Whoosh!!!
White Hart Lane erupted as if exploding, filled with chaotic uproar.
Spurs fans, necks stiff, pointed at Ling and began cursing.
"What are you doing?"
"Filthy bastard!"
"Ref, that idiot deserves a red card!"
"Suspend him! He doesn't belong on the pitch!"
Meanwhile, Manchester United fans cheered wildly for this forceful retaliation.
Although elbowing an opponent in a match isn't something to advocate, it depends on the circumstances.
"Well done!"
"Bunch of bastards, how dare you criticize others—look at what you did first!"
"Even if you play dirty, your trophy room is fucking empty!"
United fans gazed at the domineering figure of their number seven standing on the field, flipping through memories, recalling their former captain.
Cantona!
Back when Cantona faced repeated insults from Crystal Palace fans—calling him "French bastard" and slurs against his mother—he didn't hesitate for a second.
He leaped into the air and delivered a flying kick straight into the guy's beer belly, followed by a couple of solid punches.
Afterward, Cantona was heavily penalized with an eight-month suspension, which even altered his career, leading him to retire early and leave the pitch.
To this day, Cantona says in media interviews: "I only regret one thing—that I didn't hit him hard enough!"
Whether players or fans, Manchester United never swallows insults or holds grudges overnight; they settle scores right then and there.
Spurs players charged madly toward the perpetrator, but halfway there, they were intercepted by United players, sparking an intense physical confrontation.
Lukaku pushed back Ali and Eriksen, one with each hand.
Matic, Pogba, Phil Jones, Smolin, and even De Gea rushed over from the goal.
Each of them blocked at least one Spurs player; no one could break through this defensive line.
At this point, one had to admire Mourinho's tall-tower tactic—most of the team consisted of burly guys over six feet tall, ensuring they wouldn't be at a disadvantage in a scrap.
As for the Spurs substitutes, they were blocked by David Luiz leading the way.
He suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu from his days at Chelsea, when they used to do the same.
Kovacic quickly followed suit, adrenaline surging, glaring fiercely at the opposition.
He never expected his debut for Manchester United to unfold like this.
But honestly, it was quite thrilling.
McTominay watched his good friend's back, remembering when he was bullied—how Ling had stood up against three or four guys' punches, beating Mitchell so badly he couldn't get out of bed.
Of course, Ling hadn't fared much better himself.From that moment on, McTominay deeply understood that despite Ling's usual amiable demeanor—rarely ever clashing with others—he inherently possessed a hidden fierceness. If you truly provoked him, he wouldn't bother reasoning with you step by step; instead, he would act with sheer "willfulness."
McTominay only regretted not starting the match, or else he would have definitely added a kick of his own.
"Boss, you can't go up there! It'll escalate things!"
Mourinho had initially wanted to throw a couple of old-school punches, but unfortunately, Faria held him firmly in the coach's seat.
On the other side, Pochettino had already given up any hope for the match's outcome. He had considered rallying the Tottenham players to at least salvage some pride on the field. Otherwise, being dominated by Manchester United at home would surely lead to fierce criticism from the fans after the game.
But considering Tottenham's brutal upcoming schedule and the looming threats from Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea in the standings, Pochettino couldn't bring himself to take the risk. He couldn't bear the cost of being knocked out in the Champions League round of 16 and missing out on next season's Champions League qualification.
Forget it—endure for now, and calm will follow.
Meanwhile, Trippier still hadn't recovered from his dizziness. The scene before him flickered with flashes of light, his head muddled and heavy as if filled with paste.
Could it be a concussion?
As for Ling, instead of offering help, he sneered and said, "You're the fucking soft one!" Then he turned to face the furious Tottenham players on the periphery, pointed at his head, and wore a thick layer of mockery on his face.
The message was clear: If you want to keep going, I'm game. Whoever backs down is a coward!
Faced with such provocation, the Tottenham players instantly erupted in rage. They waved their fists, breathing heavily like wild beasts gone mad.
The Manchester United players strained to hold the Tottenham players back, thinking to themselves how skilled Ling was at drawing aggro—just one gesture had completely broken the opposition's composure.
The referee arrived belatedly with the officials, forcefully separating the players from both teams and showing Ling a yellow card.
Why not a red card? Because Trippier's foul had been even more malicious. The referee couldn't easily change his standard of judgment; otherwise, given Mourinho's temperament, he'd probably show up at the FA with three lawyers in tow. And Manchester United would leverage their influence to apply pressure.
Back at the Carrington training ground, Ibrahimović looked somewhat displeased, muttering to himself, "That hit was weak—totally wasted all our usual training! Should've gone straight at him from the front, showing both the studs and elbows. Guaranteed to send that bastard to the hospital with one move."
However, he was quite satisfied with Ling's attitude of seeking immediate revenge. He recalled when he himself had been fouled by Materazzi—it hurt so badly at the time that he forgot to retaliate, and it took four years to finally get back at him. It was something he'd always regretted.
Beside him, Carrick was caught between laughter and exasperation, thinking that if Ibrahimović had been on the scene, the conflict would have escalated even further.
Meanwhile, the Letv Sports live broadcast room was in an uproar.
"Um, due to the chaotic situation on the pitch, the match has been temporarily halted."
"Although football is a sport that embraces physical confrontation, players should uphold the most basic spirit of sportsmanship."
"Whether in life or on the field, maliciously attacking others for personal gain is not a display of intelligence or greatness—it only exposes one's own ignorance, inferiority, and foolishness."As football commentators, Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu naturally couldn't praise Ling's behavior.
If it weren't for the cameras, Zhan Jun would definitely have cursed extensively—he never had much fondness for Tottenham, and now this situation had arisen.
Chinese fans had far fewer reservations, openly cursing on the spot.
[Trippier took an elbow and finally calmed down.]
[Support young Ling! On the football pitch, you absolutely cannot back down. If they step on your foot today, they'll step on your head tomorrow!]
[Speaking of which, does Manchester United have a violent gene? Why is everyone so fierce?]
[Vidić, Cantona, Scholes...]
[And Roy Keane, who straight up broke Haaland's leg, forcing him to retire!]
[Actually, Haaland's retirement had other reasons.]
[Even so, Keane's foul was malicious, just like Trippier's—there's no defending it.]
[Right, we don't support malicious fouls, but you can't just swallow the insult when you're being violated!]
[...]
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