The Only Hat Trick in the Top Five Leagues! Henry: He Has a Striker's Instinct!
Beneath that night sky ablaze with flames, the fans, as if drawn by the same invisible force, all looked up in unison.
In an instant, gasps of surprise rose and fell!
"Look!"
An airplane flew by, and in the glow of the fireworks, the banner fluttering behind it was clearly visible!
[Congratulations Tang! He scored the first goal of the new Premier League season!]
It was a bright blue banner, dazzling and eye-catching. In an instant, all the stars in the sky seemed to become its backdrop, all pale in comparison.
The Etihad Stadium erupted in thunderous cheers once again!
Applause poured down like a torrential downpour.
"This is real money from the fans to cheer for Tang Long and everyone on the team!"
"In the past, this kind of spectacle—planes carrying banners—was mostly used to force team managers to resign; it was always very confrontational."
"But tonight, we're cheering for Tang Long's amazing performance!"
"I thought the fireworks would be the climax, but it turned out to be the searchlights shining on this banner. Which rich fan did this? I wonder how many Pound Sterling they must have spent on this one thing?"
Hearing Zhan Jun speak at a rapid-fire pace, it was quite a long speech;
Zhang Lu smoothed her half-gray hair, a question forming in her mind.
"Zhan Jun, you know, this banner must have been prepared in advance, but how did the person who initiated it know that Tang Long would score the first goal of the new Premier League season? What if it was Agüero, or a Manchester United player who scored first in the other opening match at the same time? Wouldn't this whole event have been a waste of time?"
Zhan Jun was taken aback, and immediately became speechless, unsure how to respond.
But then it dawned on him, and he quickly realized what was happening. He slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed excitedly:
"Doesn't this perfectly demonstrate Manchester City fans' absolute trust in Tang Long's ability? They gambled, and they won! The one who scored the first goal of the 2016-2017 England Premier League was indeed Tang Long!"
Zhang Lu's eyes widened, and she was immediately speechless.
The fireworks flashed by, the night returned to silence, and the plane disappeared into the deep night sky.
The competition has resumed.
However, one person's heart remained unsettled for a long time, and even became increasingly turbulent.
That's Agüero.
Agüero stared at the banner on the plane the entire time until it disappeared from sight, his feelings a complex mix of emotions.
It all seems like fate's arrangement. Is it really just such a coincidence?
Why did Tang Long score the first goal of the new season, and not me? I was the Premier League last season, the team's number one scorer!
That last shot by Tang Long was truly beautiful; it suddenly found the near corner of the goalkeeper's net, with perfect power and angle.
If it were Agüero in that position and at that angle, he could also think of shooting in that way, but whether he would score or not is really hard to say.
Agüero thought to himself, "If it were last season's Dom in that position, he would definitely have passed the ball back to me at a better angle, allowing me to comfortably finish the goal. But why did he shoot just now? That powerful shot into the near corner, based on my understanding of Dom's shooting technique, there was definitely an element of luck involved."
Last season, Tang Long scored 18 goals in the league, less than half of Agüero's total;
Agüero was well aware of Tang Long's shooting technique, and his assessment was. "His timing is excellent, but his shooting accuracy needs improvement!"
At least, their shooting accuracy isn't as good as mine.
Agüero subconsciously felt that perhaps because they were facing a weak team like Sunderland right at the start of the new season, Tang Long scored. This wasn't surprising.
Being a striker isn't easy. Agüero hoped that Tang Long wouldn't get too cocky and would have to face reality. The reality is, I, Sergio Agüero, am the best shooter on the team!
A great shooter is always selfish.
Before the start of the new season, Guardiola specifically discussed this point with Tang Long.
"Tang, you've moved from attacking midfielder to left winger. In my tactical system, you'll undoubtedly get more shooting opportunities. What I want to say is, shoot when you should. As long as you're more than 50% sure, you need to be a little selfish. Otherwise, you'll never become a great striker!"
In fact, Tang Long was far more confident than 50% about that shot; he was between 70% and 80%.
This anticipation stemmed not only from the opponent's goalkeeper's positioning deviation, but also from Tang Long's high degree of confidence in the deceptive nature of his feints.
A split second before he took the shot, he glanced at Agüero in the middle, and both his eyes and body posture indicated a tendency to pass the ball;
Until the very last moment, they suddenly changed their target, aiming directly at the goal!
The result was that the goalkeeper was caught off guard.
That's exactly the kind of feint attack we're using!
Only Tang Long himself knew about these fleeting, subtle judgments.
Compared to Armenia midfielder Mkhitaryan, who started in the previous match, Spain midfielder Thiago is still a cut above in terms of reading the game and controlling the tempo.
Although he is not fast, not physically strong, and has scored fewer goals than other midfielders;
However, a healthy Thiago is absolutely a crucial link in Guardiola's possession-based tactical system!
Especially in delivering through balls that break the rhythm of the game, Thiago's ability is about 80% to 90% of Iniesta's.
Manchester City maintained possession throughout the match against relegation-threatened Sunderland.
The Black Cats was completely disoriented and disoriented at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City quickly returned with a vengeance!
This attack perfectly demonstrated Guardiola's positioning of the three midfielders.
However, the attack was initiated by right-back Navas.
When Navas first heard at the start of the season that he was going to be converted to a full-back, he looked completely bewildered and found it amusing.
I'm already quite old. There's a saying that people shouldn't learn new skills after thirty. I'm 31, and you still want me to learn a new position? Do you think I'm a young person?
If I were only 18, you could make me a goalkeeper!
However, after Guardiola's earnest and detailed guidance, coupled with practice sessions in training, Navas suddenly realized the truth, feeling as if he had been enlightened, and his understanding of football became even more profound.
After receiving a pass from Stones, he passed the ball to Ranocchia, who was coming to receive it, and then immediately started running;
The player pressing Navas was Sunderland striker Defoe.
He saw Navas start moving and instinctively felt that he was going to walk along the sideline, so he immediately turned around and wanted to chase after him;
Unexpectedly, Navas actually moved inside, running towards the center, and after receiving a pass from Ranocchia who was positioned at the target man position, he dribbled the ball to the defensive midfield position!
This move, where the full-back tucks inside to become a defensive midfielder, is Guardiola's tactical innovation in football!
Navas is fast and agile, and like a rabbit, he dashed to the top of the center circle in a flash.
"Wait, give me the ball!"
Gündoğan was positioned four meters behind Navas, holding the fort at the rear.
Without even looking, Navas pulled the ball behind him with the sole of his foot, and it ended up at Gündoğan's feet.
In Guardiola's tactics, Gündoğan plays the role of Xavi.
After assessing the situation, he realized that the opponents weren't pressing forward enough, so he formed a triangle formation with Ranocchia and Navas, passing the ball back and forth until two Sunderland players pressed him. Finally, he "narrowly" passed the ball to Thiago.
The rhythm of that pass was simply wonderful. Thiago, who received the ball, couldn't help but shout "Good!" in his heart. Then, with a sideways turn, he immediately faced the opponent's goal!
Navas and Ranocchia were dribbling the ball around, Xavi controlled the tempo in the backfield, and Thiago's job was to deliver the decisive blow.
He had already seen Agüero and Tang Long rapidly switching positions, so he simply flicked the ball with the outside of his foot, sending it flying in a graceful arc, perfectly weaving through the gap between the two center-backs and landing precisely at the feet of the surging Tang Long!
Tang Long's ball control was also exceptional. After long-term training, he has acquired 85% of Maradona's ball control. With his back to the goal, he used the outside of his right foot to flick the ball, effectively neutralizing the force of the pass and stopping it steadily in front of him!
"They've broken down the door!"
Agüero had switched positions to the left wing, instinctively shouted!
Tang Long had already reached the edge of the penalty area, about 20 meters from the goal, a perfect opportunity for a long-range shot from the center.
However, in Tang Long's view, now was not a good time to shoot, because the goalkeeper was well positioned, and there was a defender firmly blocking his position directly in front of him. If he took a shot rashly, he would only hit the defender.
Tang Long dribbled the ball forward two more steps.
[Direct shot, 42% chance of scoring]
[Pass to Agüero on the left wing, 85% chance of scoring]
Tang Long glanced at Agüero on the left wing and noticed that he was offside, about a leg's length offside.
However, Agüero clearly didn't realize he was offside and didn't retreat at all.
"Either attack or pass, what are you hesitating for!" The opportunity was fleeting, Agüero shouted anxiously!
Tang Long immediately turned to face Sane on the right wing!
Just as he was about to pass the ball to Sane, another Sunderland full-back came speeding down from the outside. Although Agüero didn't move, he was back inside the offside line!
In the final moments, Tang Long flicked his ankle, twisting his body 90 degrees, and finally passed the ball to Agüero on the left wing!
"Here it comes!" Although Agüero didn't expect Tang Long to pass the ball last, he possessed top-notch shooting skills and, without stopping the ball, curled a shot into the far corner, and the ball hit the back of the net!
2-0!
Hearing the cheers and shouts of the fans around him, Agüero finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Next time, either hit or pass, don't hesitate, Tang, this isn't like you!" Agüero laughed and gave Tang Long a high five.
Agüero high-fived his teammates who came to celebrate, then walked towards the center circle.
On the way, he thought to himself, "Tang, as a striker, still lacks decisiveness in handling the ball, or rather, he lacks confidence in shooting. Why didn't he take that easy long-range shot just now? Luckily, his passing skills are still there. Haha, he's not a natural striker after all, so I can't blame him."
Entering the second half, the situation still showed no signs of turning around;
Most of the Sunderland players have given up hope of getting points against Manchester City.
This is a testament to a club's dominance!
The story of Tian Ji's horse racing strategy illustrates this: when a weaker team encounters a stronger team, they often give up halfway through the game if the situation shows no signs of improvement, focusing their energy on the opponent with whom they have a chance to score.
As a strong team, if the opponent gives up voluntarily, they can play more freely, thus conserving their energy and avoiding injury.
But Tang Long clearly didn't want to stop; he felt a burning sensation in his feet!
In the first Premier League of the new season, the Etihad Stadium was unsurprisingly packed to capacity, and the fans didn't want Tang Long to stop, cheering him on relentlessly.
In the 63rd minute of the second half, Thiago connected with Tang Long again!
This time, Thiago's through ball was incredibly deceptive, so much so that the moment he passed it, he was secretly thinking to himself:
"Can Tang understand my intention with this ball?"
In fact, a second before Thiago passed the ball, Tang Long had already simulated three passing routes in his mind, and then suddenly started moving towards the optimal route, while also guessing:
"Can Thiago read my running route for this ball?"
They immediately hit it off!
Thiago's low through ball perfectly bypassed the gap between the center-back and the full-back;
The moment the ball rolled into the penalty area, Tang Long, making a diagonal run, arrived in time!
The entire passing and running coordination was seamless, with Thiago passing 0.5 seconds late and Tang Long running 0.5 seconds early, and the routes could not be accurately predicted.
"Tang Long charges into the penalty area!"
"Thiago's ball speed is very fast, Tang Long has already reached a tight angle position after controlling the ball!"
"Almost exactly the same position as last time!"
"Agüero is waving; he's calling for the ball near the penalty spot!"
"Tang Long shoots!!!"
This time, Sunderland's goalkeeper Mannone learned his lesson and blocked the near post perfectly.
At the same time, both hands should be spread out in advance, ready to guard against Tang Long's shot hitting the top corner like last time.
Seeing the well-prepared Mannone, Agüero knew that Tang Long's attempt to use the same trick again was doomed to fail.
"Give it to me!" Agüero cried out urgently.
Tang Long still didn't pass the ball. He took a big step to the left with his left foot, and when he landed, his body was already facing the far corner of the goal. He then slammed the ball with the inside of his right foot to the left side of the goal. With a thud, the ball flashed past Mannone's feet, hit the inside of the right post of the goal, and bounced into the net!
Because his body twisted dramatically at the moment of the shot, Tang Long rolled to the ground.
He sprang up with a somersault, looked up at the Manchester City fans in the stands, and opened his arms!
3-0!
His teammates were all happily rushing towards Tang Long to celebrate, but Agüero stood there dumbfounded, completely bewildered.
As a top Premier League striker, Agüero knew how difficult this shot was to score!
The goalkeeper has completely blocked the near post; if a shot is to be forced, the only way to score is through the far post.
However, the shooting angle was simply too small. According to the laws of physics, hitting the target from such a small angle presents a challenge where even a slight error can result in a huge miss!
It either hits the goalkeeper or goes wide of the goal and out of bounds.
Faced with such a narrow passage, the only way is to kick towards the inside of the far post, hoping it will bounce into the net—just like Tang Long did!
In the blink of an eye, a resolute belief in scoring and exquisite footwork are both indispensable!
Agüero watched the replay on the stadium's big screen and fell silent.
His resolve began to waver.
"Even I would have passed that ball, but Tang actually shot and scored! Has his shooting skill reached such a high level?"
From the same position, with two different shooting choices—one near the corner, one far— Tang Long scored on both occasions.
Agüero vaguely felt that once could be attributed to luck, but twice in a row, it was hard to say that luck was the factor...
Guardiola was utterly astonished!
He believed he knew Tang Long's shooting technique very well and had watched no fewer than twenty full-game recordings of Manchester City's matches last season.
In his memory, Tang Long, who played as an attacking midfielder, had an absolutely first-class grasp of the timing of his shots, but his shooting technique was still slightly inferior to that of a top-class striker.
However, the accuracy of those two shots at the near post made Guardiola feel that the player's level was even higher than Agüero's, and even comparable to Bayern's main striker Lewandowski. Furthermore, Guardiola even thought of Lionel Messi in the 2011-2012 season when he scored 50 goals!
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Guardiola chuckled, patting his bald head. "I don't expect Tang Long's shooting skills to be like Lionel Messi's. At his age, being able to play at the level of Agüero and Lewandowski is already very outstanding."
After taking a three-goal lead, Guardiola began making substitutions.
He made two substitutions, replacing Agüero and Thiago with Bonazzoli and Mkhitaryan.
Agüero was given a rest, while his "precious darling" Thiago was prone to injury and needed careful protection, so his use was limited.
But Tang Long remained on the field!
Tang Long looked towards the sidelines, where Guardiola secretly held up three fingers to him.
It looks like he's about to pull off a hat trick.
A gentleman helps others achieve their goals, and the players on the field are well aware of this.
Bonazzoli, who just came on, made his Manchester City debut.
Despite his excitement, he still took the initiative to assume the role of a target man, drawing attention and creating space for Tang Long to receive the ball and shoot.
In the 81st minute, Ranocchia dribbled forward and delivered a powerful pass to Tang Long;
Tang Long understood immediately, and as soon as his crotch was exposed, he turned and ran!
Before Bonazzoli could react, the ball suddenly rolled toward him.
He was startled and instinctively tried to grab the ball, but out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a light blue figure rushing forward at high speed. Bonazzoli finally reacted, leaning against the defender as much as possible to block the defender's view with his body, and then pushed with the instep of his foot!
Two passes, one jump, connection successful!
Tang Long swept past a defender with unstoppable momentum, like a whistling wind sweeping away fallen leaves!
To get past his opponent, Tang Long spiked the ball with great force, causing him to lose his balance. In order to complete the shot before the full-back could come to cover him, he simply fell to the ground and performed a left-footed diving shot!
Although Tang Long's left foot is not bad, there is a clear difference compared to his right foot. He still habitually uses his left foot for passing, dribbling, and shooting.
But fate also smiled upon him; Tang Long's left-footed shot, though of average speed and angle, went right through Bonazzoli's legs as he ran into the middle.
The goalkeeper's vision wavered, and he made a diving save, but still couldn't get the ball into the net!
The live stream chat exploded!
-[Hat trick! Tang Long has completed a hat trick!]
- [They're ridiculously strong, their form is off the charts in the very first round of the league!]
Guardiola's tactical brilliance is undeniable; congratulations to left winger Tang Long on his successful transition into a striker!
He stayed on the field, probably waiting for this moment!
[All three goals were scored inside the penalty area; Tang Long just wants to get closer to the penalty area!]
- [Hmm, why is the broadcast camera focusing on Agüero?]
Haha, it's because Tang Long stole his thunder!
-[I have a feeling that if we keep playing like this, Manchester City's top scorer at the end of the season won't be Agüero, but our Tang Long!]
[Strive for the Premier League Golden Boot, oh no, the European Golden Shoe!]
Leading 4-0.
Guardiola finally substituted Tang Long with Sterling in the 87th minute.
When Tang Long left the field, the entire Etihad Stadium stood up and applauded his hat-trick!
Tang Long smiled and raised his hands in response to the fans' applause.
"Thank you, boss, thank you for letting me receive the cheers from the fans." Tang Long and Guardiola hugged each other.
"No, I want to thank you, Tang. You showed me the potential of wireless. As a coach, I've never been so excited as I am today. Next game, keep doing this, shoot when you should!"
Guardiola smiled and gave Tang Long a light kick in the backside.
At that moment, an unprecedented sense of professional accomplishment surged within him like a tidal wave!
Guardiola was thrilled. Transforming a player and watching him achieve a breakthrough brings a sense of pride no less than winning a championship trophy!
The opening match of the first round of the Premier League has concluded.
Thanks to Tang Long's hat-trick and Agüero's goal, Manchester City secured a comfortable 4-0 victory at home.
However, there is still some suspense.
Will Tang Long be able to win the Premier League Golden Boot this season? That's the biggest question.
On the other side, Manchester United, also facing a weaker opponent like Bournemouth, won 3-0.
Icardi, Ibrahimovic, and substitute Bony each scored a goal.
Until the end of the first round of 20 Premier League matches.
Tang Long leads the Premier League scoring charts with three goals!
Not only the Premier League, but the first round of the other four major leagues has also concluded.
People were pleasantly surprised to find that, looking across the Top Five Leagues, only Tang Long had scored a hat-trick!
Even Lionel Messi of Barca and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid didn't have as impressive a performance in their league debut as Tang Long.
In fact, Tang Long has performed hat tricks before.
Last season, he also scored three hat-tricks.
These include the 11th round of the league match against Manchester United, the 38th round against Fulham, and the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 against his former club Inter Milan.
But all of these were accomplished from the attacking midfield position, including quite a few long-range shots.
And this time, all three goals in the Premier League opening match were scored inside the penalty area!
Henry, the Premier League legend and commentator for Sky Sport who broadcast the entire match, remarked with emotion:
"Although Tang Long scored a lot of goals last season, I never thought he could score even more as a striker! After all, not everyone can play as a striker. Although shots inside the penalty area are closer to the goal, they also require a higher success rate from the player!"
"I told you all long ago, Guardiola's tactics are brilliant! And it turns out that moving Don from attacking midfielder to left winger was absolutely Guardiola's brilliant move!"
"But what puzzles me most is that I'm very curious about what happened to this Asia player this summer, when all our Europe players were playing in the UEFA European Championship?"
"His accuracy in those two shots from tight angles, and his resolute attitude, showed me the qualities of a top striker!"
"I feel both familiar and unfamiliar with Tang's transformation; his talent is astonishing!"
Henry emphasized, "A striker isn't learned, he's born. That's largely true. Your body and mind must have this instinct, this instinct that lets you feel where the ball will land, how it will bounce, and so on."
"I see that marksman's instinct in Tang!"