Chapter 212 This Chinese Man Is The Only Opponent Of Uncle Zlatan!

Jose Mourinho, famously known as "The Special One," is a coach who has left an indelible mark on world football. When he first arrived in the Premier League 12 years ago, he was brimming with confidence and transformed Chelsea from a mid-table team into a Premier League powerhouse. Mourinho's influence has left a lasting legacy, embedding the "Iron Blues" mentality into Chelsea's DNA.

After experiencing glory with Inter Milan and reviving Real Madrid, Mourinho's second stint at Chelsea didn't go as smoothly. Last season, the turmoil surrounding the "Eva Carneiro" incident, among other issues, led to his departure from the club.

At the same time, Manchester United was struggling in the "post-Ferguson era," and Mourinho seemed like the perfect fit to lead them back to greatness. However, the once-mystical aura surrounding Mourinho had started to fade.

In the new season, Manchester United made significant investments, bringing in Pogba for a record fee, and signing Mkhitaryan, Bailly, and Ibrahimović. Mourinho was eager to make his mark. Yet, after eight rounds, United found themselves with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, sitting in 7th place. Losing 1-2 to Manchester City was understandable, but a 1-3 defeat to Watford was inexcusable. The previous round's 0-0 draw with Liverpool was lackluster at best.

The English media were quick to question Mourinho's tactics. Despite spending £157 million over the summer, United was far from dominating. In contrast, Liverpool, who spent only £60 million, were comfortably in fourth place. Critics accused Mourinho of being too conservative, with United's ball possession rate at a record low of 35% in the draw with Liverpool.

So far, the team's standout player has been the 35-year-old Ibrahimović, which only highlighted United's deeper issues. Winning the Premier League seemed out of reach, and even securing a spot in next season's Champions League required them to win their next match.

But that match was against none other than Chelsea, now bolstered by the arrival of Su Luo.

In the face of mounting pressure, Mourinho remained defiant.

"Chelsea may look strong, but I know this team well," Mourinho declared. "Su Luo is talented, but I have a plan to neutralize him. The victory belongs to Manchester United 100%!"

He added, "Stamford Bridge used to be my home. If Manchester United beats Chelsea, I won't celebrate."

This was classic Mourinho, redirecting all media attention onto himself, allowing his players to focus solely on the game. But this time, his methods didn't seem to carry the same weight.

Chelsea had won all eight of their matches, sitting atop the table with 24 points, with Su Luo outscoring the entire Manchester United team. United, with only 14 points, were already 10 points behind. Mourinho's bravado felt hollow.

United's young star Rashford echoed his manager's confidence. "We're going to shut Chelsea down with solid defense. Everyone will press hard, and we will have the last laugh."

With Martial and Rooney both injured, Rashford would partner Ibrahimović up front.

Despite United's confidence, Chelsea remained cautious. Kante, in an interview, said, "We have to give our all in every game, especially against one of the Premier League's most successful clubs."

Chelsea's manager Antonio Conte added, "Mourinho is an excellent coach, and United have great players like Ibrahimović, Pogba, and Mata. This will be a tough match, and we need to treat it like a final."

As the match approached, predictions were mixed. Most expected Chelsea to win, but the possibility of a draw wasn't ruled out.

The stage was set for the highly anticipated clash.

The night before the match, Su Luo took his usual trip to the nightclub. With two games in a week, he was determined to recover quickly and be at his best. While in the club, Su Luo discovered that the mysterious phantom within him had unlocked a new ability.

Last season, he had unlocked the "Wishing Card," and now, the phantom had evolved again. Su Luo realized that his progress was over 70% complete, and he was close to unlocking a ninth player.

With his current skills—Ronaldinho's flair, Ronaldo's dribbling, Haaland's physicality, Giroud's strength, Nedved's stamina, De Bruyne and Modric's passing, and Inzaghi's finishing—Su Luo was already formidable. The new ability would be an added bonus.

After fully recovering his stamina, Su Luo was ready for the match.

Matchday at Stamford Bridge

As Su Luo stood at the end of the Chelsea lineup, waiting to take the field, he noticed Ibrahimović at the opposite end, eyeing him intently.

To Ibrahimović, the Premier League was his domain, and the only player he respected was the man standing before him.

"This might be the only player worthy of my admiration," Ibrahimović thought. "But tonight, I will defeat him. I am Zlatan!"

Oblivious to Ibrahimović's inner monologue, Su Luo noticed the Swede's gaze and wondered, "Is he really treating me as a rival?"

With the time for kick-off approaching, both teams followed the referee onto the pitch. The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge was electric as fans cheered loudly for the home team.

"Welcome to the ninth round of the 2016-2017 Premier League!" the commentator announced. "Before we begin, let's take a look at the starting lineups."

"Chelsea, under Conte, have found success with their new tactics, particularly the 3-4-3 formation."

The commentator continued, "For Manchester United, Mourinho has kept the same lineup as in their last match against Liverpool."

He listed the players, "Goalkeeper David de Gea; Defenders Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Blind; Midfielders Pogba, Fellaini, Herrera; Rashford, Lingard, and Ibrahimović up front."

On paper, United seemed to have a squad capable of matching Chelsea, but their inconsistency was their Achilles' heel. The only reliable presence was Ibrahimović.

As the game kicked off, Manchester United came out with ferocity.

In the opening two minutes, Herrera took Su Luo down with a sliding tackle.

"That was vicious! Thankfully, Su Luo dodged just in time, so it doesn't look too serious," Zhan Jun commented, clearly worried for Su Luo.

The memory of Su Luo's injury from a similar challenge by Atlético Madrid last season was still fresh. If not for that injury, Union Berlin might have reached the final.

Herrera hadn't intended to injure anyone; it was just an aggressive play. After the tackle, the two players shook hands amicably, and Su Luo didn't retaliate. This foul, however, made it clear that Manchester United was determined to shut Su Luo down.

Mourinho had parked the bus in front of Manchester United's penalty area, ready to challenge Chelsea.

"Hmph, I said we'd freeze Su Luo out of this game. I wasn't joking!" Mourinho muttered on the sidelines, clapping in approval of Herrera's defense.

Conte glanced over at Mourinho, raising an eyebrow. So, this was Mourinho's plan—using Ander Herrera to neutralize Su Luo. The Basque midfielder wasn't particularly tall or fast, but he had an unyielding fighting spirit.

For the next few minutes, Herrera shadowed Su Luo relentlessly, sticking to him like glue. Wherever Su Luo went, Herrera was right there with him, almost like a personal bodyguard. Anytime Su Luo got into a non-threatening position outside the box, Herrera would foul him without hesitation, cutting off Chelsea's attack.

In the first ten minutes, Chelsea had 80% possession in the attacking third. However, they managed only four shots, and Su Luo hadn't even come close to scoring. The score remained 0-0, showing that Mourinho's strategy was working.

"Mourinho has clearly put a lot of effort into stopping Su Luo," the commentator noted. "Herrera is constantly harassing him, with Pogba and Fellaini ready to pounce at any moment. Su Luo has been forced to pass the ball quickly to his teammates, leaving most of the playmaking to Cesc Fàbregas and the dribbling duties to Hazard."

As Su Luo prepared to receive the ball again, Herrera stepped in, tackled it cleanly out of bounds, and stopped another Chelsea attack. Despite his labored breathing, Su Luo wasn't frustrated. Instead, he smiled at Herrera.

In his past life, Herrera's mark was always on Hazard. Now, he found himself in Su Luo's crosshairs.

Su Luo reached out, helping Herrera back to his feet, surprising the Basque midfielder.

"Thanks," Su Luo said with a smirk. "You must be exhausted."

"Not at all," Herrera replied, shaking his head. "The coach said to follow you everywhere, even to the bathroom if I have to."

"Oh? And how will you handle this?" Su Luo suddenly sprinted toward the penalty area.

Caught off guard, Herrera panicked and chased after him. Su Luo had caught him off guard with a sneaky move!

Marcos Alonso, standing at the sideline, threw the ball toward the penalty area. Without any hesitation, Su Luo volleyed it straight at the goal.

Herrera was just a half-step behind, unable to prevent the shot.

"It's over... we're in trouble!" Herrera thought, despair filling him as he watched Su Luo's shot take flight.

Su Luo's strike was perfectly placed, an elevated volley headed straight for the top corner. But at the last moment, a figure leaped into action, tipping the ball over the crossbar.

"David De Gea!!"

"What a save! The save of the century has kept Manchester United in the game!"

Herrera let out a sigh of relief, grateful for his compatriot's heroics.

But one thing was certain: Su Luo was terrifying. A moment's lapse in concentration, and he nearly put Chelsea ahead.

The name "Lord Su," emblazoned on the back of Chelsea's No. 7 jersey, was now permanently etched in Herrera's mind.

Not far away, Zlatan Ibrahimović couldn't help but nod in admiration.

"That shot wasn't half bad, not even compared to Zlatan's standards!"

"I better step it up too. I can't let these youngsters outshine me!"

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