De Roon equalized in stoppage time. This result marked City's third consecutive home draw in the league. After 11 rounds, City had a record of 6 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, placing them fifth in the Premier League standings with 21 points, 6 points behind leaders Manchester United, who had played one game less.
Chelsea, however, did not follow City's example. In a high-profile match at Stamford Bridge, they thrashed Everton 5-0. After a brief period of uncertainty, Conte's team regained their strong form, achieving 8 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in their first 11 games, moving up to second place in the standings.
On Sunday afternoon, in the North London derby at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal drew 1-1 with their arch-rivals Tottenham. With records of 7 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss (24 points) and 5 wins, 6 draws (21 points) respectively, the two teams ranked fourth and sixth in the standings. Tottenham remained the only unbeaten team in the Premier League, but too many draws had kept them from a higher position.
Following that, Liverpool hosted a goal fest at Anfield. Coutinho and Firmino both scored and assisted, new signing Mané netted twice, and goals from Emre Can and Wijnaldum completed a 6-1 demolition of Watford. This emphatic win saw Liverpool match Chelsea's points total, only behind on goal difference, placing them third in the standings.
With Chelsea and Liverpool both winning and netting five-goal victories, the pressure on Manchester United increased. Despite leading by 2 points with a game in hand, the Red Devils were aware that they couldn't rest easy with the formidable form of their rivals.
Before the match, in the away team's dressing room at Liberty Stadium, Mourinho addressed his players.
"Swansea is in a tough spot right now. They've only got 5 points from their first 10 matches and are 5 points away from escaping the relegation zone. However, teams in this situation can crumble quickly if things go against them."
"For this game, I have only one requirement: win!"
"Go out there and kick the American's butt," Mourinho shouted, pointing to the dressing room door.
Meanwhile, in the home team's dressing room, Swansea manager Bob Bradley was also rallying his players.
"The team is in a difficult situation, and we need a stronger will to change our current position! United is strong, but judging by their recent narrow 1-0 wins, their form isn't what it was at the start of the season."
"Victory is not impossible, lads!"
"Let our road to safety begin today! Beat United!" Bradley, usually not known for passionate speeches, was fervent and energetic today, delivering his message with great enthusiasm.
The game began, and Mourinho sat in the dugout, studying Swansea's starting lineup.
Swansea's starting goalkeeper was Fabiański, a former Arsenal keeper who had always been overshadowed first by Lehmann and then by Szczęsny, but had been Swansea's mainstay since joining two years ago.
In defense, Mourinho focused on Swansea's young Dutch defender van der Hoorn, a 24-year-old signed from Ajax, who had been performing well since his arrival.
Midfielder Ki Sung-yueng also caught Mourinho's eye. The South Korean was technically adept, with excellent interception skills and rarely picked up cards. He also had the ability to organize play and could shoot from distance, making him a tough player on both ends of the pitch.
Additionally, Icelandic forward Sigurdsson was a notable threat, and Spanish striker Llorente had been in good form recently.
Liverpool and Chelsea were also paying close attention to this game.
Conte expressed hope that United would lose or at least draw away from home.
Liverpool manager Klopp had earlier declined to predict the outcome when interviewed by the media, stating he was not interested in the game's result, only in Liverpool doing their job well.
Despite this, Klopp gathered his team to watch the match. Although he claimed disinterest, it was clear he was keenly observing Mourinho.
As the game kicked off, Swansea played very aggressively at home.
"What do you think?" Klopp asked his coaching staff.
"Bradley seems to be opting for attack over defense," assistant coach Peter Krawietz said. "His aim is clear: to compress United's space through attack and keep threats away from their goal."
"But United's counter-attacks are very sharp. I don't think this is a good strategy," assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders added.
At that moment, the commentator's excited voice interrupted, "Counter-attack, counter-attack!"
Everyone looked up.
"Goooooaaal! Bruno! Bruno! Bruno! Wonderful, I must applaud this goal. The entire process was brilliant, the counter-attack was very swift. Rooney's through ball, Bruno dribbled past two Swansea players and finished with a shot. Swansea's defense was completely pierced."
"What do you think, Peter?" Klopp asked Krawietz.
Krawietz had been Klopp's assistant since his time at Mainz 05 and Dortmund, known as "The Eye" for his attention to detail. He focused on analysis, scouting, and set-pieces.
"United's attacking prowess is strong, so they dare to play offensively against their opponents, but—" Krawietz paused, "the toughest aspect of this team is their persistent counter-attacking strategy."
Klopp asked, "So?"
"Now that United is leading 1-0, they can play their counter-attacks with more confidence. Bradley is not Mourinho's match," Krawietz concluded.
"I don't agree," Lijnders said. "Bradley's team defends well and has attacking highlights. I believe they can turn it around at home."
The coaching staff was divided, some supporting Lijnders, others Krawietz. None of them knew that this goal by United would open the floodgates for another massacre in this round of matches.
(End of Chapter)
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