During the halftime break, the last glow of the evening sun faded behind the western stands.
The floodlights at Kenilworth Road had long been switched on, so most fans didn't notice the encroaching darkness. Instead, they remained fully immersed in animated discussions about the first half and eagerly anticipated the second.
Fifteen minutes flew by. Luton's players returned to the pitch first, greeted by cheers. A minute later, Manchester City's squad followed—slightly delayed.
Luton's manager, Ethan, was already seated calmly on the bench, unmoved by what he saw as psychological tricks from the Premier League side.
Ultimately, everything would be settled on the pitch.
"The second half is about to kick off!" roared commentator Jonathan Letkinson. "And Manchester City have made a change—Felipe Caicedo is coming on to replace Pablo Zabaleta. They're switching a defensive midfielder for a center forward. This is a bold move from Mark Hughes!"
Caicedo, the powerful Ecuadorian striker, had been signed from Basel during the previous winter transfer window—back when the Abu Dhabi United Group had only just begun its investment in City. Now, with the team trailing and in trouble, they were banking on the big man to lead a comeback.
"City are down by two," added co-commentator Jamie Redknapp, "but they've got forty-five minutes to turn this around. Luton's real test begins now."
Letkinson nodded in agreement. He had been to this small stadium many times—it only held around 10,000 fans, but the atmosphere could rival much larger venues.
Surely, Manchester City wouldn't go home without scoring at least once... right?
But as soon as the second half kicked off, everything changed—and not the way the pundits expected.
Luton came flying out of the gates with an aggressive high press.
With Zabaleta off the pitch, City's midfield was now anchored by Nigel de Jong and Stephen Ireland. But Luton's relentless pressure caused chaos. Ireland, under heavy pressure, was forced into a rushed backpass.
Kompany tried to collect it, but Kevin Keane was on him instantly. Kompany had no choice but to play it back to goalkeeper Shay Given, who found himself under siege from a charging Jamie Vardy. With no safe option, Given booted the ball into touch.
"Luton are swarming the City backline!" Letkinson exclaimed. "And Manchester City look rattled!!"
The roar from the Luton supporters was deafening—they could feel something special happening.
Ethan remained cool, even cheerful, casually chatting with his assistants. He was proud. While Mark Hughes had opted to go all-in on offense, Ethan had also flipped the script—he met fire with fire and caught City completely off guard.
Manchester City were supposed to dominate the second half, pushing Luton deep and peppering the box with long balls toward Caicedo, using him as a target man to tee up Robinho and Craig Bellamy.
It was a simple, direct strategy that played to City's strengths—but it required space and time to build. Luton gave them neither.
Instead of retreating, Luton's midfield—packed with five tireless players—pushed high and hard, disrupting every City attempt to control possession.
On the sidelines, Mark Hughes looked dazed. His plans were falling apart, and Ethan's counter-tactics were pinning his team down.
He stole a glance at the calm figure across the technical area. Ethan looked almost amused. Hughes had warned his players not to underestimate Luton—but in truth, he had done so himself. He hadn't even sent scouts to observe their recent games.
Now, he was paying the price.
City's players felt the frustration too. After regrouping during the break, they'd expected to come out firing. Instead, they were being smothered.
In the 48th minute, the pressure broke through again.
Stephen Ireland, caught in possession near the halfway line, was robbed by Hassan Ali. The Luton midfielder burst forward, drove into space, and laid the ball off into the right channel.
Kevin Keane met it in stride—and struck a thunderous volley!
Ethan leapt from his seat—but the shot flew just wide.
He clutched his head in disbelief. So close.
But the warning was clear. Luton weren't just trying to hold the lead—they were going for the kill.
Kevin Keane nearly made it 3–0 with a powerful strike, but Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given pulled off a spectacular save to deny him.
Although Ethan sighed in frustration, he quickly applauded the team's excellent attacking play.
Mark Hughes looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack—his Manchester City side was completely on the back foot during this phase of the game.
"Ohhhhhhhhhh! Kevin Keane!!!"
The commentator's voice cracked with excitement as Keane lamented the missed opportunity. He clapped his hands in frustration before jogging over to take the resulting corner kick.
Luton's two central defenders pushed up into the box, ready to join the attack. Ethan had drilled them extensively on set-piece routines during training.
Jeffrey was Luton's key man for these situations—his leap and heading ability made him a real threat in the air.
Mark Hughes hadn't even regained his composure before disaster struck again for City!
"Jeffrey!!!"
Letkinson leapt out of his seat.
"Three–nil!!!"
The Luton fans erupted in pure delirium. The Volcano Stadium lived up to its name, shaking with the roar of the crowd like a volcanic eruption.
Ethan sprinted out of the technical area, followed closely by his assistant coaches, all celebrating wildly.
"We're going to win this, right Ethan?!"
John, well into his fifties but bursting with childlike excitement, grabbed Ethan and shouted over the noise.
"Damn it, John! You nearly choked me!" Ethan laughed as he tried to wriggle out of John's crushing bear hug.
"Of course we're going to win!!" he shouted back with confidence.
Up 3–0, there was no way they were going to let this one slip!
The stands echoed with chants and songs.
🎶 "Oh oh oh oh, we have a coach from China,
He's better looking than anyone,
He'll lead us to beat every team,
His name is Ethan, oh oh oh oh, we all love him…" 🎶
The fans had come up with yet another impromptu tribute to their beloved manager.
Ethan stood on the touchline, taking it all in—the thousands of waving scarves, the sea of raised arms, and the thunderous singing. It shook him to the core in the best way.
I love this sound, he thought to himself.
At that moment, Ethan felt a surge of passion for the job. He stood tall, soaking in the cheers of his supporters.
On the pitch, the Luton players were in a frenzy of celebration. The goal scorer, Jeffrey, was buried under a joyful pile of teammates.
This goal surely sealed the victory!