Potter frowned, intently watching the pitch.
In this situation, it was best to stabilize things first. There was too much to do during halftime!
There was no choice; these guys weren't living up to expectations!
Mount and Kovacic could barely maintain some control in midfield, but it had little significance for the match.
Chelsea, playing defensively with everyone back, still kept Drogba up front to await opportunities. After all, if a counter-attack truly materialized, Sterling might not be reliable.
Within a mere two minutes, Chelsea rapidly shifted their state, and the advantage of a strong team became apparent in that instant.
For any other team, a scoreline of one to five at this point would have likely led to complete apathy. Even the coach would probably be unable to bear watching the field.
But they were still trying.
Cao Baiming constantly monitored the situation on the pitch. Looking around, his teammates would occasionally glance at him. In such circumstances, it would be a disservice to his teammates not to break this record.
Although the chances they created might not be easy to swallow, they were genuinely working hard to create opportunities for him. He was deeply touched by this!
Only two minutes of regular time remained. Cao Baiming observed the field. With his God-like vision, combined with the lines already appearing, every time the ball reached his feet, he would scan the area for any exceptional opportunities.
At this juncture, it was best not to waste chances. Shots with only a forty to fifty percent success rate would certainly not be attempted. If unsuccessful, more than a minute would be wasted, and now, such a significant amount of time could not be afforded.
Time, at this moment, was the most precious commodity.
Finally, his patience was rewarded. When Vieira passed the ball from the wing, Cao Baiming received it, and an eye-catching number instantly appeared before him!
A ninety-four percent chance to score! Cao Baiming's eyes lit up with excitement.
Upon closer inspection, it was a passing lane!
Furthermore, it was a pass to Martinelli, directly in front of him, a subtle through ball path materialized before him!
This was an opportunity for a teammate! Should he pass or not?
If he passed and the ball went in, he wouldn't have much time left to score in the first half. Would a team scoring five goals in a half break any record?
There was no time to ponder further; opportunities often flashed and disappeared. In the fraction of a second of hesitation, the number rapidly began to decrease. Ultimately, Cao Baiming chose to make the pass!
This pass still couldn't be made to Martinelli at the optimal moment, leading to the defender being prepared by the time he received the ball.
And this chance was still significant, a full eighty-seven percent!
For the team!
Cao Baiming's gaze fixed forward. He had done all he could; now it was up to the teammate's performance!
Martinelli received the ball. The defender on the right had been drawn away by Messi, and others were occupied by Cao Baiming. However, Fofana was still beside him!
The latter had just noticed the danger, but at this very moment, Martinelli had already started accelerating upon receiving the ball!
The samba superstar's acceleration was among the fastest in football. In an instant, he broke away, creating what appeared to be a one-on-one opportunity, eliciting cheers from the entire stadium!
Would Arsenal score again?!
This wasn't unstoppable; this was simply a complete rampage, where he couldn't even stop himself!
Seeing this, Fofana's mind went blank. In desperation, he lunged to grab, and suddenly, Martinelli smoothly stumbled backward, falling onto the pitch!
Looking down, he realized he had already sprinted into the penalty box!
Although it was a dive, everyone knew it – he knew, the fans knew, even the referee likely understood. However, Fofana had clearly committed a tactical foul first. The referee quickly approached, raised a yellow card with one hand, and then pointed to the penalty spot!
Martinelli happily got up from the ground, while Fofana was utterly stunned!
He had already sprinted into the box. Never mind one-on-one, if you dare to pull, I dare to dive!
After getting up, Martinelli exchanged a look with Cao Baiming and instantly understood. It turned out he hadn't chosen to shoot directly earlier, but rather to leave this opportunity for him!
Cao Baiming felt his heart melt. What a teammate!
The shooting space available at that moment was more than sufficient, right in the center of the box, similar to a penalty. And Fofana behind him clearly couldn't have stopped him.
Despite this, his spontaneous thought had created such a situation.
The fans became even more excited, loudly chanting Cao Baiming's name!
If this penalty was scored, it would add another goal to Cao Baiming's tally for the match. Adding one to his original four goals would make it five goals, a quintuple!
It also meant completely breaking the Premier League's all-time record for the most goals scored by a single player in one half. And the record for the most goals in an entire match would likely be easily broken by the end of the game!
It was simply dreamlike!
Cao Baiming confidently walked towards the penalty spot. There was no reason to give this penalty to anyone else; even Messi voluntarily stepped back.
The fans anticipated it. A penalty was not just a test of skill but, more importantly, a mental battle!
While waiting, the commentator announced Cao Baiming's past statistics.
"Cao Baiming's penalty record, to date, is one hundred percent!"
This statistic effortlessly stunned everyone. This data included all official matches combined, encompassing league games, Champions League, and World Cup!
A total of twenty-two penalties taken, all scored, without exception!
What followed next seemed to lose all suspense with this news.
The goalkeeper, naturally, was aware of Cao Baiming's penalty-taking prowess. He had done his homework in advance, yet he knew in his heart that it was of little practical use.
Under the gaze of the entire stadium, the referee blew the whistle. After a brief pause, Cao Baiming stepped forward...
A rainbow appeared! A chipped penalty!
The goalkeeper dived, leaping to his left and crashing into the goalpost!
He was completely deceived by Cao Baiming's feint!
The entire stadium rose to their feet!
"A quintuple! Cao Baiming is truly a divine being!"
"Congratulations to Cao Baiming, who at this moment, has officially broken Alan Shearer's record!!!"
"Furious and unstoppable!"
Chelsea finally faced true despair. Players on the field looked up to the sky with helpless sighs.
Fans by the sidelines cheered ecstatically. They had finally waited and witnessed a new record being set!
The regular time of the first half concluded after the celebrations, and the assistant referee at the sideline indicated three minutes of stoppage time.
Everyone was satisfied with the current result, and Chelsea clearly had no intention of making any changes in the final three minutes.