Arsenal had already secured the league title early on, so what were they playing now? They were playing in the league, weren't they? With the championship already in hand, how could they not play with ease?
For them, this was nothing more than a game. What was there to question?
The truth, once exposed, could be sharp enough to pierce a person's heart and bring sorrow. And at this very moment, the Manchester City players had to accept this reality: their opponents were merely treating the match as a game, playing casually, yet the situation was still firmly under their control.
For the Manchester City fans, this match had reached a truly agonizing level.
They supported a team like Manchester City primarily because almost every game offered them a sense of comfort, as their opponents often appeared disheveled in front of them.
They hadn't endured too many setbacks, as there were probably very few teams in the Premier League that could truly challenge Manchester City. Counting them up, there was only Arsenal.
As the first half drew to a close, neither side's players, even if they wanted to make a last-ditch effort, could muster the energy.
The Manchester City players were utterly demoralized. Their form hadn't been great to begin with, and just as they were starting to recover, they were dealt a devastating blow. With a two-goal deficit, how could they possibly catch up? And looking at the time, with less than five minutes left until the end of the first half, they could see no hope, only despair.
On Arsenal's side, apart from Cao Baming, everyone else seemed quite satisfied with the current score. This was evident from their tone of voice, their expressions, and their actions on the field; they were clearly smug.
After all, this was Manchester City. Even without Haaland, it was still Manchester City. To have them on the ground, being dominated in the first half, wasn't that worth celebrating?
A two-goal lead was more than enough for the players, but not for Cao Baming.
Even in his simulations, he had only scored a maximum of three goals in the first half, and in those matches, the opponents had also failed to score. No matter what, he had to push hard now and surpass that score.
But how easy was that? The opportunities he had clearly remembered from past simulations had almost all been converted. Yet, the situation on the field now was diverging further and further from those simulated scenarios.
Cao Baming pondered carefully, and time slipped away second by second. Two minutes passed. At this point, the Manchester City players were gradually lowering their guard, as there was only a sliver of time left before halftime. They likely wouldn't even have enough time to organize a decent attack.
And at this very moment, Cao Baming suddenly had an epiphany. His eyes immediately sparkled with light.
So what if all those decent opportunities had already been converted? What truly helped him was his understanding of the game. And at this crucial moment, wasn't the most important factor still people? Specifically, the opposing players.
With so much experience, he had a complete grasp of who was in good form and who wasn't.
In an instant, an invisible line seemed to appear before him. It wasn't a direct, brightly lit white line like a shooting trajectory, but more like a mental path.
Along this path, a line connected those players who, in his past simulated experiences, had seemed to be in less than ideal form. Connecting them, this line represented the optimal breakthrough route, and in that instant, as if by coincidence, it formed a continuous path.
Seeing these few players lined up perfectly, Cao Baming would not waste such a golden opportunity.
With a glance, a gesture, observant fans noticed that Cao Baming seemed to have an idea in his mind; he was planning to go it alone!
Just then, the ball was just snatched from the feet of an opponent by Vieira on the flank. Manchester City wasn't particularly concerned with regaining possession, believing it was best to focus on defense in these final minutes, and the ball was no longer important.
Cao Baming raised both hands high, signaling to his teammates, and simultaneously began to advance, ready to unleash his speed at any moment.
Seeing this, Vieira unhesitatingly kicked the ball along the ground. The pass was about ten meters long.
After receiving the ball, Cao Baming looked ahead at the line he had just perceived. In these few seconds, it hadn't fractured significantly.
As expected, two players were now rapidly approaching him along this line. But he was unfazed, as these two were not in good form; they might even trip over themselves on their way.
What could you possibly do? Did you think you could stop me?
Cao Baming exuded an aura of confidence, a presence that seemed to repel players lacking self-assurance.
At this point, the only issue was that he was still too far from the goal, about seventy meters away. Shooting directly from this distance, the probability of scoring wouldn't be very high.
But the solution was quite simple. Spotting these players, Cao Baming instantly pushed his speed to the limit, maneuvering and weaving with a few strides, darting through the gaps between them.
Passing through a field of flowers without a single petal clinging to him! These players, despite wanting to foul him, and their feet were not idle, simply couldn't touch Cao Baming. Whether they lunged or reached out, they were always a step too slow.
They couldn't even touch the ball, let alone Cao Baming himself!
His body was full of energy, making it impossible to even foul them. In that moment, it drove them to rage, but it was only a futile fury. Their anger had nowhere to be vented.
The crowd suddenly erupted, the entire stadium boiling, cheering loudly!!
Some people on the field might not have been Cao Baming's fans. Those who didn't know him well were filled with questions at this moment.