October 25th, the tenth round of the Premier League.
Chelsea defeated Blackburn 5-0 at home, getting off to a strong start in this round of Premier League matches.
In the most anticipated fixture of the round, Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield.
Torres and Biglia both got on the scoresheet.
The Red Devils not only lost badly to their city rivals in the Manchester derby, but also suffered a heavy defeat against Liverpool.
It's clear that Ferguson's squad is no longer capable of supporting the club's lofty ambitions based on their current lineup.
Arsenal drew 2-2 away at West Ham United.
In the final game of the round, Manchester City hosted Fulham.
In the 21st, 26th, and 37th minutes of the first half, Manchester City struck three times through Hazard, Suárez, and Robben respectively, giving the team a commanding 3-0 lead.
In the second half, substitute Sturridge latched onto a pass from David Silva and added another goal for City.
In the end, Manchester City cruised to a 4-0 win over Fulham at home, marking their tenth straight victory.
After ten rounds, Manchester City stood far ahead at the top of the table with 30 points, leaving all other teams trailing in despair.
...
...
A week later came the eleventh round of the Premier League.
Manchester City were away to Birmingham.
Manchester City's head coach is the Chinese manager Gao Shen, while Birmingham's owner is also Chinese.
When he acquired Birmingham, he once expressed the desire to hire a world-class coach like Gao Shen, but ultimately failed.
Today, Gao Shen is a world-class manager. He no longer takes jobs just for money. Birmingham's owner lacks the financial strength of the Abu Dhabi consortium and cannot support Gao Shen's grand plans.
Although playing at home, Birmingham manager Alex McLeish still opted for a compact defensive setup.
This has also been Birmingham's consistent approach in home matches this season.
As a team hovering near the relegation zone, Birmingham sit 15th in the table, just two points above 19th-placed Hull City.
But no one would believe it if you said Birmingham's defense wasn't good. They've conceded only 12 goals in 10 matches, including just 4 goals in 5 home games, third-best in the Premier League, behind only Manchester City and Chelsea.
Against Manchester City, McLeish set up with a defensive 4-2-3-1 formation, clearly aiming to grind out a draw at home.
Manchester City, who typically rely on their attacking strength in away games, faced significant difficulties in this match.
Not to mention the rainy weather—what made things worse was that, whether intentional or not, large patches of water had accumulated on the pitch at St. Andrew's Stadium. As the game went on, the rain became heavier and began to severely disrupt City's passing and buildup play.
How bad was it?
Every time the players kicked the ball, it splashed water. Each step produced a puddle. By the time they reached the byline, they were soaked through.
To be honest, Gao Shen found it hard to believe that a Premier League stadium could have such a poor drainage system.
Manchester City had tried to communicate and coordinate with Birmingham regarding the pitch conditions, but it was all in vain.
The first half trudged on until halftime, but during the break, something unexpected happened: the sprinkler system "malfunctioned." Two sprinkler heads—one inside and one outside the Manchester City penalty area—suddenly popped up and sprayed water, soaking an already muddy penalty area even further.
When Gao Shen received the report, he gave a bitter smile, shook his head, and cursed aloud but what could he do?
It had been Manchester City's penalty area in the first half. After the sides switched, it became Birmingham's.
Was it really just a malfunction?
Could it really be such a coincidence?
"You can see that our opponents are trying everything they can to stop us!"
Gao Shen turned to the Manchester City players for a final pep talk before they returned to the pitch.
"What does this tell us?" Gao Shen raised the index finger of his right hand.
"It tells us that our opponents are afraid. They're nervous. That's why they have to resort to such disgraceful tricks."
The first half really had been tough.
When the players came off, they were drenched—not just from the rain, but from the waterlogged pitch.
Everyone's boots and socks were soaked through.
The ball was waterlogged and slippery, making it much harder to control than usual. Manchester City's passing errors increased significantly. These were all genuine, objective difficulties.
"But what I want to say is this: the tougher the game, the more crucial the moment, the more it reveals our true strength and level—and the more it requires us to show courage and determination."
"No championship is ever won easily!"
"And now is the time to show your will and fighting spirit!"
…
In the second half, Manchester City resumed their relentless assault on Birmingham's goal.
But it had to be said, Birmingham really focused their efforts on the pitch, and there was standing water everywhere inside and outside their penalty area.
Gao Shen reported the issue to the fourth official, and the Manchester City players also brought it to the referee's attention, but there was nothing they could do. The match had to continue.
Especially with the overwhelming boos from the Birmingham supporters, the atmosphere made it clear: if you dared to stop the game, the crowd would rush the pitch.
And so, this rain-soaked battle had to go on.
It wasn't until the 87th minute that Hazard, while dribbling in from the left side of the penalty area, was fouled by a defender, winning a free kick for Manchester City in the attacking third.
Rakitic naturally stepped up to take it.
This was right on the edge of the box, near the top-left corner. Among Manchester City's free-kick takers, Rakitic was the best from this spot.
And this could very well be Manchester City's final chance of the game.
The Croatian held the ball and wiped it with his jersey, though it was of little use.
His shirt was soaked, the ball was soaked no matter how hard he wiped, it wouldn't dry.
Still, he wiped it carefully, and when he placed it back down, the grass beneath it was soaked with water.
David Silva and Robben both came over to speak with Rakitic.
They had each taken free kicks earlier, but neither managed to create any real danger, largely due to the weather and pitch conditions.
Gao Shen watched from the touchline and guessed they were sharing their experience with him.
Rakitic was seen slowly backing away. When the referee blew the whistle, the Croatian charged forward, planted his left foot firmly, and struck the ball with his right foot, curling it toward goal.
The shot was powerful enough to kick up a large spray of water, but the ball still flew off with speed, clearing the defensive wall before dipping sharply.
Whether it was due to the water on the ball or not, it dropped faster than expected. What should have been a shot to the top corner turned into a half-height strike but still within the target.
Goalkeeper Taylor dove to the side but couldn't reach it.
The ball hit the back of the net!
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"Ivan Rakitic!"
"One–nil!"
"Manchester City have finally broken through Birmingham's defense!"
"Only in the 87th minute did Manchester City finally break the deadlock after attacking for nearly 90 minutes!"
"This is without a doubt the toughest match Manchester City have faced so far this season and also the latest they've had to wait to secure a win. And it happened against Birmingham, of all teams!"
"The pitch conditions tonight were absolutely atrocious."
"Let's look again at that free kick and all the water that had pooled up. My God, Manchester City weren't just fighting Birmingham tonight, they were fighting the weather and the pitch itself!"
Gao Shen, wearing a suit, still stood out in the pouring rain on the touchline.
After Rakitic scored, he raised both arms high and shouted in celebration for the Croatian.
One-nil!
Enough!
...
...
After the rain-soaked battle in Birmingham, Manchester City returned home for the fourth round of the League Cup with a full rotation lineup.
In the end, they beat Scunthorpe 5-1 at home and successfully advanced to the next round.
Sturridge scored a hat-trick in that match, Adam Lallana delivered a strong performance, and Henderson continued in his role as the team's number four—an opportunity Gao Shen gave him for development.
Upon reaching the quarterfinals, Manchester City's next opponent was Arsenal.
…
Following the League Cup match, the official Premier League monthly awards ceremony was held.
In the October fixtures, Manchester City maintained their perfect winning record.
Gao Shen's team won every game, playing with an unstoppable attacking momentum. Their offensive style not only dazzled the Premier League but caught the eye of the entire European football world—showcasing an attacking power that was impossible to ignore.
Gao Shen defeated veteran coach Hodgson with a flawless record and once again claimed the Premier League Manager of the Month award.
Hodgson's Fulham had also performed well in October, but their loss to Manchester City denied him what could have been his third career Manager of the Month award.
After the match, the Fulham manager congratulated Gao Shen, albeit with a hint of envy.
"The last time I won Manager of the Month was twelve years ago. Back then, I won it in August and December. But since then, I've never received the honor again."
"I have to congratulate Gao Shen. This is his first season in the Premier League, and he's already won the award for three consecutive months, a new record in Premier League history!"
Indeed, after being named Manager of the Month for October, Gao Shen became the first head coach in Premier League history to win the award three months in a row, earning recognition from across the league and media worldwide.
Unfortunately, the Player of the Month award went to Arsenal's Robin van Persie.
After receiving the Manager of the Month award, Gao Shen led his team into their next match, at home against Burnley. Manchester City defeated them 3-0, with goals from Suárez, Robben, and Sturridge, claiming an incredible twelfth consecutive league win.
Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 at home, with the winning goal coming from John Terry.
Liverpool defeated Birmingham 2-0 at home.
Arsenal won 4-1 away against Wolves.
Among the Premier League's traditional powerhouses, Manchester City remained firmly at the top, followed closely by Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Manchester United dropped out of the top four, now sitting fifth—tied on points with sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
This left the entire Premier League feeling helpless, prompting some British media to openly ask:
Who can stop Manchester City?
(To be continued.)