“Zhang, looking at the real-time scores from other matches at halftime, Arsenal is already leading by two goals. This means Manchester United needs at least a draw to win the Premier League title.”
“Indeed! Manchester United came back to win against West Ham United in their last match, so in this final League round, they still hold the initiative. As long as they equalize in the second half, they can win the championship. This shouldn’t be too difficult for Manchester United.”
“That’s right, Bournemouth’s goal in the first half was a bit lucky; the ball deflected twice, and Nübel couldn’t do anything about it. Manchester United dominated the first half but couldn’t score. The good news is Gao Nuo is in excellent form today. If he can score in the second half, not only will he win the Golden Boot, but he’ll also put Manchester United on the champion’s throne.”
“Ah, news from Manchester United indicates that Nübel has a minor concussion, but De Gea, who came on as a substitute, is also fine. As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse; De Gea’s goalkeeping skills are still top-notch. If there are no wonder goals in the second half, Manchester United’s goal should be relatively safe.”
“Yes, thank you, Zhang, for your analysis. Halftime is over; let’s return to the match and see if Gao Nuo can make history.”
The atmosphere in the live broadcast room was harmonious; even the usual trolls remained calm, also anticipating Gao Nuo’s performance in the second half.
In the Manchester United locker room, after Erik ten Hag’s team talk, he gave the players some time to rest and adjust. Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro sat on either side of Gao Nuo, discussing tactics for the second half.
Gao Nuo spoke first: “Captain, the boss wants us to play through the middle. Why don’t you push up a bit more, and we can link up more, with me making offside runs?”
Casemiro followed: “That works. Rice and I aren’t under much pressure, Bruno, so you can push forward, and I’ll drop back.”
Bruno agreed with both of them: “No problem. We’ll see how it goes in the moment. Gao, your runs can be more aggressive to draw their defense.”
Bruno gestured constantly with his hands, simulating match situations for Gao Nuo and outlining his running routes.
With no personnel changes, Manchester United swapped sides with their opponents and continued their assault on the championship.
Manchester United’s attacking focus in the second half was on the middle, with the two flanks primarily stretching the defense, delivering the ball into the box through Rice and Casemiro’s link-up play.
In the 58th minute, Varane intercepted a Bournemouth counter-attack, and Manchester United moved into a positional attack.
Following the game plan, Gao Nuo constantly ran forward through the middle, forcing Bournemouth’s defense to drop deep. After a few passes, the ball went to the left wing. Rashford’s attempt to cut inside was blocked, and he passed back to Rice.
Rice hadn’t conspired with Gao Nuo and the others, but his passing vision was excellent. He keenly spotted Gao Nuo’s movement and immediately sent a lofted ball over the top towards the goal.
Gao Nuo also didn't expect Rice’s pass to be so decisive. Without thinking about anything else, he rushed forward and headed the ball towards the goal. Before the goalkeeper could make a save, the Referee’s sharp whistle blew. Gao Nuo was offside, and Bournemouth was awarded a free kick.
Turning to give Rice a thumbs-up, Gao Nuo continued to harass Bournemouth’s defense.
The three-man offside trap plan fell through because Bournemouth’s defense began to retreat, intent on holding onto their lead, and Gao Nuo once again couldn’t utilize his speed advantage.
In the 70th minute, Manchester United continued their positional attack, with the ball constantly shifting left and right through the midfield as Manchester United sought an opening.
Alex Saelemaekers, who joined in the winter window, is more adept as a winger. Seeing the central push stalled, he received a pass from Casemiro and boldly attempted a cross from the byline. Gao Nuo, living up to expectations, leaped high between two defenders and headed the ball back to the edge of the box. It wasn't that Gao Nuo didn't want to shoot, but he was pulled and tugged, affecting his jump direction.
Under Bournemouth’s deep defensive block, a large space naturally opened up at the edge of the box. Casemiro unleashed a powerful shot, which deflected off Gao Nuo’s backside. The goalkeeper was helpless against the sudden change in the ball’s direction, and it went in.
Manchester United equalized, returning to the top of the live League table.
Gao Nuo didn't perform a passionate knee slide. Surrounded by his teammates, he smiled sheepishly. With this lucky goal, the Premier League Golden Boot was now in his grasp.
The absolute hero, Casemiro, was beaming with excitement, showing no regret for missing the goal. He ruffled Gao Nuo’s hair with a wide smile.
“Oh my god, that ball hit Gao Nuo’s backside, and it’s a goal! Gao Nuo scores! A Chinese player has won the Premier League Golden Boot for the first time, and it’s also the first time for a Chinese player to win a Golden Boot in any of the top five European Leagues! Gao Nuo has made history! Today belongs to Gao Nuo!”
Zhan Jun in the live broadcast room was highly emotional, while Zhang, beside him, couldn't get a word in and could only grin foolishly.
The barrage of comments in the live broadcast room erupted again.
National Football Team No Longer Black: “Hahahahahahaha, Gao Nuo is awesome, so awesome!”
Cold Bird: “My goodness, Gao Nuo used to enjoy tap-ins, now he’s having the tap-in directly shoved into his mouth.”
Brother Ma is the Handsomest: “Isn’t that right? He used to be the king of poachers, now he doesn’t even need to poach, it’s just handed to him.”
Lin Feng of Luocheng: “You guys are ridiculous, my grandma would have scored that goal too.”
GAO a bit: “The person above me is killing me, always mentioning your grandma, does she even know?”
Wild: “Oh my god, Gao Nuo is going to be legendary! He’s broken a record! Chinese football has hope! I’ll be waking up with a smile tonight.”
A somewhat comical goal left Gao Nuo feeling incredibly pleased. Regardless, the Golden Boot was secured, and the system mission was complete. The pressure he had been carrying was finally lifted. Now, as long as they held onto a draw, Gao Nuo could claim his first League championship trophy.
Bournemouth’s relegation rival, Aston Villa, was already leading 3-0 and, barring any surprises, seemed to have secured their victory.
A draw would mean relegation, so Bournemouth’s manager, Gary O’Neil, constantly gestured from the sidelines, telling his players to attack with full force.
In the 78th minute, Bournemouth’s full-press paid off. A defensive midfielder intercepted Wan-Bissaka’s pass and launched a counter-attack from the center circle.
With their entire formation pushed forward, Bournemouth hoped to score another goal through a quick transition to avoid the fate of relegation.
Lisandro Martínez, who came on as a substitute, quickly retreated. Lima, despite his height disadvantage, possessed excellent agility and timing in tackles. In some ways, he had subverted the traditional notion of tall central defenders.
Bournemouth’s striker, Kieffer Moore, after a few passes through midfield, found himself in a one-on-one situation with Lima at the edge of the box.
The two moved back and forth, neither making a rash move. In the stalemate, Lima seized an opportunity, suddenly stepped forward, and slid in with a side tackle.
Kieffer Moore reacted quickly. Just as the ball was about to be cleared, he suddenly extended his foot, meeting Lima’s studs with his ankle.
Lisandro Martínez looked astonished, staring at Kieffer Moore on the ground clutching his ankle. He never imagined his opponent would fight so desperately in such a way. He hadn’t had time to pull his foot back, and his opponent must have been badly injured.
The Referee called for the team doctor to come on and then went to the VAR screen, repeatedly reviewing the incident.
After much deliberation, the Referee showed Lisandro Martínez a red card and pointed to the penalty spot. The foul had occurred inside the penalty area, and Lima’s tackle had indeed made contact with the opponent’s ankle first.
Kieffer Moore of Bournemouth, by getting injured, earned his opponent a red card and a penalty kick.