Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

”The Birth of the Premier League’s Greatest Midfielder!”

”Chelsea’s Unstoppable Path to Title Defense”

”The Mourinho Philosophy — Leading a Tactical Revolution”

”Another Phenomenal Superstar Created by the Premier League!”

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On the morning of May 25th, the streets of cities all across England were flooded with headlines and coverage from the previous day’s Premier League finale.

Chelsea had sealed a dominant 4–1 victory over Sunderland at home, finishing the season unbeaten with a staggering 34 wins and 4 draws!

Li Ang’s personal stats had soared to an astronomical 43 goals and 33 assists!

In terms of total goal contributions across Europe’s top four leagues this season, he stood head and shoulders above the rest.

And with two finals still remaining for Chelsea—one in the FA Cup and one in the Champions League—Li Ang even had a legitimate shot at breaking the 80-goal-contribution barrier.

That would place him on par with peak Messi and Ronaldo—an achievement previously reserved only for football’s most transcendent legends.

To accomplish such unprecedented numbers as a midfielder, Li Ang had solidified his place as the undisputed third man in world football behind Messi and Ronaldo.

Not just in England—all of Europe and even fans worldwide were now talking about Li Ang.

Everyone was buzzing about the upcoming FA Cup final, and even more so, the looming Champions League clash.

Whether he was the Premier League’s top midfielder, or the best active midfielder in the world—these weren’t even up for debate anymore.

That conversation had ended after last season, when Li Ang led Chelsea to a domestic double and posted 30+ goals and 30+ assists in the same year.

Now, the only thing left was this:

If Li Ang could lead Chelsea to victory in both of the remaining finals, with performances matching his usual brilliance—then he would finally have the ticket to stand shoulder to shoulder with Messi and Ronaldo.

A Champions League title won as the undisputed team core.

A Ballon d’Or without asterisks.

Those were the two things required to earn a true seat at the table of football’s immortals.

And if that happened, the two Champions League titles Li Ang had already won with Real Madrid would only further strengthen his legacy.

Just like the 2007–08 season belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United.

Just like 2008–09 saw Messi and Barcelona emerge as football’s chosen ones.

The biggest stars in the world had always seized their moment at the top.

And now, this season’s script had been handed to Li Ang and Chelsea.

This was the opportunity they had waited for.

Very few teams in history had possessed the kind of depth Chelsea did right now.

Even fewer had the chance to win all four major trophies in England in a single season—and this might be the one and only time.

No team stays at their peak forever.

Chelsea probably wouldn’t be able to replicate the miracle run of 2012, when aging veterans carried them to the top.

They’d had enough of Champions League heartbreak.

Now the door was wide open, and neither Li Ang nor the club intended to leave anything to regret.

The title celebrations were over. The champagne had dried.

While the media continued their praise, Chelsea had already shifted into lockdown mode—preparing in earnest for what was to come.

Their first opponent: Arsenal, in the FA Cup final.

This matchup was seen as favorable for Chelsea.

Unlike Pep Guardiola or Louis van Gaal, Arsène Wenger was not the kind of manager to whip out bold, unpredictable tactical surprises in big games.

If Arsenal didn’t play their usual attacking football, their only other real option would be to sit back and counter.

Wenger wasn’t one to suddenly throw out exotic formations or test Mourinho’s in-game adaptability.

Meticulous pre-match planning and tactical stability had always been Wenger’s trademarks—and the same was true for Arsenal’s entire coaching staff.

That’s how Arsenal had remained a consistent top-four team over the years, even with limited financial backing from the club’s board.

But ever since losing players like Fabregas and van Persie, Arsenal’s ceiling had been much lower.

Cavani was a great player, but he didn’t have the same individual match-winning ability that Van Persie had in his prime.

And Arsenal’s current midfield? They no longer had a single player worthy of being called a world-class star.

In knockout competitions, it’s acceptable for wide players to be more functional due to financial constraints.

But the spine of a team can’t lack firepower.

During Arsenal’s heyday in the Champions League, they had Thierry Henry up front, Patrick Vieira in midfield, and Sol Campbell and Kolo Touré at the back.

Their core was rock solid.

Even in the 2008–09 season, after those legends had moved on, Arsenal still reached the Champions League semifinals.

That team’s spine was Adebayor, Fabregas, and Touré.

And they still had Walcott, Nasri, and Alex Song.

Compared to the current squad, those past Arsenal lineups were loaded with talent.

Back then, Wenger could at least sniff the Premier League title and a place among Europe’s elite.

Now, without a true midfield general, Wenger was stuck with a squad full of ”A-level” players and no true superstars.

His tactical ceiling had become obvious.

Mourinho, to be modest, had probably figured out 90% of Wenger’s playbook.

Chelsea’s near-total dominance over Arsenal in the past two seasons was the players’ biggest source of confidence.

No psychological pressure.

Plenty of rest.

Thorough preparation.

On the afternoon of May 30, Chelsea’s players, full of energy, boarded their team bus and headed to Wembley Stadium.

It would be their second cup final at Wembley this season.

And in just seven days, they’d return again—to face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League final.

That thought alone made the entire squad look at Wembley a little differently.

Li Ang didn’t care for superstitions like ”lucky stadiums.”

He’d played in too many finals across his career—and won at least one cup every year.

When it came to experience, he was the most battle-tested player among Chelsea’s younger generation.

Even among the veterans, his record in big matches was impeccable.

So while others showed nerves or excitement, Li Ang remained calm.

He did his warm-ups, followed his routine, and before heading back into the tunnel, he turned toward the stands packed with Chelsea fans—and raised his right arm high into the air!

The crowd erupted.

And under the lenses of journalists eager for that perfect shot, his confident smile quickly spread across the internet.

He was ready.

…

At 5:30 p.m. on May 30, the 2014–2015 FA Cup Final officially kicked off at Wembley.

This match had the potential to crown England’s first-ever domestic treble winners—and fans across the globe were watching.

In China, hundreds of thousands of viewers poured into the PPTV stream, eager to watch this highly anticipated—and free-to-air—match.

Zhan Jun, with his detailed pre-match notes in hand, quickly ran through the starting lineups for the two London giants.

Just as expected, both sides stuck with their go-to formations.

Chelsea rolled out their trusty 4-2-3-1.

Cech in goal.

Bertrand, Terry, Thiago Silva, and Azpilicueta across the back.

Matić and Kroos as the holding midfielders, with Li Ang in the No. 10 role.

Hazard and De Bruyne on the wings, and Ibrahimović up top.

Arsenal mirrored the same 4-2-3-1 structure.

With Arteta and Chambers out injured, they still managed to field a full-strength squad for a do-or-die clash.

Arsenal’s starting goalkeeper today was Szczęsny, who had reclaimed his spot between the posts.

The back four, from left to right, lined up as Monreal, Koscielny, Mertesacker, and Bellerín.

In midfield, Coquelin partnered veteran Toulalan as the double pivot. Cazorla operated as the attacking midfielder, with Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ramsey stationed on the flanks.

Cavani started up top as the lone striker.

From the opening whistle, both teams went straight into a full-on battle for midfield control.

There was no need for any cautious probing or tactical testing—both sides knew each other’s styles and strengths inside and out.

This was Arsenal’s final match of the season, their last shot at silverware. There was no turning back now.

Chelsea didn’t want to finish their glorious campaign with even a speck of regret, but the same went for Arsenal.

In previous league meetings, Chelsea had consistently overpowered Arsenal with better fitness, deeper rotation, and their relentless high pressing—often forcing Arsenal to play on the back foot.

But today’s final was different. Arsenal threw everything into the game, leaving nothing in reserve. Their pressing, intensity, and work rate matched Chelsea step for step.

Even Li Ang had to admit—this Arsenal was far beyond what he had expected. Wenger had clearly spent considerable time studying Chelsea’s evolved tactical systems this season.

If Wenger truly committed to rebuilding over the summer, Arsenal might become the third Premier League club to successfully ride the current wave of tactical innovation.

Yes, the professor was aging, but his football intellect and capacity to learn new systems remained razor sharp.

This new wave of tactical evolution—high pressing, transitional play, rapid attack-recovery cycles—fit perfectly within Wenger’s own ideals.

And just from the first ten minutes of this final, Arsenal’s full-throttle pressing looked impressively legitimate.

Still, Arsenal opting for this style wasn’t entirely unexpected by Chelsea’s analysts.

At its core, Wenger hadn’t abandoned his usual approach—he had simply infused it with a more aggressive press.

Li Ang read the shift quickly and signaled Hazard and De Bruyne to drop deeper. He himself planted in the center of the pitch, blocking Arsenal’s attacking axis.

Mourinho responded almost immediately with tactical adjustments, perfectly in sync with Li Ang’s on-field read.

He ordered Chelsea’s players to sit deeper and focus on intercepting central transitions.

It made perfect sense. Arsenal’s wide threats weren’t particularly explosive.

Had Wenger started Theo Walcott, Mourinho might have paid the flanks more defensive attention.

But the ”Little Tiger” had struggled with injuries in the second half of the season and never regained full form. Wenger wasn’t willing to gamble on him in such a crucial final.

That effectively meant Arsenal had given up on any serious wing-based threats.

Oxlade-Chamberlain had pace and energy, sure, but lacked polish.

Ramsey, deployed wide, played more like a narrow attacking midfielder—he was never going to be a pure dribbling outlet to break down Chelsea’s defense.

By contrast, Arsenal’s real numerical advantage lay in central midfield.

So Li Ang and Mourinho acted quickly to choke off Arsenal’s central build-up.

Wenger, watching from the bench, frowned. Chelsea’s in-game reaction speed was just too fast.

Li Ang began playing like a deep-lying ball-winning midfielder, sweeping through the entire top of the center circle.

Coquelin and Toulalan had no trouble moving the ball around their own half—but the moment they tried to step forward, they had to face Li Ang head-on.

Left with no other choice, Arsenal started shifting their build-up toward the flanks.

Now, Cazorla and Ramsey could only receive passes after the ball had been cycled all the way out wide and back in again.

Naturally, Arsenal’s offensive rhythm slowed down significantly.

Meanwhile, Chelsea executed Mourinho’s orders with machine-like precision. The moment they shifted into defense, it was all in—no hesitation.

Arsenal wanted to control the match? Fine. Let them.

They had the energy to play this high-octane system now—but what about in the second half?

Chelsea knew exactly where this was headed.

And maybe they wouldn’t even need to wait until the second half.

With Li Ang intercepting most of Arsenal’s forward passes through the middle, Chelsea’s defenders were barely feeling any pressure.

Matić clamped down hard on Ramsey.

But Kroos, on the opposite side, rarely stepped forward to challenge Oxlade-Chamberlain. He and Azpilicueta held deeper lines.

That opened up more room for Oxlade-Chamberlain to run into, and gradually, Arsenal’s attacks started favoring the left side.

It was an inevitable shift—Oxlade-Chamberlain had better freedom to receive and drive forward.

Even if his runs rarely troubled Chelsea’s backline, Arsenal had no other real route forward.

They all knew exactly how long their legs would hold out.

If Chelsea dragged them into a grinding second half, stamina would become Arsenal’s Achilles’ heel.

So they pushed. Oxlade-Chamberlain probed tirelessly for any chance to break down the flank.

Li Ang waited patiently.

He didn’t press forward until the 35th minute, choosing instead to anchor deep and watch.

But at the 38th minute mark, he suddenly dropped even deeper into Chelsea’s defensive line.

When Kroos and Li Ang swarmed Oxlade-Chamberlain together and stole the ball, the game flipped.

Arsenal had dominated most of the first half in terms of possession—but their legs were fading fast.

Meanwhile, Hazard and De Bruyne—quiet until now—looked like they had just completed their warm-up laps.

Li Ang barely hesitated. He adjusted his body and launched a sweeping diagonal counter-attacking long pass.

Arsenal’s defense sprinted back as fast as they could, but they were no match for the ball’s pace or accuracy.

Hazard controlled it flawlessly on the move.

Before Arsenal’s backline could recover, he had already cut inside and raced into the penalty box.

Bellerín made a desperate lunge—but Hazard danced past it with ease.

He lined up for his signature curling shot.

Hazard struck with confidence.

If Arsenal had started Ospina today, that ball would’ve flown past him into the far corner, no question.

But Wenger had chosen Szczęsny.

The towering Polish keeper, standing at 1.95 meters with a massive wingspan, managed—barely—to get his fingertips on the shot and push it away at the last second.

Ibrahimović, hovering at the far post, was stunned Szczęsny even made the save.

He couldn’t get into position quickly enough to take a follow-up shot, so he reacted instinctively—scuffing the ball back across goal to keep it alive.

Suddenly, chaos erupted in Arsenal’s box.

Mertesacker charged toward the loose ball with everything he had—but he was just a moment too late.

Wearing Chelsea’s iconic No. 10 shirt, Li Ang surged forward.

He launched himself, sliding in at full stretch, and struck the ball cleanly with his outstretched leg.

Szczęsny could do nothing.

The net rippled. Wembley erupted.

As the ball crossed the line, the stadium itself seemed to shake.

Li Ang popped up from the turf, arms spread wide, sprinting toward the corner flag.

His roar echoed across the world:

”A gift to Chelsea!”

”Get ready to witness England’s first-ever domestic treble!”

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