"Another quick turnover in midfield, and Fernandinho plays the ball forward."
"Hazard picks it up in the half-space and threads another through ball."
"Beautiful! That's a surgically precise pass!"
"Sturridge is on the move again from behind."
"But this time, Kolo Toure reacts in time and gets into position. Sturridge shields the ball with his back and lays it off."
"To Yaya Toure."
"Yaya Toure shapes to shoot from outside the box, but Denilson is already in position."
"Fake, drop of the shoulder, pass behind."
"Van Persie arrives late, Djokovic is marking him tightly, and Fabianski comes off his line."
"The Dutchman volleys straight away!"
"The ball is in!!!"
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"
"In the tenth minute of the first half, Manchester City score again!"
"Three to zero!"
"Manchester City are playing absolutely ferociously tonight. Arsenal's defense has been breached three times in the first ten minutes."
"My God, this could turn into a massacre!"
"Wenger must already be regretting his starting lineup and tactics. He was definitely too bold tonight."
…
As soon as Van Persie's volley hit the net, Gao Shen raised both fists over his head and cheered loudly.
Van Persie's greatest strength has always been his volleying ability, especially from difficult angles.
But beyond that, his world-class ball control was also on full display.
In Gao Shen's previous life, even many neutral fans agreed that watching Van Persie control the ball was a joy in itself.
The sequence leading up to the goal had also highlighted Yaya Toure's best qualities.
The Ivorian is most dangerous at the top of the penalty area, where both his long-range shots and his passing can shine.
The key, though, is creating space for him.
This is why Yaya Toure excels at arriving from deep positions.
Football tactics can be so fascinating. When you integrate each player's unique traits into your system, allowing them to play to their strengths, the team's overall effectiveness can reach remarkable levels.
Three goals up within the opening ten minutes. Now Gao Shen was curious to see how Wenger would respond.
"After tonight, your reputation as Arsenal's nemesis is only going to grow," Carlo commented with a smile.
"I think we still have plenty of chances left in the first half. After a short breather, we should keep pressing," Sarri suggested eagerly. His passion for attacking football was obvious.
Gao Shen nodded in agreement.
He had always said that perhaps no one understood better than him how to defeat Arsenal.
And tonight, he was determined to prove that once again.
At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Gao Shen's mind.
If he really did end up buying a football club, maybe Sarri would be the right man to coach it.
Today's Sarri was very different from the version of him in Gao Shen's previous life who climbed the ranks through the lower leagues of Italian football. After following Gao Shen at Napoli and Manchester City for two to three years, Sarri had gained valuable top-level experience. Gao Shen admired his understanding of the game and his personal ability.
He believed Sarri was now fully capable of managing a team in one of Europe's top leagues.
As the saying goes, good things should stay in the family.
A coach you've personally developed and trust is always the best choice.
Besides, Sarri deserved a good environment to put his ideas into practice.
More importantly, Sarri's football philosophy was perfectly aligned with Gao Shen's.
If Gao Shen ever did buy a club, he would never choose to play conservative football. There's no money in that style, especially in the Premier League.
Look at Arsenal. Their results may have declined, but their stadium is still packed, and ticket prices remain the highest in the world. This proves that fans don't come just to watch their team win. Many come to enjoy entertaining football.
Gao Shen remembered what Van Gaal once said: In European football, a match is a show—a performance meant to delight the fans.
And a show must never be dull or ugly.
Sarri would undoubtedly fulfill those expectations.
As for Carlo, Gao Shen felt that while he was steady and reliable, he lacked a certain aggressiveness. That kind of temperament made it difficult to lead a young, ambitious team through the rough early stages of rebuilding.
At the same time, Gao Shen couldn't imagine working without Carlo. His presence was too important.
Looking around at his coaching staff, Gao Shen couldn't help but laugh to himself.
Piece by piece, it seemed like he was already forming the future core management of a club.
Managing Manchester City while owning a lower-league club wouldn't even be a conflict.
They were not in the same competition, so why worry?
FIFA, UEFA, and the English FA had no rules preventing a Premier League coach from owning a team. And even if they did end up facing each other one day, that would simply be a fair contest.
Take Tottenham's owners, Lewis and Levy, for example. They owned multiple clubs, and when those clubs met in Europe, UEFA kept threatening to take action, but nothing happened.
If it really came to the point where his club met Manchester City in the Premier League, Gao Shen would probably be laughing in his sleep. He could just resign from City and go manage Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
No, I can't keep thinking about this. Once I start, I won't be able to stop.
He even began daydreaming about which young talents he might discover next.
In his past life, when he played Football Manager, his favorite activity had been scouting for promising youngsters.
That habit was hard to break.
…
Wenger's face was grim, clearly frustrated by how the match was unfolding.
In the eleventh minute, Arsenal finally managed their first shot of the game—a weak effort from Walcott at the edge of the box that rolled harmlessly wide.
Wenger turned and glanced toward the home dugout. There sat Gao Shen, watching the pitch with a strange smile that sent a shiver down Wenger's spine.
Damn it. You're already three goals up. Aren't you satisfied?
What now?
Are you planning to humiliate us like you did to Manchester United last season?
Keep dreaming, damn it!
You're getting more ruthless every time we face you.
I'm still standing here strong, so why should I fear you?
But at that moment, Manchester City created yet another chance.
Arsenal had pushed higher, trying to press in midfield, even stepping up closer to their defensive line.
David Luiz, under pressure from Chamakh, remained calm. He dribbled back and forth, then suddenly lofted a long ball forward.
The entire left wing was left wide open, with Leighton Baines sprinting into the space. He reached the pass, controlled the ball beautifully, and raced into the left side of the penalty area before whipping in a low cross.
Kolo Toure, tracking back desperately, got a touch and deflected the ball out for a corner, narrowly avoiding an own goal.
Walcott, who had chased Baines all the way back, angrily confronted his teammate Sagna, blaming him for sticking too tightly to Hazard and leaving the flank exposed.
Sagna waved him off impatiently, telling him to mind his own business.
Seeing his two favorite players arguing louder and louder, Wenger quickly walked to the touchline and shouted at them, reminding them to focus on the corner kick.
But his face remained tense.
Damn it!
Manchester City were playing like men possessed tonight.
Every single player looked like they were on something.
And here came the corner.
David Luiz and Kompany were both up in the box, joined by Sturridge and Van Persie. Arsenal's defenders were under heavy pressure.
Everyone knew that Arsenal's weakness was their lack of height.
Wenger shouted instructions from the sideline, urging his players to stay alert and mark tightly.
…
The whistle blew, and the corner was taken quickly.
The penalty area became chaotic.
The ball was clearly aimed at Kompany.
Djourou reacted well and got his head to the ball first, clearing it away.
But the clearance only reached the edge of the box.
Fernandinho had been stationed there, ready to guard against the counterattack and push for a second wave. He charged forward and struck the ball on the volley.
However, his shot struck an Arsenal defender and bounced back into the box.
Yaya Toure reacted first and controlled the ball outside the area.
Fabregas rushed up to confront him, creating a one-on-one situation.
Yaya shielded the ball, leaned into Fabregas, dribbled forward, and then clipped a right-footed chip into the box, sending the ball toward the left side of the goal.
Arsenal's defense froze. Fabianski abandoned his line, charging out desperately.
But one Manchester City player, wearing the sky blue kit, had already reacted faster. He raced past Fabianski, leapt forward, and met Yaya Toure's pass with a header, directing the ball toward the right side of the goal.
Fabianski stretched out instinctively, but the ball sailed past him.
The ball dropped gently into the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
Instantly, more than 50,000 fans inside the Etihad rose to their feet, screaming in celebration.
"Van Persie!!!!"
"Van Persie again!"
"That's a brace for the Dutchman!"
"You really have to wonder if Wenger regrets selling him this summer."
"But one thing is clear—Gao Shen's signing has been a massive success. Van Persie is currently Manchester City's top scorer this season."
"Four to zero!"
"And it's only the 18th minute. My God, Manchester City clearly have no intention of letting Arsenal leave the Etihad without a brutal beating."
"Gao Shen looks absolutely determined to completely crush Arsenal tonight!"
"We're seeing close-up shots of Wenger on the live broadcast. He's shaking his head helplessly on the sidelines."
"Less than 20 minutes into the match, Arsenal are already trailing by four goals. They are being dismantled right before our eyes!"
"Manchester City are playing perhaps the most explosive opening 20 minutes we've seen in the Premier League this season."
"Given how things are going, it wouldn't be surprising if tonight's game ends with a historic, shocking scoreline!"