109: Chapter 109: Did Yu Bai deliberately lose the Premier League match to help his former club, Leicester City, win the title?

February 28th, Premier League Round 27, Tottenham hosted Swansea City. This was Yu Bai's first Premier League match since his return.

Swansea clearly did thorough research on Yu Bai, subjecting him to extremely high defensive intensity and physical contact. More importantly, Yu Bai himself was preoccupied with that undecided national team matter, his mind seemingly unable to fully focus on the game, appearing somewhat hesitant and heavy-hearted.

In the 19th minute, Swansea striker Alberto Paloschi seized on a lapse in the Tottenham defense and opened the scoring. 0:1! Tottenham were trailing at home!

After taking the lead, Swansea became even more resolute in their defensive counter-attack strategy, and the marking on Yu Bai was upgraded to an "insane" level. They not only assigned a dedicated player (usually Korean midfielder Ki Sung-yueng) to shadow him closely, but also had two or three teammates nearby at all times to provide defensive cover and double-team him.

Every time Yu Bai touched the ball, he had to face the encirclement of three to four defensive players, and was intentionally forced toward the sidelines or areas far from the goal.

Yu Bai's Dribbling remained sharp, and his dribbles were quite beautiful, but he always gave people the feeling of "form present but spirit absent." His Passing choices after breaking through were sometimes hesitant, and his Shooting lacked his usual decisiveness and killer instinct. It was as if an invisible membrane was blocking him from the pitch and from scoring.

In the 63rd minute, seeing Yu Bai once again barely manage to pass the ball out of bounds while under heavy double-teaming, Mauricio Pochettino made a substitution decision, replacing Yu Bai with Erik Lamela.

Yu Bai walked toward the sideline with his head down, irritably unwrapping the tape on his wrists and ankles.

His brows were locked in a frown, his face full of dissatisfaction with himself and a deep sense of powerlessness.

He knew he hadn't played well today, and he knew where the problem lay, but he just couldn't break free from that psychological shackle.

Ironically, after Yu Bai left the field, Tottenham actually played more fluently and threateningly.

In the 75th minute, Kyle Walker made a strong breakthrough on the right and crossed the ball, assisting the substitute Nacer Chadli to equalize the score!

In the 81st minute, left-back Danny Rose blasted a worldie from outside the penalty area, completing the winner! 2:1! Tottenham completed the comeback!

The two full-backs became the saviors, while the highly anticipated Yu Bai performed poorly and was substituted early.

This contrast caused the cheers at White Hart Lane to be mixed with some confusion and faint boos toward Yu Bai.

"What is wrong with Yu Bao today? He seems distracted."

"Feels like the young master is carrying a burden; he's playing so strugglingly."

"The team actually won after the young master was subbed off... a bit awkward."

...

March 2nd, Premier League Round 28, the marquee matchup — the famous "Lasagna Derby."

Tottenham visited West Ham United.

This match was given such a peculiar name due to the famous "Lasagna-gate" incident before the final round of the 2005/06 Premier League season.

At that time, while Tottenham only needed a draw to secure a Champions League spot, the entire squad suffered severe food poisoning (later confirmed to be a norovirus infection) after eating lasagna provided by the hotel at dinner the night before the game, including ten key players like Robbie Keane, Michael Carrick, and Aaron Lennon, who were vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, with many unable to play.

Although the Premier League postponed the match by a few hours, the sick Tottenham squad ultimately lost 1-2 to a West Ham United side with nothing to play for, missing out on the Champions League, while their rivals Arsenal successfully overtook them.

Since then, this defeat became a permanent pain in the hearts of Tottenham fans and sparked a "grudge" with West Ham United, with every clash between the two teams jokingly referred to as the "Lasagna Derby," and West Ham United fans often using this to tease their opponents.

However, in this "Lasagna Derby" full of historical grievances, the entire Tottenham team performed sluggishly, as if they had been infected by Yu Bai's "troubles."

On the pitch, Yu Bai still appeared "unwilling to fight," his running was not as active as before, his breakthroughs lacked sharpness, and his coordination with teammates frequently resulted in errors.

Just 7 minutes into the game, West Ham United's core Dimitri Payet delivered a brilliant pass, assisting Michail Antonio with a Heading goal. 1:0!

After that, no matter how Tottenham attacked, they struggled to break through the Hammers' solid defense.

Yu Bai had a few decent Passing attempts, but they all ultimately missed out on a goal.

The 1:0 scoreline held until the final whistle.

This defeat caused the points gap between second-placed Tottenham and league leaders Leicester City to widen further, making the title race suddenly severe.

After the match, public criticism of Yu Bai reached a small climax.

"Is Yu Bai 'throwing games' in the Premier League? To help his old club Leicester City win the title?"

"He has the 'Five goals in nine minutes record' in the Europa League and 'Director Yu' in the FA Cup, but turns invisible once he hits the Premier League? This contrast is too obvious!"

"It's hard not to doubt his professional attitude and loyalty to Tottenham!"

"Playing like this while earning 100,000 a week?"

The fans' accusations seemed "well-founded," linking the differences in his performance across different competitions to his time at Leicester City.

Meanwhile, Leicester City fans joked online: "Xiao Bai is indeed 'loyal and righteous,' he's helping us in another way!"

Although mostly jokes, it sounded harsher.

Tottenham fans: Murdering the heart.jpg

Only Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate knew the truth.

They knew that Yu Bai's recent struggles and fluctuations in form were rooted in that family dinner, in the difficult multiple-choice question they had given him. It was immense psychological pressure that affected his performance.

They waited anxiously, feeling like every day was a year, but they kept their promise and didn't call to urge him, fearing it would be counterproductive.

On the evening of March 2nd, the last day of the 10-day deadline agreed upon with Roy Hodgson.

Yu Bai locked himself in the study of his villa.

He didn't turn on the lights; only the city lights outside the window and the moonlight provided a faint light source.

He sat behind the desk, with the leather notebook recording his career highlights spread out in front of him, unconsciously spinning a pen in his hand.

He needed to make a decision.

A decision that could affect his entire career, or even his life.

He picked up his phone and made the first call to his mother, Shen Muwan.

The call connected quickly, and his mother's gentle voice came through.

Yu Bai didn't beat around the bush and directly stated the dilemma he was facing and the two choices.

Shen Muwan remained silent on the other end of the phone for a long time, then said in her usual voice, full of tolerance and love:

"Xiao Bai, Mom doesn't understand those big principles about football."

"But Mom knows that my son has grown up and has his own thoughts and judgments."

"No matter which path you choose, follow your own heart."

"Don't be kidnapped by other people's opinions, and don't be crushed by so-called 'responsibility'."

"As long as you are happy, healthy, and doing what you love and believe is right, Mom will support you. Always support you."