When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 227 Fearless in the Lion's Den, Ultimately Devoured

"We are about to head to the lion's den, but no one is afraid of it."

Ahead of the away game against Chelsea, Newcastle manager Graeme Souness gave the team a brief pep talk.

“Lads,” he said, looking around the dressing room, “Chelsea’s home ground is tough, but remember we’re not here for a vacation. Play what we’ve learned in training, keep our defensive formation compact, and capitalize on counter-attacks.”

"Their fans will make noise, but that's just background noise. Focus on your own game, support each other, and fight for each other."

"Keep an eye on Roy but don't be intimidated by him. He's fast but still vulnerable to physical challenges. Jenas and Bowyer should take turns marking him. The full-backs shouldn't rush in to tackle him. His crosses or cut-in shots after breaking through are the real threat."

"Opportunity always favors the bold. Tonight, let's prove Newcastle is not to be trifled with."

After saying this, he patted the player next to him on the shoulder: "Now, go up on the field and teach them a lesson."

You can't catch a lion without entering its den.

The Scotsman makes it sound simple, but looking back at Newcastle's record at Stamford Bridge, when was the last time Newcastle won at the "Lions' Den"?

Exactly eighteen years ago!

Even more serious is that Chelsea has been Newcastle's cup nightmare: in the 13 seasons since the Premier League was founded, including last month's 0-2 League Cup defeat, the two sides have met 6 times in cup competitions. In the previous 5 times, regardless of whether the match ended in regular time, Chelsea had always advanced.

Roy and Mourinho received the Premier League Player of the Month and Manager of the Month awards respectively before the match.

Chelsea's attack stalled after the match began.

Just like in the previous match against Newcastle, Roy and Duff, the two sharp wingers, were heavily marked by Newcastle defenders, and were double-teamed as soon as they got the ball.

Lampard and Makelele in midfield were also frequently disrupted by the opponent's aggressive pressing.

In the 2004-2005 season, Newcastle United adopted a defensive system with a distinctly English style. Manager Graeme Souness's 4-4-2 formation was known for its toughness, with the two defensive midfielders, Jenas and Bowyer, forming a midfield barrier. Their tireless running and tough tackles were the first line of defense for the team.

In defense, the experienced Bramble and Taylor formed the central defensive pairing, adept at close marking and aerial duels. The two full-backs, Johansson and Hughes, strictly adhered to the principle of "establishing a foothold before pressing," rarely venturing out rashly. The entire defensive line often retreated deep when defending, compressing the space in front of the penalty area.

Newcastle's players employed a typical "zonal marking + man-marking" hybrid defense. When the opponent's key player received the ball, the nearest 2-3 players would immediately form a swarm around him. This "pack of wolves" tactic has caused many technically gifted teams considerable trouble, as Chelsea experienced in this match.

Newcastle manager Graeme Souness stood on the sidelines, his eyes fixed on Roy, who was surrounded by Newcastle's defense.

Although the French prodigy was able to keep the ball at his feet, Roy could only helplessly pass the ball back to his teammates time and time again in the face of a compressed defense and constant physical confrontations.

This is exactly the effect Souness wanted to achieve in his pre-match strategy.

In the 12th minute, Chelsea finally launched their most threatening attack of the game so far.

Lampard suddenly delivered a surgical through ball from near the center circle, finding Roy on the left wing with pinpoint accuracy.

Roy deftly flicked the ball with his right foot, instantly shaking off Newcastle's right-back Hughes who was rushing towards him.

He then suddenly accelerated, advancing along the sideline like a blue whirlwind.

Just as Bowyer was about to block the pass, Roy suddenly used the instep of his right foot to deliver a low, diagonal pass while running at high speed.

The ball traced a beautiful arc, bounced off the ground in front of the goal, and accurately found the onrushing Gudjohnsen.

Unfortunately, the Icelandic striker was tightly marked by Brambo, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't reach the pass that was practically right to his mouth.

In the 15th minute, Duff's corner kick was cleared by Jenas, Lampard crossed from the left, and Terry headed the ball into the goal, but he was already offside.

One minute later, Carvalho received a yellow card for a foul on Jenas from behind outside the penalty area. Newcastle midfielder Robert took the free kick from 25 yards out on the left, and the ball flew over the wall and into the top corner, but was brilliantly saved by Cech.

The ensuing corner kick was cleared by Makelele, and Bellamy's shot from 20 yards out on the left side of the penalty area went over the bar.

In the 18th minute, Lampard's free kick from 30 yards out in the middle went wide.

Throughout the first half, Newcastle's defensive strategy targeting Chelsea's key players proved highly effective.

Souness had clearly done his homework; the team's overall defense was impenetrable.

Defensively, Newcastle players maintained a compact formation, with the two defensive lines kept perfectly spaced.

Souness assigned multiple people to keep a close watch on Roy, the main threat.

When Roy receives the ball on the left wing, right-back Hughes immediately moves forward to interfere, while defensive midfielder Jenas immediately provides cover, creating a local numerical advantage.

This defensive strategy made it difficult for Roy to receive the ball comfortably, and even if he occasionally broke through the first line of defense, he would immediately be surrounded.

In midfield, Bowyer and Jenas formed a double defensive midfield shield, their tireless running covering most of the danger zones.

The two had a clear division of labor: one was responsible for closely marking Lampard, while the other was ready to cover for him at any time.

This arrangement effectively severed the connection between Chelsea's midfield and attack, making it difficult for the Blues' attack to flow smoothly.

In defense, the central defensive pairing of Bramble and Taylor performed steadily.

They rarely rush in to intercept, but instead focus on maintaining their defensive positions and limiting the Chelsea forwards' effectiveness through physical confrontations.

The two full-backs also defended very cautiously, not giving Chelsea's wingers much room to break through.

It is worth mentioning that Newcastle players have extremely strong defensive discipline.

Even in the instant of transitioning from offense to defense, the players can quickly get into position and there are very few instances of defensive positioning failures.

The team's coordinated movement during defense is excellent, and they are always able to form a multi-layered defensive system.

This highly cohesive defense repeatedly thwarted Chelsea's attacks.

Despite dominating possession, Chelsea struggled to create genuine scoring opportunities.

Key players like Roy and Lampard were heavily marked and often had no choice but to pass back or shoot from long range.

Newcastle successfully controlled the pace of the game within their familiar range through a tight overall defense.

In the locker room, Roy ripped off his soaking wet jersey and threw it on the floor.

“They were practically kicking me,” Gudjohnsen gasped to Mourinho. “That Bowyer was always ramming into my legs every time we defended, and the referee just wouldn’t do anything about it.”

During this period, Chelsea has faced noticeably stricter refereeing standards in their matches.

In addition to the Premier League's balancing strategy, the league was concerned that Chelsea's early title win would affect the suspense of the league, and then-CEO Scudamore was reported to have hinted to the referees to "appropriately control the suspense in the title race."

This is also related to Mourinho's repeated public criticisms of referee decisions, which led to a clear negative impression of Chelsea among referees, and Abramovich's huge investment which displeased traditional forces, with some referees privately admitting that they would unconsciously treat the Blues more strictly.

Roy walked up to Mourinho and said bluntly, "Coach, their defense on the right flank is too tight. I need more support. As soon as I get the ball, two or three people immediately surround me."

Mourinho: "I saw it. They were deliberately limiting your space. Do you think if you had Duff move closer to you, you could draw a defender away?"

Roy: "We can try it. Also, their center-back Bramble always tries to anticipate my moves, so maybe we can use more feints and cross-positioning."

Mourinho: "Okay, we'll make three adjustments in the second half. First, you and Duff need to switch positions frequently, especially when the ball is developing on the other side. Second, Lampard will push forward more, forcing Jenas to stop marking you all the time. Third, try to go out to the outside more often; their full-backs aren't as fast as you."

Roy: "I understand. Also, their defensive midfielders always have a habit of glancing at the ball before moving when they cover. Maybe we can take advantage of that time difference."

Mourinho: "That's right. In the first 15 minutes of the second half, I will let you try more one-on-one breakthroughs to wear down Hughes. After 60 minutes, their defensive intensity will definitely drop, and that will be your opportunity."

Finally, Roy lowered his voice and said, "The attacking third needs to increase its physical intensity."

His gaze swept in Drogba's direction.

Mourinho gave Roy a sharp look, then nodded after a brief silence.

After halftime, Mourinho made a substitution, replacing the lackluster Gudjohnsen with Drogba.

However, in the first 10 minutes after the break, the situation on the field did not change significantly.

Chelsea attempted to change the tempo of the game by strengthening their midfield control, with Lampard and Thiago frequently dropping deep to receive passes, but Newcastle's midfield defense remained solid.

Jenas and Bowyer continued their high-intensity interception, standing like two moving walls in front of Chelsea's attacking players.

Newcastle did not rush forward, and Souness's team continued to adhere to the strategy of counter-attacking.

The two wingers, Robert and Dyer, tracked deep into the midfield, almost forming a four-man midfield formation when defending.

The midfield battle between the two sides resulted in a stalemate, with possession changing hands frequently, but neither side managed to create any threatening attacks.

The most active player during this period was actually Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who rushed out of the penalty area several times to act as a sweeper and defuse Newcastle's counter-attack threats.

Although Drogba played a pivotal role in the attacking third after coming on, the Ivorian has yet to get a decent shot on goal due to the tight marking from Bramble and Taylor.

In the 57th minute of the match, Newcastle launched an attack in the attacking third, but Chelsea's midfield defense was impenetrable.

Makelele and Kluivert battled fiercely for the ball near the center circle. After a brief entanglement, both players fell to the ground, but Makelele reacted faster and poked the ball to Lampard first.

After receiving the ball, Lampard quickly turned around, avoiding Jenas's pressure, and passed the ball to Roy on the left wing.

After receiving the ball, Roy first stepped on it, pretending to cut inside from the left, which tricked the defender into shifting his center of gravity. Then, he cleverly flicked the ball back to Abidal, who was making a high-speed run.

Abidal dribbled down the wing a few steps, drawing defenders before immediately passing the ball across the middle. Roy, however, had already skillfully slipped between two Newcastle defenders and received the ball again. Facing the onrushing Bowyer, Roy took a long stride with his left foot, deftly flicking the ball behind him with the inside of his foot, and astutely observed that goalkeeper Given was positioned slightly ahead.

Facing the onrushing Bowyer, Roy adjusted his footwork with a series of touches with his right foot before suddenly unleashing a powerful right-footed shot! The ball curled out in a beautiful arc.

The ball traced a beautiful trajectory and nestled into the far corner of the goal! 1-0! Chelsea finally broke the deadlock!

"Roy! A flash of genius! In the 60th minute, the French striker!!! An unstoppable curling shot blasted open the Newcastle goal! This is pure individual skill! The long-silent Stamford Bridge has been revived! Mourinho's tactics always reserve this privilege: give the ball to a genius and let him decide the game! Newcastle held firm to their defense throughout the match, but ultimately couldn't stop Roy's moment of brilliance!"

"Now all the pressure is on Newcastle, and Souness has to get his team attacking. But this puts them in a dilemma, given their strength in counter-attacking. Chelsea's counter-attacking weapon is ready to be unleashed!"

After scoring, Roy ran wildly across the pitch to celebrate, and his Chelsea teammates rushed towards him in excitement.

He raised his arms high and waved his hands vigorously, igniting cheers from the entire stadium.

A deafening roar echoed across Stamford Bridge: "Roy! Roy!"

The entire stadium erupted, with the cheers of the Chelsea fans rising in waves.

Roy's goal ignited the passion of the home crowd, and Chelsea's momentum completely overwhelmed their opponents.

Kluivert stood on the grass with his hands on his hips, watching Roy celebrate wildly.

Last season, Barcelona wanted to bring in this French talent to replace him, but the 20-year-old not only refused, but also publicly declared again this summer that he "will never join Barcelona".

Now, in their first encounter since his transfer to Newcastle, he has finally experienced firsthand how formidable this rising French star is.

Young, spirited, unruly, and full of energy, every touch of the ball exudes an air of dominance.

The competition has entered a heated phase.

In the 63rd minute, Bowyer raised his leg high while defending on the edge of the penalty area, and his studs hit Drogba directly in the face, but referee Steyr waved play on.

Roy was the first to rush over and stop the referee. He pointed to Drogba's bloodied wound and said, "Sir! If this kind of action isn't stopped, the game will get out of control! Look at his wound. Do we have to wait until he's carried off the field before giving him a card?"

The referee waved impatiently, signaling for the game to continue.

Roy sneered: "This kind of sentencing will only lead to more bloodshed! You're condoning violence!"

Referee Stiles, his face grim, pulled out a yellow card and pointed it at Roy: "Watch your words!"

The moment the referee pulled out a yellow card to warn Roy, the entire Chelsea team exploded like a powder keg that had been lit!

Chelsea responded just one minute later!
Makelele's flying tackle in the center circle brought down Jenas. The French midfielder got up with his socks torn, but he casually swept the ball to Roy.

While the Newcastle players were still complaining to the referee, Roy had already dribbled the ball across the halfway line.

The bloodlust and rage from before have now transformed into the speed at which the defenses are torn apart!

The roar of the crowd at Stamford Bridge instantly rose eight octaves; everyone knew this was the most dangerous moment for revenge.

Roy dribbled the ball at breakneck speed, changing direction repeatedly, forcing two defenders to hesitate to challenge him.

Just as he was about to be double-teamed, he flicked his ankle and passed the ball to his teammate who was making a run down the left flank.

After completing the pass, Roy immediately accelerated forward, and when the ball returned to the penalty area, he appeared ghost-like at the far post to receive the cross.

Although Lampard's shot was ultimately saved by Given's brilliant save, Stamford Bridge was completely in an uproar!
The chants of "We are the champions" from the stands were deafening, and the cheers of the Chelsea fans seemed to inject boundless energy into the players on the field.

Terry slid in from the backfield to stop Bellamy's run. The ball was still rolling when Abidal burst out like a cannonball, using his body to block Dier who was trying to steal the ball.

The French full-back's muscular back completely blocked his opponent, and Dier was knocked back two steps by him.

Maicon roughly pushed past Kluivert on the wing, causing the Dutch striker to stumble and fall into the advertising boards.

Roy, meanwhile, kept moving back and forth between the two halves, and every time he touched the ball, he caused a stir in the stands.

Mourinho stood motionless in the technical area.

His players are controlling the game in the most Chelsea way: tough physical play, tireless running, and the kind of ruthlessness that makes opponents' dreams come true.

Every time a Newcastle player got the ball, he faced a siege from two or three blue figures; the sounds of collisions on the Stamford Bridge pitch could be heard even through the screen.

Newcastle attempted a counter-attack in the 68th minute, but their consecutive shots from the middle were blocked by Chelsea defenders.

The tension on the field was escalating, and Chelsea's attacks were becoming increasingly fierce.

In the 70th minute, Chelsea's relentless attack finally yielded their second goal.

Lampard delivered a precise long pass from midfield, and Roy controlled the ball with his thigh while being sandwiched between two defenders.

Just as he was knocked down by the third defender, he deftly flicked the ball with his toe, sending it into Drogba's running path.

The Ivorian striker rolled over Bramble's defense like a tank and calmly slotted the ball into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Stamford Bridge erupted again as Chelsea extended their lead to 2-0.

This was his first goal since returning from injury.

After scoring, Dwight Howard roared wildly and charged toward the corner flag, pulling at his jersey.

The British commentator's voice cracked with excitement: "GOAL! Chelsea have scored two goals in quick succession! Roy's mesmerizing assist, Drogba's return to peak form! The game has completely taken over for the Blues!"

The cheers at Stamford Bridge nearly lifted the roof off, and Mourinho pumped his fist on the sidelines.

In the 72nd minute, Makelele intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly delivered a lobbed pass.

At that moment, Roy was making a diagonal run into the penalty area from the right wing, and his sudden acceleration immediately drew away two defenders.

Drogba easily received the ball on the left wing and headed it back to Bramble, who was the only remaining defender.

Just as Lampard made his run and took a shot, Roy suddenly stopped and changed direction, pinning the two defenders marking him firmly to the edge of the six-yard box.

As the ball went into the net, the Frenchman was standing near the goal line, using his body to block the defender who was trying to clear the ball.

This seemingly insignificant run created a completely undisturbed shooting space for Lampard.

From the moment Makelele intercepted the ball, Roy began to tear apart Newcastle's defense with his off-the-ball runs.

Although he didn't directly participate in the pass during this attack, his ghostly movement created a three-on-two advantage for Chelsea in the penalty area.

"3-0! The game is completely over! Makelele's precise long pass, Drogba's header, and Lampard's volley into the net! From interception to goal, Chelsea only needed 10 seconds! Roy's ghostly run took away two defenders, and the Blues' attacking trio's combination was fluid and seamless! Newcastle players are already dazed! Mourinho's team is slaughtering them!"

"Three goals in 12 minutes! Chelsea's attacking onslaught completely destroyed Newcastle! Roy, Drogba, and Lampard, three superstars, each displayed their prowess! This is championship-level explosiveness! The Stamford Bridge fans have already begun celebrating their victory!"

In the 79th minute, Robben came on as a substitute for Duff.

In the 88th minute, Chelsea scored again to end the game.

Roy received the ball in the attacking third and made a through pass, Robben made a high-speed run down the right flank to receive it.

The Dutch winger broke into the penalty area and changed direction several times, getting past both Bowyer and Aaron Hughes's defenses.

From 14 yards out, Robben calmly unleashed a low shot, the ball slipping under Given's arm and into the net.

The entire goal-scoring process was concise and efficient: Roy attracted the defense, then made a precise through pass to Robben, who used his speed and skill to break through and finally sealed a 4-0 victory for Chelsea with a calm low shot.

In stoppage time, Robben dribbled into the penalty area from the left wing, and Given tripped the Dutch winger as he came out to challenge him. Referee Stiles immediately pointed to the penalty spot.

Roy calmly placed the ball at 12 yards, took a run-up, and deftly flicked it with his toe, sending the ball arcing into the center of the goal.

Given misjudged the direction and was powerless against this clever "Panenka" penalty.

Chelsea secured a resounding 5-0 victory at home.

At the post-match press conference, Newcastle manager Graeme Souness looked grim when faced with questions from reporters.

"Chelsea completely dominated us today, and they deserved the score."

"Roy is a dangerous player; his speed and passing caused us a lot of headaches throughout the game. That penalty showed his composure."

"Mourinho's teams are always so difficult to beat; their counter-attacks are too fast. We made too many mistakes in defense."

"This defeat is painful, but we must look forward. We need to analyze the situation carefully."

“They can only make me bleed,” Drogba said, pointing to the wound on his eyebrow. “Because they can’t stop us the normal way anymore. That’s Chelsea, that’s the team I chose to play for. When we go all out, nobody can stop us.”

"The 5-0 score says it all. We didn't come here to play football, we came here to win. Everyone who wore this blue jersey today proved that."

Roy flashed his signature sly grin at the camera: "Anyone who ventures into a lion's den should be prepared to be torn to pieces."

He shrugged.

"Today they just started the war, and we are better at ending it."

(Here's a short chapter for now, and there will definitely be another one tomorrow morning.)
(End of this chapter)