The Premier League continued with its intense and tight schedule. This new season of the Premier League, hailed as a league of death, had kicked off in hell mode.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, and other powerhouses repeatedly proved they were not easily defeated. Even with a new season and a new landscape, the old masters would always remain the masters!
However, at this moment, the team topping the league table was this Manchester United created by Cao Baming!
In the blink of an eye, the league had reached round 8. Led by a constellation of superstars, Manchester United sat proudly in first place, boasting a dazzling and enviable record of eight wins out of eight, seven clean sheets, and a total goal difference of 21.
Even Cao Baming's Nottingham Forest could only manage third place on the league table!
This was because, in the match against Newcastle United, Henderson's unfortunate red card in the seventh minute had caused the entire team to collapse. Despite Cao Baming's frantic efforts to salvage the situation, they ultimately lost the match 3:4!
And now, the team sitting in second place had become Cao Baming's absolute nemesis!
Their position on the table was irrelevant; they were blocking the path between him and Manchester United! This thorn had to be removed, and it had to be done with blood!
This team was last season's runner-up, Manchester City.
The two Manchester clubs, Red and Blue, now dominated the top two spots on the league table, becoming a hot topic of intense discussion among fans, even overshadowing Cao Baming's Nottingham Forest.
If this continued, fans might forget the name Nottingham Forest!
Cao Baming's eyes flickered, and he clenched his fist tightly. Because today was the long-awaited match: Nottingham Forest hosting Manchester City!
"Time to go, brother, let's get out there now!"
White enthusiastically offered, extending his hand.
Cao Baming didn't hesitate, grasped it firmly, and used its strength to stand up, walking towards the stadium!
The home ground was indeed different. Even before they exited the players' tunnel, the deafening cheers of the passionate fans outside were overwhelming. With the fans so excited, they couldn't afford to lose this match!
Cao Baming gritted his teeth, muttering to himself. No matter what absurdities those unreliable guys on his team might pull, they wouldn't stop him from winning this match!
They had to win, no matter what!
The players reached the pitch. Amidst the passionate commentary of the live announcer, the match began!
Manchester City's starting lineup today did not include Max. Haaland was at the forward position, forming the traditional "Buddin connection" which had shown increasingly powerful effectiveness in recent matches. They had shown all the fans with their actions that Manchester City wasn't as dependent on Guardiola as people thought.
Cao Baming wouldn't humor them. In the third minute of the game, he unleashed a long-range shot and scored!
Then, in the fifth minute, he scored again from a clear scoring opportunity!
In the seventh minute, he received an assist from teammate Kouyaté and scored once more!
In just ten minutes, he scored three goals, completing a hat-trick! The brutality of this match began to show its true colors at this point.
Manchester City's players hadn't even figured out what was happening yet. They exchanged bewildered glances, completely losing their bearings.
Their team's head coach was even more confused. What was this? What was happening?
Thirty minutes into the game, Manchester City was already trailing 0:5!
The fans were stunned. They could never have imagined this before the match. This was supposed to be a clash between third and second place in the league, but it looked more like first against last!
Moreover, Manchester City was actually ranked higher! This, this, this...
While astonished, the fans were also immersed in joy. The continuous goals from Nottingham Forest had fans cheering non-stop, with no time to rest.
At this point, Manchester City's coach realized that Haaland's shots were a blank zero!
What on earth was going on?! In his frustration, he made a bold decision: he sent Max to the sidelines to warm up.
Max was a player who gave him the impression of being incredibly inconsistent. His floor was indeed low, but his ceiling was also outrageously high!
If there was any player in this world who could reach Cao Baming's level, it would likely be a peak-form Max!
Cao Baming keenly observed this development and thought, "As expected, he's here."
At this moment, Max's face was filled with confidence and determination. It was a level of determination that Cao Baming had never seen before. Max was absolutely buzzing with excitement, seeing this match as his long-awaited opportunity for revenge. He was absolutely not going to hold back!
Cao Baming's lips curved into a slight smile. He seemed to see through Max's thoughts at that instant, finding it utterly naive.
With only ten minutes left in the first half, Cao Baming knew Max's peculiar playing style. It would be impossible for his teammates to decipher it. If anyone was to defend against him, it had to be himself!
So, for the remaining time, Cao Baming temporarily reduced his involvement in the attack. Gradually, the entire Nottingham Forest team adapted their formation accordingly.
The entire team was serving him.
With Cao Baming personally defending, Max managed to get off two shots in the final moments, but due to the interference, neither was on target.
He was filled with resentment, waiting for an opportunity in the second half. However, he never expected that at the very last moment of the game, Cao Baming unleashed a long-range shot that found the net right as the whistle blew!
Was that a shot? That was from his own half, man!
The fans were shocked, and the commentator was stunned. He thought Cao Baming was clearing the ball from his own defense, but it turned out to be a direct shot!!
Cao Baming raised his hands high, signaling to all the fans, as if to say, "Just a routine play, no need to be surprised."
In the second half, Max was repeatedly outplayed. Finally, at the ninety-first minute of the match, he stepped up! With a direct shot from a free kick outside the box, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner of the goal!
Even Navas gave a helpless thumbs-up! Fine, you got this!
However, at this very moment, Nottingham Forest was already leading 9:0, with Cao Baming having scored seven goals himself.
Max shook his head in resignation. He didn't even celebrate.
The fans no longer reacted much. They were numb. What difference did one goal make? They were still going to lose.
With no hope of a comeback, Manchester City was ultimately defeated, and Nottingham Forest secured the victory, and it was a landslide win!