Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 565: Haaland and Foden Play—The Future of Manchester City

The chaotic battle between the two teams continued into the second half, with neither side able to break the deadlock.

In the 86th minute, Guardiola made a crucial substitution, bringing on Mbappé in place of Zabaleta.

This was a risky move, swapping a key defender for an offensive player with almost no defensive capabilities. Clearly, Guardiola wasn't content with a draw—he wanted to leave Anfield with a win.

Mbappé knew the weight of his responsibility. After coming on, he played very actively on the wing, constantly using his speed to try and beat Liverpool's full-backs, creating chances for City.

But when you play near the river, you're bound to get your feet wet sometimes.

In the second minute of stoppage time, as City launched another attack down the wing, Liverpool quietly adjusted their defensive strategy. In addition to sending a full-back to deal with Mbappé, Emre Can came over to double-team him.

Caught off guard, Mbappé couldn't protect the ball and was dispossessed by Liverpool.

Though Liverpool hadn't had many shots or chances in the game, their counter-attacks were always dangerous, capable of producing goals.

After winning the ball, Emre Can avoided De Bruyne's attempt to intercept and sent a long pass to Coutinho on the wing.

Coutinho pushed forward, drawing defenders towards him before lofting a cross into the box.

Wijnaldum, charging in from the opposite wing, met the ball with a powerful header.

The ball bounced off the ground, wrong-footing Navas, and landed in the net.

The Liverpool fans in the stands erupted in cheers!

It was a last-minute goal!

Liverpool had finally defeated their long-time rival Manchester City at Anfield!

On the sideline, Klopp was visibly ecstatic after Wijnaldum's goal, celebrating with a series of fist pumps.

Not far from him, Guardiola wore a solemn expression, frowning as if deep in thought.

The photographers took advantage of the contrast between the two coaches, capturing both their reactions in the same frame—Guardiola's frustration and Klopp's jubilation, perfectly illustrating the teams' different fortunes.

Two minutes later, the referee blew the final whistle, ending the game.

Though Guardiola was clearly disappointed, he straightened his suit and calmly approached Klopp to offer his congratulations.

Klopp accepted Guardiola's congratulations with a smile and even tried to engage him in further conversation.

But just then, news from another match soured Klopp's mood—Chelsea had come from behind to beat Stoke City at home, extending their winning streak to 13 games.

Liverpool had worked so hard to take three points from City, only for it to feel meaningless in the face of Chelsea's dominance.

When Guardiola heard the news, his expression didn't change much.

With City's loss to Liverpool, they had fallen out of the title race, and it seemed unlikely that they would contend for the championship this season.

So whether Chelsea won 13 games or 14 games in a row, it no longer mattered to City.

...

Even though the Premier League doesn't have a winter break, finishing the first half of the season didn't mean the players could rest.

However, with City now trailing Chelsea by double digits, Guardiola began to relax mentally.

After returning to Manchester from Liverpool, Guardiola gave the players a day off and revised his rotation plan for the second half of the season.

Since winning the league title this season was looking unlikely, he decided not to push his key players too hard. Instead, he planned to give more opportunities to the younger and substitute players.

On January 2, in the 20th round of the Premier League, Manchester City hosted Burnley, and Guardiola made significant changes to the starting lineup.

Players like Lin Quan, De Bruyne, and Agüero were all on the bench, with the starting XI made up of substitutes and rotation players.

Jesus, Sané, and Son Heung-min all got starting opportunities.

Perhaps because many of the usual starters were absent, or because Burnley was playing very defensively, City's substitutes didn't perform well in the first half. Despite having several shots on goal, they couldn't score.

Not long into the second half, Burnley capitalized on a corner to score first.

This made the City players even more anxious, and their performance worsened as a result.

However, the City fans at the Etihad showed no dissatisfaction. They continued to cheer loudly and support the team, standing as the club's loyal 12th man.

Guardiola, standing on the sideline with his hands cupped to his mouth, yelled instructions at his players, reminding them to play with more calmness and patience.

These weren't just any substitutes—they were City's backups. And for a top club like Manchester City, their substitutes weren't weak.

The issue wasn't a lack of skill; it was a mental block, preventing the players from performing at their full potential.

Perhaps Guardiola's shouting had an effect, because in the 62nd minute, City finally scored.

However, it wasn't one of the forwards who found the net—it was full-back Clichy.

But the forwards didn't disappoint Guardiola for long. After Clichy's equalizer, the players regained their composure and began playing better.

In the 68th minute, City's front three combined brilliantly just outside the box, and Jesus headed in a cross from Son Heung-min to make it 2-1.

City had turned the game around.

After seeing that goal, a smile finally appeared on Guardiola's face.

This was the kind of play he wanted to see. These players were finally meeting his expectations.

With City now in the lead, Guardiola started making substitutions.

In the 70th minute, he took off Son Heung-min and brought on Mbappé.

Mbappé had been blaming himself for the team's loss at Anfield, feeling that his late mistake had cost them the match. The entire team, including the coach, had reassured him, ensuring that such a talented player wouldn't develop a psychological burden.

Having this sense of responsibility was a good thing, but as many pointed out, football is a team sport—wins and losses aren't the result of just one person's actions.

When the team wins, they celebrate together; when they lose, they shoulder the burden together. Carrying everything on one's own shoulders only leads to self-destruction.

Though Mbappé had recovered mentally, he became even more determined to work hard on the pitch.

Having turned 18 just last month, he was now officially an adult.

At Lin Quan's age, Lin had already led Manchester City to the Champions League title.

But Mbappé still had nothing to show for himself. If he didn't fight for it now, when would he?

Burnley's players initially underestimated him, thinking he was just a young substitute. But after a few electrifying solo runs down the wing, they were left in shock.

Where had this kid come from? Why was he so fast? And how could he change direction so quickly? Surely his knees couldn't handle those sharp turns!

Mbappé didn't have as many skills as Lin Quan, but he maximized his strengths—his speed.

Once he got past a defender, they had no hope of catching him. And for those trying to defend him head-on, they had only one chance: either win the ball off him or get beaten.

In the 78th minute, just eight minutes after coming on, Mbappé cut in from the wing and scored with one of his signature moves, making it 3-1.

After scoring, Mbappé ran to the sideline and bowed apologetically to the Manchester City fans.

The fans were stunned for a moment, then erupted into even louder applause and cheers.

Mbappé's gesture had won the hearts of City fans.

Guardiola, delighted to see Mbappé score, applauded as he turned to his assistant coach and said, "Go, tell those two kids on the bench to warm up!"

Newly appointed assistant coach and former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta was momentarily taken aback and instinctively asked, "Boss, do you mean those two kids who aren't even 17 yet?"

Guardiola glanced back at the two excited youngsters on the bench, smiled, and patted Arteta on the shoulder.

"Yes, those two!"

Well, if the boss said so, Arteta had no reason to argue. He quickly returned to the bench and found the two boys.

"You and you—take off your jackets and go warm up on the sideline!" he instructed.

One of the young players, who had a baby face, lit up with excitement. "Yes, coach!" he shouted, before dashing off as if he was afraid the opportunity might slip away.

The other player, taller and more reserved, couldn't quite believe it. "Coach, are we really going to play?" he asked.

Not entirely sure whether Guardiola would actually send them on, Arteta gave a vague response. "Go warm up—you don't have much time left."

Hearing this, the tall player stopped questioning and quickly threw off his jacket, sprinting to the sideline even faster than the baby-faced one.

"Is that how you warm up?"

"He must be too excited!"

"Haha, if I were 16 and found out I was about to play for a top team, I'd be just as excited!"

On the bench, several of the senior players couldn't help but chuckle at the exaggerated antics of the two young boys.

Guardiola wasn't joking, though. After the two had finished warming up, in the 82nd minute, both of them were subbed into the match.

Haaland replaced Jesus, while Foden came on for Gündoğan.

The cameras of countless journalists were trained on these two young players, still so fresh-faced as they prepared to make their Premier League debuts.

Though they hadn't yet played for City's first team, their reputations were already well-established in the youth academy.

Many viewed them as the future of Manchester City, the next generation of stars who would one day carry the team's banner and lead them to even greater heights.

Both players were undeniably talented, but this was still their first Premier League match.

Nervousness was inevitable.

The opposing players saw an opportunity in their inexperience and immediately started targeting them.

Haaland, being a forward and more isolated up front, didn't see much of the ball. With his tall and muscular build, the opposition couldn't do much to trouble him.

Foden, however, had it much worse.

He replaced Gündoğan as an attacking midfielder, a position that required him to be heavily involved in the game. Even though City adjusted their tactics to reduce Foden's burden, he still saw plenty of the ball—and plenty of pressure from the opposition.

Foden wasn't very tall or heavy, so when the Burnley players barged into him, he was easily knocked down.

And when he fell, he lost the ball.

Premier League referees are known for allowing physical play, and these kinds of collisions are often seen as normal. So most of the time, there was no whistle when Foden was knocked over.

Already nervous to begin with, Foden became even more anxious after being targeted and losing possession. He even started to blame himself.

This only made his performance worse, as he began shying away from physical confrontations.

Guardiola, watching from the sideline, knew this wasn't good.

He started to regret bringing Foden on too early. The boy clearly wasn't used to the physicality of the Premier League, where opponents were far more aggressive than anything he had encountered in the youth team.

But then Guardiola reconsidered. This was a necessary part of Foden's growth. You can't raise young players in a bubble forever—eventually, they have to face reality.

Even if it's embarrassing at first, it's better for him to realize the gap between himself and professional players. That way, he'll be more motivated to improve.

Of course, after this match, Foden would need to focus more on physical training to handle these types of challenges better.

Guardiola planned to consult with the youth development director to see if there were any existing plans in place for Foden's physical development.

These two were still very young, and Guardiola didn't plan on playing them regularly in the league just yet.

For now, giving them occasional appearances to experience the atmosphere and gain a bit of top-level match experience would be enough.

Once they had absorbed these lessons and grown, they would be given more playing time, gradually improving their abilities.

Guardiola had done something similar at Barcelona, back when he had seen the club as his lifelong home, never intending to leave.

Unfortunately, things hadn't worked out that way. Changes at the top of the club eventually affected everyone below.

This time, Guardiola hoped he would have the chance to see it through at Manchester City.

(End of Chapter)

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