Chapter 270: An Expensive Three Points

As the match began, Liverpool manager Roy Evans was already seated on the bench, looking remarkably relaxed—almost as if he was confident his side would secure the win.

Both Pirlo and Lampard had come on as substitutes, replacing Larsson and Jackie McNamara respectively.

"Interesting changes from Manchester City—Pirlo and Lampard coming on early, giving the midfield a very different look."

Walford and the rest of the coaching staff stood calmly on the sidelines, their expressions serene. Behind them, however, the Anfield crowd jeered—seeing them as arrogant and overconfident, eager to witness their downfall in what they hoped would be a dramatic comeback.

Liverpool continued to play with their traditional English style, showing little creativity; their tactics were all too evident. As long as City avoided the mistakes they made in the first half, they wouldn’t give the opposition any opportunities.

In the 60th minute, City executed a classic short combination play.

Van Bommel intercepted the ball from Jamie Redknapp and passed it to Pirlo, who then played it to Lampard. As Lampard pulled Barnes out of position, he quickly returned the ball to Pirlo. Without hesitation, Pirlo turned and launched a precise long ball—like a guided missile—cutting through nearly half the pitch and decisively driving it into Liverpool’s half.

Shevchenko held his position up front, while Ronaldo hovered just outside the penalty area, ready to pounce.

Sensing the danger, Liverpool’s Dominic Matteo, Mark Wright, and Phil Babb quickly collapsed into the box, forming a compact defensive wall in an attempt to block any breakthrough.

Ronaldo brought the ball down beautifully with his chest before completing a sharp one-two with Lennon just outside the box.

As the ball returned to him, Ronaldo wasted no time—he slipped a quick pass to Shevchenko, who received it with his back to Phil Babb.

Before Babb could react, Shevchenko deftly backheeled the ball into the open diagonal space on the right.

"Oh, Joan Capdevila was already on the move—lightning fast down the right flank!"

Capdevila had burst into the diagonal space opened up by Shevchenko, leaving his marker, trailing behind.

With perfect timing, he latched onto the ball and surged forward, his pace electrifying the crowd. One touch to steady the ball, another to glance up—he saw Shevchenko calling for it, already breaking through Liverpool’s defensive line, which had momentarily shifted focus to Capdevila.

The pacey right-back then whipped in a low, driven cross across the face of goal.

David James rushed out, arms spread wide, trying to cut down the angle.

However, the agile Shevchenko deftly touched the ball past James and reached the byline. With the shooting angle reduced to nearly zero, he calmly squared the ball back into the middle—where, unexpectedly, Lampard had arrived. With one smooth turn, he slotted it effortlessly into the empty net.

"Incredible! Frank Lampard again! Would you believe it? That’s his second goal in this competition—and he’s barely out of school! What composure from the youngster. A star in the making, for sure!"

Although the goal was, on the surface, just another simple tap-in—much like his first—it spoke volumes about Lampard’s intelligence and positional awareness. At only 18, he was already showing the instincts of a seasoned midfielder: arriving late in the box, reading the play two steps ahead, and placing himself exactly where the ball would be.

It wasn’t the finish that impressed most—it was how he got there. In a chaotic penalty area, he found space where there seemingly was none. It was the kind of movement you couldn’t teach easily—something that separated promising players from truly special ones.

"Incredible! From Capdevila’s run down the right to Shevchenko’s movement in the box—Manchester City completed eight passes in just ten seconds before burying it in Liverpool’s net! Martin, this kind of football is simply breathtaking. How have they got this team playing like that?"

"Andy, it’s even more impressive when you consider the circumstances. The head manager’s in the hospital, the caretaker is serving a touchline ban and watching from the stands—and it’s the coaching team holding things together on the sidelines."

"Even if all of them were on the bench, I’d still say the same thing—this is about the players. From what I’ve heard, every single one of them was personally recruited by the club’s owner, former footballer Richard Maddox. So maybe the real question isn’t just how they’re playing like this... but how does he spot talent so well? And how many more hidden gems does City have up their sleeve?"

60th Minute: Liverpool 1 – 2 Manchester City

After scoring, Lampard rushed into the goal to retrieve the ball, clutching it tightly before pointing to Capdevila in recognition of the assist. Moments later, Ronaldo and Shevchenko joined him in celebration.

On the touchline, Roy Evans stormed out of the dugout, shouting at Liverpool’s defenders and urging his team to launch an all-out attack.

In the VIP box, Richard Maddox finally regained his composure. For now, he was confident that City had just secured the three points.

Modern football still celebrates individual brilliance, with attacking players often reluctant to release the ball quickly. Many prefer to dribble, twist, or attempt solo breakthroughs—an approach that continues to thrill fans.

This style carries even greater risk in England, where referees tend to allow more physical contact and adopt a lenient stance on fouls. It’s one reason why players like Alan Shearer and Eric Cantona remain beloved icons—they embodied that bold, individualistic spirit.

In this context, if City’s forwards had relied on the same approach just now—depending heavily on individual footwork to create chances—it wouldn’t have been impossible to succeed, but it would have significantly reduced their efficiency and slowed the tempo of their attack.

Take Shevchenko, for example. If he failed to lay the ball off quickly when receiving it with his back to goal, a defender like Phil Babb would immediately close him down. There would be little room to turn, and worse—he could be hit with a hard, uncompromising tackle.

PHWEEEEE~!

As the match resumed, Liverpool pushed forward aggressively, but their crosses repeatedly fell short. Zambrotta and Gallas applied constant pressure on McManaman, making it difficult for him to deliver accurate balls into the box.

In the 76th minute, Capdevila once again overlapped on the right flank. His surging run and pinpoint cross forced McAteer and Babb to scramble back—causing a moment of chaos in Liverpool’s defense.

Liverpool’s onslaught was loud but lacked real threat, while City’s fluid attacking play continued to carve out opportunities. In the 80th minute, Ronaldo picked up the ball on the left wing, and Zambrotta instantly surged forward on the overlap, drawing the attention of nearby Liverpool players.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Ronaldo immediately cut inside with the ball.

Wright stepped up to intercept him, but Ronaldo quickly released the ball to the right, where Pirlo had positioned himself near the center. Pirlo took a quick glance into the box and delivered a precise low diagonal pass that sliced through Liverpool’s defense.

Every Liverpool player turned in shock as they saw Neil Lennon charging into the area from deep—nowhere near where he had been moments ago. The ball zipped across the six-yard box.

Lennon, diving in at the far post, managed to get the slightest touch, nudging the ball past David James. The goalkeeper, moving laterally to make the save, was clearly too late.

The ball grazed the post and rolled into the net.

"Neil Lennon! City’s super midfielder! During the buildup, left-back Zambrotta’s overlapping run helped stretch Liverpool’s defensive shape, allowing Ronaldo to cut inside before Pirlo delivered a sharp pass to Neil Lennon, who had slipped in unnoticed by Liverpool."

"Martin, what’s clear is that City play team football, not individual football. So why were they so ineffective in the first half? The main reason was Larsson—he was clearly off his game, possibly carrying an injury, though that’s yet to be confirmed. His performance disrupted the rhythm up front. But once Pirlo and Lampard came on to replace him and McNamara, City’s attack came alive. It was like completing the final piece of the puzzle—their play became fluid, cohesive, and dangerous from back to front."

After scoring, Neil Lennon sprinted toward the Anfield stands. With a calm defiance, he raised a finger to his lips—a bold shush to silence the home crowd.

Booing?Where’s all that noise now? Whether you’re a die-hard Kopite or not—keep it quiet.

Anfield, once roaring, was stunned into silence. Only the distant chants of the traveling City fans echoed across the stadium—wild, defiant, and growing louder by the second.

On the Liverpool bench, Roy Evans was livid, shouting instructions with clenched fists. Meanwhile, in the City dugout, Roach, Robertson, and the coaching staff couldn’t help but smile. Their plan was working—and the scoreboard showed it.

The fourth official quickly approached Lennon, sternly warning him to stop provoking the home fans.

In the wake of the brief silence, an even louder barrage of boos erupted from the stands. The fans closest to the City bench hurled furious glares toward the visiting coaches, shouting insults, flashing middle fingers—and even throwing lighters and coins in their direction.

After multiple warnings from the fourth official, Walford and Genoe waved their hands toward Lennon and the others, signaling them to calm down and not provoke the Reds.

Last season, Liverpool had been particularly formidable at Anfield, boasting a home record of 14 wins, 4 draws, and just 1 loss. Their away form was more balanced, with 6 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses.

One of those rare home defeats had come unexpectedly against relegated Ipswich—but even league giants like Manchester United, Blackburn, and Nottingham Forest had all fallen at Anfield. Now, losing to a newly promoted team was simply unacceptable!

Unfortunately for the home side, as the clock ticked closer to full-time, the Centenary Stand only grew louder with the confident chants of City’s traveling supporters.

PHWEEEEEE!

When the final whistle blew, Anfield fell into an eerie silence. Fans stood quietly and began to file out of the stadium.

Richard’s expression remained composed—showing no sign of celebration. The three points were hard-earned, but the loss of Larsson made the victory feel costly.

The problem was that his injury coincided suspiciously with the moment City had just approved several players to represent their countries at the Olympics—France, Nigeria, Argentina.

Walford, standing on the sideline, shook hands with Roy Evans, though neither of them exchanged a word. Without hesitation, he and Genoe moved to congratulate the players briefly before turning and making their way down the tunnel, their expressions unreadable.

Robertson and the two FA officials in the stands had already made a quiet exit the moment the final whistle blew—fearing that past tragedies might repeat themselves if they remained any longer.