The match reached the 7th minute when Cristiano Ronaldo committed his first offside of the game!
The fans on the sidelines sighed with regret, muttering about how close it was, just an arm's length away from Gabriel beside him.
This match was proving to be easier than anticipated. Cao Baming, positioned in the absolute midfield, moved freely, observing and going wherever he was needed.
As Manchester United's attack gradually showed signs of decline, Arsenal began to intensify their offensive formations.
Cao Baming observed all of this unfolding, subtly advancing, making each pass increasingly daring.
They were almost scared by the initial onslaught at the start, thinking they had some big surprise, playing with such confidence!
Within minutes, they had already revealed their true colors. The gap in strength was an insurmountable chasm, with me on this side and Manchester United on the other.
The fans even completely believed, seeing the confident offensive display at the start, they thought their beloved Manchester United could actually match Arsenal. But in the end, they were dealt a harsh blow, hurting their hearts.
Looking at the league standings, Arsenal was ranked first, and Manchester United was fourth, only a difference of two or three places. However, if one focused on the specific point difference, it would become clear that things were not that simple.
Arsenal's total points in the Premier League this season were almost double that of their opponents, Manchester United!
Such an astonishing number would make anyone who hadn't watched the entire match think there was an error in the data system.
Both fans and Manchester United players were still clinging to hope, trying to regain their rhythm.
However, as the match continued, Messi and Cao Baming gradually dominated the game. Although they didn't score, they were virtually invincible in the midfield.
Dribbling past opponents was as easy as crossing the street.
As Messi's two shots were saved, the fans marveled at the goalkeeper's brilliant performance, indeed, when the going gets tough, it's the goalkeeper who counts!
By the tenth minute, Cao Baming carried the ball forward himself. A winding path appeared before him. Unconsciously, in his acceleration, he bypassed three players directly. With two sharp turns, he shook off a center-back, then feinted in front of the goalkeeper, subsequently making the goalkeeper stumble to the ground!
Cao Baming shot into an empty net. Although it was from a narrow angle of less than ten degrees, it was no challenge for him.
Goal!
It was sudden and caught everyone off guard!
Manchester United's entire defense seemed like a mere facade at this moment, completely irrelevant.
Cao Baming's dribbling and shooting seemed effortlessly easy, not at all what one would expect when facing a top-tier team.
This was Manchester United, who had won five consecutive games!
As Arsenal fans, they cheered wildly from the sidelines, shouting loudly.
Even though they were outnumbered, they wanted to make their opponents understand what they were up against through their passion!
Cao Baming let out a soft breath and looked back at his teammates.
A sense of unease washed over him, not because he was dissatisfied with his performance, but rather because everything felt too easy!
This was Manchester United, were they only capable of this much? Their defense was as flimsy as paper.
As everyone knows, if something loses its challenge, it loses all its fun. This was precisely the feeling Cao Baming was experiencing.
Was he too strong now, or were they too weak?
However, everyone was still immersed in the recent goal. The faces of his teammates were filled with disbelief, their excitement overflowing.
The fans, whether they had bought tickets to watch the match live or were watching through the broadcast online, were all covering their mouths in astonishment.
The replay showed Cao Baming's lightning-fast solo run and goal. In the footage, viewers saw echoes of Messi's classic solo goal and the even more brilliant goal by Maradona.
However, in terms of sheer beauty, Cao Baming surpassed them, it was a visual feast.
After the celebration, Cao Baming calmly returned to the center spot to await the restart.
At this moment, no one could guess that his only thought was for the opposing team to show some strength, at least some spirit!
The situation was contrary to his expectations. Although Manchester United had opportunities to shoot, they were mostly wasted.
In the nineteenth minute, Cristiano Ronaldo had a headed opportunity inside the box. After scoring with his head in three consecutive games, he was not so lucky this time, and the goalkeeper easily caught the ball.
Just two minutes later, Manchester United's true star, Bruno Fernandes, took a shot from the wing. What seemed like a cross unexpectedly curved outwards, directly aiming for the goal.
This was actually Manchester United's most threatening chance since the start of the match!
However, Ramsdale once again made a timely save to avert the danger.
Cristiano Ronaldo threw his hands up in frustration!
...
The first half concluded. To summarize, Arsenal had more chances and constantly created threats in the attacking third.
However, Manchester United also had several decent attempts.
The final score was settled at two to zero. The two goals were scored by Cao Baming and Thomas, one in the fourteenth minute and the other in the stoppage time of the first half.
As Cao Baming walked off the field, he pondered in his mind. The cheers from the stadium fans even included his name, but he paid them no heed.
At this moment, Cao Baming had only one thought. He had a subtle feeling that Manchester United would give Max a chance to come on at the start of the second half!
Cao Baming knew how unrealistic this thought was, but he had to admit a fact: since acquiring the 'Time Perception' system skill, his judgments had almost never been wrong.
Such a thing, in the end, was a feeling, something akin to a sixth sense. And if one could glimpse one minute into the future, having a vague sense of the near future should be acceptable.
This feeling came out of nowhere, more like a dream, purely intuition.
A few minutes later, Cao Baming had another feeling. It seemed that Max's appearance wouldn't be right at the start of the second half, but rather after the game had been in progress for some time.