92: Chapter 92 Yu Bai: You bumped into me? Don't make me slap you!

The Etihad Stadium was a sea of sound, with the Blue Moon hanging high.

This was no ordinary League Cup quarter-final.

It was a clash of titans between the Premier League's new moneyed powerhouse, Manchester City, and the season's biggest dark horse and league leaders, Leicester City.

Guardiola fielding a full-strength starting lineup declared Manchester City's determination to win this domestic cup, and signaled that Leicester City was about to face its toughest test of the season so far.

However, when that teenager in the blue number 52 jersey stepped onto the pitch and his calm gaze swept over the star-studded names on the opposite side, there was not a hint of cowardice on his face, only a palpable eagerness to fight and an almost arrogant focus.

"Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers?"

No, he was a young lion with sharp teeth, intruding into the territory of ferocious tigers.

"Beep——!"

Referee Anthony Taylor blew his whistle, and the battle began!

As soon as the opening whistle blew, the match went straight into a breathtaking mode of elite-level play!

Manchester City operated like a precise Swiss watch, running perfectly according to Guardiola's tactical board.

Their High Pressing was no longer just simple physical confrontation, but an organized, highly aggressive tactical encirclement.

Fernandinho, like a tireless hound, swept across the midfield; Delph's movement covered every vital area.

Once they gained possession, the midfield dual-core of De Bruyne and Yaya Touré immediately activated, tearing through Leicester City's defensive line with concise, fast, and lethal passing.

Pressure, passing, movement, and passing again.

Manchester City's game carried a strong "Guardiola imprint"—the pursuit of ultimate ball control and space utilization.

The 5th minute.

De Bruyne delivered a highly penetrating outside-of-the-foot through ball from midfield, instantly piercing through Leicester City's midfield barrier!

Aguero started like a ghost, touching the ball a split second before Wes Morgan and Robert Huth could close him down, and fired a low shot from a tight angle!

Kasper Schmeichel thrillingly deflected the ball out for a corner with his toe!

"Manchester City's attack! Flowing like mercury!"

"Aguero's movement and Shooting, this is a top-tier striker!"

The 12th minute.

A rare counter-attacking opportunity for Leicester City.

Yu Bai received the ball on the left flank; facing Bacary Sagna's defense, he performed two consecutive Step-overs, attempting to cut inside.

However, Yaya Touré's massive frame moved laterally like a mobile fortress, slamming his body solidly into Yu Bai!

The force was so great that Yu Bai stumbled and almost lost the ball!

"Little guy, this isn't a place for children to play house."

Yaya Touré looked down at Yu Bai, speaking in English with a thick Ivorian accent. His tone was flat, yet filled with a veteran's contempt and warning toward a "rookie."

Yu Bai steadied himself, looked up at Yaya Touré, and didn't retort, his eyes just growing a few degrees colder.

He passed the ball back to the supporting Danny Drinkwater and accelerated forward.

Drinkwater understood perfectly and delivered a long, lofted pass!

Yu Bai darted out like a cheetah, and under the close marking of Nicolas Otamendi, he used pure speed and early positioning to bring the ball down! He dribbled towards the penalty area!

"Stop him!" Joe Hart shouted instructions.

Fernandinho and Bacary Sagna quickly closed in from both sides!

In the narrow space where the three were about to form a sandwich, Yu Bai subtly flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot, sending it through Fernandinho's legs! At the same time, he nimbly twisted his body and squeezed through the gap between the Brazilian and Bacary Sagna!

"He's past them! A beautiful nutmeg!"

"Yu Bai! Facing the defensive line!"

However, Martín Demichelis was experienced; he didn't rush in blindly, but steadily held the inside line, blocking Yu Bai's angles for Shooting and further penetration.

Yu Bai attempted a change of direction, but Martín Demichelis accurately poked the ball away!

"Good defense! Martín Demichelis!"

"Manchester City's defensive structure is just too good!"

Although the attack didn't result in a goal, Yu Bai's performance of dribbling past two players and causing chaos deep in Manchester City's territory drew a wave of sound from the Etihad Stadium, mixed with gasps and boos.

This Chinese kid was tougher to deal with than they had imagined.

Yaya Touré ran past Yu Bai; this time he said nothing, just used his thick arm to bump into Yu Bai's shoulder, whether intentionally or not, with a hint of provocation. The force was still substantial.

Yu Bai rubbed his shoulder, looked at Yaya Touré's back, and cursed under his breath:

"Fking tank..."

"Don't force me to slap you!"

"I'll pay you back!"

Yaya Touré didn't look back, but the corner of his mouth curved into an "as expected" arc. He had long heard that Yu Bai had great skills and an even more explosive temper.

Less than a minute later, Yu Bai's flying tackle told Yaya Touré that he was not someone to be trifled with, and it was a clean tackle, at least that's what Referee Anthony Taylor thought.

Yaya Touré was already cursing, throwing his hands up in the air; I'm the star player! Why are you favoring this kid?!

In reality, there were already many controversial voices from the outside; Yu Bai always seemed to benefit from refereeing decisions. It wasn't about match-fixing, but rather that 50/50 calls were almost always blown in Yu Bai's favor, and rarely against him.

...

The match flew by in high-intensity, fast-paced transitions between attack and defense.

Manchester City controlled most of the possession, but Leicester City's defensive resilience and sharpness on the counter-attack meant the Blue Moon dared not be even slightly careless.

Kante's ubiquitous sweeping repeatedly disrupted Manchester City's intricate midfield passing.

The 20th minute.

A heated scene occurred on the pitch.

Raheem Sterling used his speed to beat Christian Fuchs on the right flank, then crossed after breaking into the penalty area!

Aguero and Robert Huth charged towards the landing spot simultaneously, their bodies colliding violently!

Aguero fell to the ground, and Robert Huth also stumbled.

"Penalty?!"

Manchester City fans roared.

Referee Anthony Taylor signaled no foul, play on!

Wes Morgan cleared the ball out of bounds with a big kick.

Aguero angrily slapped the turf and roared at Referee Anthony Taylor.

De Bruyne rushed over to pressure the referee.

Manchester City players surrounded Referee Anthony Taylor, and the atmosphere became instantly tense.

Just then, Yu Bai's voice, though not loud, clearly cut through the noise as he said in English: "Hey, Sergio (Aguero), that was just a normal challenge. In the Premier League, that's not a foul."

He shrugged, his expression innocent, as if stating the simplest of facts.

Aguero whipped his head around, glaring viciously at Yu Bai, and spat in a mix of Spanish and English: "You shut up! Kid! What do you know?!"

De Bruyne also frowned, looking at this "meddlesome" opponent, his tone serious: "Mind your own business, young man."

Yu Bai smiled, said nothing more, and turned to run away.

Trash talk is also part of the game.

He successfully added fuel to the fire in the heart of Manchester City's star player, although this fire might also burn him.

Guardiola was on the sidelines, hands in his suit pockets, brow slightly furrowed. He had taken note of Yu Bai.

This teenager was not only threatening in terms of technique but also exceptionally mature in mentality and game reading, not at all like a 17-year-old child.

He knew how to utilize the rules, how to provoke opponents, and even more so, how to appear in the most dangerous positions at critical moments.

"Can't keep him down..."

Guardiola muttered to himself.

He had originally thought that with Manchester City's midfield control and defensive toughness, it would be enough to limit this "explosive point."

But now it seemed that Yu Bai's range of movement, his way of handling the ball, and his ability to suddenly accelerate were causing frequent holes in Manchester City's accustomed zonal defense.

The balance of the match seemed to tremble slightly amidst this breathtaking stalemate and sporadic sparks.

Until—