How much confidence did a player need to say something like that directly to the opposing manager during a match?
"Tell me how you want to lose this game, and I'll make it happen. I can score any way I want."
Controlling the ball into the six-yard box before finishing had only been the first goal.
It was Liverpool's first as well.
And it certainly wouldn't be the last.
Leo's words infuriated Brentford's interim manager, and the referee immediately showed him a yellow card. Provoking the opposing manager like that was always going to earn him a booking.
"Leo, I don't want to send you off, so get back onto the pitch and stop talking to their manager!"
Sometimes, when a referee sent a player off, things could become troublesome after the match because angry supporters would inevitably come looking for someone to blame.
Right now, the referee simply wanted Leo to walk away as quickly as possible.
Brentford threw everything into attack.
But Van Dijk soon figured out the pattern behind their front two and Ivan Toney's finishing.
Toney always seemed to find excellent shooting positions, but Van Dijk realized that the key was his movement before the shot.
Toney would always make his run toward Mbeumo before Van Dijk could react.
In the 22nd minute!
Mbeumo once again moved in behind Rodri, preparing to receive the ball and create another opportunity for Ivan Toney.
This time, however, Van Dijk read the move in advance.
He anticipated Mbeumo's pass before Toney could reach it, intercepted the ball, and immediately sent it back toward Mac Allister.
Mac Allister moved the ball forward even faster.
Díaz received his pass and drove down the left by himself. After breaking into the penalty area, he squared the ball across goal.
Núñez smashed a shot toward goal.
A defender blocked it.
Brentford thought the danger was over.
But nobody had noticed Leo.
Nobody except their interim manager.
Leo had followed directly behind Núñez.
The moment Núñez's shot was blocked, Leo stepped forward and buried the rebound.
"Lin scores again!"
"Brentford are two goals down!"
"It looks like Brentford simply can't play this way against Liverpool!"
Leo remembered that he was already on a yellow card, so this time he didn't go anywhere near Brentford's interim manager.
Zubizarreta did instead.
"Hey, baldy!"
"Just stick to being an interim manager. After this match, you might not even have that job anymore!"
"Do you know how I managed to go from assistant coach to head coach?"
"First, and most importantly, I respect Lin!"
"If you can't even understand something that simple, what kind of manager are you supposed to be?"
"Just go back to being an assistant coach and take it easy!"
Zubizarreta understood exactly how an assistant coach thought.
After all, he had been one himself.
And he knew precisely how to get under the Brentford interim manager's skin.
It worked immediately.
Brentford's interim manager lost his temper and charged straight at Zubizarreta, trying to knock him to the ground.
What he didn't know was that Zubizarreta happened to be the best wrestler at Liverpool.
Zubizarreta simply turned sideways and avoided the charge, then quickly moved toward the referee and positioned himself beside him.
"Ref, did you see that? He attacked me!"
"The opposing manager clearly has no respect for you at all!"
A minute later, Brentford's interim manager was sent off.
Zubizarreta had just taught him the perfect lesson.
Leo and Zubizarreta hugged tightly.
At that point, it was obvious.
Brentford had already lost this Premier League Matchday 21 clash.
...
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