I Won't Give Su Dong Any Chance!

Chelsea's league match came one day earlier than Man City's.

When Man City thrashed Liverpool 4–0 at home, several Chelsea players were relaxing during a rare day off at an upscale fan bar in London.

The bar's biggest draw was that Chelsea players often visited, so live matches were broadcast in both the dance hall and the private rooms. It was in one of those rooms that Chelsea's players watched Man City's match.

A complete transformation!

That was the most direct impression Chelsea's players had of Man City's performance this season.

Last season, among the Premier League's three most famous technical teams, Arsenal was the established powerhouse, while Ancelotti's Chelsea was another. Yet Man City had been the strongest in possession and the weakest in results.

Even after technical players such as Ballack, Deco, and Joe Cole left during the summer, Chelsea under Ancelotti still maintained an average possession rate of over seventy percent and had posted astonishing 6–0 victories in two consecutive matches.

Man City was in no way inferior to Chelsea in possession, but unlike last season, when their attack had been far too weak, their offense had become extremely sharp this season with Su Dong's arrival.

They had won the opening round 3–0 and followed it with another 4–0 victory. As a result, after two league rounds, Man City trailed only Chelsea—and only on goal difference.

One had to remember that Man City's opponents had been Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, two powerful teams capable of challenging for the Premier League title, while Chelsea had faced West Bromwich and Wigan Athletic, whose strength was clearly far inferior.

That left the several Chelsea players in the private room feeling utterly incredulous.

Who could have imagined that Man City would be so dominant at the start of the new season?