He had to keep watching, even if he had to crawl on his knees to do it!
There was no one else to blame!
Gradually, Manchester City's players started to unravel.
It wouldn't be fair to call them too sensitive, after all, they had never experienced such a desperate situation before.
They hadn't even dared to imagine it, the drop was just too immense.
The field was increasingly dominated by the monsters Cao Baming and Messi. So far in the second half, Arsenal had taken seven shots, while Manchester City had a measly zero.
It was agony.
Despite Guardiola's constant shouting and roaring from the sidelines, it had no effect.
Haaland, finding himself unable to get any possession upfront, reluctantly dropped into midfield to participate in defense.
However, while he was doing the same thing as Messi, his actions were counterproductive, because, for the Manchester City team as a whole, his ball-carrying ability was far from average.
By this point in the match, even Guardiola had to concede defeat.
Inferior in skill, he willingly surrendered, there was nothing more to say.
Yet, even so, his former protégé, Messi, showed him no mercy.
In the 80th minute of the match, Messi received a pass from Vieira and broke through alone, dribbling past two defenders before facing the goalkeeper!
This one-man show of receiving, controlling, sprinting, dribbling, and shooting made the fans feel as if they were seeing the Messi of four or five years ago!
But just as he was about to shoot, he was tackled from behind by a rushing defender and sent tumbling to the ground.
If they couldn't defend against Messi's football, they could only defend against Messi the person.
Instantly, the entire stadium erupted in a roar, and Arsenal players on the field rushed over to defend Messi.
This was an absolute scoring opportunity. If Messi had been able to get his shot off, the goalkeeper alone would have had no chance of saving it.
It was a certain goal! No one doubted it!
"Penalty! Penalty! Penalty!..."
The spectators around them shouted loudly.
With the score already at 3-1, they had no intention of saving Manchester City any face!
Cancelo, who had fouled Messi moments earlier, wore a look of helplessness on his face. He knew it was a tactical foul and had no room for argument.
Observing the position of the foul, it was at the edge of the penalty area, and it was even possible that the foul was committed inside the box!
Although there was a slight dispute over the call, the referee unhesitatingly awarded a penalty!
Justice served!
The fans on the sidelines cheered once more.
In the remaining time of the match, they would get to see Messi himself earn a penalty, take it, and potentially extend the lead, which far exceeded their pre-match expectations!
However, Messi's subsequent action surprised everyone.
Upon hearing the referee's decision, Messi, far from being excited, wore a calm expression. With his vast experience, he already knew the referee would award a penalty.
He then looked towards the goal, and then at Cao Baming beside him, gently patting his shoulder.
"You take it."
Messi said calmly.
Cao Baming felt a sense of being honored. It was Messi, and he was letting him take the penalty?
"Are you serious?" Cao Baming asked again.
"Yes, for your hat-trick!"
Cao Baming's heart skipped a beat. Damn, it was true! If he scored this penalty, it would be a hat-trick!
Messi was too generous!
If it were any other player, how could they tolerate such a situation?
Thinking about it, wasn't his presence also a threat to Messi? As a rising star, the more capable he proved himself to be, the sooner Messi would face doubts from fans, or even be abandoned.
When it came to individual awards in football, he was definitely a competitor to Messi!
Yet, he was voluntarily giving up a penalty opportunity for him to complete his hat-trick! As expected of a top-tier king, Messi's character was impeccable!
With a brief verbal expression of thanks, Cao Baming began to walk towards the penalty spot.
At that moment, a wave of intense and noisy shouts erupted from the stands, with fans expressing their astonishment.
"Cao Baming is taking the penalty?"
"Holy cow, seeing Messi give up a penalty in my lifetime! And it's for Cao Baming this time!"
"Messi is truly the King! No arguments accepted!"
At this moment, Cao Baming stood behind the penalty spot, his gaze filled with determination.
He knew very well that he had to score this goal; there was no room for negotiation!
If he missed this shot, or if the goalkeeper saved it, Messi's fans would probably curse him for life!
Although the referee had not yet blown his whistle, a bright white line appeared before Cao Baming's eyes. The number on the line was clearly 98!
Even though it was already so high, he had to take this shot, so it was still not enough!
Before the referee blew his whistle, he repeatedly moved his body to the left and right, and the number on the line constantly changed.
Finally, for a moment, the line turned golden, and the number on it became a beautiful three-digit number!
It only lasted for an instant!
Alright, only now did he suddenly realize. By repeatedly making deceptive movements before shooting to interfere with the goalkeeper's judgment, the chance of scoring would be greatly increased!
Now, his shooting attribute in the penalty area had reached a terrifying 160 points, and with these deceptive movements, it could easily become a certain goal!
Soon, a clear whistle sounded on the field. Cao Baming tested the waters repeatedly, took a few small steps, then twisted his body to the right and struck the ball into the net with a powerful shot!
"Goal!!!!"
The stadium once again erupted in deafening cheers and screams.
With a score of 4-1, the Manchester City players were utterly despairing!
Guardiola knelt on the edge of the field, on the verge of tears. If only he hadn't made such bold statements in front of so many people before the match; he would probably be severely reprimanded by the management when he returned.
After scoring, Cao Baming turned to look at Messi, who had a bright smile on his face. He was happy not just for his own goal!
At this moment, Cao Baming even felt a sincere and deep sense of trust from Messi.
In the remaining part of the match, both teams made their final adjustments. Due to Henry's consistently poor performance in the latter part of the second half, he was substituted off for a rest, and the recently acquired Vinícius Júnior made his debut.