August 14th, 12:45 p.m.
The opening match of the 2010/2011 Premier League season officially kicked off following a brief ceremony.
A total of 36,000 fans packed into White Hart Lane, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Redknapp fielded his strongest possible attacking lineup.
Goalkeeper: Gomes.
Defenders: Hector, Dawson, Ledley King, Joel Luca.
Midfielders: Van der Vaart, Huddlestone, Modric, Lennon.
Forwards: Defoe and Džeko.
Both Džeko and Van der Vaart, Tottenham's big-money signings this summer, were in the starting eleven, while well-known names like Crouch and Robbie Keane began on the bench—proof of Tottenham's squad depth.
Manchester City also fielded a strong lineup.
Goalkeeper: Neuer.
Defenders: Felipe, David Luiz, Kompany, Lichtsteiner.
Midfielders: Javi Martínez sitting deep, with David Silva and Rakitic ahead of him.
Forwards: Gareth Bale, Suárez, and Robben.
Gao Shen made a few tactical adjustments.
Notably, Gareth Bale started, and Lichtsteiner replaced Zabaleta at right-back. Yaya Touré and Robin van Persie, who had impressed in the Community Shield, were both rested.
It was clear Gao Shen was approaching the season opener with caution.
After all, it's widely accepted that the first match of the season is often the trickiest.
…
From the opening whistle, Redknapp's side departed from their usual style and launched an aggressive attack at home.
Judging by their momentum, it looked as if the North London club wanted to swallow Manchester City whole.
Less than two minutes in, Džeko registered the first shot of the Premier League season, but it was blocked by Kompany and posed no real threat.
Tottenham were determined. They committed numbers forward and applied early pressure on City's defense.
Playing at home had its benefits.
The most dangerous moment came in the 9th minute, when Modric was brought down by Javi Martínez while dribbling through the right channel, earning Spurs a free kick in the final third.
Modric delivered the free kick himself. Džeko rose to meet it with a header, but Neuer made his first save of the match, parrying the ball away.
The ensuing corner was calmly caught by Neuer.
Tottenham kept up the pressure, building multiple attacks through Modric's orchestration.
Van der Vaart nominally started on the left but often drifted into the left half-space. Lennon posed a constant threat down the right flank. Džeko led the line while Defoe, Tottenham's top scorer from last season, roamed dangerously.
…
Gao Shen stood silently on the sideline, watching the match unfold.
Behind him, the coaching staffs showed signs of nervousness.
Tottenham were playing with aggression and conviction.
From another angle, that aggressiveness was also a necessity. Without throwing numbers forward and attacking boldly, they would never have managed to suppress Manchester City.
Everyone knew that City's ability to control possession was unmatched in the Premier League.
Gao Shen appeared calm on the surface, but deep down, he felt a hint of regret.
He truly admired Modric. Unfortunately, despite multiple attempts, he hadn't managed to sign him.
Now, that ship had sailed.
As the manager, Gao Shen had to consider the bigger picture.
With David Silva, Rakitic, Yaya Touré, and De Bruyne already in the squad, adding Modric would complicate midfield selection. It could even spark dressing room unrest due to lack of minutes.
A mature manager can't make decisions based on personal preference. When the Modric deal fell through, it meant the opportunity had passed.
Yaya Touré had some similar traits, but his tall, powerful frame made him noticeably slower.
Don't underestimate that. The closer you get to goal, the more compact the defense becomes, the smaller the space. If your movement slows down even slightly, it becomes nearly impossible to create chances.
This is also the fundamental reason why Giroud's scoring efficiency is often lower.
Yaya Touré's best use was to arrive late from deep.
As Gao Shen pondered, ten minutes passed.
"Want to make an adjustment?" Carlo asked with concern.
He had once been Gao Shen's mentor, but now Gao Shen had surpassed him in match strategy, tactical control, and in-game decision-making. These days, Gao Shen gave the orders while Carlo offered advice and executed them.
"No need. Let them attack," Gao Shen replied with a confident smile.
From the start, Manchester City didn't press high. Instead, they approached the match conservatively.
That allowed Tottenham to mount wave after wave of attacks and dominate the early stages. Even ball possession tilted in Spurs' favor—an unusual sight for City.
But Gao Shen wasn't flustered.
Unlike Barcelona, who treat possession like life itself, Gao Shen did not.
What he cared about were goals and wins. Possession was only a means to that end.
And despite Tottenham's pressure, they had yet to break down City's defense. Most of their threats came from long shots and set pieces.
"They're using a 4-4-2, with Huddlestone and Modric sitting slightly deeper. Clearly, they're trying to overrun our midfield. But that leaves a gap between their midfield and attack. That gap will eventually be exposed."
"Just wait," Gao Shen said with a grin.
He had complete trust in his team.
This was his squad. He knew their strengths better than anyone.
Especially David Silva and Rakitic—two intelligent midfielders who knew exactly how to read the game.
…
Time ticked on.
From the 18th minute onward, Manchester City began to find their footing and dictate the rhythm.
Tottenham continued to press but couldn't maintain the same intensity.
City's formation was like a compressed spring. The more it was pushed early on, the stronger it rebounded once the pressure eased.
In the 21st minute, after a successful interception in midfield, Rakitic received the ball on the right side of the halfway line. With no pressure around him, he launched a long ball over the top into the penalty area.
Suárez had shaken off Michael Dawson's marking and timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap. He chested the ball down and, before it hit the ground, volleyed it cleanly with his right foot.
Gomes scrambled, but it was too late.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"LUIS SUÁREZ!!!"
"Manchester City's third shot of the game finds the back of the net!"
Gao Shen clenched his fists and celebrated silently on the touchline.
Brilliant!
Rakitic and David Silva were sharp enough to spot the opposition's weaknesses and had the technique to execute it. Whether it's a short pass or a long ball, they had it in their locker.
That spelled trouble for Spurs. If they couldn't suppress City, they were in serious danger.
…
Two minutes later, it was Rakitic again, finding space and lifting another ball over the top toward the right side of the box. Robben made a diagonal run and headed it back across goal, but Gomes intercepted it.
Two near-identical attacking sequences in a row left Tottenham scrambling.
Redknapp quickly recognized the danger and adjusted, pulling Van der Vaart into midfield and switching to a 4-3-3.
But that opened up the flanks for City.
First, Robben burst down the right sideline, danced through two defenders, and cut inside to the top right corner of the box. He laid it off to the top of the arc, where David Silva met it with a first-time shot that curled just wide.
Tottenham clearly weren't playing conservatively tonight.
Even after the tactical switch, they still looked to challenge City aggressively. It was no wonder—Redknapp had big ambitions.
Džeko, Defoe, and Lennon were a trio capable of 50 goals in a season. On paper, they were just as dangerous as City.
The Van der Vaart–Modric midfield pairing was top-tier, certainly good enough for European competition.
Plus, Spurs were at home. If they didn't take the fight to City, it would've looked timid.
Redknapp had to justify the club's major summer investments.
But in the 28th minute, after City regained possession in their own half, Kompany played a ball forward. Suárez collected it, spun, and released a pass to the right.
Lichtsteiner galloped forward, bursting into Spurs' final third and delivering a quick cross into the box.
Robben was already at the edge of the penalty area. Unable to control the ball cleanly, he tried to flick it with his head across goal to find Gareth Bale.
Ledley King got a touch on the ball while tracking back but failed to clear.
David Silva rushed in and slid in a tackle, nudging the ball back to Robben, who had spun around and regained possession.
Robben used his left foot to send a low diagonal pass through the gap between Ledley King and Michael Dawson.
Gareth Bale, lurking on the left, stormed into the penalty area—the zone he thrived in.
The Welshman took a brief touch with his left foot to evade the recovering Joel Luca, then fired with his left again.
The shot was low and fast, arrowing into the bottom right corner.
Gomes, still shifting across, couldn't react in time.
It was almost identical to Bale's goal against Manchester United.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"
"It's that zone again! And it's Gareth Bale again!"
"Manchester City clearly designed this pattern to get Bale into that shooting area. This is becoming his signature zone!"
City players swarmed Bale to celebrate his goal.
Two–nil!
This game was firmly in their control!
(To be continued.)