Guillem Balague's column was well-structured, thorough, and backed by solid reasoning. It resonated with most Premier League fans, though, unsurprisingly, it faced backlash and criticism from supporters of the Big Four.
But the sheer level of discussion and controversy it ignited was proof of its significance.
Gao Shen read the article and then retweeted it on Twitter, tagging Guillem Balague and expressing his appreciation for the piece, promising that he would do his best.
At the same time, Gao Shen made a mental note, if he ever had the chance to publish an autobiography in the future, he wanted Balague to write it. The man's writing and storytelling abilities were truly professional and compelling.
As someone in the industry, Gao Shen didn't see himself in the same grand light that Balague did. He approached things from a more practical standpoint, as Manchester City's head coach, his main concern was leading the team to the top. And to do that, they had to break through the Big Four's dominance. That was inevitable.
As for making the Premier League more exciting? That wasn't something he needed to worry about.
Previously, Brian Kidd had mentioned to Gao Shen that during a Premier League meeting, he had a private conversation with the league's higher-ups. They had made it clear that they wouldn't interfere with Manchester City's finances. As long as the club avoided financial turmoil, the league would be more than happy to see them rise.
As Premier League executives, they clearly saw the potential benefits—Manchester City's emergence could bring a fresh dynamic and renewed excitement to the competition.
More importantly, City's style of football was more continental, more entertaining.
Arsenal had once been the standard-bearer for beautiful football in England, but in recent years, they had stagnated.
In a way, this was an indirect endorsement for Manchester City's rise.
If Gao Shen suddenly decided to bring Messi to the Premier League, the league's executives would probably be grinning from ear to ear.
Balague's choice of Judgment Day as the title was fitting—it perfectly encapsulated the situation that both Gao Shen and Manchester City were facing.
Even though they were the league leaders, if City lost these two upcoming matches, they would no longer be seen as a genuine contender.
…
As the crucial fixtures approached, the international break was coming to an end, and players were returning to the squad one after another.
As usual, the South American players had to endure long-haul flights, and many of them had played full matches in both international fixtures.
"The good news is that none of our players suffered injuries during the international break. Everyone is back in good shape," Lucas said with a smile.
It was the day before the match, and Gao Shen was leading an internal coaching meeting at Carrington.
"But the bad news is that our opponents, Arsenal, are also injury-free, just like us."
The room burst into laughter.
Manchester City were about to face Arsenal at home, the first time Gao Shen would go head-to-head with one of the Big Four this season.
As Guillem Balague had put it, this would be a test of whether Manchester City's finely tuned squad was sharper than Wenger's refined Arsenal.
"In the first four rounds, Arsenal have been the second-best attacking side in the Premier League, scoring 15 goals. However, among the top ten teams, they also have the weakest defense, conceding five goals."
Chelsea and Manchester United had each conceded two, City only one, Liverpool three, and Tottenham four.
While these numbers didn't tell the whole story, Arsenal's defensive frailties had been a persistent issue.
Lucas deliberately paused, letting the information sink in.
At first, everyone looked at him curiously, but then they noticed Lucas winking at Gao Shen. Their attention shifted toward the head coach, who was resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
The room fell silent. Then, Gao Shen snapped out of his thoughts, slightly startled.
"What's up?" He noticed everyone staring at him.
"Gao, didn't you already show the world how to beat Arsenal last season?" Lucas grinned.
The room erupted in laughter. That match had been a classic.
Gao Shen had made some bold statements before the game, which had infuriated Wenger and Arsenal's fanbase.
But when the match actually took place, Napoli had completely dismantled Arsenal, leaving them helpless and without a response.
"Why not put on another masterclass?" Lucas suggested.
Gao Shen chuckled. "The media will probably bring this up in the pre-match press conference this afternoon. I should think about how I'm going to respond."
The staff clapped their hands in amusement. Was that really something to worry about?
"We're having a serious discussion here," Lucas said, pretending to scold him.
Gao Shen laughed. "If I said that Wenger is scared of me, would you believe it?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
Their initial reaction was disbelief.
Wenger? Afraid?
But after thinking about it more carefully, it actually made sense.
From Real Madrid to Napoli, Wenger had never gotten the better of Gao Shen. In fact, he had suffered humiliating defeats on multiple occasions. Twice, Arsenal had been knocked out of the Champions League in devastating fashion, forever stuck in the infamous Round of 16.
And now, Manchester City's squad was at least on par with Arsenal's, if not slightly stronger.
Of course, Arsenal still had a talented squad.
Adebayor, Van Persie, Fabregas, Rosicky, Alex Song, Vermaelen, Gallas, Sagna…
They weren't lacking in quality players.
But crucially, Arsenal would be playing away from home, and City were in red-hot form.
"What do you think?" Carlo who had worked alongside Gao Shen for three years, knew him too well.
Everyone smiled and leaned in, eager to hear his response.
"As I told you back in Naples, Wenger's teams have a fundamental flaw, they struggle to transition from attack to defense. They can't get into position quickly enough. Do you think Wenger doesn't know this?"
"Of course he knows," Sarri blurted out. "How could he not?"
As a head coach, Wenger undoubtedly understands his team inside and out.
He may not have fully realized their flaws before, but after suffering repeated defeats, he would have reviewed those games and identified the problem.
"So, what tactics do you think he'll use in this away game?" Gao Shen asked.
The room fell silent as everyone pondered the question. Some looked skeptical, while others seemed to be grasping the implications.
A conservative approach?
Was that even possible?
Wenger had always been a staunch advocate of attacking football. Even Ferguson couldn't make him play conservatively.
But when they thought about it again, it didn't seem so far-fetched.
Gao Shen didn't press the conversation forward immediately. He let them work through the idea themselves before continuing.
"Let's put it into context. The international break has affected us, but Arsenal has also been affected. We have a lot of South American internationals, while they have fewer, but they have African internationals. In a way, both teams are in the same situation."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
At this level of football, every international player was a key part of their national team.
"We're feeling the effects, and so are they. We have home advantage, but they're playing away. Given these circumstances, do you think Wenger is confident enough to go toe-to-toe with us at our stadium?"
That was the crucial question.
In an ideal world, Wenger would stick to his attacking philosophy. But practically speaking, he had every reason to be cautious.
Especially after last season's humiliating defeat to Napoli. Wenger had been thoroughly outclassed by Gao Shen, embarrassed in front of the entire football world. There was no way he wouldn't want revenge.
"So, what you're saying is…" Carlo trailed off, already grasping the idea.
"Our situations are similar, but there's one key difference, we have a deeper squad than Arsenal," Gao Shen explained. "So, rather than going head-to-head with them while they're still physically fresh, we should wait. Engaging in a direct battle at that stage wouldn't serve any purpose, would it?"
This was akin to a strategy of matching the best horses against the middle-tier horses, the middle-tier horses against the weakest, and the weakest against the best.
Of course, footballers weren't ranked in strict tiers, and the gap between starters and substitutes wasn't always drastic.
Often, a well-rested substitute could perform at the same level as a fatigued starter.
What Gao Shen meant was that they should hold back their real trump cards, using the early stages of the game to exhaust Arsenal. Then, once Arsenal was struggling, they would unleash their best weapons.
"I'd wager Wenger is thinking the same way," Gao Shen added with a smirk.
If Manchester City started with their strongest lineup and Arsenal opted to sit deep and defend, City might not be able to break them down easily. After all, Arsenal was still capable of putting up a solid defensive effort when needed.
So Wenger would likely hold something back as well, waiting for City to wear themselves out before making his move.
"So, what should we do?" Carlo asked, intrigued.
Everyone turned to Gao Shen, waiting for his answer.
"There are weaknesses in Arsenal's squad that can't be fixed. Their center-backs lack height, their full-backs are more attack-minded than defensively solid, and their goalkeeper is a weak link."
Vermaelen, Kolo Touré, and Gallas were all on the shorter side for central defenders, meaning they struggled against physically dominant strikers.
And for that, they had Drogba to thank.
His repeated tormenting of Arsenal's defenders had left lasting scars. Ever since, Arsenal's backline had a psychological fragility when facing powerful center-forwards.
Their full-backs were great going forward but vulnerable at the back. Manchester City's attack thrived on exploiting the flanks. Give Robben, Robinho, or Hazard enough one-on-one opportunities, and they could completely dismantle Arsenal's defensive shape.
The key was to create the right conditions for them to thrive.
And the best way to do that was to wait until Arsenal was physically drained.
Otherwise, if Arsenal defended deep from the start, Robben, Robinho, and Hazard would get bogged down in a war of attrition, which wasn't ideal—especially with Manchester United looming in the next fixture.
Most of the coaching staff agreed with Gao Shen's plan.
It was a safe strategy.
Several of City's key players—Suárez, Filipe Luís, Robinho, David Luiz, and Zabaleta—had returned from South America after grueling international duties. Their condition was uncertain.
Going with a high-intensity approach from the start carried too much risk.
But no one expected what Gao Shen would say next.
"I'm planning to put Robben on the bench."
The room went dead silent.
Shocked expressions spread across the table.
(To be continued.)
***
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