[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-132":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Start with R9 Template",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1388735,1840,"Chapter 132 - 132","start-with-r9-template-chapter-132",132,"\u003Cp>On the touchline, Jose Mourinho was a conductor in the rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his arms frantically, signaling a drastic change in shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Push up! Paul, Nemanja, push up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instruction was clear: pin Chelsea deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho wasn't interested in a safe draw at Old Trafford. He wanted the win, even if it meant taking a massive risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When United attacked, Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba surged forward, abandoning their defensive pivot roles to occupy the central channel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, Juan Mata and Ling tucked inside from the wings into the \"half-spaces\"—those dangerous pockets between the defenders and midfielders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no longer a standard 4-2-3-1. It had morphed into a narrow, suffocating 4-2-2-2 Box Midfield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a bird's eye view, Manchester United had sacrificed width for vertical power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were trying to overload the middle of the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at the shape change, Martin,\" Gary Neville noted on the Sky Sports commentary. \"Mourinho is playing a dangerous game here. He's pushing the midfield right into Chelsea's throat. It leaves the back door open for a counter-attack, but it's pinning Chelsea's back three deeper and deeper.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this immense pressure, Chelsea's defensive lines began to crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their midfield duo of Danny Drinkwater and N'Golo Kante looked overwhelmed, outnumbered by the red shirts swarming the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>34th Minute\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match was heating up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paul Pogba collected the ball in the middle of the park. He looked up, intending to launch a Hollywood pass toward Romelu Lukaku.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Belgian striker was being grappled tightly by Andreas Christensen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing no clear path, Pogba recycled possession sideways to Nemanja Matic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Matic scanned the field calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spotted movement on the left. Ling had dropped deep into a pocket of space, momentarily shaking off his marker to offer a passing option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball fizzed across the wet turf into Ling's feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the ball even arrived, a blue shadow emerged from Ling's blind spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was N'Golo Kante.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, Kante would press aggressively. But this time, he hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the video analysis from the Sevilla match. He remembered how Ling had spun Jesus Navas inside out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He likes to turn,' Kante thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, instead of diving in, Kante halted his run about two yards away. He dropped into a low defensive crouch, maintaining a safe distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling trapped the ball cleanly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt a twinge of regret that Kante hadn't rushed in—it would have been easier to beat him with momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ling quickly adjusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He controlled the ball, turned around, and faced the Frenchman head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"N'Golo! I've got your cover!\" Victor Moses shouted from the flank, starting to sprint over to help double-team the United winger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"NO!\" Kante yelled, pointing a finger toward the sideline. \"Mark Number 23! Shaw is overlapping!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kante's vision was elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew if Moses left his position, Luke Shaw would have a free run at the goal. He chose to take the responsibility himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would handle Ling one-on-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stadium held its breath. It was the irresistible force versus the immovable object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling began to test the waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First Move: The Cut Inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling dropped his shoulder, feinting to drive toward the center circle. Kante didn't flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His center of gravity remained rock solid. He was like a leopard on the savannah, staring unblinkingly at his prey, waiting for a moment of weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Move: The Push Wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling shifted his weight right, threatening to sprint down the touchline. Kante remained frozen. He knew Ling's tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that a real breakthrough attempt always came with a specific \"tell\"—a subtle shift in balance that no player could completely hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kante was patient. He knew he could win this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ling was also confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had planned a chain of three moves. He knew Kante was waiting for the \"tell,\" so he was going to give him a fake one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, Ling executed the third move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped hard to the right. He dropped his entire upper body low, his knee bending at a steep angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like he was losing his balance, throwing everything into a sprint to the right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'This is it,' Kante thought. 'The Tell.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kante's instincts fired. He sprang into action, his left leg shooting out like a viper to hook the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ling hadn't committed his weight. It was a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Kante's foot swept in, Ling's right foot—which appeared planted—lightly brushed the turf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snapped it back, pushing the ball sharply to the left, completely against the grain of Kante's tackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crisp sound echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kante's eyes widened in horror. He realized instantly he had been deceived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frenchman tried to adjust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He desperately tried to stretch his right leg out to block the new path of the ball. It was a final, superhuman effort to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in that split second, the laws of physics intervened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kante is the best defensive midfielder in the world, but he has one weakness: his height.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His legs simply weren't long enough to reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Kante's frustrated gaze, the ball brushed past the tip of his studs by a millimeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling exploded into the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hurdled the off-balance Frenchman and accelerated away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"OH MY GOODNESS!\" Martin Tyler screamed on the commentary. \"He has ended him! He has absolutely ghosted past N'Golo Kante!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is naughty!\" Gary Neville gasped. \"You don't do that to Kante! That is incredible balance from the lad. He sold him the dummy, and Kante bought the whole shop!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Trafford erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A collective gasp turned into a deafening roar as the fans realized what they had just seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sideline, Mourinho's eyes bulged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He covered his mouth with his hand to hide his shock, muttering something in Portuguese.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he didn't expect that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Antonio Conte grabbed a handful of his thinning hair, looking like he wanted to rip it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tactical masterpiece—the man-marking job—had just been dismantled by a single piece of brilliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@RedArmy99: DID YOU SEE THAT?! Ling just put Kante on the floor! 😱😱 #MUNCHE\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@CFC_Blue: Kante never misses a tackle. I am shaking. That kid is a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@TrollFootball: Kante is still sliding... someone check on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>@PunditPaul: Levels. That is pure world-class ability. To do that in a big game? Special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling was free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drove at the heart of the Chelsea defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind whipped his red jersey as he ran. He looked like a cavalry commander leading a charge, the ball glued to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead of him, the Manchester United attack flooded forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Romelu Lukaku dragged the defender wide. Jesse Lingard made a diagonal run. Juan Mata surged into the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a 4-vs-3 situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For every additional attacker, the difficulty of defending increases exponentially.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chelsea's defense was in panic mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar Azpilicueta was too wide to cover. Antonio Rudiger was occupied by Lukaku.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left Andreas Christensen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Danish defender was the last line of defense. He stepped up to confront Ling, but his face was pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Christensen was a talented player, elegant on the ball, but he had a reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In high-pressure moments, he crumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was known to suffer from severe stomach cramps before big matches due to anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just days ago, his terrible pass against Barcelona had cost Chelsea the win in the Champions League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His confidence was already shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, he was the only thing standing between Ling and the goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling didn't slow down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drove straight at the terrified defender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon (.)com\u002FNewbietranslator\u003C\u002Fp>",1262,"2026-06-05T22:48:23.062Z",1,"novelbin.me","da06cbb8b53de611c922c9dd976cce05834e3d9ef4e1b165a265908cd98779fd","start-with-r9-template-chapter-133","start-with-r9-template-chapter-131",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]