"I honestly don't even know which bored journalist came up with this Red & Black List poll. If I ever catch him, I won't let him off—I'll knock him out with one punch!"
Lukaku was furious. Seeing the Red & Black List, and especially the flood of fan comments aimed at him, he felt deeply aggrieved.
On the other hand, Manchester City legend Agüero was in high spirits.
"I have no problem with these rankings," he said calmly. "I accept all praise from the fans, and I dismiss all their doubts."
"If they praise me, it means they know quality when they see it. If they criticize me, it just means they don't understand me."
Several players who made the lists accepted interviews with the Premier League's official media. Some looked helpless, while others simply laughed it off.
Agüero clearly enjoyed the admiration from fans. Leo Lin, meanwhile, chose to comfort the players ranked in the top three of the Black List during his interview.
"I hope Lukaku doesn't lose heart. This is actually the fans' way of encouraging him," Leo Lin said.
"I believe Lukaku will eventually produce strong performances and prove to everyone that he's not someone who can be casually questioned."
"I don't think there's anything wrong with his current playing style."
"Yes, he should stick to his approach—keep stretching play on the pitch. I believe one day he'll help Manchester United return to glory."
At first glance, there was nothing wrong with these remarks. But given Lukaku's recent form, and Leo Lin's identity as a Liverpool player, it was hard not to wonder about his true intentions…
With the Red & Black List voting concluded, teams took a brief pause before resuming preparations for the second half of the season. During the midseason review meeting, Klopp expressed general satisfaction with Liverpool's performances and results so far, but he also stressed the importance of maintaining consistency.
"A strong first half gives us a solid foundation," Klopp said.
"But the second half determines whether we can truly turn that foundation into real results. That's why the second half is absolutely crucial."
"Don't waste what we've built so far. No one is allowed to relax, and quitting halfway is not an option!"
The start of the second half of the season also meant that key knockout stages across multiple cup competitions were about to begin.
The EFL Cup semifinals finally arrived. The four remaining teams emerged from their respective halves of the bracket, forming two matchups.
Liverpool faced Manchester City in the top half, while Leicester City took on Arsenal in the bottom half.
Most fans believed Arsenal had a straightforward path to the final. After losing several key players, Leicester City no longer had the same edge they once did.
As a result, the semifinal drawing the most attention was undoubtedly the heavyweight clash between Liverpool and Manchester City.
Since Guardiola took charge, he has insisted on a possession-based approach. However, his early spell was far from smooth, even suffering a brutal defeat at the hands of Leicester City, and last season ended with no trophies.
This season, after signing several high-quality players, Manchester City looked completely transformed. From the opening rounds, they surged forward relentlessly and remained right on Liverpool's heels in the league.
In cup competitions, Guardiola was especially desperate for silverware. Since arriving at Manchester City, he had yet to deliver a single trophy.
Now, with the EFL Cup semifinal placing him just two matches away from lifting a trophy, Guardiola openly expressed his hunger for a title during the pre-match press conference—more directly than ever before.
As a former title-winning manager at Barcelona, there were few trophies Guardiola hadn't already seen.
But for Manchester City, this would mark an entirely new beginning.
At the pre-match press conference, Guardiola appeared alongside Kevin De Bruyne.
"Guardiola, some fans believe Manchester City are certain to win the cup after this semifinal against Liverpool. What's your response?"
Guardiola adjusted the microphone before speaking.
"In football, nothing is ever guaranteed. But I have full confidence in my team, and we'll fight for a place in the final."
"To me, this semifinal feels like a clash between two tactical systems."
"Liverpool's ferocious attacking football versus Manchester City's refined possession play—an axe-wielding berserker against a holy swordsman clad in armor."
"Who will emerge victorious? I think everyone is eager to find out."
This semifinal captured the attention of the entire English football world. The number of advance reservations for the live broadcast alone had already surpassed ten million, with total viewership expected to break EFL Cup records.
The reason was simple: only one of these two immensely powerful teams could reach the final. Brutal—but that's football.
Klopp and Krawietz spent nights poring over Manchester City's match footage, replaying clips frame by frame and analyzing data in meticulous detail.
For three straight days, neither of them went home. Thankfully, their wives were both at home during that time.
Klopp was determined to devise a tactical approach specifically designed to counter City's possession system—one that would require Liverpool's players to run like mad dogs across the pitch.
By using relentless movement to compensate for shortcomings in possession control, Liverpool could create full-field interception and coverage.
On the other side, Guardiola was studying Liverpool's attacking unit.
The lights in Manchester City's coaching room burned through the night. Arteta and Guardiola, too, hadn't gone home for three days.
"Everything revolves around Lin," Arteta said, drawing three lines on the screen. "Three forward channels—Mané on the left, Firmino through the middle, Salah on the right."
"These three constantly form clever connections with Lin. More importantly, the four of them can produce incredibly sharp, rapid combinations."
"That's the key. I think we need to double-team Lin from every angle."
Guardiola nodded repeatedly as a bold formation took shape in his mind.
"We'll play four midfielders—two higher, two deeper. Fernandinho and Gündoğan will be responsible for marking Lin."
"De Bruyne and Silva will control the tempo, reduce pressure on the back line, and provide more support up front."
Four midfielders—an extremely rare setup.
But Arteta knew that with the madman Guardiola, even a formation without a defensive midfielder or a striker wouldn't come as a surprise.
Across all major streaming platforms, attention was locked onto this match. On semifinal day, Wembley Stadium stood ready.
Livestream chats were packed to the brim as both teams submitted their starting lineups ahead of time.
In the ESPN broadcast, Jon Champion was introducing the starting lineups to the audience.
The moment he saw Manchester City's lineup, Jon Champion couldn't help but laugh.
"The instant I saw this formation," he said, "I knew it had to be Guardiola."
...
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