Chapter 498: Chapter 498

The three substitutes had anticipated being called when Mourinho beckoned, but O’Neill’s indecision left them confused.

Mourinho took a deep breath before gesturing to the players, clarifying how they should proceed: warm up!

Commentators Martin Tyler and Andy Gray were just as frustrated, feeling that the sixty minutes felt like torture.

It was a repetitive cycle: Manchester City attacking, Tottenham clearing, Manchester City shooting from distance, and Spurs blocking.

After Manchester City took their twelfth long-range shot of the match and it was deflected by a defender, Tyler nearly wanted to smash his microphone!

He thought it was impossible to continue commentating. If they were radio commentators without a broadcast feed, eight out of ten sentences they uttered would be about Manchester City attacking, passing, penetrating, crossing, shooting—it felt like an infinite loop.

Listening to such commentary made it seem like they were narrating Manchester City’s shooting practice. The entire crowd at White Hart Lane appeared numb, wearing expressions of disbelief.

Unable to take it any longer, Mourinho stood up and began directing the City players. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI(F)ire.net

Tottenham’s total defense had effectively forced City’s formation to shift to almost a 1-1-4-4.

The defense now relied solely on young Terry. In front of him, Stanković held down the midfield, constantly moving up and down the pitch.

Mourinho couldn’t take it anymore and shot a lingering glance at the unmoving George Graham next door. ’Come on! I’ve done all I can—be a man and go attack!’

At least on the surface, now City was granting their opponent ample space to attack. It was a risk, but City had no other option.

If they didn’t give their attacking players more room, they wouldn’t be able to create and advantage. Some of the players lack experience and not quite ready mentally; if confined to a small space, their technical advantages would vanish, not to mention their speed. They may want to sprint, but where would they go—into the stands?

Ronaldinho would push inward for long-range shots, while Deco moved up to deliver crosses from the wings. Though this was how they positioned themselves to attack, upon defending, the midfielders would swiftly drop back.

On the other side, Allan Nielsen moved in to block, while Darren Anderton stayed near the halfway line, playing very cautiously.

Interestingly, it was Mourinho who had become the most active figure on the City sidelines, continuously adjusting formations.

And this allowed Tottenham to take advantage of their opportunity to snatch a goal—twice.

Ronaldinho is excellent at dribbling, but his crosses today were just average. They were good, but not outstanding. So when, in the 71st minute, he delivered a cross, it was blocked, and Tottenham capitalized.

The second time, Sol Campbell made crucial clearances before Les Ferdinand pounced, scoring two consecutive goals of the same type.

When the second goal arrived, Martin Tyler could hardly believe what he was seeing.

"Unbelievable! Tottenham has managed to snatch another goal from Manchester City in exactly the same way. Sol Campbell assisted twice, and Les Ferdinand has scored a brace!"

City’s players were stunned. Despite dominating possession, their inability to break down Tottenham’s rigid defense had allowed the visitors to strike efficiently on the counter, turning the match into a nightmare scenario for City.

On the other side, Trezeguet had no room in the box. Whenever he received the ball, he couldn’t even get a proper touch, often tumbling to the ground from physical challenges.

When he heard the referee’s whistle and saw him pointing toward the sideline, he realized Larsson was already ready to come on.

He was being substituted.

"Why me?!" he shouted, pointing at Eto’o, who stood not far beside him, stunned by the outburst.

Richard frowned but had already guessed what was happening.

It took about thirty seconds for the drama to subside. As Trezeguet trudged off the pitch, O’Neill tried to give him a handshake, but Trezeguet ignored him, making it one of the talking points of the match. His frustration was clear for everyone to see.

Mourinho, watching from behind, could only hope to influence the situation. Eto’o, even though he wasn’t particularly effective in front, constantly moved up and down the pitch, drifting left and right to find space. Trezeguet, on the other hand, stayed in the box, always hoping to receive the ball.

So, he opted to send Larsson into the box, while Eto’o would use his movement as a decoy. Zambrotta and Zanetti were also brought forward, replacing Ashley Cole and Woodgate in defensive positions.

This resulted in a bizarre sight at City’s attacking front.

"If we weren’t watching the development of this game, viewers might think City’s players had all been drinking today. Cannavaro, Zanetti, and Zambrotta—three starting defenders—found themselves at the front, fighting for headers and taking on the roles of forwards."

"O’Neill was at his wit’s end. On his bench today, there was only one forward, Larsson. With Henry sidelined by injury, he had to hope that the recently recovered striker could change the game. Why not let the defenders use their bodies in the box to create space? Perhaps they could eke out a miracle."

"A miracle... I think today’s match is already miraculous enough."

Yeah. Park the bus and concede two goals.

With direct penetration blocked and no space for solo breakthroughs, even giving City a Maradona wouldn’t have helped—there simply weren’t the formations or openings necessary to break through Tottenham’s defensive lines.

After more than fifteen shots from distance, City was on track to break their own record for both total shot attempts and shots that missed the target.

Now a corner, lost count of how many times already for City. As the match entered the final five minutes, Mourinho decided to take a gamble. He pointed to Terry and Buffon, signaling them to push forward.

Buffon’s presence in the Tottenham penalty box had everyone shaking their heads.

"This is just ridiculous..."

Goalkeeper in front? You’re asking to concede a third goal!

As buffon rushed forward, no person in city defense, leaving city fans, the Cityzens wondering what formation they actually had.

Surprisingly, as buffon surged forward, City began to seize the upper hand. With more height in the box, the threats from crosses increased dramatically.

A flurry of corner kicks from Zidane rattled Tottenham’s defense, forcing them into frantic clearances. Terry, positioned alertly just outside the box, denied Spurs any chance of launching a counterattack.

As the second minute of stoppage time approached, Eto’o drifted into the box and leapt for a high-quality header... only to be denied by Sol Campbell!

The ball ricocheted back into play. Richard, watching from his seat, sensed that it would land in a dangerous spot—and he wasn’t wrong. Three towering City players were converging on the rebound:

No one could immediately claim possession in the chaos of two versus three, and the ball once again fell into Tottenham’s perilous penalty area.

Seizing the moment, Larsson bulldozed past Stephen Carr, overpowering him to reach the ball first. He turned swiftly and executed a spectacular back-of-the-head strike.

Ian Walker, Tottenham’s goalkeeper, was caught completely off guard. Just as he moved to punch the ball clear, Larsson’s deft header sent it soaring higher than he could reach.

Richard’s anticipation filled him with joy as he watched the ball sail toward the net.

The White Hart Lane crowd erupted. Against all odds, City had found a way through Tottenham’s impenetrable defense!

"Welcome back, Henrik Larsson! After recovering from injury, he comes straight into the action and makes an immediate impact!"

"What a way to announce your return! Tottenham’s defense had no answer for him this time—he bulldozed past Carr and finished brilliantly with the back of his head. If anyone doubted his fitness or form after the layoff, that goal will silence them instantly. Absolutely sensational!"

Richard’s anticipation filled him with joy as he watched the ball sail toward the net. But within a second, that joy plunged him into despair.

Larsson, after heading the ball, didn’t celebrate or show any sign of triumph—he was limping and making his way toward the City bench.

"I knew it! That’s why I said wait!" O’Neill bellowed at Mourinho.

"We cannot wait any longer! Two goals, two!"

The managers and their assistants seemed to argue heatedly about the situation.

Richard sank into his seat. With all substitutions used, Larsson’s injury meant City would have to play with ten men in the dying minutes. He was truly disappointed and buried his face in his hands, struggling to hide his profound frustration.

When the referee’s final whistle echoed through White Hart Lane, boos erupted like thunder.

Richard gathered his feelings, deciding against shaking hands with Alan Sugar, who had intended to wait for him after the match.

"Good match," Alan said with a warm smile, making Richard’s eyes twitch.

After that, he headed toward the White Hart Lane post-match conference.

During the interviews, he saw O’Neill lead his team away from this place of anguish—no Mourinho in sight.

Without waiting for questions, O’Neill solemnly stated, "Congratulations to Tottenham on their victory," before rising from his seat and leaving.

The reporter was taken aback, left speechless.

At the end of the day, the match was recapped as follows:

"At Tottenham’s home ground, the defending champions faced their third loss of the season. Although Manchester City appeared discontent, their performance today deserves respect. Perhaps Tottenham is now out of touch with the concept of winning—losing isn’t scary, but losing the will to win is."