"Goal!"
A wave of irrepressible cheers erupted, with players on the field and spectators off it simultaneously plunging into revelry.
The once mighty Blue Moon Legion was now reduced to a mere backdrop!
The players remained silent, heads bowed, sighing and kicking the small patch of grass beneath their feet.
For a moment, the stadium was divided into ice and fire.
The celebration subsided after a long while, and the referee, glancing at his watch, saw that time was indeed running out.
Manchester City was still awarded a kick-off opportunity. Could a miracle happen once more in the final moments?
A game-winning goal followed by an equalizer? The remaining Manchester City fans were those who still watched with a sliver of hope.
Impossible! Cao Baming's deliberate retreat provided the answer!
Having scored two goals, Cao Baming felt satisfied. Now he could obediently return to the defense to partner with a back five.
Seeing this, the fans' hearts finally died!
In the final minute before the match ended, Manchester City gained possession, everyone knowing it was their last offensive chance!
They couldn't make a mistake too quickly, nor could they be too slow and cause the referee to blow the whistle prematurely!
Cao Baming stood in the center, like a wall. After this match, almost every Manchester City player had made physical contact with Cao Baming.
They would surely remember how terrifying and despairing this guy's physique was.
Since Cao Baming had blocked the central path, they had no choice but to go around. The Manchester City players' hearts were now filled with fear.
Forced to dribble on the wing, although it was enough to scare you, the simultaneous double-teaming by two defenders meant they couldn't accomplish much.
Guardiola, on the sidelines, had already seen the situation clearly. Knowing his team had no chance, he simply threw his hands up in resignation.
He turned away, no longer looking at the pitch.
A camera shot focused on this despairing and meaningful turn, but at this moment, the audience could only guess at Guardiola's state of mind.
On the surface, he appeared desperate, his eyes filled with disappointment.
His team, with a perfect ten-game winning streak, had been defeated by a team that wasn't even ranked. He was undoubtedly unwilling.
However, only Guardiola himself knew.
His current mood was far from unhappy. In the past ten-odd minutes, he had long abandoned any hope of victory, shifting his focus to another matter.
The victory in this match was not as important to him as the outside world thought. After all, they had already secured the league title with four rounds to spare, so the remaining matches were just for casual play.
What truly caught his attention was Cao Baming's outstanding performance on the field. Guardiola had been strongly tempted right after the start of the second half, and over the next forty minutes, his decision gradually solidified.
He had to poach this person at all costs; he couldn't let him stay at Arsenal.
Although the team planned to sign a target man in the summer window, how could a target man be as effective as Cao Baming?
Henry? What the hell was Henry compared to Cao Baming? He became ordinary! Why fight for Henry? What a joke!
What was Henry's market value? And Cao Baming's? Even if they paid the full buyout clause and got him early, it wouldn't be a big deal!
The difference in their market values was nearly a hundredfold. Even if Cao Baming's value increased tenfold, there would still be a near tenfold gap, yet the difference in their on-field performance was nowhere near that, and in his opinion, it was the opposite!
Cao Baming is amazing! Cao Baming is amazing!
As Guardiola walked back to the sidelines, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards. However, his smile was not captured by the camera again.
On the field, during this final attack, the forwards were completely stifled, ultimately forcing a pass back to Cancelo in midfield.
With a long-range shot, he sent the ball flying wide, and the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match.
"So close, what a shame!"
Cancelo muttered to himself, while others were already dejected, heading off the field.
The Blue Moon Legion had lost matches before, but never had they lost so miserably and embarrassingly as today.
They had a comfortable lead, only to have it overturned by one person, and with one man down, it was simply too...
The players, who had expected to see Guardiola's unpleasant expression, looked towards the sidelines only to find their coach nowhere to be seen.
The fans were still immersed in cheers and screams, unable to calm down.
This match was undoubtedly a huge gift for the loyal fans who followed Arsenal.
Cao Baming walked off the field with firm steps, his eyes seeming to flash with a different kind of brilliance. His sheer confidence alone seemed like a sharp blade, capable of shattering the enemy's morale.
"The match is over. Let us congratulate Arsenal on their 3:2 comeback victory in the final moments!"
"Cao Baming! A super talent from Tang Country! He is the absolute hero of this match, with two goals and one assist. Surely no one can question that!"
"Arsenal faced Manchester City, who had already secured the Premier League title four rounds early. No one could have imagined this match would be so easy!"
"Indeed, who could have predicted the outcome of this match? They thought it was over after going down a man in the first half, but who knew there were so many plot twists later on!"
The commentators discussed the match's result, and at the same time, recalled their pre-match predictions.
Faced with such a shocking outcome, it was clear how naive and clumsy their pre-match analyses were.
Public opinion was already secretly rejoicing. Learning of this shocking news from the field, the headline "Arsenal Stages 3:2 Comeback Against League Leaders Manchester City" was enough to generate unprecedented traffic!
Arteta, with a smile, welcomed Cao Baming.
Although his player had acted independently and not followed his tactical instructions, the result was completely beyond his expectations.
Since they won, everything was acceptable. At this moment, he felt more joy and pride!
Little did he know, Cao Baming's outstanding performance in this match had attracted messages from the owners of multiple clubs, not just Manchester City and Guardiola alone.
This disparity between his market value and skill made Cao Baming a name that all teams could not avoid.