The next day, at Melwood, Liverpool's training ground, the players stood lined up on the pitch.
In front of them, head coach Rafa Benítez wore a dark expression. Paco Ayestarán, standing slightly behind him, kept shaking his head in quiet disbelief.
"I already knew that letting you go out with the condition of drinking only one bottle was a mistake," Benítez said coldly. "Now you can all see how much trouble you have caused me."
His tone was heavy and unmistakably displeased.
"Tell me honestly how much you drank last night."
No one answered him.
The players stood silently, wearing expressions of stubborn resistance, as if they had already accepted whatever punishment was coming.
"Steven," Benítez said, fixing his gaze on the captain. "You are the captain, so you should answer first."
Gerrard glanced at the teammates beside him and felt a wave of embarrassment. He raised his right hand and began counting on his fingers, looking like a schoolboy caught doing something wrong.
"At first I drank one bottle," he said hesitantly, "and then I drank two."
Benítez immediately interrupted him. "Do I need to ask Mark Waller to bring me the alcohol test reports so that you can remember more clearly?"
"No, that will not be necessary," Gerrard said quickly. "I drank two bottles."
Benítez raised his voice. "Only two bottles?"
Gerrard sighed and finally gave up resisting. "I drank three bottles, and I may have secretly had one extra glass."
The coaching staff had made it very clear the night before that anyone who violated the rules on a rest day would have to accept punishment.
The rest of the players stood in line, watching Gerrard's confession. Several of them struggled to hold back their laughter. Peter Crouch accidentally laughed out loud before hastily covering his mouth.
"Peter," Benítez asked calmly, "what exactly are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, boss," Crouch replied immediately.
Benítez reached over, picked up a copy of The Liverpool Echo from the morning papers, and handed it directly to Crouch. "You should read this yourself," he said. "At three o'clock in the morning, you were photographed dancing in the street. You have embarrassed the entire club."
The players finally lost control and burst into laughter.
Crouch laughed so hard that he bent forward. "I was just in a good mood, boss," he said. "Besides, I did not even finish my bottle. Jamie took it from me. If you do not believe me, you can ask him."
Jamie Carragher immediately protested. "That is not true at all. You are clearly trying to drag me down with you."
"You are the one who took it," Crouch insisted. "Do you dare deny it?"
Carragher opened his mouth, hesitated, and ultimately chose not to answer.
Benítez pressed his temples and gestured for them to stop. "You find this amusing," he said. "Then tell me what time it was when you returned."
Crouch lowered his head and checked the newspaper again. "It was one o'clock in the morning."
"And what time did I specify?" Benítez asked.
"You specified twelve o'clock," Crouch replied quietly.
Benítez then turned his gaze toward the rest of the squad. "As for the rest of you, I will deal with you one by one."
His eyes finally landed on Yang Yang and Xabi Alonso, and his expression softened slightly. "As far as I know, only Yang Yang and Xabi Alonso followed the rules."
"Yes, boss," Xabi Alonso said with a smile. "We went home half an hour early."
After speaking, he glanced at the others with an expression of barely concealed satisfaction. The night before, he and Yang Yang had been repeatedly bothered by their teammates, especially Pennant, who kept shouting about finding women for them. They had chosen to leave early to avoid trouble, and now Xabi had no intention of missing the chance to watch the consequences unfold.
Benítez noticed the subtle exchange and asked, "Then why did you not persuade the others to go home?"
Xabi Alonso froze for a moment. He immediately sensed danger.
Gerrard nodded shamelessly and added, "You should have reminded us. You are always the calmest one, and you know very well what we are like once alcohol is involved."
Xabi Alonso almost felt like crying. That had certainly not been what anyone said the night before.
Benítez maintained his poker face, but Paco Ayestarán behind him was already laughing so hard that he had to hold his stomach. To him, this group of players behaved like mischievous children who caused chaos the moment they were given freedom.
"Enough," Benítez finally said. "Since you had the energy to stay out celebrating all night, you can take the ball and run laps now. I will remember this incident and settle it properly later."
At those words, the players immediately scattered, looking as if they had been released from confinement.
Xabi Alonso ran with a bitter expression. He had been dragged into trouble simply by association.
When the others had left, Yang Yang remained standing in front of Benítez and Ayestarán. The atmosphere made him uncomfortable.
"Boss, I will also go run laps," Yang Yang said.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and ran.
Benítez watched his back and muttered that he had never said Yang Yang needed to be punished.
Ayestarán laughed again and said that Yang Yang would rather run a lap than stand there facing him.
...
In fact, it is really normal for Premier League players to visit nightclubs.
The Liverpool players celebrated Yang Yang 's 20th birthday for a reason that is strong enough, but he 's just playing it, and it 's inevitable that he 's forgotten.
Especially Crouch dancing mechanical dance on the street, sincerely has some spicy eyes.
But things come quickly and go quickly, at best, to contribute a little talk to fans all over the world.
After the nightclub incident, Yang Yang can feel that the atmosphere inside the team's locker room has really changed a lot, and it feels more harmonious, especially the new players who were originally out of place, and finally began to integrate into the team.
And this is quickly reflected on the court.
...
In the tenth round of the Premier League, Liverpool faced Aston Villa.
After nine rounds of league matches, Aston Villa were the only unbeaten team in the Premier League. However, with a record of three wins and six draws, their position in the table was far from ideal.
Playing at Anfield, Benítez issued strict instructions before the match. Several players who had been involved in the previous night's club incident were given clear demands: they had to deliver convincing performances, or they would be punished one by one without mercy.
As visitors at Anfield, Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa adopted a very cautious approach from the opening whistle. They set up with a compact defensive structure, keeping their lines tight and denying Liverpool space between midfield and defense, which made Liverpool's early attacking efforts frustrating and inefficient.
However, after more than thirty minutes of sustained pressure, Aston Villa's resistance finally cracked.
Yang Yang received the ball tight to the left touchline, facing his marker directly. He slowed for a brief moment, used a quick pair of step-overs to freeze the defender in place, and then suddenly nudged the ball through the defender's legs before bursting past him on the outside.
Before Aston Villa's defense could shift across, Yang Yang cut the ball back low toward the edge of the penalty area. Crouch stepped toward the pass, used his body to shield the defender behind him, and cushioned a first-time layoff into open space. Gerrard arrived onto the ball in stride and struck it cleanly, sending the shot past the goalkeeper to give Liverpool the lead.
Seven minutes later, Liverpool struck again down the same left flank.
Yang Yang carried the ball forward along the touchline and deliberately slowed his run, drawing the defender closer. As the challenge came, he slipped the ball across his body with a quick croqueta, shifting it smoothly from his left foot to his right and gliding past the outstretched leg in one fluid motion.
He accelerated into the open space toward the byline, lifted his head, and shaped as if to drive inside before instead drilling a low cross across the face of goal. Crouch had already shaken off his marker, darted across the near post, and stabbed out a boot. The faintest contact was enough to redirect the ball past the goalkeeper and into the far corner, doubling Liverpool's advantage.
Just before halftime, in the forty-fourth minute, Liverpool earned a corner and crowded the Aston Villa penalty area. Gerrard's delivery was driven sharply toward the near post, where Carragher rose above his marker and powered a header down toward goal.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper reacted quickly, managing to block the effort with an outstretched hand, but the save only pushed the ball back into the congested six-yard box. As defenders scrambled to clear, Kuyt reacted first, adjusted his body position, and struck the dropping ball cleanly on the volley. The shot flew through a cluster of legs and into the net, giving Liverpool a commanding three-goal lead before the interval.
Midway through the second half, Aston Villa finally found a breakthrough on the counterattack.
A turnover in midfield was followed by a sharp forward pass into open space. Agbonlahor reacted immediately, accelerating beyond the defensive line. With clear grass ahead of him, he drove straight toward goal, held off the recovering defender, and waited for the goalkeeper to commit before calmly sliding a low finish past him. The attack was direct and ruthless, pulling the score back to 3–1.
It was worth noting that Agbonlahor, who had just turned twenty years old, had been performing impressively throughout the season.
With Liverpool holding a comfortable 3–0 lead earlier in the match, Yang Yang had not pushed himself to his physical limit. A crucial UEFA Champions League group match was scheduled for midweek, and Benítez replaced him early in the second half, taking him off in the sixtieth minute.
...
Three days later, Liverpool returned to Anfield for a decisive UEFA Champions League group match against Bordeaux. Qualification was still undecided, and the urgency of the situation was evident from the opening whistle.
From the first minute, Yang Yang played on the edge of the game. He constantly moved between the lines, drifting infield when necessary and stretching Bordeaux's left side to disrupt their defensive shape.
In the twenty-third minute, Liverpool finally found the breakthrough. Gerrard received the ball in a central position and deliberately drew two Bordeaux midfielders toward him before slipping a precise pass into the half-space. Yang Yang had already drifted inside from the wing. He took the ball on the half-turn and drove diagonally toward the edge of the penalty area.
A defender stepped out to close him down, but Yang Yang shifted the ball onto his stronger foot with a quick touch and struck early, before the block could arrive. The shot stayed low, skidded across the turf, and beat the goalkeeper at the far post, giving Liverpool the lead.
After going ahead, Liverpool slowed the tempo and began to control the match with authority. Bordeaux attempted to push their defensive line higher, but each time they committed players forward, space opened up behind them, precisely the scenario Liverpool were waiting for.
In the seventy-second minute, that space finally cost Bordeaux again. Pennant held his run on the right flank, drew the full-back toward him, and then released a sharp pass inside at exactly the right moment. Gerrard arrived late into the area without a marker and struck the ball first time. The shot flew past the goalkeeper before he could properly set himself, making the score 2–0 and effectively deciding the contest.
Bordeaux's resistance collapsed almost immediately. Five minutes later, Yang Yang delivered the decisive blow. Catching the defense in the middle of a transition, he attacked the gap between the center-back and the full-back, surged into the penalty area, and finished calmly to claim his second goal of the night.
Two goals in quick succession turned Liverpool's control into outright domination.
This was Yang Yang's fourth goal of the Champions League campaign, once again demonstrating that Liverpool, with him in the side, required very few chances to decide a match.
In the end, Liverpool relied on Yang Yang's brace and Gerrard's goal to secure their fourth consecutive win in the group. With that result, they successfully emerged from the group stage and advanced to the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen. For the remaining two group matches, Liverpool's objective was no longer qualification, but simply to compete for first place in the group.
...
Entering November, the Premier League moved into its eleventh round, and Liverpool welcomed Reading to Anfield with the clear intention of asserting control early.
They achieved that aim quickly. In the fourteenth minute, Liverpool circulated the ball patiently down the right flank before suddenly increasing the tempo. Yang Yang received possession near the edge of the penalty area, drew the full-back toward him, and then slipped a precise pass into the box. Kuyt timed his run perfectly, met the ball first time, and guided his finish past the goalkeeper. The early goal immediately tilted the match in Liverpool's favor.
With the advantage secured, Liverpool pushed their defensive line higher and turned the game into sustained pressure. The flanks became their primary weapon, with full-backs and wide players overlapping constantly to stretch Reading's defensive shape. That pressure soon produced another breakthrough. Yang Yang collected the ball wide on the left, drove directly at his marker, cut inside to create a narrow shooting angle, and struck a controlled effort that beat the goalkeeper at the far post. At 2–0, Reading were already struggling to cope with Liverpool's tempo and intensity.
After the interval, Liverpool shifted into a more measured rhythm, forcing Reading to chase the game. As the visitors committed more players forward in search of a response, gaps inevitably began to appear. In the seventy-third minute, Kuyt once again played a decisive role, carrying the ball forward before delivering a well-weighted pass into the area. Finnan arrived late from deep, struck the ball cleanly, and effectively put the result beyond doubt.
Liverpool managed the closing stages with composure and control, never allowing Reading a genuine opportunity to re-enter the contest. At the final whistle, Anfield witnessed a calm and convincing 3–0 home victory.
The run of consecutive wins earned Liverpool widespread praise from the media. Observers noted that the team's tactical structure was becoming increasingly cohesive. In the attacking third, the trio of Yang Yang, Crouch, and Kuyt were beginning to function with clear understanding, supported by players such as Luis García and Pennant. In midfield, Gerrard, Mohamed Sissoko, and Xabi Alonso provided balance, energy, and control, giving Liverpool a stable and clearly defined core.
On the attacking side in particular, Yang Yang's arrival had significantly increased Liverpool's firepower this season. By this point, he had contributed nine goals and five assists in the Premier League.
After eleven league rounds, Manchester United led the table with twenty-five points, Liverpool followed closely in second place with twenty-four, Chelsea had twenty-two points, and Arsenal sat fourth with twenty-one. The shape of the Premier League season was beginning to take form.
Yang Yang's outstanding performances throughout October earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award, while Benítez was also named Manager of the Month. Together, these honors reflected Liverpool's strong resurgence and renewed momentum.
That optimism, however, was quickly tempered. In a midweek League Cup tie against Birmingham, Mohamed Sissoko suffered a shoulder injury just minutes after kickoff.
Although Liverpool went on to secure a 1–0 victory, the injury cast a shadow over the result. Concerns quickly emerged that a prolonged absence would force Benítez to alter a midfield structure that had only just begun to stabilize, particularly the Gerrard–Sissoko–Alonso triangle. Even as Liverpool's best run in months reignited belief, uncertainty once again crept in.
...
...
In the morning, Yang Yang received the latest news as soon as he arrived at Melwood.
Mohamed Sissoko had suffered a dislocation of his right shoulder. According to the initial medical assessment, he was expected to be sidelined for at least one month. The injury had occurred in the League Cup match against Birmingham the previous day.
In the twenty-seventh minute, Sissoko collided with an opposing midfielder while contesting possession and fell awkwardly to the ground. He was unable to continue and was taken off immediately before being sent directly to a hospital in Birmingham for examination. The diagnosis confirmed a shoulder dislocation.
"This was purely an accident," Winston Bogarde said to Yang Yang in the gym, his expression bitter.
"In football, injuries like this are relatively rare," Bogarde continued. "We usually see muscle strains or knee problems. Shoulder injuries, or even eye injuries, are much less common. What is strange is that I checked Sissoko's history. He injured his eye last season, and now he has injured his shoulder."
After saying that, Bogarde let out a helpless sigh. Sometimes, there was no explanation other than sheer bad luck.
In truth, apart from misfortune, there was no other way to explain it.
What made the situation even more troubling was the lack of available replacements in midfield.
"In order to bring you in, the club cleared several squad positions," Bogarde added. "Veteran players like Dietmar Hamann have already left. Now that Sissoko is injured, there is essentially no one left who can fill that role."
Yang Yang had just finished a set of bench presses. He carefully returned the barbell to the rack, turned around, and glanced at the Dutchman with a faint smile.
"So what you are saying is that this is somehow my fault?"
Seeing Yang Yang's teasing expression, Bogarde immediately waved his hand. "I am joking."
"You changed your tune quickly," Yang Yang replied with a smile. "But seriously, Sissoko's injury really came at the worst possible time."
The upcoming weekend would bring the twelfth round of the Premier League, and Liverpool's opponent would be Arsenal.
Earlier in the season, Liverpool had already defeated two of their main title rivals, Chelsea and Manchester United. Among the traditional top four, Arsenal appeared the most vulnerable at the moment, and confidence within the squad was high. Under normal circumstances, Liverpool would have believed they had a strong chance of taking all three points.
However, Sissoko's injury changed everything.
With one corner of the midfield "iron triangle" missing, the balance that had supported Liverpool's recent form was suddenly broken. It was a heavy blow at a critical moment.
Over the past period, Sissoko had been responsible for much of the defensive work in midfield, providing interception, physical presence, and protection for the back line. Without him, the midfield would inevitably become less solid and lose the strength that had allowed it to dominate opponents. That weakness would unavoidably affect the team's overall performance.
"Liverpool's winter will not be easy," Yang Yang sighed inwardly.
He was only a player. All he could do was perform on the pitch and score goals for Liverpool to the best of his ability.
That was all he could do.
…
…
Yang Yang's thoughts largely reflected the mood inside the Liverpool squad. In modern football, the importance of a stable midfield hardly needed explanation, and Sissoko's injury dealt a heavy blow to Liverpool's balance in that area.
At the weekend, in the twelfth round of the Premier League, Liverpool travelled away to face Arsenal. The match was scheduled for four o'clock in the afternoon, a prime-time fixture with national attention.
With Sissoko ruled out through injury, Benítez selected Boudewijn Zenden to partner Xabi Alonso and Gerrard in midfield. The decision was straightforward. Zenden had performed well in the League Cup match against Birmingham and offered experience and tactical discipline.
However, it soon became clear that a League Cup performance could not be taken as a reliable benchmark for a high-intensity Premier League encounter.
From the opening whistle, Liverpool attempted to strike before Arsenal could settle. They pressed high up the pitch and looked to attack the space behind Arsenal's defensive line, rather than slowing the tempo and circulating possession.
The breakthrough arrived in the eleventh minute, directly from that aggressive approach. Arsenal had pushed their defensive line forward, and Pepe Reina recognized the opportunity immediately. Instead of taking time on the ball, he launched a long, driven kick over midfield toward the left channel.
Yang Yang read it before the defenders reacted. He pulled away from his marker, brought the ball under control near the edge of the penalty area with his first touch, and drove toward goal at speed. One defender moved to close the angle while another dropped toward the six-yard box, but Yang Yang cut inside and struck early, curling the shot across goal before the goalkeeper could fully set himself.
Liverpool took a 1–0 lead at the Emirates.
It was Yang Yang's tenth Premier League goal of the season.
Arsenal, however, did not panic after conceding. They gradually asserted control of possession, moving the ball with greater purpose and forcing Liverpool to retreat deeper than they would have preferred.
Just before halftime, Arsenal's pressure finally produced a response. They circulated the ball patiently through midfield, drawing Liverpool's defensive line toward the ball. Near the edge of the penalty area, a quick exchange pulled a defender out of position, and Mathieu Flamini immediately recognized the opening. Timing his run perfectly, he surged forward from deep and arrived unmarked inside the box.
The pass reached him in stride, and without hesitation he struck first time from close range, keeping the shot low and guiding it past Reina before the defense could recover.
The stadium fell briefly silent.
Arsenal were level.
It was a rare moment for Flamini, marking his first Premier League goal.
After the restart, Arsenal emerged with greater control. They slowed the tempo, dominated possession, and gradually pinned Liverpool deeper into their own half, forcing the midfield to focus on defending rather than building attacks.
That sustained pressure told in the sixty-seventh minute. Arsenal earned a corner on the right, and the delivery was driven sharply into the center of the penalty area. Liverpool failed to clear the initial ball, and amid the congestion, William Gallas reacted quickest. He stepped forward and struck from close range, sending the ball into the net and completing the turnaround.
From that point on, Liverpool struggled to regain momentum. Although Yang Yang had scored earlier, Arsenal adjusted defensively. Emmanuel Eboué and Gilberto Silva alternated their coverage, limiting his space on the flank and preventing him from receiving the ball facing goal. As the midfield battle slipped away, Liverpool found it increasingly difficult to create clear opportunities.
Arsenal managed the closing stages with composure, repeatedly forcing Liverpool to retreat and denying them sustained attacking pressure.
After this round, Arsenal drew level with Liverpool on twenty-four points. Chelsea moved into second place with twenty-five points, while Manchester United continued to lead the Premier League with twenty-eight points.
In the scoring charts, Drogba reignited the chase with a hat-trick in this round. The Ivorian had now scored eight league goals, closing the gap to just two behind Yang Yang's total of ten.
…
…
One week later, the Premier League entered its thirteenth round, and Liverpool once again suffered an away setback, drawing 0–0 with Middlesbrough.
Unlike other clubs that were distracted by European competition during the midweek, Liverpool had already secured qualification in the Champions League and approached the match at full strength. However, the defeat to Arsenal in the previous round prompted Benítez to make tactical adjustments for this fixture.
He opted for a formation similar to a 4-4-2. Yang Yang and Pennant were deployed as wide midfielders, Kuyt partnered Crouch up front, and Gerrard and Xabi Alonso operated centrally. Although Yang Yang was nominally positioned on the flank, Benítez instructed him to play closer to Middlesbrough's defensive line, reducing his distance to goal and increasing his involvement in the final third.
Despite these changes, Liverpool struggled. Middlesbrough set up in an extremely compact defensive block, effectively forming an "iron barrel" around their penalty area. Liverpool's attacks repeatedly broke down against the packed defense, and despite sustained pressure, they were unable to find a breakthrough.
In the end, the match finished goalless.
The other traditional title contenders also failed to impress in this round. Manchester United relied on a brace from Rooney to overturn Sheffield United 2–1. Arsenal were held to a draw at home by Newcastle, salvaging a point through a goal from Henry. Chelsea secured a narrow 1–0 home victory over West Ham United thanks to a goal from substitute Geremi.
Regarding Liverpool's performances over the past two league rounds, the British media generally pointed to two main factors. On one hand, Mohamed Sissoko's absence was widely seen as a significant blow to the team's midfield stability. On the other, the demanding Christmas schedule of the Premier League was beginning to take its toll.
Behind the scenes, Liverpool's coaching staff had already begun planning for the upcoming winter transfer window, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding Sissoko's injury. Preparations were being made well in advance.
At present, the two positions most likely to be reinforced were defensive midfield and right-back.
According to information emerging from within the club, the right-back target had already been identified. Benítez hoped to sign Deportivo La Coruña defender Álvaro Arbeloa. A product of Real Madrid Castilla, Arbeloa had been performing well in La Liga this season. Benítez viewed him as a long-term option who could compete with the aging Finnan, who was already over thirty years old. The expected transfer fee was around three million euros.
The situation regarding the holding midfielder was far more complicated. Suitable candidates were scarce across European football, making the search particularly difficult.
Yang Yang had heard that Benítez's primary target for the position was Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano, who was currently playing for West Ham United. However, since arriving in the Premier League, Mascherano had yet to truly prove himself.
He had suffered a serious injury in March of that year and spent six months recovering. After transferring to West Ham, he failed to gain the trust of head coach Alan Pardew. Up to that point, he had made only four Premier League appearances, two of which came as late substitute appearances in matches that were already decided. In several other games, he had not even been named in the matchday squad.
From the perspective of most people within Liverpool, apart from his relatively low transfer cost, Mascherano did not appear to offer many clear advantages.
As a result, many within the squad quietly wondered what exactly Benítez saw in him.
…
…
Although the team's performance in the Premier League has been low, it is still very powerful in the Champions League.
Yang Yang came off the bench in the second half, but after he played, he immediately contributed two assists to the team, helping Liverpool beat Eindhoven 2-0. The goals were from Gerrard and Crouch.
Among them, Crouch's goal time is still in stoppage time.
It can be said that this victory laid the Liverpool team's first place, and even the theoretical possibility is gone.
And Eindhoven must do its best to compete for the second place.
...
The Premier League returned for its fourteenth round, bringing with it another set of high-profile clashes.
Manchester United hosted Chelsea at Old Trafford in what was widely regarded as the headline fixture of the round. The Red Devils' home form in major matches had been disappointing this season. They had already lost at Old Trafford to Arsenal and Liverpool, and now faced Chelsea, which left many observers worried for Ferguson.
Liverpool, meanwhile, welcomed Manchester City to Anfield.
This match was meant to mark a new chapter in the so-called "Chinese derby," as Yang Yang faced Sun Jihai. However, Sun Jihai remained on the bench for Manchester City, and the right-back position was instead occupied by Hatem Trabelsi.
The Tunisian international had previously played alongside Yang Yang at Ajax. After spending two seasons at Juventus without establishing himself, Trabelsi left following Juventus' relegation and chose to continue his career in the Premier League with Manchester City.
In this match, he was tasked with marking Yang Yang. Despite his experience, he ultimately allowed Yang Yang the space to deliver a decisive assist for Gerrard, which proved to be the only goal of the game.
Liverpool secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Manchester City.
Elsewhere, Manchester United suffered another setback at home, losing 1–0 to Chelsea. Arsenal endured an even more damaging result, suffering a humiliating 3–0 defeat away to Bolton.
This round once again demonstrated the ruthless nature of the Premier League. Even for the traditional top four, a single lapse in concentration could lead to disaster.
After the conclusion of the round, Liverpool climbed back into third place in the league table. They held a three-point advantage over Arsenal, trailed Chelsea by just one point, and were five points behind league leaders Manchester United. With the first half of the season still unfinished, a five-point gap was far from insurmountable.
The British media generally took a measured view of Liverpool's situation. Sissoko's absence was widely acknowledged as a major blow to the team, but there was also a consensus that tactical adjustments were urgently required.
Several well-known figures, including Alan Hansen, publicly expressed the view that deploying Yang Yang strictly on the left in a 4-4-2 system was a waste of resources and significantly limited his attacking influence.
Some even suggested that Benítez should consider pushing Yang Yang further forward, possibly into a more central attacking role.
One week later, the Premier League moved into its fifteenth round.
Liverpool were once again held to a draw at Anfield, this time against Portsmouth. Benítez continued to use the 4-4-2 formation, but the attacking performance showed little improvement.
This time, the Liverpool manager could no longer remain patient.
The day after the Portsmouth match, Benítez summoned Yang Yang to his office. He openly acknowledged that there were problems with the current formation and told him directly that he would need to take on more attacking responsibility going forward.
"Next, I need you to shoulder more of the offensive burden."