The Beast Advances

A curious saying had long circulated in the United Kingdom.

Readers of the Daily Mirror believed they ran the country; readers of The Guardian believed they ought to run the country; readers of The Times actually ran the country; readers of the Daily Mail were the wives of the people who actually ran the country; and readers of the Financial Times actually owned the country.

As their names suggested, The Times and the Financial Times were the United Kingdom's most authoritative newspapers.

Yet after Man City had stormed White Hart Lane 3–0 away from home and defeated Tottenham Hotspur, The Times published a very un-Times-like headline on its front page the next day.

Man City's King, Beyond Imagination!

In this front-page feature, The Times reviewed the opening match played the previous night. It declared that Su Dong had played a decisive role, not only scoring twice but also providing an assist to help Man City defeat Tottenham Hotspur 3–0 away from home and claim their first three points of the new season.

"Throughout the match, Su Dong led the line. He not only threatened the goal but also created opportunities for his teammates. He had already become the team's attacking core, making everyone around him revolve around him."

The Times reviewed the course of the match. Tottenham Hotspur's early assault had forced Man City onto the back foot, leaving them frequently exposed to shots and looking rather embarrassed. But at the crucial moment, Su Dong's goal played a pivotal role and sounded the horn for Man City's counterattack.

"Tactically, experienced Harry completely suppressed inexperienced Guardiola at the start. The latter's tactics were indeed ingenious, but Old Lei launched an early assault that nearly breached Man City's goal. For more than twenty minutes, he completely suppressed Man City and gave them