As the players from both teams took their positions on the pitch, Allardyce strolled out of the tunnel alongside his assistant coach, Neil McDonald.
The Blackburn fans in attendance greeted their manager with applause, though it was noticeably weaker compared to the enthusiastic reception from the Manchester City supporters.
Fortunately, Allardyce hadn't heard the deafening roar when Gao Shen had stepped onto the field earlier.
Upon entering the pitch, he first surveyed the playing surface before turning toward the visiting team's technical area.
As the home team's head coach, it was customary for him to greet the opposing manager with a handshake—a simple courtesy.
At 55 years old, Allardyce was nearly twice Gao Shen's age.
It was clear the two had little in common, and their exchange consisted of brief pleasantries before the impending battle.
After shaking hands and exchanging a few words, Allardyce returned to the home team's dugout.
"He looks like he's in a good mood!" Allardyce chuckled.
Neil McDonald glanced over at Gao Shen, who stood by the Manchester City technical area, sharply dressed in a tailored suit.
With that image, among all the managers in world football, he was undoubtedly one of the most charismatic.
No wonder he was so popular right now.
"Remind our players to stay alert. Shen's teams are always dangerous at the start of a match," Allardyce cautioned. He was taking this game very seriously.
McDonald made his way to the touchline, relaying instructions to the players just as referee Mike Dean blew the whistle to start the match.
Ewood Park erupted in cheers.
Since it was an afternoon fixture, Blackburn had won the coin toss but opted against taking the kickoff, instead choosing the more favorable side to avoid the sun's glare.
This was a pre-planned tactical decision.
With Manchester City taking the kickoff, Blackburn immediately pressed high, looking to disrupt their buildup.
This was typical of the Premier League, rarely did teams sit back and defend passively from the start.
However, their attempt to win the ball back failed. Blackburn quickly retreated, forming a compact defensive shape, while Manchester City patiently built from midfield. After a minute and a half, they attempted their first penetrating pass into the box, but Suárez lost possession under pressure from Samba.
Blackburn tried to launch a quick counterattack, but it posed little threat, and they soon fell back into their defensive setup.
Allardyce had expected this and wasn't disappointed. He turned back toward the bench, already forming a preliminary assessment of the match.
Manchester City were playing cautiously in the opening stages. Given that it was the first game of the new season and the Premier League debut for several of their players, Gao Shen had opted for a composed approach rather than an all-out attacking strategy.
The only thing that caught Allardyce by surprise was Robben's positioning.
Instead of operating from his favored left flank, he was playing on the right, while Robinho had taken up the left-wing role.
It wasn't a major tactical shift, but it was still worth noting.
"Keep a close eye on Manchester City's movement—track their player activity, passing patterns, and runs. I might ask for data at any moment," Allardyce instructed a member of his coaching staff.
He was one of the earliest managers in the Premier League to embrace data analytics, using it not only to monitor player fitness but also to analyze in-game performance.
But just as he finished speaking, a sudden roar of excitement erupted from the crowd.
Startled, Allardyce spun around.
Damn, did I miss something?
On the pitch, Robinho had just attempted to dribble into the left channel but was quickly closed down by Jacobsen, forcing the Brazilian to halt and play the ball backward.
The crowd's reaction came from Robinho's initial burst of acceleration, he had nearly broken through.
Allardyce was momentarily stunned.
Robinho had performed well for Manchester City last season, but this was an explosive start.
David Silva stepped in to receive the return pass before swiftly shifting it leftward to the overlapping Filipe Luís.
The Brazilian left-back took a touch inside, spotted Rakitic making a run, and immediately played the ball to him.
Rakitic received it on the half-turn, controlling it with his right foot, but Blackburn's midfield duo of Andrews and N'Zonzi had already taken up their defensive positions.
Andrews, in particular, had stepped up quickly, pressing tightly against Rakitic.
After stopping the ball, the Croatian midfielder immediately played a direct pass.
Up front, Suárez dropped deeper, just as he had in the first attack, pulling Blackburn's central defender Samba out of position.
In a physical battle, Samba had the clear advantage, but Suárez was clever. This time, he moved behind Blackburn's two midfielders. Just before receiving the ball, he suddenly stopped, using his body to shield Samba and force the defender to halt as well. Then, with a deft touch, he controlled the ball to his left.
Almost simultaneously, Suárez spun to the left, completely shaking off Samba.
The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, leaving the Blackburn defender with no time to react.
Suárez wasted no time, before Givet could step up to close him down, he unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from outside the penalty area.
As soon as he struck the ball, Suárez leaped up.
The shot was like a bolt of lightning, rocketing toward the left side of Blackburn's goal.
Goalkeeper Robinson dived, stretching fully, but he couldn't reach it.
The ball crashed into the net!
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"
"Manchester City!! Manchester City!!!"
"Less than three minutes into the game, Manchester City have taken the lead against Blackburn!"
"And it's their new summer signing from Ajax—Luis Suárez!"
"This is Manchester City's first goal of the new season! It's also the first goal under Gao Shen's management!"
After scoring, Suárez sprinted off in celebration, rushing toward the Manchester City fans in the stands. He leaped toward them, pumping his fists in the air.
The entire stadium was filled with the ecstatic cheers of the traveling City supporters.
A goal in under three minutes!
His teammates quickly caught up, surrounding Suárez in celebration, especially Rakitic, who had provided the assist.
On the sidelines, Gao Shen had been on edge, watching closely. The moment Suárez controlled the ball and turned, he knew something special was coming. When the shot hit the net, he jumped up in excitement, cheering loudly. Landing back on his feet, he turned and rushed to his coaching staff, exchanging high-fives and hugs.
"Yeah! Fantastic!"
A goal within three minutes—what more could he ask for?
"Luis, great job!" Gao Shen cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted toward Suárez.
Hearing his coach, Suárez raised his right fist in response, brimming with confidence.
"Let's break down Manchester City's goal—it came out of nowhere!"
"Robinho attempted to dribble down the left but was stopped, so he recycled possession. David Silva then switched play to the wing, where Filipe played a sharp pass inside to Rakitic, who was left unmarked."
"The pass was well-placed, but the real highlight was Suárez's control. He turned and shot in one fluid motion, leaving the defender with no chance to react."
"Brilliant play! This goal perfectly showcases Suárez's technical ability!"
Over at the home team's technical area, Allardyce and his staff were momentarily stunned, just like the Blackburn fans in the stands.
They had already conceded?
How?
Barely two minutes into the match, and they had been beaten by a long-range strike?
But what frustrated Allardyce even more was Gao Shen's reaction. From the touchline, the Manchester City manager waved his hand forward, signaling his team to press even higher and attack!
…
From the third minute onward, Manchester City launched wave after wave of attacks, especially in the final third.
Only now did Blackburn fully experience the intensity of City's high-pressing game. Allardyce, too, got a firsthand taste of Gao Shen's tactical philosophy.
The Premier League was known for its fast pace?
Manchester City played even faster!
Whenever they lost possession in the attacking third, City players immediately pressed to win it back. Even if they couldn't steal the ball, they forced Blackburn to play backward or out wide.
And if there was no other option, they would simply foul tactically—no hesitation, no second thoughts.
This made it incredibly difficult for Blackburn to maintain possession, especially since they didn't have the crisp passing and movement of a team like Arsenal.
Manchester City's players were growing more confident, their movements becoming smoother, their combinations sharper, especially in midfield and attack. Their passing was fluid, their positioning relentless.
Suárez, in particular, was relentless in his movement.
At one point, he dropped deep, dragging Samba out of position again. This allowed Robinho to make a diagonal run into the left side of the box. David Silva spotted the opportunity and delivered a perfectly timed through ball.
Robinho sprinted onto it inside the area, stopping quickly to evade the onrushing Robinson. He then skipped past Samba, who had scrambled back to defend. But when he took his shot, he didn't strike it cleanly, and Blackburn's other center-back, Givet, managed to clear it off the goal line.
The Brazilian was visibly frustrated, shaking his head as he walked back up the pitch.
This wasn't the first time.
Under Gao Shen's coaching, he had been pushed to improve his finishing, but it would take more time.
In the eighth minute, Suárez dropped even deeper, positioning himself in front of Andrews and N'Zonzi. Receiving a pass from Robinho, he quickly laid it off to David Silva and spun forward into space.
David Silva recognized the signal and lifted a precise lobbed pass into the penalty area.
Samba struggled to keep up. Suárez had sprinted nearly 30 meters, arriving near the left side of the penalty spot. Before Robinson could react, Suárez flicked a header toward the right side of the goal.
At that moment, Robben, who had been lurking just outside the box, surged forward.
Arriving first, he smashed the ball into the open net with his left foot!
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"Two-nil!"
"Arjen Robben!"
"Manchester City have doubled their lead!"
"My God, this is unbelievable!"
"Less than ten minutes into the new season, and Manchester City have already scored twice!"
"Blackburn simply weren't prepared for Manchester City's intricate attacking play. Their defensive positioning couldn't keep up with the movement and speed of Gao Shen's side."
"Allardyce needs to make adjustments fast—otherwise, this could turn into a rout!"
(To be continued.)
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