The first half ended with Manchester City leading 4-0, but no one expected the second half to start with a moment of brilliance from Suarez.
Pressing high in midfield, City forced Everton into playing the ball back to their center-backs.
But under pressure, Phil Neville and Yobo miscontrolled it. Suarez, who had been watching closely, pounced instantly, stealing the ball between the two defenders. With a burst of pace, he sprinted forward unchallenged and calmly slotted the ball into the net from inside the penalty area.
5-0!
The collapse was complete.
Even Gao Shen was stunned by the sheer one-sidedness of the game.
He had never expected Moyes' team to be dismantled so brutally.
Last season, Everton had only conceded 37 goals across the entire campaign. Now, just two games into the new season, they had already let in 11.
With the victory secured, Gao Shen began making adjustments.
Moyes had already used two substitutions in midfield, opting for a more defensive approach, which led to a period of stagnation in the game.
But in the 83rd minute, City won a corner kick. David Silva swung it in, and Kompany rose highest, powering a header into the net.
6-0!
The result was beyond doubt.
…
Standing in front of the home dugout, Gao Shen felt a mix of emotions, relaxed yet conflicted.
It was difficult to put into words, and outsiders would struggle to understand his feelings.
How should he describe it?
There was happiness and relief, but also a touch of disappointment.
The joy was obvious, Manchester City had secured back-to-back dominant wins. What could be better than that?
More importantly, after this round, City leapfrogged Arsenal and others on goal difference to take the top spot in the Premier League.
This was a historic moment!
Never before in Manchester City's history had they led the Premier League standings, not even for a single round.
This was their first time at the summit!
The best part was that Gao Shen could now confidently say that the players he had brought in were living up to expectations.
Suarez had already shone in the opening round, while David Silva, Javi Martinez, and others had all impressed. Rakitic, Filipe, and David Luiz were already well-known talents, so there were no concerns there.
The only disappointment was the underwhelming performances of Robinho and Robben on the flanks.
In this match, City had abandoned their usual winger-based tactics, yet they performed even better than in the first round.
Sturridge, who had been on the verge of being discarded under Mark Hughes, scored twice tonight. As a homegrown talent from City's academy, his stock would only rise further.
Hazard had also put in a strong performance. He was not yet at the level where he could single-handedly carry a team to a league title, as he would later do with Chelsea, but he was already showing immense promise.
Henderson had a mixed game in midfield, but for now, Gao Shen couldn't find a better alternative.
De Jong was a solid player, but he still needed more evaluation, he didn't quite fit the tactical profile Gao Shen wanted.
Perhaps shifting to a double pivot would allow De Jong to be more effective.
The one player who struggled was Gareth Bale. He started brightly but gradually faded as Everton increased their attacking pressure down his flank.
Clearly, the Welshman needed more matches to build his confidence.
Without confidence, a player would never be able to perform at their best.
Right now, Bale was still finding his footing.
As for the disappointment—it was almost amusing.
Gao Shen had meticulously designed multiple attacking patterns for this City team, built around Suarez, Hazard, David Silva, and Bale. He had put in extensive work to craft offensive schemes that maximized their strengths.
And yet, not a single one of those plans had worked on the pitch.
Not even once!
Gao Shen almost began doubting himself as a coach.
He had studied these patterns in pre-season, identifying movements that would make it difficult for opponents to defend against. They were supposed to highlight his players' unique abilities.
But when the real match unfolded, the pace and fluidity of the game made it nearly impossible for players to execute pre-designed attacks.
Instead, they adapted on the fly, making instinctive decisions based on the situation.
And ironically, those impromptu plays worked far better than any of Gao Shen's carefully crafted tactics.
It was almost laughable, his intricate plans, which seemed perfect on paper, had failed, while the players' spontaneous decisions led to goals.
Gao Shen had spent sleepless nights, exhausting his brain cells to develop attacking routines, only to find that the unpredictable, real-time movements of his players were far more effective.
Who could he even complain to?
…
The coaching staff were in a celebratory mood, just waiting for the final whistle to officially mark their emphatic victory.
On the pitch, Everton's players were focused on defense, while City, knowing the game was won, refrained from pressing forward recklessly.
Gao Shen made substitutions as well, after all, there was another league match coming up at the weekend.
Noticing his less-than-cheerful mood, Carlo, Lucas, and Sarri exchanged glances and immediately understood why.
Before the match, when Gao Shen decided to use a 4-4-2 diamond formation, he had excitedly unveiled his meticulously designed attacking routines, treating them like prized treasures. And they were indeed impressive.
But in the end, none of them worked on the pitch.
"Gao, it's not that your tactics aren't sophisticated enough," Carlo said with a grin, "but the players still need time to execute them properly. Trust me, once they get used to them, they'll deliver exactly what you envisioned."
Gao Shen forced a smile at his assistant and mentor, his eyes silently asking: Are you actually trying to comfort me?
"Yeah, Gao," Lucas added with a smirk. "Look at it this way—the entire tactical setup was designed by you. Whether those specific routines worked or not doesn't change your reputation as a tactical mastermind, right?"
But as Gao Shen thought about it, something about Lucas' words felt more like teasing than actual reassurance.
Sensing the shift in mood, Sarri glanced between Gao Shen and Carlo, then at Lucas, then back at Gao Shen. Without a word, he casually turned and walked away, pretending to fetch some water.
The cunning Italian had wisely chosen to stay out of it.
Gao Shen pointed a finger at Carlo and Lucas, hesitated for a long moment, then finally nodded and sat back down in his coaching seat.
Behind his back, Carlo and Lucas exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.
Moments like these, where they could see Gao Shen genuinely frustrated were rare and, admittedly, quite entertaining.
It had to be said that, as a Virgo, Gao Shen shared certain traits with Guardiola.
Of course, when it came to dealing with people, Gao Shen was far more tactful than Pep.
Tactically speaking, though, tonight's setup had been nothing short of brilliant, regardless of the outcome.
…
As the referee blew the final whistle, the entire Etihad Stadium rose to its feet in applause, celebrating the players, the coaching staff, and the emphatic victory they had just witnessed.
The scoreboard displayed a staggering 6-0.
By football convention, the home team's score was listed first, and the away team second.
Manchester City had crushed Everton 6-0 at home, with Suarez and Sturridge each netting a brace, while Hazard and Rakitic also found the back of the net. It was another humiliating defeat for Moyes' side.
After losing 6-1 to Arsenal in the opening round, many had expected Everton to show improvement. Instead, they were dismantled by Manchester City.
"To be fair, Everton didn't actually play badly tonight," the commentators analyzed. "In fact, in certain areas, they were much better than in the first round. But they were up against a Manchester City side that was simply in devastating form."
"More importantly, the key figure behind this dominant performance has to be their manager, Gao Shen."
"Before the game, most expected this to be a tough battle. But instead of sticking to the successful 4-3-3 from the first round, Gao Shen boldly switched to a 4-4-2 diamond, a system this team was not even fully accustomed to. Yet, this change completely transformed Manchester City's attacking approach at home."
"In the first half alone, City registered 18 shots, with 11 on target, scoring four goals. It was easily one of the most dominant first-half performances of the season so far."
"Gao Shen's tactical adjustments completely threw off Everton's pre-match plans. Moyes was clearly unprepared for such a shift. Although Everton managed to improve in the second half, by then, the game was already out of their hands."
Andy Gray's post-match analysis was full of praise for Gao Shen.
In two consecutive games, Manchester City had deployed two completely different tactical setups while also making major changes to their lineup—yet both times, they won convincingly.
Such adaptability was the ultimate testament to a manager's tactical prowess.
"It has taken Gao Shen just two league matches to make the entire Premier League and even the rest of European football, recognize his quality. He has decisively silenced those who doubted whether he could succeed in English football."
"More importantly, we are now witnessing the evolution of Gao Shen as a coach. Over the past three years in Serie A, he has refined his tactical approach. Now, in the Premier League, he looks composed, confident, and completely in control, displaying the poise of a top-class manager."
"With two wins in two matches, 11 goals scored, and zero conceded, Manchester City now sits at the top of the Premier League table. And it is a position they fully deserve."
"There's no denying it—this Manchester City team, handpicked by Gao Shen, is both thrilling and formidable. They could very well be the league's biggest dark horse and most exciting team this season."
"In just two rounds, Gao Shen has introduced two different, attack-minded tactical approaches. That alone gives us plenty of reason to anticipate what surprises he has in store for us next."
"And with that, congratulations to Gao Shen! Congratulations to Manchester City! And congratulations to all Manchester City fans!"
"This weekend, in the third round of the Premier League, Manchester City will take on Wolves at home. We'll see you there!"
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.
Giving away 1-month free Patreon to 3 random members tomorrow. DÎscőrd link: https://discord.gg/UN2j5Cmq