A scorching wind swept across the football pitch, and Arsenal's fiery form in the new season had already captured the attention of the top five leagues!
Before the match, many were still questioning whether beating a West Ham United out of form was anything to brag about. But now, they had defeated Manchester United!
It was another 5-0 victory, and the voices online that had been so critical were now fiercely silenced. The 5-1 scoreline felt like a slap to the face with an iron palm, a resounding thwack, leaving a swollen, bloody mess like a bread bun!
Cao Baming flipped through some old posts, the sentiments in them now making him unable to help but laugh.
Manchester United fans had never been so hurt, suffering heavy losses in this major clash!
However, the Manchester City fans who followed were even more vocal!
As the league champions of the previous season, coupled with an impressive 4-0 victory against Brighton in their opening match, they had more confidence than the Manchester United fans.
Although the 4-0 scoreline was a bit short of 6-0, Haaland came off the bench in the first match and scored two goals in just thirty minutes, an efficiency that rivaled Cao Baming's when he first arrived!
Haaland's strongest aspect, which people often overlooked, was his devilish physique and devilish face. When he charged forward, it was as if he had a weakening aura, and no matter who was defending him, or how many, they would be so intimidated that their legs would go weak.
Defensive ability and ball-handling skills would plummet, directly weakening by fifty percent!
Such a devil arriving in the Premier League had directly taught the English teams a lesson.
Now, the outside world had begun to praise the new season's Manchester City, while simultaneously, support for Arsenal was growing louder, and a bipolar pattern had unknowingly formed, with both sides evenly matched!
Before the match, the keyboard warriors had unleashed their full arsenal, using the internet for a frantic mental onslaught!
"No matter how strong Cao Baming is, he's just a defender!"
"And Messi is so old, he's no threat. In terms of team strength, Manchester City is still stronger."
...
Cao Baming never expected that after just winning a match, the keyboard warriors would still find ways to criticize him.
Truly impressive!
He turned off his phone, deciding to rest comfortably!
The next day, the team organized a group training session. As the head coach, Arteta naturally attached great importance to the next match, which was the only relatively important league game in the near future.
As the head coach, he was aware of the team's schedule for the upcoming period, keeping it firmly in mind. After Manchester City, there would be some easier games, allowing them to focus entirely on preparing for the more significant Champions League.
The top teams from the top five leagues would gather to battle it out; the Champions League stage was where true powerhouses clashed!
After carefully studying Messi's addition, Arteta had also found a system with a relatively high compatibility, placing Messi between Cao Baming and Henry as the intermediary.
However, he knew in his heart that no matter how the tactics were devised, on the field, it would still be up to these three to play freely. With their understanding of football, their performance on the field might not be worse than any pre-planned tactics.
It was for this reason that Arteta did not give a lengthy speech as usual, but instead, after a few brief remarks, he arranged for them to engage in practical training.
The players were somewhat surprised. Their next opponent was the defending champions, the Citizens, Manchester City. They had all expected the talk to last at least two hours, but it finished in just over ten minutes!
On this day, Henry was on leave, Cao Baming and Vieira formed a team, while Messi was in another, making the practice match appear more balanced.
Cao Baming, with his gifted skill cards, had a sweet advantage, ultimately leading in the overall score.
As the sun set, most of the training was completed, and the players eagerly anticipated mealtime.
Everyone was highly looking forward to the next match. They regretted not winning the Premier League title last season, holding onto that unfinished business.
The only blame could be placed on Cao Baming and Henry arriving too late. By the time they came, the team was already at the bottom of the league, making the task incredibly difficult!
This season, they were determined to contend for the championship trophy. Their biggest adversary was naturally Manchester City; they were mortal enemies!
At this moment, the players leisurely chatted and walked towards the dining area...
Meanwhile, in the distant city of Manchester, the lounge next to the stadium was still packed with people, crowded into the small room, some sitting, some standing.
"De Bruyne, go turn on the lights!" Guardiola paused his speech and called out.
Standing near the corner by the door, De Bruyne reached out and fumbled for the switch. With a click, the yellowish light in the room came on, instantly illuminating the space.
Everyone sat or leaned against the wall, exhausted. From the afternoon until now, Guardiola's voice had never stopped, driving them to despair.
Even when it got dark, he was oblivious!
This time, Guardiola was not using Messi to put pressure on his players. This time, Messi had become an opponent.
And since last season, another name had been added to Guardiola's repertoire for demoralizing players: Cao Baming. Now, both of them were on Arsenal.
It was as if fate had deliberately arranged it, all mere coincidence.
After an afternoon of explanations, some of the players were starting to feel drowsy, a feeling reminiscent of their school days.
Guardiola's tactical thinking was, of course, not to be questioned, but how much of it was truly absorbed was another matter.
Everyone could see how badly he wanted to win!
The opposing team was the Arsenal he hated the most. Not only had they retained Cao Baming, whom he coveted, but they had also poached Messi. Envy was gradually turning into rage, and he would not tolerate his team conceding a single goal in the next match!
Unknowingly, the sky had completely darkened. It was only then that Guardiola let the players go onto the field for some practice, but it was almost time for their rest period...
The Manchester City players took to the field, their skillful footwork on full display. Even under the stadium lights at night, their agile movements remained incredibly impressive.
Rumors circulated that Manchester City players trained three times harder than other teams, and any substitute player, if transferred to another team, could easily dominate their regular training sessions.
This statement seemed to have some truth to it!
On the field, the players formed a small circle for basic passing and possession drills. Initially, they played smoothly, but after Foden's chip pass, everyone started to become more flamboyant.