Wow!
As Rakitic's sudden long-range shot was parried away by goalkeeper Tim Howard, the entire Etihad Stadium erupted in gasps and sighs of disappointment.
But what followed was a wave of applause.
This was already Manchester City's seventh shot of the match.
The game had only reached the 15th minute, yet City had already taken seven attempts on goal. That alone painted a clear picture of the one-sided nature of the contest, Manchester City was completely dominating Everton.
Even commentators Andy Gray and Martin Taylor couldn't help but remark that Moyes had to make adjustments quickly; otherwise, Everton would undoubtedly concede again.
"Manchester City's attack is absolutely relentless tonight!"
A shot every two minutes—it was sheer chaos.
David Silva quickly ran over to take the corner kick for Manchester City.
Most of City's aerial threats had already gathered inside the box. This was their second corner of the match, with the first failing to cause any real danger.
This time, Silva whipped the ball in quickly, but no City player managed to connect, and Everton cleared it with a header.
Everton immediately launched a counterattack, pushing the ball forward to Pienaar, but just as the South African was about to break forward, Jordan Henderson committed a tactical foul to halt the play.
Applause rang out once again around the stadium, this time in recognition of the young Henderson's effort.
Tonight, he was playing in place of Javi Martinez as the team's box-to-box midfielder and hadn't been too prominent thus far. This foul was his first major involvement, but homegrown players always received a little more patience and affection from the fans.
Everton restarted with a free kick, trying to press deeper into City's half, but the home side's defensive setup was already in place.
Zabaleta read the play well, intercepting Cahill's attempted pass to Pienaar in midfield. Without hesitation, he pushed forward quickly and sent a pass ahead to Hazard, only for Leighton Baines to slide in and put the ball out of play.
Everton's left-back was showing his quality.
Zabaleta took the throw-in, but Everton's pressing was intense, making it difficult for Manchester City to maintain possession. Forced to play it safe, they recycled the ball back to the defense, and Kompany eventually passed it all the way to goalkeeper Neuer.
The German keeper calmly controlled the ball before stepping forward to slow the tempo. As Saha began to close in, Neuer stayed composed and launched a long pass upfield.
The sequence happened so quickly that it almost seemed as if Neuer had taken a risk and was nearly dispossessed by Saha. But those familiar with City's training sessions knew this was a rehearsed maneuver.
The logic was simple—Manchester City wanted Everton to press high.
Neuer's long ball targeted the right flank near the halfway line. Sturridge, who had drifted to that side, used his height to nod the ball toward Hazard. The Belgian controlled it smoothly and immediately tried to surge forward but was brought down by Rodwell.
"Tonight's Manchester City is completely different from their first-round performance. Their tempo is much quicker, and their attacking play is significantly sharper. Martin, what do you make of this shift?"
"Yes, Andy, I think it's understandable. This is Manchester City's first home game of the new season, and Gao Shen has made a number of changes. It's a bold approach, one that has taken many by surprise."
"Typically, a team like Manchester City—having undergone a squad overhaul—would prioritize stability. But Gao Shen clearly has immense confidence in his players, his tactics, and his system. That's why he has implemented a completely different lineup and strategy from the first match."
"That kind of confidence is what separates the world's elite managers. We've seen it in Ferguson, Ancelotti, and Benítez."
"What about Wenger?"
"Uh… Arsenal's squad depth is a bit thin."
"Haha, true. Benítez once set a record at Liverpool by using a different starting eleven for more than 20 consecutive games. It was astonishing."
"Yes, Andy, but even though Benítez rotated frequently, his core principles remained the same. Tonight, we're seeing Manchester City make even bolder changes, and I imagine Everton and Moyes must be struggling to keep up."
"I think… Hold on, this looks dangerous, Manchester City is threatening again!"
Just as Martin Taylor thought the pace might slow down, City suddenly injected another burst of intensity.
Zabaleta took a quick free kick in the attacking half, playing it straight to Sturridge.
The England forward controlled the ball between Everton's two defensive midfielders, Rodwell and Fellaini. Sensing Hazard's movement ahead, Sturridge immediately threaded a precise through pass.
Hazard accelerated, bursting through the gap between Leighton Baines and Joseph Yobo. He surged into the box, latched onto Sturridge's pass, took a touch to evade the onrushing Howard, and calmly slotted the ball into the net with his left foot.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!"
"In the 17th minute, Manchester City strike again!"
"A goal from their summer signing—Eden Hazard!"
The Etihad erupted in celebration once more.
Hazard, elated, sprinted towards the stands, his arms outstretched as he celebrated his first Premier League goal.
Suarez, who had helped create space for him, was the first to rush over and embrace him. Sturridge, David Silva, and the rest of the City players quickly followed.
"Two-nil!"
"It's only the 17th minute, and Manchester City have already doubled their lead."
"Suarez and Hazard have been outstanding, and City's entire attacking unit is buzzing with energy."
"This is classic Gao Shen. Look at him on the sidelines—still composed, as if he's not entirely satisfied."
"Haha, I bet he knows the cameras are on him. He's probably reminding himself to stay calm, stay composed, and maintain the demeanor of a top-class manager. After all, this is just the beginning."
"Haha…"
…
Despite conceding twice in quick succession, Everton's fighting spirit remained unshaken.
Gao Shen, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but admire them. A team led by Moyes always showed resilience, especially in terms of mentality.
After suffering a 6-1 defeat to Arsenal in the opening round, Everton's morale should have taken a huge blow. Now, trailing by two goals so early in the match, a weaker team might have already collapsed.
But Everton refused to back down. Instead, they launched a brave offensive against Manchester City.
First, Tim Cahill made a run into the penalty area, connecting with a cross from Leighton Baines. His header was on target, but Neuer reacted quickly to make the save, Everton's first real attempt on goal.
Just two minutes later, Fellaini tried a long-range strike that whistled just past the post.
A minute after that, Pienaar found space on the flank and delivered a cross, but Saha's header drifted wide.
This sequence highlighted a key weakness in City's formation—the 4-4-2 diamond midfield naturally left the flanks exposed. Even with Rakitic dropping deeper, the problem persisted.
More concerningly, Henderson's performance in the holding midfield role was less than ideal. His positional awareness and recovery when stepping into the back line were lacking, which disrupted City's defensive shape and flexibility.
Gao Shen recognized the issue immediately and adjusted, Rakitic moved deeper to form a double pivot alongside Henderson, essentially shifting to a twin defensive midfielder setup.
With their defensive structure stabilized, City began to turn up the pressure again after the 30-minute mark.
In the 32nd minute, after intercepting the ball in midfield, Manchester City faced immediate pressure from Everton's aggressive counter-pressing.
But David Silva and the retreating Hazard, both technically gifted players, exchanged a rapid sequence of one-touch passes in tight space. Silva then broke free from Everton's congested midfield and seized the moment, threading a perfectly timed through ball.
Sturridge and Suarez both made runs, staying just onside, but Sturridge had the better angle.
Receiving Silva's pass, he surged forward, one-on-one with Tim Howard, and calmly slotted the ball into the net.
"Three-nil!!!"
"Wow! Hahaha! Manchester City are running riot tonight!"
"This goal was all about the brilliant link-up play in midfield—Hazard and David Silva were pure class. Everton had four defenders back, yet they still couldn't stop City from slicing through them!"
"The technical quality of this Manchester City side is simply outstanding."
"And credit to David Silva, his through ball was beautifully weighted and perfectly timed."
"Of course, Sturridge finished it well, but he owes a big thanks to Silva for the assist."
But even after conceding a third, Everton refused to fold.
The Toffees continued to fight bravely.
Before that third goal, they had managed to hold their own against City, even creating some decent chances.
And now, despite being 3-0 down, they showed no intention of retreating. Instead, they pressed forward even more aggressively.
At this moment, Gao Shen truly grasped the fearless nature of Premier League football.
Or, depending on how one looked at it—its recklessness.
An Italian team would never play this way.
But as a spectator, it made for an exhilarating match.
Of course, such reckless play often came with consequences.
Barely two minutes after Manchester City's third goal, Everton's high press forced City to pass the ball back into their own half.
Yet Everton refused to let up, continuing to press aggressively.
David Luiz spotted an opening and launched a long ball over the top of Everton's defensive line.
Like a bolt of lightning, Sturridge sprinted forward, bursting between Phil Neville and Joseph Yobo. Timing his run perfectly, he broke free, stayed onside, and chased down the ball just outside the penalty area.
With Howard rushing off his line, Sturridge seized the moment and calmly rolled the ball into the empty net.
The American goalkeeper had charged forward to the edge of the box, only to suddenly realize that the ball wasn't bouncing inside the area. For a brief second, he hesitated, just long enough for Sturridge to capitalize.
But more than the goal itself, what truly stunned the crowd was Sturridge's electrifying pace.
Four-nil!
Everton were finished!
The Etihad Stadium was rocking, with Manchester City fans celebrating wildly.
Even Andy Gray and Martin Taylor had to admit, the match had taken a completely unexpected turn.
"When we thought this would be a tough battle, it turned into a merciless rout!"
(To be continued.)