The audience in the live broadcast room didn't know what adjustments Manchester United made during halftime, they only knew that in the second half, the ball always seemed to find Gao Nuo, as if the whole team was waiting for Gao Nuo to score another goal.
That's right, Casemiro had already recognized Gao Nuo as his little brother, and he hadn't forgotten his promise. During halftime, he found Neymar and Bruno Fernandes and suggested creating more opportunities for Gao Nuo in the second half. The three world-class team leaders saw things much clearer than Zhang on the screen; Gao Nuo's desire to attack today was very strong, and his handling of passes and timing of attacks had significantly improved. Not only did Neymar readily agree, but Bruno, as captain, even discussed it directly with Erik ten Hag.
Since that bald coach stood in the stands fearlessly amidst the boos during the Leeds United match, he had gained more support within the team, and his relationship with the players had further improved. Facing the captain's suggestion, Erik ten Hag did not object, instructing the entire team to pass more to Gao Nuo under reasonable circumstances. He also hoped to help his beloved protégé find confidence in the center-forward position as soon as possible.
In the 46th minute of the match, just after the start of the second half, Rashford intercepted the ball in the attacking third, but was brought down in the penalty area by Wesley Fofana. The Referee shook his head, signaling to continue play.
In the 51st minute of the match, Dalot tripped Sterling, and Chelsea earned a well-positioned free-kick opportunity in the attacking third. Reece James took the shot from 24 meters, directly hitting the top of the crossbar and flying into the stands.
In the 55th minute of the match, Reece James, who had just narrowly missed scoring, was dispossessed by Rice. In the counterattack, Manchester United formed a 4-on-3 advantage in the attacking third. Bruno Fernandes passed to Neymar on the right, then ran towards the left, drawing a defender. Neymar attracted the attention of another defender, his footwork extremely quick, cutting inside to create space and passing the ball to the middle. Casemiro intentionally let it through, and the ball came to Gao Nuo's feet. He took one touch and shot with his left foot. Chelsea's goalkeeper, Kepa, known as 'Kepa' by Chinese fans, made a world-class save, incredibly touching the ball with his fingertips, sending it out of bounds. Manchester United earned a corner kick.
Denied a hat-trick by Kepa, Gao Nuo was very disappointed, covering his face with his hands in frustration. Casemiro came over and patted his backside, saying, “Cheer up, kid!”
Neymar took the corner kick from the left. As he passed the goal, he pulled down Gao Nuo's head and whispered in his ear, “Let’s do a tactical play, go to the top of the box.” Then he ruffled Gao Nuo's hair and walked towards the corner flag.
Neymar observed the positions on the field, raised his hand to signal to his teammates, and then sent a very fast, low-driven ball to the top of the penalty area. Gao Nuo, following instructions, feigned a run forward then retreated. With the defenders looking bewildered, Gao Nuo unleashed a powerful shot from the top of the box. The ball pierced through the crowd; Kepa's vision was obscured, and by the time he saw the ball, it was too late to react. Goal!
Gao Nuo sprinted towards the corner flag, where Neymar was already standing with open arms. Gao Nuo performed his signature celebration, a passionate two-stripe knee slide, then embraced Neymar tightly. Soon after, they were surrounded by their teammates, each one ruffling Gao Nuo's hair, congratulating him on his third goal.
On the sidelines, Erik ten Hag first pumped his fist in celebration, then nodded and applauded repeatedly, before quickly finding his assistant coach to arrange the next tactics.
Chelsea, one goal down, fought back fiercely. Sterling continuously had shooting opportunities, living up to his reputation for 'happy football' as his shots repeatedly missed the goal. By the 70th minute, both teams made substitutions. Chelsea made three like-for-like changes in their attacking third, striving to equalize, while Manchester United replaced two full-backs, pulling Bruno Fernandes from the attacking midfield back to the midfield to strengthen the defense.
In the 85th minute of the match, De Gea received the ball at the top of the penalty area from a back pass by Pau Torres. Faced with pressure from an opposing forward, De Gea, in a moment of panic, cleared the ball to Enzo Fernández in midfield. The Argentine international saw De Gea's position was too far forward and immediately took a long-range shot from over 40 meters away. The ball soared, arcing towards the goal. De Gea retreated, his eyes fixed on the ball, his legs pumping vigorously, but his speed was still slow. His increasing age had rapidly diminished his athletic ability. He awkwardly retreated to the goal line, lunging desperately for the ball. The ball sailed over De Gea's hand and over the crossbar, flying out of bounds to the disappointed cries of “Oh—!” from the home fans.
Having narrowly escaped, De Gea sat on the ground, gasping for breath. In the close-up shot provided by the director, his face was full of helplessness, and his eyes lacked the sharpness of his youth, giving a sense of a hero in decline.
In the 5th minute of injury time, as the match entered its final seconds, Neymar took a free-kick from 26 meters out. Kepa once again made a last-ditch save; the ball, headed for the corner, first touched Kepa's fingertips, then hit the post and rebounded. In a flash of lightning, a figure appeared in front of the goal, a long leg extended, deflecting the ball, which was heading for the byline, into the net. It was Gao Nuo again, miraculously appearing in the most crucial position, completely killing the game.
Gao Nuo, having scored four goals, did not celebrate with his usual passion, simply exchanging high-fives with his teammates. After Chelsea kicked off again, the Referee blew the final whistle, and Manchester United secured all three points on the road with Gao Nuo's four goals, winning 4-2.
After 10 rounds of the English Premier League, Manchester City led the table with 8 wins and 2 draws. Manchester United was second with 8 wins and 2 losses, two points behind. Arsenal was third with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. West Ham United, having strengthened their squad well with the funds from selling Rice, temporarily held fourth place with 6 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, ahead of Liverpool.
The competition at the top of the table was fierce, while the top scorer list showed a significant lead. Gao Nuo, with his four-goal haul, increased his League goal tally to 8, surpassing his teammates Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, who had 6 goals, to temporarily sit in second place. Haaland, who scored another hat-trick in this round of the League, firmly led the top scorer list with 20 goals.
Gao Nuo was still listlessly looking at the top scorer data, completely oblivious to his renewed surge in popularity.
Local English media were all amazed by Manchester United's astonishing performance. Headlines like “Manchester United's Magnificent Front Three,” “Manchester United's Attacking Play as Beautiful as a Painting This Season,” “Magical Manchester United No. 9,” “New Heights for Chinese Players in the Premier League,” and “Chinese Players Shine in the Premier League” were everywhere. Manchester United had scored 29 goals in 10 League matches, and their sharp offense received widespread praise. Gao Nuo's performance, scoring four goals in a single match, also won over the demanding English media.
The domestic reaction was even stronger. Gao Nuo, in a record-breaking manner, wrote a new chapter for Chinese players in the top five European Leagues. Regardless of whether they were Manchester United fans, they couldn't help but become fans of Gao Nuo. Sun Hai of the Chinese Football Association stepped forward, publicly praising Gao Nuo's excellent performance and stating that during the Premier League season, Gao Nuo would not be called up for international friendly matches with the national team, as the Chinese Football Association aimed to protect Gao Nuo's growth.
Self-media platforms, primarily TikTok, launched the hashtag “Gao Nuo's Four Joy Meatballs.” The power of self-media was beyond imagination; bloggers from all circles flocked to the new hashtag. Gao Nuo's popularity once again exploded astonishingly. The TikTok account operated by the fan group Da Ai Gao Nuo gained 5 million followers overnight, completely astounding the 12 girls in Gao Nuo's fan club.
