Manchester United scored two goals within 13 minutes, both headers from crosses. West Ham United's coaching staff immediately made adjustments, making like-for-like substitutions for two full-backs, and completely retracting their formation. With no chance of finishing in the top four, they were more willing to settle for a draw.
Manchester United continued to attempt two more crosses from the wings. Gao Nuo once again won a header, but unfortunately, his header went wide. This time, the fans in the stadium no longer booed; they clapped with all their might, cheering Gao Nuo on.
In the 88th minute of the match, Manchester United won a free-kick in the attacking third. Free-kick master Ward-Prowse stepped up without hesitation, delivering a precise pass that found Gao Nuo in the box.
Gao Nuo had no opportunity to shoot this time. With his back to the goal, he headed the ball back to the edge of the penalty area.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes appeared in front of the ball and, facing the dense crowd of players in the box, chose to chip a shot towards the top right corner of the goal.
West Ham United's goalkeeper, who had been performing exceptionally well, might have had his confidence shattered by Gao Nuo's two headers. Facing a long-range shot that wasn't particularly tricky, Areola fumbled the save, and the ball went in.
Manchester United led West Ham United 3-2.
After scoring, Bruno Fernandes didn't forget Gao Nuo, immediately jumping on him and urging the fans to cheer for him.
The final few minutes were uneventful. Manchester United, who had been two goals down at halftime, successfully overturned the match thanks to Gao Nuo's two goals and one assist.
In the post-match interview, in addition to Manchester United's high praise for Gao Nuo's performance, Harry Maguire also expressed his respect for Gao Nuo.
The former Manchester United captain said, "Gao is the best Asian player I have ever seen. When we were teammates, he made me unbelievable on the training ground. Today, he once again made two wonderful shots. Even now, I am still amazed by his second goal. Congratulations to Gao Nuo, and congratulations to Manchester United. I hope they can win the championship."
After the 37th round of the Premier League, Manchester United led by 2 points, sitting in first place. Arsenal, who performed excellently towards the end of the season, kept the championship suspense alive until the final round.
On the top scorers' list, Gao Nuo ranked second with 27 goals. With just one more goal in the final round, he would share the Golden Boot with Haaland.
On May 19, 2024, in the 38th round of the Premier League, Manchester United played away against Bournemouth.
Bournemouth, who were in the relegation zone, were united in their efforts, making Manchester United's title challenge even more difficult. Before the match, Antony experienced a foot problem, and Erik ten Hag fielded Manchester United's strongest possible lineup.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Nübel;
Defense: Malacia, Pau Torres, Varane, Wan-Bissaka;
Midfield: Rice, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes;
Forwards: Rashford, Gao Nuo, Alex Saelemaekers.
Wang Qing, who usually shies away from the spotlight, also came to the stadium today. At Gao Nuo's crucial moment, she, along with Guo Zihan and Feng Yuting, came to cheer for Gao Nuo.
As the girlfriend of Manchester United's main striker, her appearance caught the attention of the director. In the live broadcast, Wang Qing sat calmly in the VIP seating area, chatting and laughing with two tall female friends beside her.
The audience was somewhat surprised to find that the two women rumored to be involved with Gao Nuo were sitting with his official girlfriend. The three appeared to be very harmonious, and the previous rumors were immediately disproven.
The small interlude on the sidelines passed quickly, and as the entrance ceremony concluded, the 28th round of the Premier League kicked off simultaneously.
In the 27th minute of the match, Bournemouth took a corner. Nübel misjudged his salida, and although he barely managed to punch the ball, the point of contact was off. The ball flew high but not far, landing near the edge of the penalty area.
Bournemouth's midfielder Hamed Traoré faced the opportunity and volleyed a shot. The fallen Nübel couldn't get up in time, crawling forward two steps from the ground before lunging forward with all his might.
The shot was of high quality and had a bit of luck. The ball bounced twice off the ground; the first time, it perfectly cleared Pau Torres's block, and then on the second bounce, it went over Nübel's hand, finally rolling into the goal.
Bournemouth took the lead, and the team's momentum grew, leading to a more aggressive attack.
In the 35th minute of the match, Alex Saelemaekers, playing as a right winger in this match, made a series of breakthroughs on the wing. First, he beat the opposing full-back one-on-one, then played a one-two with central pivot Gao Nuo, successfully breaking into the box. His final shot, under pressure from a defender, hit the post and was then gathered by the goalkeeper.
The Manchester United fans who had come to the stadium hadn't even had time to lament when they saw Bournemouth's goalkeeper launch the ball upfield with a long kick. The counter-attack was on.
Manchester United, trailing by a goal, had their formation pushed very high. Bournemouth's quick transition from defense to attack created an opportunity. Striker Kieffer Moore won the ball in front of Varane, smoothly dragging the ball and turning, seemingly about to bypass Manchester United's last line of defense.
After being out of position, Varane reacted extremely quickly, sliding to the ground and extending his leg, kicking the ball towards his own goal from under Kieffer Moore's feet.
Although Varane had made an effective clearance, the ball didn't roll fast. Kieffer Moore stumbled twice, then continued to chase after the ball.
Nübel made his judgment, rushing out of the goal to compete with Bournemouth's striker for speed.
De Gea, off the field, nodded to himself. Nübel's judgment was very accurate; it seemed his successor was becoming more and more mature, and the defense of this ball should be no problem.
Nübel was very determined. He reached the ball before his opponent, sliding sideways to kick the ball out for a throw-in.
Bournemouth's Kieffer Moore was also very determined; his strenuous running caused his brain to be somewhat oxygen-deprived. It wasn't until he saw the ball had been cleared that his body began to slow down abruptly. With only 3 meters between them, they were about to collide. He tried to change direction to go around Nübel, and at that moment, his foot suddenly slipped, and he fell backward to the ground. Inertia caused him to continue rushing towards Nübel's front.
Although he had retracted his studs, his knee still hit Nübel's chin heavily. After the impact, Kieffer Moore was terrified. He immediately got up to check on Nübel's condition, then waved to call the Referee.
The Manchester United team doctor entered the field, and after examination, Nübel was stretchered off. De Gea came on as a substitute in a critical situation.
In the 39th minute of the match, Manchester United took a corner. Gao Nuo flicked the ball on with a header at the near post, and Casemiro's subsequent header went over the crossbar.
In the 42nd minute of the match, Manchester United made a midfield interception. Rice sent a through ball to the attacking third. Bournemouth's defender couldn't hold Gao Nuo's position, and in desperation, could only stop Manchester United's counter-attack by pulling him. The Referee showed him a yellow card.
In the 45th minute of the match, Bournemouth's counter-attack nearly scored, a long-range shot from the edge of the box was parried out for a corner by De Gea.
The first half ended with Manchester United trailing 0-1. On another pitch, Arsenal led Brighton 2-0 at halftime, putting Manchester United in a very passive position in the title race.