Chapter 379: Silencing Anfield
As Bruno's left foot landed, his right foot pushed off with force, followed quickly by his left foot. His feet moved in quick, alternating steps, allowing him to dart past the defenders before they could react.
When Bruno used his heel to flick the ball and change direction, Emre Can immediately tried to turn, but his movement was too wide. He had to pivot completely from right to left, causing him to lose balance and fall.
Henderson reacted a split second too late, watching helplessly as Bruno slipped past him. Perhaps he didn't expect Bruno to escape so cleanly and decisively.
Bruno had long known that to overcome being constantly marked by multiple defenders, he couldn't rely solely on passing. He needed to enhance his dribbling and ball control skills to break free from double or triple marking on his own.
Passing could break the defense but required perfect timing, team coordination, and an opponent's mistake, which couldn't be guaranteed throughout a match. However, dribbling relied solely on individual skill, making it a necessary ability for excelling on higher stages.
After breaking through, Bruno glanced at the fast-advancing Ashley Young. This movement caught Liverpool's left-back Milner's attention. Milner hesitated, knowing that if he moved up to defend Bruno, he would leave a large gap behind for Young to exploit. Bruno might pass to Young, allowing a direct run into the box.
Taking advantage of Milner's hesitation, Bruno didn't pass but instead dribbled past him.
Milner's hesitation also threw his teammate Lovren off. Lovren planned to double-team Bruno with Milner, but Milner's indecision wasted the perfect opportunity to trap Bruno. Now facing Bruno alone, Lovren had to think quickly.
Bruno raised his right foot as if to shoot. Liverpool's players, having seen Bruno's powerful shots in the first half, knew to be cautious. Lovren turned and stretched his leg, trying to block the shot, but Bruno had other plans. With Lovren's back turned, Bruno pulled the ball back with his right foot and pushed it forward with his left, passing it to Ibrahimovic.
Bruno didn't stop after passing; he continued running into the box. Ibrahimovic, now with the ball, drew the attention of the last Liverpool defender, Matip. Matip moved to block Ibrahimovic's shot, and goalkeeper Karius shifted his weight, ready to dive.
However, Ibrahimovic didn't shoot. Instead, he passed the ball across to Bruno, who was now unmarked in the box.
"Bruno! He's in the box! This is United's chance... SHOOT!"
Receiving the ball from Ibrahimovic, Bruno calmly slotted it past Karius. Despite Karius's desperate dive, he was too late. The ball brushed past his fingertips and crossed the goal line.
"Bruno! Bruno! Bruno scores!! It's a goal! A fantastic goal!"
Liverpool fans and players watched in despair as the ball hit the net, their hearts sinking.
3-0 down with just over twenty minutes left, could they possibly come back?
"GOOOOOOOAL!!! Bruno scores! That's his 12th Premier League goal this season, extending his lead at the top of the scoring charts!" BBC commentator Lineker shouted excitedly.
"Liverpool are three goals behind... No one saw this coming before the match," said a stunned Jamie Carragher, the guest commentator.
After scoring, Bruno dodged the retreating Emre Can and ran towards the Liverpool fans, putting a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.
This universal gesture was understood by all. The Liverpool fans, stunned by the scoreline, were momentarily silent, unable to respond to Bruno's taunt. Only after Bruno turned to celebrate with his teammates did they start booing again.
For a brief moment, Bruno had silenced Anfield.
Turning back, Bruno smiled at Kante, "See? They're quiet for now!"
Before he finished speaking, a loud chorus of boos erupted. Bruno and Kante laughed and embraced.
"We've got this, N'Golo!" Bruno shouted in Kante's ear.
"Yes, Bruno! We've got this!"
"This is just the first step!" Bruno continued to shout, "We..."
He didn't finish his sentence before more teammates surrounded him, hugging tightly.
"Great job, Bruno! Well done!" they shouted, patting him on the back and head.
Assistant coach Faria watched in amazement as Bruno entered the box and received Ibrahimovic's pass.
When the ball hit the net, Faria jumped up with his arms raised, cheering loudly.
"We're three goals ahead, José!" he said to Mourinho.
"Yes, the boys did well," Mourinho replied, "But it's not enough. We need to keep pushing."
Mourinho walked to the sideline, shouting to his players, "Keep attacking! More goals!"
Though known for his defensive tactics, Mourinho wouldn't hold back when his team had the upper hand. If they could score four, they wouldn't stop at three. His teams often produced big scores against weaker opponents or when in top form.
Many remember the 2011-2012 La Liga season when Mourinho's Real Madrid scored 121 goals and became the first team to reach 100 points in a season. Their offensive power was terrifying, with many high-scoring games.
Such ruthless football earned him few friends among rivals.
Bruno, just finished celebrating, heard Mourinho's instructions. He nodded at his coach, then turned to his teammates, spreading his arms and shouting, "We keep attacking! The game isn't over, more goals!"
Emre Can, standing nearby, heard this and felt a surge of anger. Liverpool, an established powerhouse, couldn't be humiliated like this.
Three goals down, they might not win, but they could still defend their pride and show United their goal wasn't easily breached.
Having been tormented by Bruno in the first half and then tricked again, Can was already frustrated. Bruno's words added fuel to the fire, making him more determined to teach Bruno a lesson.
Bruno's celebration had already made him a target for Liverpool fans. Whenever he returned to Anfield, he would face their wrath.
After the restart, Liverpool fans booed every time Bruno touched the ball, only stopping when he passed it. As the team's core, Bruno had to handle the ball often, keeping the boos ringing throughout Anfield.
(End of Chapter)
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