Chapter 287: Gualin punches and knocks Icardi flying, "You are not fit to play professional football!
Manchester United lost!
They finally lost!
Manchester United's streak of victories at the start of the season has ended!
In the sixth round of the Premier League, Manchester City defeated Everton 3-0 at home, while Manchester United was defeated by Tottenham 3-1 at home.
The climax and turning point of the match occurred with the explosive play of Tottenham's midfield general Gualin.
This physically imposing player, with violent shooting power, seemed possessed in this match, launching two fierce shots like cannonballs that blasted open Manchester United's goal, directly determining the outcome of the match!
Gualin's two goals not only displayed his extraordinary personal ability but also propelled Tottenham to victory, leaving the spectators at Old Trafford in complete silence.
However, the score difference wasn't the only highlight of the match.
Amidst an intense confrontation, the tension on the field was palpable, with a clash between Icardi and Gualin pushing the match to another peak.
The incident began with a situation involving ball possession when Gualin saw De Bruyne lying on the ground injured and not getting up for a long time. Out of respect for his opponent, Gualin kicked the ball out of bounds to pause the match.
This should have been a good deed reflecting sportsmanship, but then Icardi decided to act up~
Teammate Rojo threw the ball in to Icardi, and typically, Icardi should have passed it back to the Tottenham players, concluding this display of goodwill from the opponent.
But perhaps because the team was trailing by two goals at home with little time left;
Or perhaps because he was in poor form this match, missing numerous opportunities, Icardi suddenly got hot-headed, didn't return possession, but instead charged towards Tottenham's penalty area!
Tottenham's center-back Vertonghen looked bewildered, waving his arms at the referee in complaint!
Icardi ignored him, dribbled past him, and with a gentle push shot, scored into Lori's goal!
"There's still time, come on! Let's pull it back!"
Icardi shouted excitedly to his teammates after scoring.
With a tick, the Old Trafford scoreboard changed to 1:2.
Tottenham's players exploded instantly!
Everyone surrounded Icardi!
Gualin rushed quickest, landing a heavy punch on Icardi's chest, knocking him to the ground!
"Are you still a man? You don't deserve to play professional football," Gualin angrily screamed at him.
Manchester United players, although aware of their misstep, were baffled by Icardi's actions;
However, seeing the team's leading striker under attack by opponents, they couldn't ignore it, rushing forward, turning the scene into chaos.
Fortunately, the referee intervened in time, preventing further escalation.
Icardi held his chest groaning on the ground, while Gualin was forcefully held back by four Tottenham teammates, struggling and yelling, "Mauro, you bastard, I'll personally chop you into pieces!"
Everyone knows Gualin's temper; when he loses it, he's really capable of murder~
Gualin was sent off with a red card for violent conduct.
As for Icardi?
The referee awkwardly conveyed to the Tottenham players that he couldn't penalize Icardi because he hadn't broken any rules.
Returning possession is not a mandatory rule but an established convention, an expression of sportsmanship;
Yet if someone lacks sportsmanship, there's nothing one can do, for shamelessness is truly invincible!
Luckily, Manchester United captain Rooney remained calm, communicating smoothly with Tottenham's captain Lori, expressing their willingness to let the opponents have a goal.
Subsequently, all Manchester United players stood still, allowing Kane to dribble unhindered, bringing the ball into the goal, returning a score.
Eventually, the score of 1-3 was maintained until the end of the match.
After the game, this clash quickly became the headline news of major media outlets, with "Conflict Between Former Inter Players Icardi and Gualin on the Field" becoming a hot topic among fans.
People sighed that these two players, who had once shone brightly in Serie A, could still bring plenty of spectacle to fans on the Premier League stage, albeit this time in a rather controversial manner.
Furthermore, Gualin's actions after the match sparked wide discussion.
According to information revealed by The Sun, he texted Manchester City players Ranocchia and Tang Long after the match, saying, "Take him down for me next time you're against Icardi!"
Icardi's social media account was flooded!
Countless fans swarmed into the comment section, berating him viciously.
One fan said, I've watched the Premier League for over a decade, and it's the first time I've seen someone not return possession!
Another fan complained, Icardi's look of excitement after scoring was utterly disgusting!
Yet another fan remarked, Both are Argentinian players, but there's no way Manchester City's forward Agüero would do such a shameless thing!
Faced with these accusations, even Manchester United fans didn't dare to retort or speak up for him.
The only one defending him was Icardi's wife, Wanda, who responded to these comments almost one by one, arguing back!
"My husband did nothing wrong; he just wanted to fight tooth and nail for Manchester United!"
"Who are you to criticize my husband? How many British Pounds do you earn in a month?"
"Ha, rather than cursing here, you'd better move a few more bricks; have you paid off your mortgage?"
"You Liverpool and Arsenal fans are just jealous of my husband, jealous of the world's greatest player!"
Finally, Icardi's social media account had to disable the comment function.
After deliberation, Manchester United's management imposed an internal fine of 50,000 British Pounds on Icardi;
Under Rooney's urging, Icardi apologized to the entire team in the locker room, delivering a statement of remorse.
However, he was clearly not very convinced, posting a social status.
[A lion never cares about the yapping of hyenas!]
The image was of his lion chest tattoo.
This made his national team elder brother Agüero sneer at him, as Agüero said to Tang Long:
"With that demeanor, he dares to call himself a lion? I think he's not even as good as a mouse!"
...
The real-time standings after 6 rounds of the Premier League
1. Manchester United 15 points
2. Manchester City 15 points
3. Chelsea 12 points
4. Arsenal 11 points
Goal Scorers:
1. Icardi 7 goals
2. Harry Kane 5 goals
3. Tang Long 4 goals
4. Gualin 4 goals
Assists Leaderboard
1. De Bruyne 5
2. Tang Long 4
3. Eriksson 3
During Agüero's three-match suspension, Tang Long filled the scoring void, scoring three goals in two rounds, with a total of four goals, surpassing Agüero to become the team's top scorer.
Agüero had no objections to this.
Because he knew that no matter how many goals Tang Long scores, once he returns, the starting position will still be his.
Even if Tang Long really gets to play up front, it will be as a second striker, with the center forward position firmly held by himself.
Bony also had no major objections.
Thanks to Tang Long's help, Bony broke his goal drought and finally scored this season, relieving the pressure and providing temporary mental relief.
It could be said that when he was desperate enough to die of thirst, Tang Long gave him a bottle of water!
Life-saving water.
Bony's story is not the typical European football fairy tale.
Unlike players who grew up in high-welfare countries, carefree and chasing their football dreams, his starting point was a poor slum in Côte d'Ivoire.
There, life showed its cruelty and injustice in the most primitive way.
Bony's big family, with eight siblings, pinned all their hopes on this precocious child.
Football became his only way out of poverty and the only means to change the family's fate.
When Bony joined Swansea City from Eredivisie's Tevez as a professional player, the entire family seemed to see the dawn of hope!
They raised their arms to the sunshine in the Côte d'Ivoire slum and shouted, "Money is coming!"
A £1.8 million annual salary is astronomical for ordinary people, but for Bony, it's a heavy responsibility.
His salary not only has to support his life in a foreign country but also become the economic pillar for more than 150 people far away in Côte d'Ivoire.
If it were just for feeding them, that would be manageable;
However, family members saw him as a cash machine, with endless demands flooding like tides!
From basic living expenses to extravagant dreams of UK immigration, from buying villas in London to pursuing beautiful white girls, these demands pressed down on Bony like mountains.
After transferring to Manchester City, Bony thought he could usher in a new chapter in his career, but little did he expect that the burden on his shoulders not only didn't lighten but grew heavier!
"Brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, Bony has joined a top club. He's making big money in the UK, we're going to take off too, ha ha ha~"
As Bony's form at Manchester City improved, those relatives from afar actually came to find him!
This time, they were more brazen, directly breaking into Bony's house, surrounding him demanding money and houses.
Bony tried to evade them, but it was futile; at this critical moment, Yaya Toure, the big brother of the Côte d'Ivoire national team, came to Bony's house with a frown.
As a highly respected figure in this African national team, Toure used his unique authority and threatened to call the police, driving away these greedy relatives, giving Bony a moment's respite.
"Here, your football boots! Ah, playing in the Premier League, can't even afford boots—if anyone heard, let alone your Côte d'Ivoire relatives, even I wouldn't believe it!"
Toure handed a pair of football boots to Bony.
Bony held the boots, his eyes brimming with tears, choking up:
"I have no choice, big brother, that's why I can't leave Manchester City. If they kick me out and I go to another team, I definitely have to take a pay cut, how would I support my people?"
Toure hesitated, then sighed and turned to leave.
Having played football in Europe for over a decade, from Ligue 1 to La Liga, then to the Premier League, Toure accumulated far more wealth than Bony.
But as an Ivorian, like Bony, he also bore the responsibility of supporting his clansmen.
The economic pressure he bore was not any less than Bony's.
Before coming to Bony's house, the mayor of his hometown even called, hoping he would contribute £2 million to build a road back home.
Although he despised this bottomless pit, as an African player of his generation, he had no choice but to comply.
Is it a responsibility, a habit, or a forced kidnapping?
Toure couldn't say, so he understood Bony well, seeing in Bony what he saw in himself eight years ago when he just joined Barça.
...
Today, after training, Toure felt uneasy.
He overheard some coaching staff discussing Pellegrini's high praise for Tang Long's versatility.
For the midweek Champions League group match against Borussia Monchengladbach, since the opponent is relatively weak, they might try Tang Long as a defensive midfielder because he had played that position before at Inter, and Pellegrini wants to see his effectiveness in that role at Manchester City.
At 32, Toure suddenly felt a sense of crisis descending upon him.
You play as an attacking midfielder or forward, I don't care.
You come to play as a defensive midfielder, I can't sit still!
There are already four designated defensive midfielders in Manchester City: me, Fernando, Fernandinho, and the new signing Delph.
Adding another Tang Long—oh dear, five players for two positions—this is going to squeeze us to death!
Currently in a contract year and hoping for a renewal, Toure felt a profound middle-aged crisis.
There aren't many years left in his career; he really can't afford to play aimlessly anymore!
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