Chapter 365 363: He Gets Fired Up Against Manchester City

Li Ang's goal pulled Chelsea back onto the right track in the match.

At that moment, countless Chelsea fans were sitting in front of their televisions, venting their excitement.

On the live broadcast, Mourinho could be seen instinctively breathing a sigh of relief, then high-fiving an equally emotional Holland.

Chelsea had "come back to life."

They hadn't crumbled under their frequent mistakes today — they had shown resilience and survived another crisis!

Wearing the captain's armband, Li Ang didn't forget to encourage and boost the confidence of his young teammates.

Even players as composed as Kalas were bound to make mistakes over a long, grueling season.

They needed continuous toughening, constant self-reflection, and growth to survive in top-level football.

But that was something better handled by the coaching staff in training, not during the match.

Here on the pitch, Li Ang would never hesitate to show trust and encouragement.

He would not easily give up on any teammate, but at the same time, he demanded that they rise from their mistakes like real men.

"We've played like crap so far! But that doesn't mean we have to keep screwing up until we regret losing!

Let it go and fight! I want to see you kicking their asses out there!

Even if you're still not reaching the coach's expectations, I demand you show improvement with every minute you're on that pitch!

This is our home! This is our turf! Show your character, show your blood and guts!

Let Stoke City know — let those bastards know exactly who the hell we are!"

Li Ang's words weren't tender — they were raw, even vulgar.

But at this moment, they ignited a burning fire inside the young players burdened by guilt and pressure.

Leadership is crucial in sports.

In any team sport, as long as the captain is tough enough, the rest of the players won't fold.

And Li Ang not only showed his resilience but also backed it up with action — scoring a goal to prove he would carry the responsibility.

He showed them:

Don't be afraid of mistakes — fight without fear — and he would continue scoring to carry the team forward.

His actions lifted a huge psychological burden from the other Chelsea players.

After the restart, Chelsea's defense quickly recovered its usual efficiency.

Even though, without Li Ang dropping deep to assist defensively, the backline still struggled to regain total control against Stoke's attacking waves, there was visible improvement.

Whether it was Mascherano, or Kalas and Van Ginkel — despite their average form — they now fought harder, used tactical fouls wisely, and interrupted Stoke's rhythm.

They didn't win back complete dominance, but they fractured Stoke's attacking flow enough to stabilize the situation.

Mourinho saw all of this clearly from the sidelines.

Thus, when halftime arrived, he made the decision to trust the starting rotation players a little longer.

Kalas and Van Ginkel, not being subbed off at halftime, felt the manager's trust — and responded with even greater effort after the break.

Of course, such aggression had pros and cons.

The good news:

Chelsea held off Stoke's pressure effectively for the first 15 minutes of the second half.

The bad news:

Both players picked up yellow cards early in the second half due to tactical fouls.

Tactical fouls were simple and effective — but they always came at a cost.

After both players were booked within minutes, Mourinho wasted no time.

He sent Kroos and Zouma to warm up.

In the 64th minute, during a stoppage, both were subbed on.

Yet the home fans at Stamford Bridge responded with generous applause for Kalas and Van Ginkel.

Mourinho also gave them encouraging hugs on the sideline.

They hadn't played particularly well today — but they had fought hard.

And that mattered more to Mourinho than natural talent.

He could tolerate young players being a little "raw," as long as they fought tooth and nail and executed the team's tactical plan.

What Mourinho despised most were players who had talent but lacked full commitment and sacrifice for the team.

Today, Kalas and Van Ginkel had passed the test.

And with Kroos now on, Mourinho's intentions were clear:

He didn't want a draw.

He wanted all three points — even if it meant taking big risks late in the game!

This aligned perfectly with Mourinho's philosophy — and with the mindset of Chelsea's players.

They had stabilized the game.

Now, with a cautious approach offering only one point, while a more aggressive approach might bring three, they knew exactly what to do:

Go for it!

Kroos's substitution signaled Chelsea's full-on attack.

Li Ang abandoned any thought of holding back for defensive coverage.

Together with Kroos, he pushed past midfield, surging into Stoke's half, intent on pinning them back.

Matić pushed forward too, while Maguire dropped deeper, effectively becoming the lone defensive midfielder.

Zouma, now playing as an auxiliary right-back, sat even deeper, protecting Maguire's flank.

Mourinho's bold tactical switch electrified neutral fans watching at home.

But Stoke's fans grew increasingly uneasy.

Chelsea's aggressive pressure stifled any chance of Stoke replicating their early first-half dominance.

They still held defensive shape — but they could barely get out of their own half now.

Chelsea's momentum was clearly building.

Even without their usual front-line starters, Llorente's strength and stability gave Chelsea a powerful focal point in attack.

This reliable big center-forward showed his value in exactly these kinds of battles.

Stoke City's two center-backs had already "proven" that they had no good way to limit Llorente's aerial dominance.

This left Stoke's fans feeling increasingly uneasy.

They had a strong premonition that their team would soon make a defensive error, allowing Chelsea to threaten the goal again.

And indeed, their instincts were spot on.

Chelsea found their path to victory through Llorente's dominance in the air!

In the 79th minute of the second half, Kroos launched a long ball directly to Llorente.

The Spanish target man once again overpowered Stoke's center-back Shawcross and calmly headed the ball down for Hazard, who had cut inside to receive it.

Stoke's defenders dared not relax their vigilance against Hazard, the Premier League's best winger.

Midfielder Charlie Adam immediately abandoned his zone and, together with center-back Wolscheid, tried to sandwich Hazard.

But Hazard sensed the pressure and didn't hesitate — he poked the ball to Salah, who had raised his hand on the far side.

Salah took a glance, cut inside, and unleashed a quick curling shot!

His decisive shot caused chaos inside Stoke's box!

Goalkeeper Butland was sharp and positioned well, making a brilliant save to deny Salah's effort.

Llorente, battling Shawcross, tried to follow up but his hurried toe-poke was blocked by Wolscheid's shin!

In the stands, thousands of Stoke fans had their hearts in their throats.

Some even covered their eyes, unable to bear watching.

The referee hadn't blown the whistle yet — Chelsea's whirlwind attack was still alive!

Those who dared to peek back at the pitch saw a blue-shirted figure charging toward the loose ball!

"Salah cuts inside... shoots!!! Butland saves!

Llorente pokes it!!! Oh! Wolscheid blocks it! Chelsea still has a chance!

Li Ang!!!"

In the LeSports TV studio, commentator Zhan Jun couldn't contain himself, shouting into the microphone with excitement and anticipation!

Countless fans back home felt exactly the same.

And under their collective gaze, Li Ang, his face calm and focused, approached the ball.

Adjusting his stride, he prepared to strike —

Butland was rushing out, trying to close him down.

The Stoke keeper stretched his arms wide, trying to force hesitation from Li Ang.

If Li Ang hesitated even half a second, Butland could win this brave 1v1 duel.

Li Ang did seem a little slow —

He didn't shoot immediately like he usually would, instead looking for a better angle.

Butland's face lit up with hope.

He thought he could pull off two miraculous saves in quick succession.

But the next second —

Li Ang coolly faked his shot, deftly dragging the ball past Butland!

"Fake shot — dribble!

Li Ang's past him! He's facing an empty net!!!"

Zhan Jun screamed at the top of his lungs!

Li Ang tapped the ball forward into the gaping goal.

As the ball crossed the line, Stamford Bridge exploded!

The whole stadium seemed to jump and tremble with the thunderous roar!

As the noise soared into the sky, Li Ang didn't rush alone to the corner flag to celebrate.

Instead, he sprinted straight toward his teammates!

"Great job, brothers!!!"

Chelsea's players swarmed together, fiercely patting each other's shoulders and backs, shouting and laughing —

Their words were crude, but nobody cared.

The fans and the media only cared about what they had just witnessed —

A team adjusting mid-match, fighting back, and delivering a comeback win!

Mourinho clapped proudly on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Stoke's players, who had fought bravely for most of the match, stood devastated.

But that's football —

Leading for a moment doesn't guarantee leading at the end.

They hadn't played badly — yet still, on the pitch, they were the losers.

Chelsea's resilience had made them the better team at Stamford Bridge today.

The final ten minutes were not enough for Stoke to turn it around.

They tried, attacking with all they had.

But facing a Chelsea side now brimming with morale and defending fiercely, they could only accept the bitter defeat.

2–1!

Chelsea, thanks to two crucial goals from Li Ang, gnawed down the hard bone that was Stoke City and extended their incredible unbeaten home record — nearly three years without a loss at Stamford Bridge!

Li Ang once again proved his steel in big matches!

This season, he had ceded some goal-scoring responsibilities to teammates,

and Suarez was now the team's top scorer.

But Li Ang's goals, while fewer, were still of the highest quality.

Winning Man of the Match, Li Ang was immediately surrounded by reporters.

Everyone had tons of questions about what had happened during the match.

But Li Ang, as always, praised his teammates and refused to reveal any locker room secrets.

When the reporters realized they couldn't dig any juicy stories out of him, they directly asked his thoughts on Chelsea's upcoming showdown with Manchester City.

And the moment Manchester City was mentioned, Li Ang's demeanor changed completely.

He licked his lips, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

"Playing against Manchester City?

I'm looking forward to it.

Very, very, VERY much!"

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