Manchester City's two current center-backs, John Stones and Vincent Kompany—the forr's raw physicality and aerial dominance isn't elite, and the latter is already battered and in the absolute twilight of his career.
So their combined ability to compete in grueling physical duels and aerial battles late in a match is highly limited.
Ling placed the ball carefully on the center spot, waiting for the referee's whistle to restart. He suddenly recalled a famous sporting quote.
The most glorious day in a person's life is not the day of ultimate success and achievent.
But the day when, from lant and utter despair, arises the sheer desire to challenge life, and one bravely strides forward toward that challenge.
Although these words sounded incredibly sentintal for a football match, he truly felt his muscles feel slightly less weary.
BEEP!!!
With the referee's whistle, Ling passed the ball back to Kante, then imdiately turned and charged forward like a madman, plunging deep into Manchester City's territory.
"Defend! Defend the lines! Defend!" Guardiola frantically waved his arms on the touchline, directing his advanced Manchester City players to fall back imdiately.
He wasn't foolish enough to persist with an all-out attacking approach now.
A 3-3 draw was already a highly favorable, title-winning result for Manchester City.
Rather than taking huge risks to attack and leaving themselves open on the counter, it was far better to pragmatically preserve the "victory" they had just secured.
Because Guardiola was suprely confident of easily winning their remaining three league matches against weaker opposition.
Mourinho, on the other hand, maintained an eerie, statue-like calm on the edge of his technical area, hands shoved deep in his pockets, coldly gazing at the green pitch.
He fully believed Ling would make the best on-field judgnt.
After all, that kid had ticulously reviewed countless tactical matches by his side in the office.
In terms of pure tactical thinking and ga managent alone, no active player could compare—that was Mourinho's honest assessnt of his captain.
Gary Neville: "Manchester United is attacking with absolute full force now, while Manchester City is surprisingly defending with all its might!"
Jamie Carragher: "I wonder if the two teams have completely switched tactical sides again?"
Gary Neville: "Luke Shaw has broken past De Bruyne on the overlap! He doesn't seem affected by the own goal at all!"
"Looking for Rashford again on the wing!"
Rashford was ecstatic and full of adrenaline after scoring earlier. Facing the Premier League's fastest full-back, Kyle Walker, he didn't hesitate.
He chose to accelerate and try to burst past him on the outside!
BANG!!!
After an intense, shoulder-to-shoulder physical duel at top speed, Rashford surprisingly squeezed past the exhausted Walker and delivered a desperate cross near the byline!
The ball spun wildly toward the crowded penalty area.
Vincent Kompany imdiately pressed his massive fra against Ling's back, illegally raising a hand to hold him down by the shoulder and prevent him from jumping.
"Cough—"
But Ling used his core strength to lean back heavily, shoving the veteran Kompany away to create separation.
The Belgian veteran felt a thousand horses galloping in his heart.
'Are you a footballer or an NBA basketball player?! How did you even use a perfect post-up move in the box?!'
Regaining his balance in a split second, Ling leaped and headed the dropping ball powerfully toward the right corner!
John Motson: "Ederson makes an absolutely world-class, point-blank save!"
"He accurately read Ling's intention and moved laterally to his left in advance! Unbelievable!"
John Motson breathed a massive sigh of relief in the booth.
Then he angrily spoke into the microphone: "Regular ti has ended, and the fourth official has just held up the board... six minutes of added ti?! Damn it, has Martin Atkinson taken a bribe from Manchester United?! How on earth can he justify giving such a long added ti for a few subs?!"
"This is blatant special treatnt for United! It reminds of the darkest days of 'Fergie Ti.' Will this match simply not end until Manchester United inevitably scores a winner?!" John Motson grew angrier the more he thought about the perceived injustice, raising his middle finger off-cara toward the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
...
The thrilling match continued.
Mahrez jogged over to take the resulting right corner kick.
This ti, instead of aiming predictably for Ling at the near post, he sent a floating cross deep to Rashford at the far post.
Since both Vincent Kompany and John Stones were desperately double-marking Ling in the center, only Kyle Walker was near Rashford at the back.
With a significant height difference of about 10cm, Rashford easily out-jumped the full-back and won the header.
Unfortunately, he couldn't get over it, and the ball sailed just inches over the crossbar into the crowd.
Manchester United fans broke into a cold, terrified sweat, silently counting down the seconds in their hearts.
They didn't want to accept a drawing defeat just like that after leading three tis.
Soone in the Stretford End started it, and thousands began passionately singing the team anthem again.
"United we are, already co so far!"
"We will not rest until the whole world knows our na!"
The singing grew louder and louder, a wall of defiant noise, gradually spreading beyond the confines of Old Trafford.
The anxious Manchester United fans waiting outside the stadium also joined in, raising their voices high, letting the stirring, emotional lody echo through the cool Manchester night sky.
"Hold the ball for six seconds! Kill the clock!" Guardiola scread.
Mahrez's subsequent long-range shot was safely caught by Ederson.
Just as the keeper was about to quickly boot it forward for a dangerous counterattack against a high line, he heard Kyle Walker's exhausted voice yell from the back.
Then Walker dramatically lay down on the grass, clutching his calf with a 'cramp.'
"Don't rush, just seize the next opportunity!" Ling cald his highly anxious teammates, deliberately not even glancing at the ticking scoreboard again.
No matter how much ti was left in the match. He would fight until the very end.
Only after referee Atkinson's stern verbal warning for ti-wasting did Ederson finally, slowly get up, sending a long, aimless ball forward toward Sergio Aguero.
"I've got it!" Maguire charged forward aggressively from the backline, physically bumping the smaller Aguero off the dropping ball and powerfully heading it down to Scott McTominay in midfield.
McTominay carried the ball forward into the City half and delivered a crisp, accurate pass out to the right flank.
This rapid short pass completely bypassed an exhausted Ilkay Gündogan, landing perfectly behind David Silva.
Ander Herrera stretched with all his remaining might, poking the ball through the gap to Riyad Mahrez.
Gary Neville: "Mahrez using a brilliant change of pace to break through the line!"
Jamie Carragher: "Beautiful skill from the Algerian!"
Gary Neville: "Is Mahrez going to cut inside onto his left foot and shoot?! Ling is drawing so many defenders in the center!"
No.
The exact mont Vincent Kompany stepped up to block the anticipated shot, Mahrez unexpectedly delivered a first-ti, lofted cross with his weaker right foot!
A perfect rainbow trajectory seed to appear inside the tense Manchester City penalty area.
"Watch Manchester United's number seven!!" Kompany roared in pure panic at John Stones.
Stones took a few rapid steps back and leaped.
He was significantly closer to the ball's dropping point and was highly confident he would reach it first to clear.
But the next second, the English defender's pupils contracted sharply in fear!
Since Ling was farther from the ball's trajectory, he had space to run, and he had to jump much higher to et it!
Ling, using the massive montum of his full sprint, firmly planted his boots in the turf and leaped with terrifying explosive force, reaching a truly unbelievable, Ronaldo-esque height above the defense!
Under the blinding glare of hundreds of stadium spotlights, the physical trajectories of the dropping ball and the soaring young man intersected perfectly at the apex.
THUD!!!
Ling viciously twisted his core muscles mid-air, unleashing a fierce, unstoppable header downward!
The ball shot like a fired cannonball, whistling violently past Ederson toward the Manchester City goal.
Old Trafford fell completely silent for a fraction of a second as the net rippled, before erupting into utterly deafening, earth-shaking cheers and the triumphant, unfinished lyrics of the song.
"Through the streets of Manchester!"
"You're gonna hear the people sing!"
"Gonna lift it high, gonna lift it high!"
"Our only limit is the sky!"
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