Chapter 357: Becoming the Chaser Isn't Necessarily a Bad Thing
In the locker room, Mourinho looked at Li Ang, who was still discussing the first-half midfield control issues with Kroos, and felt a wave of relief in his heart.
During the past two league matches without Li Ang, Chelsea's midfielders had not actually performed badly individually.
If you examined their performances separately, Matić had been diligent and steady on defense, and Kroos had been just as solid in organizing play.
As for De Bruyne?
With three assists over two games, De Bruyne had already been hailed to the heavens by the English media!
Mourinho, when facing media interviews, repeatedly said he had no doubts about the strength of the new midfield trio.
And he was telling the truth — though, secretly, he always kept "the second half" of that thought to himself.
That second half was: this new midfield combination still needed more matches to build real chemistry.
Previously, with Li Ang anchoring the midfield, whether partnering with Kroos and Matić or playing double central midfield with De Bruyne, he would naturally adapt to his teammates' playing styles.
And the others naturally played around Li Ang as the core, distributing and controlling possession through him.
In short, every midfielder in the Chelsea squad deeply respected Li Ang's strength, and Li Ang, in turn, deeply understood the traits of his teammates.
As long as Li Ang started, it didn't matter who partnered with him — the midfield would operate smoothly, and any defensive gaps would be promptly patched up by Li Ang.
But once Li Ang was removed from this highly adaptable midfield setup, and no new clear midfield core was established, the trio's coordination naturally became a little disjointed.
The irony was that each of them was so strong individually that even with occasional coordination breakdowns, they could still perform well enough to keep Chelsea's offensive system running smoothly.
But defensively, those small coordination issues increased the pressure on Chelsea's backline.
Take the last league match for instance — Maguire failing to track Cavani's run in the final minutes led directly to Arsenal's equalizer.
At first glance, Maguire seemed at fault.
But if you analyzed it deeper, you'd find that before the one-on-one between Maguire and Cavani, it was actually De Bruyne's slow defensive tracking that allowed Cazorla to receive Ramsey's through ball and infiltrate Chelsea's defensive third.
That lapse was fatal. Matić and Kroos were each already marking someone else and couldn't abandon their posts.
So it was De Bruyne's failure to defend his side properly that opened the door for Arsenal's last-gasp chance.
If it had been Li Ang in that spot, even if he had been caught slightly out of position at first, he would have decisively either intercepted within the next second or two — or simply brought down Cazorla with a tactical foul.
De Bruyne could certainly dazzle as a number eight or ten.
His talent was undeniable, and Chelsea's coaching staff had never doubted his ability to perform at a world-class level in multiple roles.
But after two full seasons spent playing further forward, asking him to instantly readapt to a deeper midfield role was truly a big ask.
His slight hesitation in defensive reactions was understandable — and fixable.
Mourinho had already considered several plans to help De Bruyne integrate more quickly into the midfield framework.
He believed that, with enough matches, De Bruyne, Kroos, and Matić could eventually forge a seamless, formidable defensive partnership.
Many seemingly big problems were, in reality, just minor teething issues.
And now, watching Li Ang naturally take control of the midfield again, seamlessly integrating and coordinating with the rest, Mourinho truly relaxed.
With Li Ang back, all those little problems vanished in an instant.
Mistimed coverages?
Defensive breakdowns?
Nonexistent.
With Li Ang commanding the midfield, Chelsea's other midfielders wouldn't easily make basic errors.
After all, nobody wanted to be dragged into extra training at Cobham just because they slacked off and got caught out on the pitch!
Mourinho had full confidence now. He didn't think he needed to make many tactical adjustments for this match.
After all, Wolfsburg had pretty much laid all their tactical cards on the table from the starting lineup.
Their towering striker Bas Dost was completely shut down by Maguire today, and only Draxler posed any real threat in attack.
Unfortunately for Draxler, he had drawn the short straw again — he was being marked by Li Ang.
Since moving from Schalke 04 to Wolfsburg, Draxler still hadn't escaped the curse of being neutralized by Li Ang.
Mourinho had zero doubt that Li Ang would suppress Draxler so thoroughly today that he would barely get a touch.
Thus, if Wolfsburg wanted to break the deadlock, their second striker Schürrle would have to step up.
But Schürrle, a player whose technical skills in central areas weren't sharp enough and whose pace on the wings wasn't electric either — could he really break through Chelsea's well-drilled defense?
Mourinho had his doubts.
And when the second half started, Li Ang once again led his teammates in delivering a defensive masterclass against Wolfsburg!
Li Ang had a lot of pent-up energy to release — frustration from missing two Premier League matches boiled over onto Wolfsburg tonight.
Draxler, feeling the relentless energy and absurd mental intensity Li Ang radiated, found himself struggling badly every time he tried to drive forward.
He couldn't help but fall into a familiar spiral of self-doubt.
He had thought he had grown — in the Bundesliga, he had become a real star.
But why, every time he faced Li Ang, did he feel so helpless, so completely outmatched?
Li Ang moved like an unstoppable machine, seemingly never tiring, reveling in winning back possession.
In physical battles, Draxler was no match.
Even in technical duels, where Draxler prided himself, he had no choice but to admit defeat.
After being suppressed for an entire half, and repeatedly robbed at the start of the second, Draxler's mentality finally collapsed!
Wolfsburg manager Hecking looked on in frustration, but he knew better than to yell at Draxler now.
One look and you could tell Draxler was mentally fragile; if Hecking shouted at him now, he might shatter the young man's confidence completely.
Instead, Hecking subtly signaled Draxler to swap flanks with right-winger Caligiuri.
It was a good call — Li Ang wasn't going to chase Draxler across the pitch just to keep marking him. That would have been beneath him.
Freed from Li Ang's shadow, Draxler slowly regained some composure.
But poor Caligiuri now had to face Li Ang one-on-one — it was like walking into a prison sentence.
No matter who Wolfsburg put on Li Ang's side, they were doomed to suffer tonight.
Playing effectively one-legged, Wolfsburg's offense stalled badly.
And when the match reached the 65th minute, Chelsea — still brimming with energy — launched a full-scale counteroffensive!
Wolfsburg's midfielders and attackers, drained of stamina, struggled terribly to get back into position.
Li Ang repeatedly exploited the fact that Wolfsburg's two center-backs were tall but lacked agility, frequently making late runs into the box alongside Kroos to deliver threatening through balls!
Dante and Naldo were forced to keep a close eye on Hazard and Suarez, both quick off the mark and ready to break the offside trap at any moment.
The two towering defenders were clearly suffering under Chelsea's relentless assault.
But just as they thought Chelsea would keep hammering with rapid attacks, Li Ang suddenly switched the rhythm!
After once again carrying the ball forward to disrupt Wolfsburg's defense, Li Ang, while resisting Gustavo's harassment, abruptly sent a pass into the space left open at the edge of the penalty arc after the two center-backs had dropped deep.
De Bruyne, who hadn't been a major threat up to this point, perfectly timed his run, forming a seamless one-two with Li Ang!
A diagonal cut, quick ball control, a slight adjustment — and a beautifully placed chip shot!
Benaglio, in goal, could only curse.
He couldn't believe his teammates had dared to leave such a critical area wide open!
He lunged desperately but failed to stop De Bruyne's confident strike.
With the lead now extended to two goals, De Bruyne and Li Ang linked arms, sprinting to the corner flag to celebrate together!
There were still about twenty minutes left in the match, but the suspense was basically gone.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's supporters burst into loud, jubilant songs, while the English media reporters at pitchside looked at each other, unsure how to respond.
The match eventually ended with Chelsea's dominant and solid defensive performance.
Some of the media who had slammed Mourinho's tactics after the last Premier League match now suddenly seemed like devout Mourinho loyalists once again.
No surprise there — it's never hard for them to flip sides.
After conducting a few routine interviews with familiar reporters, Li Ang rejoined his teammates in celebrating on the pitch.
Two straight wins in the Champions League group stage — and against the group's strongest opponents, no less.
It was a start worth celebrating.
Next, Chelsea would travel to Moscow to face CSKA and the biting cold.
A win wasn't mandatory, but as long as they avoided defeat, they would maintain their lead at the top of the group after three rounds.
In such high spirits, the team organized a squad dinner the evening they beat Wolfsburg.
The schedule wasn't exactly generous — just four days later, Chelsea would head to St. James' Park to face Newcastle in the eighth round of the Premier League.
But considering the recent slight wobble in form — and the fact that Li Ang still had one more match of suspension left — Terry and Li Ang both felt it was a good moment to boost team morale.
Mourinho had no objections.
It was just a relaxed team dinner, not some wild party.
He even generously gave the players a full day off.
After all, Chelsea's first-team players weren't lacking matches lately — what they needed now was proper rest, mental relaxation, and recovery training.
And it worked.
After the dinner and a comfortable day of rest, Chelsea's players returned to training with renewed energy.
On the afternoon of October 3rd, during China's National Day holiday, Chelsea traveled away to face the Magpies in an intense Premier League clash.
Today, Mourinho once again deployed the midfield trio of Kroos, De Bruyne, and Matić.
But unlike the previous two league matches, Kroos no longer partnered with De Bruyne as dual central midfielders.
Instead, he paired with Matić as a double pivot.
This made Chelsea's backline look even more solid.
More importantly, De Bruyne was given much more freedom in attack.
With Kroos anchoring deeper, De Bruyne took full responsibility for advancing the ball and delivering dangerous passes.
Far from feeling pressured, De Bruyne looked absolutely thrilled!
Mourinho had deliberately lessened De Bruyne's defensive burden so that he could focus entirely on organizing the attack.
If De Bruyne lost the ball and failed to track back quickly, Kroos and Matić were there to cover — no big deal.
This tactical setup was the result of Chelsea's coaching staff's careful discussions, deemed the most suitable system for the current midfield trio.
And in the match itself, the impact was immediate.
With almost no defensive responsibilities, De Bruyne unleashed his full attacking power, providing assists for both Suarez and Hazard within just one half!
Watching from a box at the stadium, Li Ang was smiling — though his expression was a little strange.
Because he felt that today's Chelsea tactics resembled Solskjær's Manchester United during the "dog chasing the frisbee" era.
De Bruyne looked exactly like an oversized Bruno Fernandes.
It was a simple strategy — fast, direct attacks — and it suited Chelsea's current attacking lineup perfectly.
The counterattacks were devastating.
Of course, this tactic worked best against mid- and lower-tier Premier League teams; stronger sides could eventually figure it out and dismantle it.
But Mourinho clearly intended to use it selectively, not as a long-term plan.
Li Ang simply chuckled to himself.
In the end, Chelsea cruised to a 3–0 away win over Newcastle.
De Bruyne once again provided two assists, while Suarez, Hazard, and Maguire all found the back of the net.
Chelsea shook off the frustration of being held to a last-minute draw by Arsenal in the previous round.
However, they still didn't reclaim top spot in the league table — because Manchester City had also won their earlier match.
Currently, Chelsea had a Premier League record of 7 wins and 1 draw, sitting second with 22 points.
Manchester City, meanwhile, had opened the season with a perfect 8 wins, sitting atop the table.
Arsenal and Tottenham, in third and fourth, had both managed 5 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, already falling behind the two "monster teams" at the top.
For Chelsea, used to leading the title race after winning two consecutive Premier League titles, becoming the chasers was a rare feeling.
In the past, they bore the heavy pressure of defending the title — pressure that had shaped and driven them forward, pushing them to aim for a three-peat dynasty.
Now, with Manchester City shouldering the media and public scrutiny, Chelsea found themselves surprisingly relaxed.
Li Ang didn't see it as a bad thing.
Winning the league wasn't a sprint; it was a marathon testing the willpower and overall strength of every competitor.
Manchester City's rise was something Li Ang had anticipated long ago.
It was unrealistic to think they could suppress such a rapidly evolving rival all season long.
So occasionally playing the role of the pursuer could actually help Chelsea's players maintain a calmer mentality and strengthen their will.
As for who would ultimately win the Premier League this season?
It was far too early to tell.
We'll see.
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