Chapter 543: Mesmerizing Fast Football

Old Trafford was plunged into an eerie silence after Trezeguet’s shocking goal.

Manchester United supporters stood frozen in disbelief, many latecomers still wandering the aisles in search of their seats, staring blankly at the pitch as if trying to process what they had just witnessed. Even the few thousand City fans were momentarily stunned.

Is this real? Did we really score? So soon? Against Manchester United?

Veteran players Gary Pallister and Brian McClair had left the club before the season began. Their replacements—Dutch defender Jaap Stam from PSV Eindhoven and Trinidadian striker Dwight Yorke from Aston Villa—had both arrived for club-record fees. The results of those changes had been immediate.

Champions League: Round of 16

Premier League: Top of the table

FA Cup: Sixth Round Proper

League Cup: Quarter-final

The commentators, Martin Gray and Tyler, were completely caught off guard. Expecting a brief lull to gather their thoughts, they instead found themselves scrambling back to their microphones as the goal arrived almost instantly, forcing them into an excited, breathless commentary.

"Incredible! Unbelievable! Manchester City take the lead with their very first attack of the match! Let’s take a closer look at how this goal unfolded. After the ball was calmly worked out from the center, Zidane and Makélélé bypassed United’s early press before Zidane switched play diagonally to the right. Zambrotta, advancing freely down the flank, delivered a high diagonal cross into the penalty area!"

"Yes, Martin. And then Ronaldinho’s near-post run dragged Gary Neville out of position, opening space at the far post. United’s center-backs hesitated, and David Trezeguet timed his run perfectly, bursting between them. Rising unchallenged, he powered a header toward the near post, leaving Peter Schmeichel with no chance. An early, decisive header—City take the lead at Old Trafford almost straight from kickoff!"

There were no official statistics yet, but judging by the stadium clock—and by what millions of viewers were seeing on television—Manchester City’s goal had come within just seven to eight seconds of kickoff!

The realization spread instantly.

Déjà vu.

For many watching, memories of that shocking goal against Chelsea came rushing back. Without question, this was even faster—potentially the fastest goal ever recorded in Premier League history, surpassing the one against Chelsea.

"Let’s see how the Manchester United manager reacts."

The camera immediately cut to Alex Ferguson.

Hands tucked deep into the pockets of his jacket, chewing gum methodically, Ferguson’s face was utterly unreadable. No outburst. No frantic gestures. No visible anger.

Just calm.

Almost unsettlingly so.

But those who knew him understood: beneath that expressionless exterior, his mind was already racing—adjusting, recalculating, preparing his response. The match had barely begun, yet the battle of wits was already underway.

Old Trafford, still stunned, waited for Manchester United’s answer.

Trezeguet dashed toward the City bench, his teammates rushing after him. They had every reason to celebrate—this was the Premier League stage, at Old Trafford!

The fastest goal against their cross-town rivals!

Mourinho waved his arms wildly, overwhelmed by excitement, yet somehow managing to restrain himself. When he saw Trezeguet charging toward him, he didn’t shy away. Trezeguet leapt forward, and Mourinho instinctively embraced him, stumbling backward in the process. Fortunately, Brito and the others were there to steady him—otherwise, he might have gone down flat.

More players joined the celebration, forming a tight circle as they roared in triumph over a moment destined to be etched into history.

Would the record for the fastest goal stand? Hard to say. But one thing was certain—it would be remembered by fans for a very long time.

Once the celebrations subsided, Mourinho clenched his teeth and spoke softly but firmly.

"Now that we’re ahead, what’s the plan? Do you remember what I said before the match?"

Trezeguet, Zidane, Makélélé, Pirlo, and the others answered in unison:

"We remember!"

No mercy. They would continue to press Manchester United relentlessly.

"Manchester United are undeniably strong. That’s why most teams coming to Old Trafford choose to sit deep from kickoff. United like to control the tempo, greeting opponents with a high line. We must surprise them—raise the pace from the very first minute. They think we’re newly promoted, that we’ll be timid or panicked? Absolutely not! We will knock them off their lofty perch and force them to chase us instead. Alright—let’s go. Until the final whistle, we do not stop!"

City’s focus was not clouded by their early lead. Complacency could turn this advantage into a terrible omen.

The players marched back to their half with renewed determination. Every word Mourinho spoke was taken seriously. The previous season had already proven his coaching ability, and his tactical judgment had delivered results.

PHWEEEE~

Manchester United stood ready for the restart. Their expressions were stern, but fundamentally unchanged. They were Manchester United. If an early goal could shatter their resolve, they did not deserve to wear the red shirt.

Ferguson was already seated on the bench, chewing gum as usual, showing no signs of agitation. After more than a decade in the role, if conceding a goal made him leap up and shout every time, he would have been dismissed long ago.

This composure—the blood of the Red Devils—and their ability to regroup went far beyond individual talent on the pitch.

In fact, during Ferguson’s era, not every Manchester United player was exceptional by pure ability. Yet their indomitable spirit transformed many ordinary players, granting them a regal presence and elevating their effectiveness through collective discipline. After conceding the goal, Manchester United wasted no time in responding. They immediately pushed forward, reverting to their trademark strategy—attacking aggressively down the flanks.

Sure enough, it began with Scholes launching a long ball. Zambrotta underestimated Manchester United’s threat on the wings—specifically the Welsh superstar, Ryan Giggs.

It was only after Giggs burst past him with a sudden change of direction that Zambrotta realized how foolish that misjudgment had been—especially since he had been explicitly warned about Giggs before the match.

Zambrotta had pushed too far forward and momentarily forgot that this was still early in the game, when stamina was at its peak. That brief lapse in concentration was instinctive—but he reacted quickly, recovering his position and cleanly intercepting the ball from Giggs’s feet.

Mourinho observed the exchange from the touchline but said nothing. In the past, Zambrotta had played mainly on the left rather than the right. However, with Zanetti intending to leave, he had begun preparing Zambrotta to adapt to the right flank—especially since the left side now belonged to Ashley Cole.

So far, to be honest, Mourinho was extremely satisfied with Ashley Cole’s performance.

"What a good lad."

Earlier, in the U-17s, Ashley Cole had studied the positioning and discipline of Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn to refine his game. At the time, the results were mixed.

Colewas naturally attack-minded, which often left him exposed at the back and prone to conceding goals. He even made an earnest request to change positions—but it was firmly rejected. Richard believed that left-back was the role best suited to him.

That decision weighed heavily on Ashley. He became discouraged, even entertaining thoughts of leaving for another club. He never expected that fortune would suddenly turn in his favor—that he would be offered promotion to the senior squad.

But it came with one condition.

Left-back.

Take it or leave it.

From that moment on, Ashley Cole never thought about changing positions again. After all, playing as a left-back was his only real pathway into the first team.

He had assumed that joining the senior squad would mean months on the bench. Instead, to his surprise, after arriving at City, Richard immediately began reshaping his game—modeling his development on the explosive Brazilian full-back Roberto Carlos.

Didn’t they have all the data on his playing style?

Even if it was based purely on manual analysis, it was more than enough.

Mourinho let out a quiet sigh, impressed by Richard’s long-term planning for Ashley Cole’s growth. He remembered Richard’s words clearly: "He’s got natural talent, but if he trains hard enough, he can become nearly that good."

And now, Ashley Cole—who had always loved scoring goals and charging forward—had also grown to appreciate the craft of defending.

Where Zambrotta relied on positioning and marking awareness, Ashley Cole typically closed down opponents with physicality—pressing aggressively and denying them any space to maneuver. More importantly, he defended with intelligence, reading danger before it fully formed.

The current situation was a perfect example. When Giggs managed to slip past Zambrotta, the Welsh winger immediately assessed his options. Seeing no clear route forward, he quickly recycled possession, playing a long pass backward to Beckham, who was already shaping his body for a first-time volley.

Yet Ashley Cole had read the play just as quickly.

Before Beckham could fully adjust his stance, Cole had already closed the distance, disrupting the rhythm of the attack. His swift reaction ensured that United couldn’t turn a brief advantage into something more dangerous.

That split-second adjustment said everything. He hadn’t been completely deceived, nor had he reacted too late. Instead, it revealed a defender who understood timing, space, and threat—proof that Ashley Cole’s defensive intelligence was just as important as his physical presence.

And moments like these explained why Richard trusted him so deeply, pushing aggressively for his promotion to the senior squad.

"Brilliant defensive awareness from Ashley Cole! He read the danger early and got there just in time!"

For the first twenty minutes, City’s midfield dropped back deeply under the enormous pressure from Manchester United, struggling to create any meaningful shooting opportunities.

At this point, City truly felt the pace of one of the strongest United sides in history. Of course, no one else realized this—only Richard knew the full scale of the threat.

The technical skills of United’s players had surpassed anything City had seen from Manchester United in any era. This was the 1998/1999 Red Devils team that would go on to achieve the treble.

Soon, the speed and fluidity of United’s ball movement became apparent. Long passes across the field were particularly dangerous, and United was quick to exploit even the smallest openings. Beckham’s precise long balls from the right, Keane orchestrating play through the middle, and Giggs’s dynamic runs kept City’s defenders on constant alert.

Manchester United’s tactical approach—attacking from both wings—was highly disciplined and heavily reliant on midfield control. Their tempo was something few other Premier League teams could match. The ball moved vertically far more frequently than it did horizontally, keeping City’s formation stretched.

Giggs sent in a cross to the center, where Scholes received it and laid it off to Keane, who then set up Beckham. Beckham, spotting Cole making a forward run, returned the ball to him, but Cole was unable to turn as the ball was immediately redirected back to Giggs.

"The ball shifts back and forth across the field like a constantly swaying pendulum, fully utilizing the pitch’s width. This forces the opponent’s formation to tilt toward the side of the ball. When their structure cannot keep pace with United’s rapid ball movement, gaps open up. That is when the threat of attacks down both wings becomes most dangerous."

Relying on a single line—whether midfield or defense—to cover 70 to 80 yards of width was impractical. Only by deploying additional defensive players could they hope to close spaces during vertical transitions.

On City’s flanks, Pires and Ronaldinho dropped back deeply, while Pirlo and Makélélé formed a protective barrier in front of the defense. They expecting Makélélé to cover the vertical channels alone and stifle United’s attack was wishful thinking.

Despite United’s dominance, their crosses from Giggs and Beckham had limited success. Cannavaro and Thuram dominated the aerial battles, while Yorke and Cole’s attempts to collect the ball outside the box were neutralized by Makélélé’s pressure, significantly reducing the effectiveness of United’s wide attacks.

After stabilizing against United’s relentless attacks, Ashley Cole finally made a decisive intervention. Sliding in from the side, he executed a clean tackle on Beckham, disrupting the Englishman’s rhythm.

"Referee!" Beckham protested immediately, gesturing in frustration.

But the official merely shook his head, signaling that play would continue.

Beckham, momentarily frustrated, did not realize that his shout had briefly distracted United’s Roy Keane.

On a few occasions, City managed to get the ball to Pirlo, attempting to build a counterattack. However, their moves rarely progressed. Keane’s reputation as a tough, intelligent midfielder was evident—he anticipated threats and closed down space with precision. Neville and Irwin, both disciplined and defensively minded, limited the effectiveness of City’s wing play, ensuring that United retained control of the midfield.

Whenever a City attack faltered, United quickly regained possession, reorganizing with methodical efficiency to launch yet another offensive. The tempo never dropped, the pressure never eased, and City had to remain alert at all times to avoid being overwhelmed.

And that brief distraction—just a momentary lapse in Keane’s focus—was exactly what City had hoped for!

City’s counterattack had begun!

Ashley Cole intercepted the ball before it could reach Pirlo. In midfield, Pirlo quickly realized he couldn’t turn with the ball at his feet—United’s structure had closed off most openings since they had settled into their rhythm.

After Cole dispossessed Beckham, he didn’t attempt a pass to Zidane, as Neville was already lurking behind, ready to intercept. Instead, Cole switched play to Pirlo.

Pirlo received the ball, fully aware that once it reached him, the counterattack had to accelerate.

Before Roy Keane could close him down, Pirlo scanned the field and spotted Pires making a swift run forward.

BANG!

A perfectly timed long pass.

Who said only Scholes could deliver precise long balls and dictate the game? Pirlo was proving he could do it just as brilliantly.

The ball then was flying.

Just like in the previous match against Chelsea, when Leboeuf tried to close down Pires, he and the surging Zambrotta executed a simple two-on-one, leaving Neville grasping at shadows.

Roy Keane abandoned Zidane to track him. But as he also lunged to tackle Pires, he was outmaneuvered yet again by Pires who pass the ball forward toward surging Zambrotta.

Zambrotta’s forward run wasn’t unexpected—United had anticipated it—but City’s execution was flawless. Beckham was left trailing, and even Keane had to abandon his post beside Neville to sprint back.

Pires and Zambrotta combined with perfect synchronicity along the flank. Neville never touched the ball as Zambrotta carried it deep into United’s near penalty area.

Ronny Johnsen rushed in to block, but Zambrotta remained calm. He slid the ball across to Zidane just as Keane had left him, and Zidane’s deft first touch allowed it to slip past Johnsen into his path.

Zidane then threaded a precise through ball into the penalty box.

As City’s attack approached, Jaap Stam shadowed Trezeguet closely, determined not to make the same mistake again. But when the pass arrived, Trezeguet shifted to the left, instinctively drawing Stam with him.

"SHIT"

Now the confusion began.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stam noticed a flash of deep blue.

Ronaldinho!

The coordination was nothing short of mesmerizing. United’s defenders had completely lost track of the danger on the left. This was why Ronaldinho and Zidane never occupied the same space—they complemented each other perfectly. One drew the markers, while the other struck decisively.

This time, Trezeguet held the defenders’ attention, while Ronaldinho met Zidane’s through ball without breaking stride. He swung his leg and struck with pure precision.

Schmeichel dived, fully extended, but his fingertips barely grazed the ball.

He turned his head, eyes wide in disbelief, as the ball slammed into the back of the net.

With thirty minutes gone, Manchester City led 2-0 against the mighty Manchester United!