"Congratulations to Arsenal, the ultimate winner of this match, who took down their opponents Manchester United with a score of three to two on the road! They continue to write their own legend, these young men, they are the light of the future!"
"Although they lost the match, the Manchester United players showed a tenacious fighting spirit. Despite being three goals behind, they stubbornly persevered, refusing to give up, and managed to score two goals back. They even narrowly missed tying the total score in the final moments of the game. It's truly not easy!"
Max shook his head helplessly, clearly not satisfied with his performance.
The players were already starting to leave the field. Regardless of the outcome, the only path forward at this moment was to accept reality. For the Manchester United players, this reality was harsh.
The top three league positions they aimed for now seemed even further away. Liverpool, who were ahead, appeared insurmountable, and the gap between them had widened once again!
Thinking of how Anthony had once attended his birthday party, and seeing him now not far away, Cao Baiming walked towards him.
At this moment, the most pressing question in Cao Baiming's mind was undoubtedly about Max. However, it was better to ask a teammate from the same club than to ask him directly.
Seeing Cao Baiming approach him proactively, Anthony also extended his hand. Despite the loss, enemies on the field were still friends off the field.
Cao Baiming also extended his hand to shake Anthony's, and then directly asked the question that was on his mind.
"How did that person's injury heal? Why did it heal so quickly?" Cao Baiming said, pointing to Max, who had already left the field nearby.
Anthony listened carefully to Cao Baiming's words, and then looked somewhat confused.
"Was he injured? I don't remember when that happened?"
"A few days ago, I think. It was quite serious."
"No, no, no, you must have mistaken him for someone else. Max has been participating in team training these past few days. Although he wasn't very active in training, he was present, and we all saw him."
"I couldn't have mistaken him," Cao Baiming said with a smile, confidence evident in his eyes.
"Then I wouldn't know. That guy, how should I put it, he hasn't said a single word to me since he joined the team. But surprisingly, he doesn't seem to talk much with anyone else either."
Hearing this, Cao Baiming wasn't surprised. Based on his understanding of Max, this was exactly how he would behave.
The two walked slowly, deliberately wanting to discuss the matter clearly during their walk. However, the situation was not as simple as Cao Baiming had imagined; a few simple sentences wouldn't uncover the real situation.
"I'm treating for dinner later, would you honor me with your company?"
Seeing Cao Baiming ask so, Anthony was flattered. How could he refuse? He quickly agreed.
After that, the two quickly returned to the locker room. In fact, most of their teammates were already waiting in their rooms.
From the perspective of Manchester United fans, although the final result of this match was uncomfortable to accept, most of them had come to terms with it after a few minutes of thought.
Thinking back to when they first arrived, they hadn't harbored much hope, after all, their opponents were Arsenal, whose dominance in the Premier League was already well-known.
Losing to such a strong opponent was not particularly shameful. Moreover, being able to keep the score difference to just one goal, and even scoring two goals after being three goals behind at home, was already quite respectable.
For those who watched the match, the biggest gain was also evident: the recognition of this so-called newcomer.
When he first joined Manchester United, a news report broke out, which was like a bombshell. His joining the team at this time could be considered an unconventional signing. However, due to Max's extremely low profile, the news never gained much traction.
But his debut performance in this match was enough to prove himself. Following this, news media professionals, with their keen senses, sniffed out the commercial opportunities. They began to investigate this person and write news articles.
Would he be like Cao Baiming, a star who suddenly rose to prominence in football? It was still uncertain!
And his smooth and stylish playing style perfectly catered to the fans' tastes.
As a forward, not participating in defense wasn't shameful. As long as his offensive capabilities were strong enough, everyone would naturally want him to focus all his energy on scoring goals, thus putting more pressure on the opponents.
Not everyone was as all-around as Cao Baiming, excelling at their best. Recognizing one's own domain was important.
In the locker room that year, the players tried to initiate contact with the seemingly taciturn Max, offering him congratulations. However, he remained his aloof self, appearing indifferent to it all.
Despite the loss, the Manchester United players weren't heartbroken. There wasn't an atmosphere of excessive sadness in their locker room. Similarly, the Arsenal locker room wasn't filled with wild celebrations, as this was an expected outcome.
If the score had been tied in the final moments of the match, that would have been a major event, a catastrophe.
In the evening, as agreed, Cao Baiming waited outside the stadium and soon saw Anthony's figure.
The real purpose of this dinner invitation was to have a good discussion with him and understand Max's recent situation within the team. Therefore, the place of dining wasn't particularly important.
Both of them got into Cao Baiming's car, and then found a restaurant not far from the winery.
"I didn't expect you to drive a different car again today. Do you change cars every day?" Anthony initiated the conversation.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect you to notice that. It's more or less the case. When I'm in a different mood, I drive a different car. I probably change it every two or three days, so it's not too frequent."
"Actually, you might not know this, but Martinelli told me that watching what car you drive to the club each day has become a hot topic of conversation among your teammates. They even make bets on it!"