Amidst a two-man press, Cao Baming received a pass from Elneny. Had it been anyone else, they would have been cursing.
The ball was clearly not aimed at Cao Baming's feet, but rather towards Mount on the opposing side.
It was perilous and thrilling, but he managed to receive the ball. To do so, Cao Baming stepped forward and used his body to shield the ball. Immediately, three players converged on him.
This situation was nothing new for Cao Baming. Facing multiple opponents, he didn't hesitate. With a simple "fried meatball" move, he bypassed the two players in front of him, then suddenly accelerated, leaving the three who couldn't turn around in his dust.
Messi watched from the sidelines, having intended to offer support. He suddenly realized it was unnecessary.
While Cao Baming could score from long range, it wasn't his only option. He made others forget that his dribbling was also world-class.
As he carried the ball forward, Kante rushed to cover and provide defensive support, but it was ultimately too late.
While everyone's minds were still reeling, Cao Baming had already taken a shot – a standard mid-range shot that found the back of the net!
The goalkeeper, the first-choice for Chelsea, wore an expression of despair. His performance today could only be described as terrible.
Even he realized it, only managing to furiously kick the goalpost in impotent rage. The turf near the goal was already completely bald from his kicks.
As of this point in the match, his save success rate against Cao Baming's shots was zero. He had only managed to lightly touch the ball once with his fingertips, which was insufficient to alter its trajectory.
He knew how disappointing he was to the fans, but there was nothing he could do. At this moment, he just wanted the match to end quickly so he could go home, lie on the sofa, and forget everything while enjoying some fine wine.
Kante looked dejected. He had promised the coach before the match to concede no more than one goal. If they conceded more, he would have broken his promise.
This was not a guarantee that could be made lightly; otherwise, his words would lose their weight. However, given the current situation, with a one-goal deficit, conceding another goal without his teammates equalizing would leave him with no recourse.
Kante's mind was in turmoil. He had to think of a new plan, as the current situation allowed for no oversight or mistakes.
Every decision had to be correct. While correctness might not bring significant advantages, any mistake would have devastating consequences.
"Cao Baming has scored six goals! Even gods cannot stop his scoring spree, they can't stop him!"
In the ensuing period, Kante instructed his teammates to defend against Cao Baming, while he continued to lock down the central midfield area, effectively stifling Cao Baming's teammates.
This goal was not enough to change their strategy; it still seemed like the best option.
However, to everyone's surprise, even though Kante was not actively defending Cao Baming, the latter chose to taunt him.
Even Kante himself had not anticipated this.
Upon receiving the ball, Cao Baming looked across the entire pitch, searching for Kante with a single objective: to dribble past the man who was considered impossible to overcome.
Once or twice might be explainable, but after repeated attempts, even Kante realized something was amiss.
Is this guy a madman?
And the outcome was as expected. The injured Kante was no match for Cao Baming and could not stop his attack.
However, this kind of reckless play would eventually lead to problems, something Arteta had long realized.
In the 56th minute of the match, Chelsea finally had an opportunity to equalize.
Indeed, it was Kante, who came on in the second half, who intercepted the ball in midfield and immediately won it back. After a simple two or three passes with his teammates, he sent a threatening ball forward to Mount.
As they advanced through the middle, they wreaked havoc on Arsenal's defensive line with their constant movement and overlapping runs, leaving everyone in a state of disarray.
"I'll go mark Drogba, you guys watch the others!"
Cao Baming shouted, looking at his confused teammates.
At this moment, the formation was still rapidly shifting, far from being a settled offensive structure. Chelsea was clearly on a counter-attack and showed no signs of slowing down.
In a brief moment, Cao Baming decided to target the opponent's sharpest point, which was undoubtedly Drogba.
Seconds later, Sterling passed to Drogba, and Cao Baming appeared before him.
Having faced him once in the first half, he knew better than to make the same mistake again. If one underestimated Cao Baming, they would always suffer.
This time, as Mount made his forward run to his designated position during training, Drogba unselfishly passed the ball.
Then, Mount unleashed a powerful shot, striking the ball directly without taking a touch!
The fans held their breath. Even if it was just to equalize, it was crucial for Chelsea at this moment; it could be a lifeline!
Ultimately, the goalkeeper made a miraculous save!
The fans were deeply disappointed.
But the situation was not over. The parried ball fell to a Chelsea player's feet again. The goalmouth became chaotic, with everyone crowded together!
The next second, upon looking again, the ball had gone in!
It was a rebound goal from an unknown player that found the net, this time without wasting the opportunity!
When the replay came out, everyone saw that it was Sterling, who had provided the crucial pass, who had scored the rebound!
Little Sterling could still be effective sometimes; he wasn't as unreliable as people thought!
Chelsea pulled one goal back, and the scoreline changed again, from seven to one to seven to two!
"The time has only just passed 60 minutes!"
"There's a high probability that Cao Baming will break the record in this match! He's only two goals away!"