The singing still echoed across Worth Stadium, and the morale of Luton's home players soared to unprecedented heights.
The fans surrounding them were their most loyal supporters, cheering for every move and bolstering their spirits.
Yes! In such an electrifying atmosphere, the Luton players brimmed with fighting spirit! They kept the pressure on Manchester City in the front field, seemingly unfazed by fatigue.
Initially, Gao Bo had planned for only ten minutes of high-intensity pressing in the second half. After all, the players needed rest to sustain their performance. However, seeing the overwhelming excitement and energy in his squad, he chose not to instruct them to retreat and defend but instead encouraged them to keep pushing Manchester City, continuously testing their defense within the penalty area.
Fueled by the fans' cheers, Manchester City's players remained under constant threat.
In the 54th minute, Kante intercepted Ireland's forward pass in midfield. He stopped the ball and passed it to the right.
Kevin Keane, positioned on the right wing, advanced with the ball before crossing it into the penalty area.
"Jamie Vardy!!! Oh... a hat trick!!!" Letkinson exclaimed, standing up with excitement.
The fans in the stadium leaped into the air, cheering ecstatically for what seemed to be another goal.
Inside the penalty area, Vardy leaped high and delivered a dominant header. The ball bounced off the ground and into the net!
Kompany looked helpless against the nimble Vardy. Though Kompany would later become the backbone of Manchester City's defense, at this moment, he was still a relatively young defender, lacking the experience and composure needed to handle such a dynamic striker.
A few clever feints from Vardy left Kompany trailing behind, highlighting the price of inexperience. The spirited Vardy, on the other hand, was relentless.
Compared to defenders, attacking players often exhibit a kind of ingenuity and unpredictability that overshadows their lack of experience.
"Boom!!!"
Worth Stadium erupted once again!
"Nice shot!!" Gao Bo jumped up, his excitement palpable. His suit jacket had been discarded somewhere in the heat of the moment. Wearing a white shirt tucked into black trousers, Gao Bo exuded a commanding presence. His resolute expression radiated energy, his excitement written all over his face.
Luton's players swarmed around the equally elated Vardy, ready to celebrate the goal.
But then, the referee's sharp whistle pierced through the cheers. He ran over, gesturing decisively with his arms.
Offside?!!
Only then did everyone notice the linesman had raised his flag.
Offside!
Vardy's goal was disallowed!
"Ahhhh, the goal was ruled out! What a surprise! From the first glance, it's hard to say if Vardy was offside, but now his hat trick has been denied... Wait, what's happening on the sidelines?!!"
The television camera shifted to the Luton bench, showing an infuriated Gao Bo.
"It can't be offside! This is ridiculous..."
John quickly pulled Gao Bo back, while the assistant coaches covered his mouth, worried he might say something even more provocative.
The fourth official noticed the commotion and hurried over to address Gao Bo.
"Mr. Gao Bo! You'd better watch your words, or I'll have to call the referee!" The fourth official warned sternly.
Gao Bo fumed, wanting to retort, but John held him back.
"I'm very sorry. We promise there won't be any more outbursts!" John apologized, trying to defuse the situation.
The tension finally subsided.
"Coach Gao Bo needs to control his emotions. His team is leading by three goals, and even with the goal disallowed, their chances of winning remain very high. As long as they focus on defense for the remainder of the game, it's unlikely Manchester City will stage a comeback," said He Hongfa, commenting from far away in China. But Gao Bo, of course, could not hear this.
"Look at that! How is this offside!!" Gao Bo complained, pointing at the stadium's big screen.
The replay showed Luton's attack. At the moment Kevin Keane made the cross, Vardy's position was nearly level with Manchester City's last defender, Kompany.
"This offside call was borderline. Even with the slow-motion replay, it's difficult to say for sure. It's truly a test of the linesman's judgment," Letkinson commented neutrally.
The fans, however, were less forgiving, showering the linesman with boos. Meanwhile, Vardy, visibly frustrated, spread his hands toward the linesman, asking, "What???"
His teammates quickly pulled him away, knowing it wasn't worth risking a yellow card.
They were still in the lead.
On the sidelines, Mark Hughes let out a sigh of relief. Had the goal been allowed, the score would have become 4-0, and his position as Manchester City's head coach would be in serious jeopardy.
With Manchester City's significant investment in transfers that season, a disastrous defeat to a second-division team would almost certainly spell his dismissal.
Now, Mark Hughes knew he had no choice but to go all-in with his attack. Even if they ultimately lost, he couldn't afford for it to be by a humiliating margin.
On the Manchester City bench, most players wore dejected expressions, while others appeared lost in thought.
Ched Evans, a 20-year-old striker, sat staring blankly, likely pondering his future. With the Abu Dhabi consortium's takeover, it was inevitable that Manchester City would make major signings in the next transfer window. For fringe players like Evans, the writing was on the wall—he was unlikely to remain on the team.
"Ched!!! Ched!!!!"
Evans snapped out of his daze, startled by Mark Hughes' angry shout.
"Boss!!" He hurriedly stood up.
Mark Hughes, visibly restraining his anger, ordered him to prepare to play.
Evans' eyes lit up. He quickly donned his training bib and ran to the sidelines to warm up.
"Evans is getting ready to come on. Mark Hughes is making yet another substitution!" Letkinson observed.
Gao Bo noticed the change as well but remained seated on the bench, waiting to see who Evans would replace before making any tactical adjustments.
Soon, Evans finished warming up and prepared to step onto the pitch.
"Evans is on! He's replacing... center-back Onuoha!!" Letkinson exclaimed, astonished by Mark Hughes' bold move. "Mark Hughes is going all out, replacing a defender with a striker! Manchester City now have five forwards on the pitch!"
Gao Bo smirked. Mark Hughes had clearly run out of ideas, resorting to sheer desperation.
But with Manchester City's defense now so exposed, it was an open invitation for Luton to exploit!
"Adam!!!"
On the Luton bench, the players perked up.
Adam White quickly stood and rushed over after hearing his name.
"Coach Gao Bo has immediately responded with a substitution of his own. Adam White, the hero of their FA Cup upset against Chelsea, is coming on!"
The fans erupted in cheers. Adam, a product of the Luton youth academy, was a fan favorite.
Gao Bo was ready to unleash a fresh striker to target Manchester City's increasingly fragile backline!