Starting from playing as a defensive midfielder for Real Madrid

"Leon went up with the ball! Fabregas did not stop Li Ang's advancement! Gundogan and Fernandinho double-teamed! Li Ang continued to advance while pulling... and shot!!!"

"Oh! This long-range shot was well shot by Li Ang! Bravo also made a good save! Bravo seemed to be very focused at the start of the game today. Li Ang did not succeed in the surprise attack, but Chelsea also won the first corner kick of the opening game. Chance……"

In the studio, Director Zhan Jun and Director Zhang both applauded and felt sorry for Li Ang's surprise long shot.

But Li Ang just smiled and shook his head on the court, and then without making any more regrettable moves, he and his teammates who were competing for the top rushed into Manchester City's penalty area.

The Manchester City fans who had just breathed a sigh of relief now saw that Chelsea was about to take a corner kick, and their relief suddenly rose to their throats again!

Guardiola is relatively calm. In the past two seasons, his team has suffered enough from Chelsea's set pieces.

Therefore, before the start of the new season this year, he and his coaching team also spent a lot of energy and time formulating a training plan for set-piece defense.

The current Manchester City cannot be said to be a top team in set-piece offense and defense, but they will no longer be embarrassed and nervous in the face of Chelsea's high-altitude advantage.

When it comes to defense, as long as you are willing to spend time and effort in training and establishing a systematic tactical structure, the progress that will be reflected in the game will definitely be very obvious.

In this corner kick defense against Chelsea, Manchester City did a good job of segmenting and protecting the threatening areas in the penalty area.

Although they do not have as many tall players on the court as Chelsea, their two central defenders occupy favorable defensive positions, and other marking players also double-team Chelsea's "dangerous people".

Manchester City could not solve the threat of Chelsea in the high-altitude battle, so they cleverly placed the main battlefield on the ground.

Chelsea's top players who were double-teamed were unable to fully exert their strength even if they were in position to take off.

Maguire was flanked by Mangala and Gundogan this time!

He finally hit the ball, but he didn't even finish shaking his head, and he didn't have much power to hit it. The ball was finally confiscated by Bravo.

Li Ang, who was serving as a tactical cover in the middle of the penalty area, immediately rushed forward and threw the ball to counterattack after seeing Bravo get the ball.

So on the one hand, he deliberately blocked the direction of Bravo's throw, and on the other hand, he waved to signal his teammates to quickly return to defense.

Bravo, who saw through Li Ang's intention, reluctantly held the ball and spread his hands. Li Ang's blatant blocking had interfered with his vision and quick throw of the ball.

Upon seeing this, the referee on duty also blew the whistle to signal Li Ang to quickly exit the Manchester City penalty area.

Li Ang didn't say much. After exiting Manchester City's penalty area, he quickly retreated to defend.

Manchester City's defensive response at the beginning of the game surprised many neutral fans who had not had time to carefully study their tactical changes this season.

This Manchester City team is indeed very different from the team in their impression that always likes to use offense instead of defense to control the flow of technology!

At this moment Mourinho also walked to the sidelines.

He rubbed his chin, with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He looked at Bravo, the new goalkeeper introduced by Manchester City this season, and then at Gundogan and Fernandinho.

It can only be said that Lao Mu's tactical vision is still as vicious as ever.

When others pay more attention to Sterling, who has outstanding performance on Manchester City's forward line, or Cesc Fabregas, whose personal data has surged in his position this season.

He has already seen two key positions that contributed to the transformation of the current Manchester City team.

Bravo's arrival finally gave Manchester City a "soul" in their backcourt.

With a wider range of activities, more stable holding of the ball, and more outstanding footwork, the Chilean national goalkeeper is already equivalent to the number one player in Manchester City's defense.

Previously, neither Joe Hart, who had better goal-line skills, nor Valdes, whose state had declined significantly compared to before, obviously could not satisfy Guardiola.

In Guardiola's tactical structure, the goalkeeper is very important.

This type of goalkeeper can often further free up the activities of the central defender and even the defensive midfielder in his formation.

With this type of goalkeeper, the central defender and midfielder no longer need to frequently retreat to help other teammates get the ball and get rid of it.

When key players in the midfield and backfield are pressed by their opponents, they only need to pass the ball back with confidence, and then the goalkeeper will respond in time and transfer the ball to the wide players in a timely manner.

For Guardiola's team, this is not a risky move. On the contrary, it can further increase their tolerance for possession of the ball in the backcourt.

Bravo has already shown his excellent passing skills in the few times he actively took the ball and distributed the ball at the beginning of the game.

And he is not only outstanding in footwork, he is also not bad in goal-line skills and save reflexes.

A short goalkeeper like him is very demanding on body reaction and athletic ability. Perhaps as he gets older, his performance will decline rapidly in the next one or two seasons.

But that is also a matter for the coming season. At least for now, he is the best choice for Manchester City's No. 1 position.

And Gundogan, the German international who has already made a name for himself in Dortmund, can be regarded as the type of defensive midfielder that Guardiola likes very much.

Outstanding technique, strong tactical understanding, large running area, and good defensive position selection ability.

Guardiola's team has never needed a tough guy who can only defend.

His requirements for the defensive midfielder are very high, even much higher than the definition standards of the main defensive midfielder by famous coaches such as Mourinho, Ancelotti and Ferguson.

When Mourinho does not have the core midfielder available, he can use his black and hard tackling machine to his advantage.

Ancelotti and Ferguson are even more top-notch masters who rely on food to make ends meet.

One of them can put the midfielder behind and play the protective midfielder style.

The other one is able to maximize the use of a top-notch defensive midfielder, and use it to exert a top-notch effect!

But with the "picky" Guardiola, he can train a defensive midfielder, but he himself requires that the defensive midfielder has the top developable potential in football.

If there is such potential, it is there; if it is not, it is not.

If you forcibly give him a first-rate or even second-rate defensive midfielder, he can actually use it, but at this time he may choose to be more aggressive in forcing the management to quit or even resign altogether.

Because Guardiola never compromises in midfield construction!

People who don't understand him will think that he is paranoid and arrogant and refuses to bow his head.

But those who understand him, such as Mourinho, understand that this is just a manifestation of his persistent pursuit of high standards of tactics.

Gundogan's arrival made up for Cesc Fabregas' defensive deficiencies. He and Fernandinho truly formed Manchester City's defensive double wall.

Of course, the more important point is that the German international can fully communicate with Guardiola at the tactical level.

His arrival freed up Cesc Fabregas' offensive lethality and helped Fernandinho reduce the defensive pressure.

The role is actually very similar to the slightly upgraded version of Li Ang who returned to Real Madrid after his loan from Milan.

Neither Li Ang nor Gundogan now were the core midfielders of their teams, but their presence was extremely important.

He can quickly understand the tactical intentions of the head coach, further stimulating the tactical role of the dual-core front and backcourt. He can advance and attack, retreat and defend, and he is also very active in running.

The goalkeeper and defensive midfielder positions have been supplemented, and Manchester City's tactical structural flaws in the previous two seasons have also been filled.

As for Sterling, who is so explosive on the front line?

That's another surprise.

For Guardiola, he can do without the explosive Sterling, but he absolutely needs the current Gundogan and Bravo.

Mourinho knows his old friend and his tactical ideas better, so after seeing the completion of Manchester City's lineup with his own eyes, he inevitably began to hesitate.

After all, what he dislikes the most is this kind of uncertainty.

But after thinking quickly with a frown, Mourinho quickly relaxed his brows again...

Two minutes later, Mourinho issued his first tactical instruction in today's game to the Chelsea players on the field!

As soon as Li Ang saw Mourinho's tactical adjustments, he felt confident.

At this moment, he and Mourinho thought of going together again!

"Continue to shrink the defense and consolidate our defense in the middle!"

Li Ang yelled at his teammates, indicating that they should be more active on the defensive end to prevent Manchester City from penetrating in the middle.

Of course, improving defense does not require Mourinho and Li Ang to make such a big battle.

Chelsea's killer move is the rapid advancement of both wings when switching from defense to offense!

This counterattack arrangement does not look very reliable.

After all, Manchester City has completely transformed. They have been counterattacked by Chelsea many times before and lost the game. Can't they still learn to take precautions?

Mourinho thought the same thing immediately after seeing Manchester City's great progress.

But he quickly thought of Guardiola's unique character.

It's okay for his old friend to occasionally play counter-attacks, just as a change of tactics, but Guardiola will never regard counter-attack tactics as a winning trump card.

Guardiola is naturally a genius at studying offensive tactics, and as long as his opponent dares to give up the initiative in the midfield, he will never let go of the opportunity to control the rhythm of the game!

A well-known coach who has achieved great success may occasionally change his tactical style.

But his temper, his unique personality, and his tactical concepts are very difficult to change!

Mourinho now wants to use midfield control to stimulate Guardiola's desire to attack.

This choice is a bit risky, but it is well worth it for Mourinho and the entire Chelsea team!

After Li Ang led his teammates back to consolidate the midfield defense, he was also a little nervously waiting for Manchester City's reaction.

When he saw the entire Manchester City team pressing forward without hesitation under the command of Guardiola, a down-to-earth smile appeared on Li Ang's face!

This is a reflection of the spirit of Guardiola and the entire Manchester City team. They are not willing to accompany Chelsea in dull defense at their home court.

No matter how "sleek" he becomes in terms of tactical adjustments, Guardiola is still the same Guardiola who has a persistent pursuit of tactical concepts!

At this moment, Li Ang sincerely admired Guardiola and all the players on the Manchester City team!

But Manchester City has their own way to prove it, and Chelsea also have their own way to go!

After letting Manchester City's offensive players pass the center line, Li Ang led his midfield and frontcourt teammates to once again engage in a fierce confrontation with their opponents.

His oppressive defense makes no secret of his aggressiveness on a confrontational level.

Francesco and Silva showed no signs of weakness and bravely protected the ball, but in terms of physical fitness, these two Manchester City frontcourt cores really couldn't compete with Li Ang.

As a result, Manchester City's forward pressing gradually evolved into a back-and-forth tug-of-war at the forefront of Chelsea's defensive third zone!

At this moment, Chelsea has turned into the "stinky stone" that Manchester City fans hate most!

The defense is really stinky and tough!

A large group of players are in the middle to prevent Manchester City from organizing the offense comfortably!

When they saw Hazard and Salah even returning to their own defensive third zone, I don't know how many neutral fans watching this game also shook their heads, lamenting that Mourinho wasted his resources.

The on-field duel between Chelsea and Manchester City has almost become an offensive and defensive exercise of two extreme tactics at this moment.

Obviously both teams can attack and defend well, and they will not take such an extreme approach when playing against other Premier League teams.

But when they meet each other, they always turn the game into something like this!

Whether or not a goal is scored is another matter. Anyway, the scene is always exciting and beautiful, and the rhythm is intense.

Li Ang took the lead in destructive defensive tactics, but he always kept his mind clear, and he did not blindly focus only on cutting up Manchester City's offensive rhythm.

The two teams fought hard for almost 15 minutes, and in the 24th minute of the first half, Li Ang seized the opportunity to tackle and destroy the ball at Sterling's feet!

Hazard, who retreated to receive the ball, immediately grabbed the second ball and then turned around and accelerated the ball along the sideline.

But Gundogan's timely blocking defense forced Hazard to give up the idea of ​​riding alone.

At the critical moment, it was Li Ang's shout that made Hazard choose to knock the ball back.

After scooping the ball, Liang got up from the turf before he could take a breath. He faced Cesc Fabregas's defensive interference and passed Hazard's back pass to Kroos, who had already started to advance!

The German midfielder did not rush forward after receiving the ball. He knew that his speed could not give him the upper hand in the competition with Manchester City's defensive players.

So after he calmly caught the ball, he even spent a second observing the movements around him and his teammates in front of him.

The next moment, he sent a precise and fast long pass directly in the middle of the midfield!

This pass was not passed to Salah on the other side, but to Trippier, who cleverly stepped in after using Hazard to attract the attention of the opponent's defense!

Trippier did not choose to stop Kroos' long pass on the sideline first. Instead, he boldly knocked the ball directly into the center of Manchester City with repeated stops, and he also cut in!

Kolarov was still waiting to intercept Trippier in the middle of the wing, but Trippier's unconventional advancement operation immediately made him dumbfounded!

Trippier rushed in the middle and forced Fernandinho to intercept him. Only then did he push the football in front of Salah, who started playing on the left today!

Navas had participated in the attack before, but he has not yet returned to defend in place, and Kompany did not dare to easily lose his position in the penalty area to attack, so Salah can now push forward very calmly!

Playing on the left wing, he may have some trouble shooting, but passing the ball is very comfortable!

So before Manchester City's entire defense was in position in time, Salah decisively sent a sweeping arc pass from the left wing to the Manchester City penalty area!

The football quickly passed through the center of the Manchester City penalty area. Bravo roared and directed Mangala to rush to the back point. He himself immediately blocked the near corner on the other side of the goal!

Li Ang intervened at high speed at this time, but under Bravo's confident eyes, he decisively passed the football back from the back of the goal to the center of the penalty area in the inverted triangle!

The air at the Etihad Stadium seemed to condense at this moment!

Before, he seemed to be advancing slowly, but at this moment, Kroos, who happened to have no defender around him, met Li Ang's return pass and still calmly hit the putt shot!

The football moved quickly along the turf with great precision, and then went straight into the net almost against the goal post of Manchester City's goal!

Bravo was stunned. He seemed to be unable to believe that Li Ang could choose to give in the ball generously when faced with such a good opportunity!

And Li Ang was already laughing and hugging Cross, and calling on other teammates to rush to the corner flag area of ​​Manchester City's half to celebrate!

The commentator of England's Sky Sports once again sang praises for Li Ang at this moment!

Countless Premier League fans watched Li Ang celebrating with his teammates in the live broadcast and were dissatisfied!

This guy is a threshold, and he has special codes to trip up strong teams!