Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

”Frank, I’ve got a question—just a casual one,” Li Ang said as he warmed up on the training pitch after the team talk. ”So like the captain said, in London, we can lose to anyone, just not to Spurs. But what if we end up losing to Arsenal later? That’s normal, right? The captain won’t be mad, will he?”

Hearing that ”daring” question, Lampard raised an eyebrow, then grinned and gave Li Ang a friendly slap on the back of the head.

”Heh… what do you think? Want me to go ask John for you?”

The moment he heard Lampard’s tone, Li Ang understood instantly and waved his hands frantically—no need!

Alright, message received.

Maybe Terry had been absolutely sincere when he swore that they must never lose to Spurs. But that phrase was clearly just a motivational rally cry before a big match.

Today Terry could say they couldn’t lose to Spurs. Next time? He could just as easily say they couldn’t lose to Arsenal.

In London, even if derby matches didn’t stir as much media or fan hype as the Manchester Derby or Merseyside Derby nowadays, they still held the pride of being local derbies.

Forget Arsenal—even if they were playing Crystal Palace, the whole Chelsea squad would need to be dialed in.

And, of course, when Palace or Fulham played Chelsea, Arsenal, or Spurs, they too would give it everything to claw out some points against the big boys.

Take Fulham, for example. That hotheaded kid who pissed off Li Ang last match? He went all out, but still got bullied off the pitch before halftime.

If Crystal Palace’s players had watched that match, they probably wouldn’t be foolish enough to try the same stunt.

On September 24, Mourinho took a rotated Chelsea squad away to face Swindon Town in the third round of the League Cup. Their opponents were a League One side—third tier of English football.

As expected, very few regulars started.

But having learned his lesson from the near disaster against Basel, Mourinho wasn’t about to mess around too much. He put Li Ang in the starting eleven to anchor things.

For this lower-level cup tie, van Ginkel was left out. Instead, Nathan Aké and Tomáš Kalas were given rare starts.

That night, Chelsea’s tactics weren’t exactly refined—if anything, they were kind of crude.

Swindon had ambitions of playing wide and probing through the flanks, but Chelsea had other ideas.

Li Ang and Oscar looked for every chance to ping long passes behind the defense, and Lukaku was having an absolute blast.

He was the only proper striker in the lineup, so whether he wanted to stay central or drift wide, Mourinho gave him free rein.

Two assists and one goal—that was Lukaku’s final stat line.

Against lower-league defenders, his raw power was just too much.

Li Ang was subbed off after the first half, having already racked up one assist.

In the second half, Oscar added two more goals for a brace, and Chelsea walked away with a comfortable 4–0 victory, cruising into the League Cup’s Round of 16.

Glancing at the fixture calendar, Li Ang saw that they were just four matches away from the final—assuming they avoided extra-time heartbreak.

And with the semifinals being two-legged, that meant just three more ties would get them to Wembley.

Compared to his experience in the Copa del Rey back in Spain, Li Ang found the League Cup schedule far more reasonable.

At least it wasn’t the kind of cursed setup where you played all the early rounds in a lump, only to wait two or three months for the final.

This season’s final was set for early March.

Li Ang’s mind was already churning with ideas.

The baseline goal for Chelsea this season was to finish top three in the league and lift at least one domestic cup.

As for the Champions League?

Both Abramovich and Mourinho were serious about it. Their aim was to go as deep as possible, no matter the opponent.

Viewed that way, the FA Cup—where Premier League teams didn’t even enter until winter—wasn’t really worth throwing all their effort into.

Sure, the FA Cup still held prestige, and most English clubs took it seriously. But it clashed with the Champions League schedule.

On top of that, the FA Cup’s rules meant that drawn matches required replays, and the final didn’t take place until mid-May.

Li Ang personally felt it wasn’t worth pushing hard for it—at least not this season.

He could handle playing across four competitions. Maybe the younger players could, too, if rotated well.

But what about the veterans?

Chelsea’s defense still relied heavily on experienced players.

If they lost one or two to injury during the brutal winter period, it wouldn’t just cost them a cup run. It could derail their league and Champions League campaigns as well.

Of course, final decisions about squad rotation and prioritization were up to the coaching staff.

Still, Li Ang figured he could quietly talk to some of the senior guys and get their thoughts. If needed, he could bring it up with Mourinho directly.

With the League Cup match behind them, Premier League action resumed.

And, wouldn’t you know it—Chelsea vs. Tottenham, one of the fiercest London Derbies, was scheduled as the early kickoff in Matchweek 6.

That meant a very friendly broadcast time for fans in China and across Asia.

In London, the match was set to start at 12:45 p.m.

In China, that meant fans could tune in at 7:45 p.m. to catch one of the biggest clashes of the round.

Great for fans. Not so great for the players.

Chelsea had started adjusting two days early—eating pre-training meals earlier and moving training sessions to 1–3 p.m., helping the body clock adapt.

Spurs were doing the same. Both clubs were taking the match seriously.

Before kickoff, fans of both sides were already hurling abuse at each other outside White Hart Lane.

Fortunately, stewards and police were on hand and efficient, preventing any physical altercations before the match began.

Li Ang, watching the chaos from the bus, nodded in satisfaction.

Now this was a real derby!

The Fulham match? That had felt like Fulham throwing a tantrum and Chelsea just ignoring them.

Listening to the chorus of boos and jeers from Spurs fans as they arrived, the Chelsea players reached the stadium on schedule.

According to the pre-match plan, both teams were to warm up on opposite ends of the pitch, keeping their distance.

But Li Ang, spotting a few familiar faces on the Spurs side, couldn’t resist walking over to say hello.

Not that you could blame him—there were a lot of them.

Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen, Paulinho, Jan Vertonghen…

These weren’t players who had always been at Tottenham. They were ”old acquaintances” from La Liga or other European leagues.

Li Ang greeted them warmly, and the four smiled and returned the gesture.

For Eriksen, the reunion brought a particularly strange sense of fate.

He’d only just joined Spurs this season, thinking he’d play a few good years in the Premier League before trying to earn a move to a top La Liga side.

It didn’t have to be Barcelona or Madrid—even Atlético, Valencia, or Sevilla would’ve sufficed.

He figured that would eventually let him cross paths with Li Ang again—maybe once or twice a season.

What he hadn’t expected was that no sooner had he set foot in London than Li Ang was snatched away from Madrid and brought to Chelsea.

Now, instead of waiting years for another matchup, he got to share the same league and city with Li Ang instantly.

The rivalry between Chelsea and Spurs might be fierce, and their fans hostile, but Eriksen and Li Ang had always appreciated each other’s game.

They’d followed each other on social media long ago.

Still, this was a London Derby—one of the most explosive ones.

So after exchanging a friendly greeting, the two didn’t linger.

Beneath the high noon sun, both squads jogged back down the tunnel after completing warm-ups.

And when the players re-emerged behind the referee to take the pitch, the cameras didn’t immediately focus on them.

Instead, all eyes turned to the sideline—

Where José Mourinho and André Villas-Boas were already locked in an unusually warm embrace.

Having been separated from Mourinho for several years now, André Villas-Boas no longer carried the doubts or impatience he once had toward his former mentor. His failed attempt to reshape the Chelsea squad firsthand showed him just how difficult it was to manage a big club—and how many obstacles stood in the way of implementing his own tactical vision.

It was only after being dismissed by Chelsea that the ”Little Madman” finally understood the truth behind Mourinho’s advice: be patient, keep learning, and never stop evolving.

Now, reuniting with his teacher, the more mature Villas-Boas could only offer gratitude.

And before this blood-soaked London derby truly kicked off, the brief moment of warmth between mentor and pupil was a rare and touching scene.

Of course, once the match officially started, both managers—and their players—snapped back into full professional mode.

”Alright, the captains have completed the coin toss, and now let’s take a look at the starting lineups for today’s match,” Jian Jun’s voice rang out.

”Chelsea start with Petr Čech in goal. Their back four: Ashley Cole, John Terry, David Luiz, and Branislav Ivanović.

In midfield, it’s Matic and Lampard as the double pivot, with Li Ang playing as the central attacking midfielder, flanked by Hazard on the left and Ramires on the right.

Up front, Zlatan Ibrahimović leads the line.”

”And for the home side, Tottenham, French international Hugo Lloris starts in goal.

In defense: Kyle Naughton, Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson, and Kyle Walker.

In midfield: Mousa Dembélé and Paulinho as holding midfielders, Christian Eriksen in the number 10 role, with Gylfi Sigurðsson and Andros Townsend on either side.

Up top, Spanish striker Roberto Soldado.”

As Jian Jun finished, the guest analyst for the live broadcast, Coach Zhang Lu, chuckled as he dove into a quick tactical analysis.

”Today, Ramires starts on the right wing instead of De Bruyne. His main task isn’t to contribute to the attack, but to shadow Dembélé. That guy—his physicality and technique are both top-tier in the Premier League…”

While many Chinese fans listened with a hint of skepticism, the long-awaited kickoff finally arrived.

With a whistle from referee Martin Atkinson, Tottenham started with the ball—Dembélé receiving a back pass from Eriksen before launching a long ball forward to begin the battle.

But Soldado, whose frame was more streamlined, stood little chance against Matic in the aerial duel.

Chelsea won the ball back, and right away, Li Ang and his old friend Eriksen clashed in a midfield battle.

Eriksen gave it his all, but physical duels had never been his strength.

Li Ang won the ball, turned, and surged forward into attack.

Chelsea’s attacking focus was, unsurprisingly, down the left flank.

Hazard, in fine recent form, and Ashley Cole—rested and full of energy—were blazing hot from the start.

After drawing Paulinho’s attention, Li Ang immediately distributed the ball leftward.

But before Hazard could make anything of it, he was taken out by a crunching tackle from Kyle Walker.

Even worse—both Li Ang and Cole raised their hands to protest, but referee Atkinson didn’t react at all.

No foul? Really?

”F***ing Atkinson!” Lampard, unusually for so early in the match, cursed aloud, then motioned to the team to fall back and prepare to defend the coming Tottenham attack.

”Dead game. Atkinson left his glasses at home today!”

”Thank God it’s not Mike Dean out there. If it were, Chelsea would be getting crucified.”

”My poor Zaza! Damn you, Walker!”

As the referee’s lenient whistle policy became obvious, Chinese Premier League fans erupted online in furious commentary.

On the pitch, Chelsea players were boiling with frustration.

Li Ang was furious at first—but quickly reconsidered. If Atkinson was letting a lot go, it couldn’t be all in Spurs’ favor, right?

With that thought, he acted.

As Soldado passed wide to Sigurðsson, Li Ang charged in with a fierce sliding tackle.

The timing was ruthless but precise.

Sigurðsson hesitated a fraction too long, and while trying to jump out of the way, caught the tip of his boot on Li Ang’s foot and crashed hard into the turf.

The ball was cleanly knocked toward the right flank.

Now it was Tottenham’s players frantically waving for a foul.

But Atkinson, once again, shook his head. He motioned to Sigurðsson to get up and waved play on.

Ramires, alert as ever, pounced on the loose ball and immediately lofted a diagonal pass toward Spurs’ defensive line.

Ibrahimović beat Michael Dawson in the air and nodded the ball down.

Hazard latched onto it at the edge of the box and fired a quick shot that had Spurs fans gasping in the stands.

Li Ang finally felt satisfied.

As long as the officiating was evenly loose, he could live with it.

With both teams getting a feel for each other, it wasn’t long before they fully unleashed, flying into tackles without hesitation.

But Spurs defenders had a major problem: they were facing players like Li Ang and Ibrahimović—hard-nosed, revenge-driven, and physically dominant.

Chelsea’s defenders, on the other hand, were up against Soldado and Eriksen.

Sure, the two were technically gifted.

But coming from La Liga and the Eredivisie, they weren’t exactly known for their physicality.

Hard to say, but in this bruising matchup, it was clear Spurs’ ”technical rebuild” couldn’t stand up to Chelsea’s raw power.

As Villas-Boas threw dagger eyes at Atkinson from the touchline, Mourinho was already adjusting tactics on the fly.

If the referee’s letting things go, and your team thrives on physical battles? Simple.

Go full force!

Li Ang started making more runs into the box.

Ramires and Hazard pushed forward on the wings.

Time to launch the 45-degree bombardment.

Li Ang, as usual, was the first to understand Mourinho’s intentions.

Ibrahimović didn’t need an explanation either—this kind of chaos-based offense was his bread and butter.

Li Ang and Zlatan looked at each other.

If only Kevin-Prince Boateng was here to tank in the middle, this would be perfect…

But it didn’t matter.

Hazard finally beat Kyle Walker one-on-one and broke free down the left flank.

Li Ang and Ibrahimović surged into the box.

Hazard’s cross came in high, with a lovely curve—just out of reach for the defenders to easily clear.

Dawson and Vertonghen reacted just a moment too slow.

Ibrahimović, reading the play perfectly, focused all his effort on blocking Dawson from jumping.

They both came down at nearly the same time.

That left Li Ang, who had better hang time and body control, to soar over Vertonghen and smash a powerful header at close range!

Vertonghen couldn’t even contest it.

Li Ang had locked down the space, and the Belgian center-back couldn’t get his footing to challenge.

Lloris flung himself across goal, desperate to save it—but his fingertips came up just short.

The ball glanced past his outstretched hand and buried itself into the far corner of the net.

GOAL!

As soon as the ball crossed the line, Li Ang leapt up and sprinted toward the corner flag.

He was pumped.

Playing against old friends?

That was exactly what Li Ang loved best.

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