Winning the Premier League Three Rounds Early! Tang Long Overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo to Top the European Golden Shoe Rankings!

Watching Darmian walk away, clutching his head and staggering slightly, Pellegrini felt a mix of emotions, a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

At the end of last season, the wheels of fate turned mercilessly, and he was sacked by Manchester City.

Even after winning the league title, he was dismissed simply because his performance in the UEFA Champions League fell short of expectations.

In fact, he also led Manchester City to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, which is the team's best result in the UEFA Champions League history.

What he found most infuriating was that the person who succeeded him as manager was none other than Guardiola, the then- Bayern manager who had defeated him in the UEFA Champions League the previous year.

Pellegrini left Manchester City with resentment, filled with bitterness but helpless.

He is over sixty years old, and in the grand stage of football, it may be difficult for any wealthy club like Manchester City to open its arms to him again.

But just when he was filled with despair, Manchester United CEO Woodward, like a ray of sunshine, extended an olive branch to him.

Pellegrini grasped at a straw like a drowning man grasping at water, and without the slightest hesitation, decisively took over the reins of Manchester United.

This decision instantly placed him at the center of public opinion, and in the eyes of Manchester City fans, he became an outright traitor.

On the wall surrounding his house, someone had painted insulting words in bright paint. "Traitors will not have a good end!"

In fact, upon closer examination, the excessive behavior of Manchester City fans is not surprising given the broader context of Europe football.

It's common for players to move between fierce city rivals, let alone coaches.

In the world of coaching, there are no rigid rules that confine coaches to one city or one team.

Pellegrini felt deeply honored to be on the prestigious and prestigious Manchester United platform.

In recent years, although Red Devils Manchester United's performance has not been as Blue Moon as Manchester City's, in terms of team heritage, commercial value, and global market appeal, Manchester United still firmly surpasses Manchester City.

Upon arriving at Manchester United, Pellegrini immediately seized control of transfers and embarked on a massive recruitment drive.

First, he set his sights on former Manchester City striker Bony and brought him into his fold.

Subsequently, football superstar Ibrahimovic joined Manchester United through his efforts.

For a time, Manchester United's squad was star-studded, with players like Ibrahimovic, Bony, De Bruyne, and Rooney, all of whom were top-tier players capable of creating storms in attack.

Chilean Engineer Pellegrini, driven by a thirst for revenge, is eager to have a thrilling showdown with Guardiola in the league and avenge his previous defeat.

But reality was like a series of heavy slaps, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

In the first ten rounds or so of the league, the two teams were able to keep up, but as the season progressed, the gap between them widened like a chasm, becoming increasingly difficult to overcome.

"Why is it always him? Does it mean that as long as Tang is there, Manchester City is destined to be an insurmountable mountain in the Premier League?"

Every time Pellegrini sees Tang Long speeding across the field, helping Manchester City climb the standings with his brilliant goals, and Tang Long personal goal tally soaring like a rocket, even rivaling Cristiano Ronaldo for the European Golden Shoe, he can't help but feel a deep sense of sorrow.

Even if you combine the strengths of attacking powerhouses like Ibrahimovic, Icardi, De Bruyne, Bony, and Rooney, it seems difficult to match the combined prowess of Tang Long in Manchester City's squad.

Time flies, and we've reached the end of the 2016-2017 season.

Pellegrini, who was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of winning the title at the beginning of the season and carried the KPI of winning the title, can now only Red Devils Manchester United to struggle in the quagmire of fighting for UEFA Champions League qualification next season.

At this moment, just over 20 minutes into the first half, Manchester United were already down 0-2.

Even his most trusted and reliable full-back, Darmian, made a mistake under pressure, leaving Pellegrini overwhelmed, helpless, and bewildered. He kept asking himself:

"Am I, Pellegrini, truly destined to never be able to defeat Guardiola?"

Pellegrini's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the past, to his fierce battle with Guardiola in La Liga.

At that time, he was coaching Real Madrid, while Guardiola was leading Barcelona.

In just one season, he was utterly defeated by Guardiola and ultimately resigned in disgrace.

New and old grudges intertwined, and an uncontrollable anger, like a raging fire, instantly surged to Pellegrini's head.

Fortunately, after scoring two goals, Manchester City slowed down their attacking pace and began to patiently control possession in the midfield and attacking third.

Manchester United seized the opportunity to rally their focus and commit to a full-scale defense.

The two sides traded blows, resulting in a stalemate and a deadlock at halftime, with the score remaining unchanged. The score ended 2-0.

During halftime, the Manchester City home team's locker room was filled with excitement.

Young Bonazzoli, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement, clutched a bottle of champagne tightly in his hands, shaking it incessantly in the center of the locker room, the bottle seemingly a symbol of victory in his hands.

Just as he was full of anticipation and about to open the bottle to celebrate, a hand pressed down on the champagne cork.

"What are you doing?" Tang Long asked, his brow furrowed.

"Pop the champagne! Isn't it obvious? We've secured the league title three rounds early, we have to celebrate!" Bonazzoli explained with a grin, his face beaming like a blooming flower.

Without saying a word, Tang Long snatched the champagne from Bonazzoli's hand and slammed it heavily on the table.

Then, mimicking Pellegrini's gesture of hitting Darmian on the head, he smacked Bonazzoli on the head.

"Listen up, everyone!"

Tang Long suddenly raised his voice, which was loud and powerful, echoing in the locker room like the tolling of a great bell.

In an instant, as if they had heard a command, everyone stood up in unison, their eyes all focused on Tang Long.

Captain Kompany stood quietly to the side, his face solemn; Second Captain Agüero crossed his arms and also turned his gaze toward Tang Long.

Everyone held their breath and pricked up their ears, listening intently to what Tang Long was about to say.

"A 2-0 scoreline isn't secure. Do you remember the first leg at Old Trafford where we beat them 5-1? Tonight, our score can't be any lower than that!"

These words were like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through everyone's hearts.

Everyone looked shocked.

5-1, will they really pull off another 5-1 victory?

Admittedly, they thrashed Manchester United 7-1 last season, but that's all in the past.

At this point, they only need to maintain this 2-0 scoreline to lift the Premier League trophy three rounds early.

Moreover, the team still has tough matches to play in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League final. If they were to go all out against Manchester United now, it might push their opponents too far and trigger a fierce conflict between the two sides.

Tang Long seemed to read everyone's thoughts, and before anyone could speak, he continued:

"Don't give them any chances, and never let them have any illusions. It's like wanting a dog to stop barking at you; simply hitting it and walking away won't work. You have to completely knock it down, cripple it, so it can't move, can't bark, and can only obediently lie on the ground looking up at you."

Tang Long's words were sharp and filled with a chilling murderous intent, as if the air itself was thick with the stench of blood.

Upon hearing this, everyone instinctively took a step back, feeling both shocked and impressed.

Before everyone could catch their breath, Guardiola strode into the locker room, clapping and beaming with a broad smile. Clearly, he had just heard Tang Long's impassioned words.

"Tang is right! We can't give Manchester United any illusions. You know, they're still dreaming of taking points from us and qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League. I'd like to ask, do you agree to that?"

Captain Kompany understood immediately and shouted first, "I won't agree!"

Agüero, not to be outdone, waved his hand forcefully and shouted, "I won't agree either!"

Everyone chimed in, their emotions completely ignited.

Ultimately, everyone reached a consensus: their arch-rivals Manchester United only deserve to compete in the UEFA Europa League, and they must not be allowed to advance to the UEFA Champions League group stage next season.

Seeing everyone responding enthusiastically, even head coach Guardiola standing on his side, Tang Long's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile.

He couldn't help but recall the phone call his good friend Guarin, who played for Inter Milan, made before the match.

"Tang, if you can beat Manchester United, I'll pack up all the girls in Manchester's nightclubs, fill five big trucks, and stuff them all into your house!"

Guarin's words were, of course, a half-joke with Tang Long.

He knew perfectly well that Tang Long wasn't the kind of person who frequented nightclubs.

But from Guarin's perspective, this match was of great significance.

If Manchester City beat Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also defeat their opponents, Tottenham Hotspur will overtake Manchester United and move into the top four of the league.

This is undoubtedly a huge temptation for Guarin and the entire Tottenham Hotspur team...

At the start of the second half, Pellegrini took a desperate gamble, making a risky move by forcing the still not fully recovered De Bruyne the game.

Two weeks ago, De Bruyne had to sit out due to a hamstring injury, and Pellegrini placed him on the bench.

Given the current situation, Pellegrini has no way out; even though De Bruyne is not fully recovered, he must play.

After all, when it comes to the ability to make through balls in the middle, no one in the entire Manchester United squad can match De Bruyne, even when he's only at half his best.

In the first 10 minutes of the second half, De Bruyne gritted his teeth and persevered despite the pain in his thigh.

He passed the ball a few times and ran a few steps, but looking around, an indescribable sense of sorrow welled up in his heart.

That feeling is like a peerless master who has great skills but nowhere to use them, filled with the helplessness of a hero whose talents are wasted.

"Get moving! Make runs and cut in! What are you doing?!" De Bruyne, his voice filled with anxiety.

However, Rooney, Ibrahimovic, and other teammates all seemed to be on a different wavelength from De Bruyne, unable to form an effective connection with him.

While Manchester City's tough defense and tight control of passing lanes certainly played a part, the more important reason was that the Red Devils' morale had been completely crushed under the immense pressure of being two goals down!

Looking back at this season, in every match where Manchester City scored first, they invariably came out on top.

This time, Manchester United traveled to the Etihad Stadium under immense pressure, falling behind by two goals at the start. How easy would it be to stage a comeback?

No one was sure.

In the 57th minute of the second half, De Bruyne seized the opportunity and delivered a brilliant through ball, expecting Bony to sprint ahead to receive it. However, Bony seemed to be a step too slow and missed the chance.

Seeing De Bruyne jumped three feet high in anger, slapping his thighs hard with both hands, lamenting in his heart, "Ah, if only Icardi were here, with his positioning awareness, he could definitely reach that position!"

At this moment, De Bruyne felt an overwhelming longing for Mauro Icardi, the Argentina player with whom he had once had many conflicts.

Although the two had a tense relationship and constant conflicts, under Pellegrini's patient guidance, De Bruyne showed his magnanimity and reconciled with Icardi.

Just as their relationship was gradually improving, fate played another trick on them, and Icardi was loaned back to Inter Milan.

Now, Icardi, back at Inter Milan, is dominating in Serie A, while De Bruyne is all alone and feels incredibly lonely in the Premier League.

Some people, perhaps, only learn to cherish things after they've lost them.

De Bruyne gradually realized that within the entire Manchester United team, the only player who truly shared his vision and had a seamless working relationship with him was Icardi...

As soon as the 90 minutes were up, the referee blew his whistle decisively, not awarding a single minute of added time!

4-0!

Manchester City not only kept a clean sheet against their visitors, but also thrashed them with four goals!

Tang Long alone performed a hat trick.

Although they didn't achieve the five-goal target Tang Long set at halftime, the 4-0 scoreline was enough to leave Manchester United devastated and humiliated.

Tang Long, carrying the game ball, arrived at the advertising area for an interview, with his teammates rushing towards him and running wildly behind him.

"We've won!"

"Hahaha, we've won the championship ahead of schedule!"

"Winning the title by beating Manchester United is so awesome!"

"Manchester is always blue!" the players roared.

In the stands of the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City fans, representing the home team, taunted Manchester United fans with their songs.

"GlorygloryCity~"

"GlorygloryCity~"

"GlorygloryCity~"

They changed the original Manchester United anthem, "Glory, Glory Manchester United," to "Glory, Manchester City."

That's truly killing someone by breaking their spirit!

The Manchester United fans looked utterly dejected, their faces ashen, and they didn't even have the will to retaliate. They could only leave the stadium in a huff, escorted by security.

Back on the pitch, the Manchester City players, dressed in light blue jerseys, had run and cheered countless times on the Etihad Stadium this season, but this time, they ran exceptionally fast and shouted exceptionally loudly!

Tang Long's interview was frequently interrupted by strange screams that whistled past, leaving Diletta, who was holding the microphone, with only a helpless smile.

"Congratulations, Tang! Congratulations on defeating Chelsea and securing the Premier League title with three games to spare..."

"Excuse me, the Manchester United we beat wasn't Chelsea," Tang Long said deliberately.

Diletta smiled, thinking to herself, "You're being naughty again~"

"You've completed another hat-trick. Is there anything you'd like to say to the fans here?"

Tang Long stood with his hands on his hips, looking around.

Although the match was over, not a single Manchester City fan left the stadium. They stood up and chanted Tang Long's name, their voices lingering long afterward, "Tang!!!"

"The most spectacular goal is always the next one! I want to say thank you for their support; they've really worked hard all this way." Tang Long waved to the fans in salute.

Diletta: "By the way, Cristiano Ronaldo didn't score this round. After scoring a hat-trick, your league goal tally has reached 47, which is an amazing number. You've already surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo by one goal!"

Tang Long flashed a confident smile and said, "My duel with Cristiano Ronaldo will continue until the very last round, and I believe he thinks so too!"

Just then, a loud rumbling sound was heard. It turned out that the fans had broken through the security barriers and climbed over the stands onto the field, wanting to join the players' celebration.

Security personnel blew their whistles, urging the Manchester City players to leave the field immediately.

"Run! Or they'll strip me naked!"

Tang Long grabbed Diletta's hand, and the two of them strode briskly towards the players' tunnel with big smiles.