In this situation, Cao Baming stayed in midfield, acting as one of the two cores with Messi.
For any team, having a core player in midfield who acts as the team's brain and can consistently deliver precise passes is terrifying enough. But Arsenal had two.
Furthermore, their level of understanding and synergy was beyond what others could imagine or replicate. While having two brains in midfield would typically lead to contradictions and conflicts, these two had never encountered such an issue.
Perhaps all their opponents couldn't comprehend this, but in reality, Cao Baming and Messi had only needed one season of adjustment. Now, they were like the left and right hemispheres of a single brain; their默契 (mòqì - unspoken understanding) needed no words to support it.
Their understanding of football had reached an identical level, far exceeding that of ordinary individuals.
Cao Baming's presence truly freed Messi from loneliness.
Their coordinated play often resulted in actions that surprised everyone. A simple two-pass combination that might take ordinary people hours to analyze and find the optimal solution could be executed by them effortlessly.
The match time had unknowingly progressed to the 20th minute.
This point was considered a crucial juncture of the first half.
Both Messi and Cao Baming initiated attacks, and as Cao Baming pushed forward, the ball would invariably find him.
Finally, in the 21st minute, a stroke of genius from Messi saw a perfectly weighted chip pass soar over three defenders, averaging 1.85 meters in height, finding Cao Baming.
Upon seeing the ball, Cao Baming instantly chose not to turn and control it with his chest. Instead, he headed the ball directly into the net.
The scoreline widened again! Arsenal led by three goals to nil!
Cao Baming scored another goal, his second of the half. He was now just two goals short!
Chelsea hadn't been without opportunities, but under Arsenal's tactical system, they simply couldn't create good ones, especially when Cao Baming dropped back to participate in defense.
A few minutes later, from the same position, it was Cao Baming again, this time scoring with his feet!
At this moment, Chelsea began to despair.
Defending a forward was difficult, as no mature tactic existed to achieve it effectively!
This was incredibly hard to accomplish and would undoubtedly require more time for research. Cao Baming's current playing style was a nightmare for all teams, and Chelsea was no exception.
Perhaps recognizing the truth sooner would be beneficial? Pique began to question himself.
The situation on the field was too bleak, an unbearable torment for Chelsea's fans.
Watching the star players of the opposing team deliver one brilliant performance after another, there were moments when they felt they might completely switch allegiances and become Arsenal fans, Cao Baming fans.
Subtly, a transformation was quietly occurring within the fan base of the Premier League.
For every fan who attended a match live, nearly thirty percent were completely captivated by Cao Baming. Perhaps from that day on, they were no longer fans of their original team.
After all, watching game after game with the most dazzling player on the opposing team was undeniably agonizing.
Rather than endure this torment and continue watching the upcoming matches, it was better to proactively change the situation by internally converting into a fan of the opposing team. This resolved many problems at once.
Some had even jokingly predicted that if Arsenal could keep Cao Baming, in five years, perhaps no other team would exist.
At least, there would be no fans of other teams. The Premier League would never experience a situation like some leagues with one dominant team and several strong contenders, because there would be no strong contenders left, only that one dominant force: Arsenal.
Now, this kind of jest seemed to be quickly becoming a reality, as fans across the entire Premier League were being gathered by Arsenal at an unimaginable speed.
If this trend continued, perhaps it wouldn't even take five years.
For Cao Baming, did he still need more Ballon d'Or awards? In fact, he didn't.
He didn't need any Ballon d'Or, Golden Boot, or league and cup titles to prove himself. His performance on the field alone spoke volumes.
Undoubtedly, he would etch his name in history.
Cao Baming completed his hat-trick!
This might not be the fastest hat-trick in the Premier League, taking less than 30 minutes in total.
However, the first half wasn't even over, and it's important to remember that Arsenal's opponent today was Chelsea, also a strong team and a title contender.
More importantly, Chelsea was a team known for its defense. Although they were without their key midfielder Kante, they still possessed incredible defensive strength that far surpassed other teams.
Up to this point in the Premier League season, Chelsea still held the record for the fewest goals conceded, not Arsenal.
To score so many goals against such a team with such an excellent defensive system was undoubtedly an achievement, one that a normal person would find difficult to reach.
Fans began to accuse Chelsea of underperforming, but at this moment, perhaps only the players on the field truly knew they had given their all and there was no talk of holding back.
Even head coach Pique found himself questioning if they had indeed held back. How he wished this match had been one where they had underperformed, but that was not the case.
They simply couldn't match the opponent's strength.
Amidst sighs and complaints, the morale of the entire Chelsea squad deteriorated further.
A few occasional chances were squandered up front, while the defense was completely unable to stop Cao Baming and Messi, rendering their backline practically useless.
The midfield, in particular, had already begun to collapse.
They neither stopped attacks nor participated in defense, giving the impression that they were merely strolling around the field in a daze.
Finally, in the 35th minute, Potter couldn't hold back and brought on Mount.
However, this was not a major adjustment; it was merely because Jorginho was in terrible form today, as was Havertz.
He then began to pray that the situation would improve slightly.