At this moment, the system's voice chimed, likely related to the new season!
This match was precisely the first game of the new season, wasn't it? Thinking of this, Cao Baming felt a surge of excitement.
Indeed, the system's voice that followed confirmed it was the start of the new season!
"In the new season, the system has undergone a comprehensive upgrade..."
"Season tasks are updated in real-time, the season achievement system is updated, and the season reward system is updated!"
"Congratulations to the host for receiving a new season grand prize! Do you wish to open it immediately!"
"Yes!"
Cao Baming replied quickly, without any hesitation this time.
"Congratulations to the host for receiving one million season reward points, system skills are upgraded, all abilities are increased by fifteen percent, and a brand new supreme talent skill card, Magnetic Storm, has been obtained!"
Initially, upon hearing the term "Magnetic Storm," Cao Baming was completely bewildered, having no idea what it meant.
Just as he was about to inquire further about the situation, the head coach's voice called from behind, urging everyone to the field for warm-up training.
It was just a talent, after all, nothing urgent. He could figure it out slowly on the field! Thinking this, Cao Baming quickened his pace, catching up with his teammates ahead and heading towards the brightly lit stadium in the distance.
Overall, the new season grand prize was quite generous.
He wondered if the new boosts would increase their chances of winning this match. At this moment, Cao Baming had a general understanding of the game's situation.
As the players took to the field for training, the two teams soon met for the first time on the pitch.
Currently, Chelsea had lost Mendy and Kante to Cao Baming, with two key players missing from their lineup, both crucial to their defense.
Fortunately, they still had Felix, Pulisic, Enzo Fernández, Kovačić, Mount, and Drogba to bolster their ranks. The team's overall strength was still far superior to Nottingham Forest's current squad.
The fans were also soon permitted to enter, and as expected, the stadium was packed to capacity.
This highly anticipated match was about to begin. Both teams boasted millions of supporters, and no one could definitively say which team would emerge victorious.
With a sense of anticipation, all eyes turned to the center of the field, where the players from both sides had re-entered.
Seeing Cao Baming included in the starting lineup filled all the fans with excitement, as many voices had questioned before the match whether Nottingham Forest would field Cao Baming in the first game due to the need for time to integrate with other players in the squad.
However, this assumption was clearly proven wrong now, as Cao Baming stood in the center of the field.
He appeared like a colossal mountain, not only grand but seemingly radiating an aura all around him.
Rather than calling the upcoming match Nottingham Forest versus Chelsea, it might as well have been Cao Baming versus Chelsea!
Against the backdrop of the commentator's passionate opening remarks, the match officially commenced!
The thousands of fans in the stands let out earth-shattering cheers and roars.
"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"
Chelsea, today, also arrived on the field with very significant objectives.
Chelsea's coach, Lampard, had informed his players before the match that their goal was simple: to win, no matter what!
Win at all costs, by any means necessary, only they mattered, they were the only ones that mattered.
It sounded simple, but it was laden with too many factors.
This was the first match of the Premier League season. As a team that finished fourth last season, they were somewhat unwilling to have had their potential top-three spot snatched by Liverpool. Everyone, including players, coaches, and team management, harbored a burning ambition.
They absolutely could not lose the first match, because losing this one would extinguish their fire completely. The consequences of such a blow could be unimaginable, potentially triggering a chain reaction and leading to a slump throughout the entire season. This was not superstition.
More importantly, the attention on this match was unprecedented. Everyone was captivated by Cao Baming; he alone had drawn so much attention.
Clearly, if Chelsea were to lose this match to a Nottingham Forest side led by Cao Baming alone, wouldn't that be a huge embarrassment?
After all, Chelsea was a reputable, established club with a mature lineup, tactical system, and players with strong faith and cohesion.
In contrast, the opposing team was merely a team that had performed indifferently in past seasons. If they could defeat Chelsea with just Cao Baming, then Chelsea would be utterly humiliated, and their prestige would be significantly impacted.
Regardless of whether the fans accepted it, if the facts bore out, there would be no way to clear their name.
The coaches of both teams stood on the sidelines, mere meters apart, and the psychological battle had already begun.
The first minute quickly passed. As of yet, Cao Baming had not displayed any brilliant performances, but he knew that the attention of the entire stadium, all eyes, were focused solely on him.
From a bird's-eye view, neither team showed any remarkable performance in the first minute. Both played cautiously, with no clear advantage or disadvantage, maintaining a balanced situation.
However, this was only the very beginning. Masters engage with restraint, and moreover, cautious teams would initially focus on probing. No one wanted to be the first to reveal their hand.
While not a final like a truly crucial match, this was at least the opening game of the new Premier League season. Everyone wanted a good start, and Chelsea was no exception, just as Nottingham Forest.
Just two minutes into the match, Thomas made a successful breakthrough in the center, nearly delivering a killer through ball.
Although a through ball ultimately required the receiver to score to be successful, the threat was evident. If he had succeeded, it would have been a pass that directly pierced through the entire defense!
Lampard on the sideline took a deep breath.