Chelsea's substitute players were all on pins and needles, feeling uncomfortable all over.
It has entered mid-October, and the temperature in London has dropped a lot. Even if the weather is good today, the highest temperature is only in the teens.
But now their hearts are even colder.
Being two goals behind in the away game and with one less player on the pitch, it's really hard not to feel guilty.
"Why haven't you changed someone yet?"
"Why hasn't the boss adjusted?"
"Isn't the boss giving up?"
The most puzzling thing is that shortly after the start of the second half, Pan Yi had already asked the substitute players to do preparatory activities.
So they ran out to warm up every once in a while, and when they came back, they quickly put on long-sleeved training clothes to keep their bodies warm so that they could play at any time.
"Understood." Brad Hangland, who was sitting on the bench, stood up immediately.
Of course, the mood of leading by two goals is completely different from that of leading by one goal.
There is no defensive player next to Hazard!
The legendary forward who combines "one high and one fast"!
In the 79th minute, this "illusion" seemed to become a fact.
"Forget it, what you said makes sense." Warnock showed a determined look, "Let us hold on to these ten minutes."
Then, he immediately heard his fellow Belgian, Hazard, yell: "Hanhan, this way!"
After all, on the football field, a one-goal lead is really not an advantage. Being equalized is a matter of seconds!
But now he can only replace Hangeland.
He also heard loud boos from the fans in the stands.
He probably took advantage of his large model to allow Lukaku to get around a little bit, and then he had no way to stop Lukaku.
Of course he didn't dare to say anything, for fear of accidentally provoking the angry head coach.
——
But Warnock seems to have forgotten one thing.
At the same time, Lukaku immediately turned around, bypassed Hangeland, and rushed into the Crystal Palace penalty area!
Behind them, Kante and Matic still provide support in the double defensive midfielder position.
"Haha, what I just said is right, Pan Yi always has some strange tricks, and they always work! Then, it depends on what game the head coaches of both sides have in less than 20 minutes left.
Bar!"
——
"Boss, our replacement...should we still change?"
Because Delany is faster than Hangeland! But he was replaced.
After Lukaku and Hazard came on the field, they indeed ran towards the forward line, and after playing for a while, Chelsea's new formation slowly emerged.
But Hazard is also very adaptable.
But even if they don't win, even if it's a draw, it still ends Chelsea's winning streak!
"This kind of cooperation is actually quite common in Chelsea's previous games. The only difference today is that it was Lukaku who passed the ball, and it was Hazard who completed the final blow..."
This substitution order was made by the head coach before Chelsea scored, but just when the Norwegian defender had almost finished warming up, Chelsea also scored.
"This is really incredible! Ten minutes ago, who would have thought that Chelsea, which seemed to be in dire straits, would still have such a strong fighting capacity?"
Then, Hazard kicked off his Hot Wheels, grabbed the ball directly, and rushed towards the Crystal Palace penalty area!
Catch-up? Doesn’t exist.
After all, there is one person missing!
So this formation is 3-2-4.
Running down the field at this time were actually Chelsea's two centre-backs, John Terry and Ake!
In defense, although Marcos Alonso and Ivanovic are wing backs, they are both very tall and have good defensive capabilities, so they can be used as center backs.
This is really a bit nonsensical. How could there be such a substitution?
After the substitution, Chelsea now has two centers in Lukaku and Bamford, both of whom are not slow and have good mobility, which makes it very difficult for Crystal Palace to defend.
But it turns out that this is of no use.
"Pan Yi's desperate play has paid off! It feels like at that moment, the Crystal Palace players were a little stunned!"
On the home team's bench, the assistant coach was leading centre-back Hangeland to head coach Neil Warnock.
And Lukaku also immediately saw Hazard starting on the left wing.
When attacking, these two wing-backs will quickly jump in, echoing the four forwards in front, and it will instantly become a six-man offensive line.
This is an obvious anti-offside tactic!
That is, although he and Bamford are double centers, they must also pay special attention to taking turns to drop back to get the ball in the rest of today's game, acting as an attacking midfielder or shadow forward.
It was precisely because he retreated to get the ball that he scored this goal.
At this time, he no longer had the ambition he had before the start of the game, nor the complacency he had ten minutes ago.
And now that they are falling behind again, of course the players will be anxious!
As expected, Zuma was the only one standing at the back!
At this time, everyone needs to run more and respond more actively, so that the team's operation will not suddenly get stuck in any link.
He also discussed with the assistant coaches, and finally came to the conclusion that Pan Yi wanted to make substitutions after 70 minutes, so that he could use heavy weapons like Lukaku to attack when the Crystal Palace players' physical fitness declined.
As for Hazard, of course he was asked to deliver artillery shells to his fellow Belgians.
The ball passed through the gap between the Crystal Palace center back and full back.
But he didn't want his assistant to see anything, so he could only accept the assistant's opinion "reluctantly".
"Now in front of Azar, there is only an unguarded gate!"
This is almost the best adjustment plan they can think of.
At this time, Selhurst Park Stadium had suddenly changed from the exclamation just now to the current silence.
Under their active running, it can even give people the illusion that it is Chelsea who is playing 11 against 10 on the field!
Crystal Palace's 35-year-old Argentinian goalkeeper Speroni also reacted very quickly and gave up the goal immediately.
It was originally an attack by Crystal Palace, but when midfielder MacArthur was preparing to pass the ball, his leg was broken by the quick-eyed Kanter, and then quickly handed the ball to Marcos Alonso on the left. Chelsea launched an attack.
Quick counterattack!
Crystal Palace's defense was also very fast. Although Alonso wanted to dribble the ball forward, Crystal Palace's right back Martin Kelly and defensive midfielder Jednak immediately double-teamed over. Alonso could only temporarily hold the ball.
Protect and look for another opportunity.
In other words, compared with Pan Yi's divine substitution, his substitution has no effect, and may even have counter-effects.
Lukaku obviously listened to Pan Yi's words. As soon as he saw Alonso encountered an obstruction, he immediately turned around to pick it up.
It can also be said that even if Crystal Palace has one more player, it would be a bit fanciful to want to reverse the situation on the field and try to score another goal to win or something.
"It's gone, nice shaking!"
At this time, Crystal Palace goalkeeper Speroni thought Lukaku would dribble past him like Hazard, so he did not move to the ground in advance.
"You two, get ready."
After all, the cooked duck seemed to be taking off! He was angry and scared.
Hazard did a great job with the goal just now, but the biggest contributor was Lukaku.
"Furthermore, Pan Yi's sudden desperate play caught the Crystal Palace off guard and didn't know how to deal with it. So now Chelsea still has the advantage on the field even though they have one less player to fight."
Alonso soon saw Lukaku running in the middle to receive the ball, and passed the ball to him in the middle.
At this time, Lukaku, who was running at full speed, rushed over and did not stop the ball at all. Instead, he took advantage of the situation and pushed directly.
At this time, Warnock's eyes almost popped out.
Of course, Warnock's yelling at the assistant coach was just a way of venting, and he didn't really have any objections to the assistant coach.
Pan Yi pointed to Lukaku and Hazard.
"His outstanding performance also helped Chelsea equalize the score!"
In addition, the players of Crystal Palace are physically exhausted, let alone counterattack, it is a bit difficult to keep up with Chelsea's rhythm.
But the question is, it’s already been 70 minutes, why haven’t you changed it yet?
In addition to replacing Ivanovic in seat B in the first half to strengthen the defense, Chelsea now has two substitutions.
The morale of the players on both sides is completely different!
"If I read it correctly, this is the first time Lukaku and Hazard touched the ball after coming on as substitutes!"
All the coaches and substitute players nodded.
"Players like Lukaku and Hazard have also been in excellent form recently. They are now coming on as substitutes and are real new forces. However, after more than an hour of hard work, the Crystal Palace players' physical strength has declined to a greater or lesser extent.
"
Moreover, Hangeland is also stronger than Delani, and may really be able to inhibit Lukaku's performance better.
Chelsea's players were all running around the field as if they were on stimulants, and it didn't look like they had played for more than 80 minutes.
"Besides, do you think we don't have a way to deal with your move?"
"Or, he wants to be even crazier..."
——
Over in the home team's dugout, Neil Warnock looked very ugly.
Pan Yi used two forwards and replaced two central defenders!
"At 71 minutes, Chelsea requested a substitution."
How should I put it, although it is a bit embarrassing to fight 11 against 10 like this...
Therefore, in the eyes of everyone in the audience, Speroni seemed to be frozen at this moment, just watching Lukaku score the ball into the door behind him.
"With one less player in the away game, a draw and one point is actually an acceptable result. Will he recycle the formation a little bit to make this crazy offensive formation more stable?"
This is a tall defender from Norway and an experienced veteran who has been selected for the national team 84 times.
Lukaku retreated again, and at this time the opponent's Norwegian central defender Hangeland quickly followed him and stuck closely to him.
Now Lukaku is not only tall, but also fast!
The game on the field resumed soon.
Chelsea forwards Bamford and Schürrle saw it and understood the coach's intention, so they prepared to walk to the sidelines to complete the substitution as soon as possible.
So, Neil Warnock turned around and shouted to a tall central defender on the bench: "Brad, go warm up right away and be ready to play at any time!"
A two-goal lead, one more hit, and now it was equalized within ten minutes.
"It seems that Pan Yi is nothing more than that. Everyone around the world knows that he is going to be their main forward at this time, right?"
In an instant, everyone on the coaching bench and the bench focused their attention on him, waiting excitedly for his instructions.
And Lukaku on the court today is actually close to this state.
"Chelsea took advantage of this quick counterattack and pulled a goal back!"
Let's just say Lukaku is very invincible in several generations of FM games.
"Change, why don't you change it?! Fuck me, change it!" Warnock was furious.
"Pan Yi is Pan Yi after all! He always has the kind of unexpected tricks..."
"Actually, it's not difficult to understand if you think about it. The individual abilities of Chelsea players are inherently better than those of Crystal Palace, and they did not fall behind in the previous one-hour game."
As a result, boos broke out all of a sudden. This was Crystal Palace fans helping their team to put pressure on the opponent's substitute players!——
"Haha, I guessed it a long time ago."
But Lukaku first used his body to resist the opponent, and then unloaded a long pass from the backcourt from Zouma.
Just like the future Haaland.
After all, time is precious now!
Crystal Palace fans at Selhurst Park also saw it.
So, it's all under Warnock's control!
In fact, this kind of forward is the most terrifying in theory.
Another forward, Bamford, is pressing on the offside line at this time, which can also suppress the opponent's center back and prevent their overrunning from causing a local numerical advantage.
They knew that it was finally time for the leader to make adjustments!
After all, there is one less person on the field now!
"He completed a pass and a shot in less than ten minutes after coming on as a substitute!"
Chelsea's substitution and goal really raised his blood pressure.
"Hanhan" is Pan Yi's "nick name" that he often calls Lukaku in the team recently, and it soon spread among the team, and everyone called him that.
In this defense, Hangeland basically acted as a wooden stake during the entire process when Lukaku successfully countered offside.
Pan Yi's substitutions and formation changes were so bold, and he was just shocked and puzzled after seeing it, but he could not provide an effective response in a short time.
They immediately understood that Chelsea was preparing to change the attacking combination to a stronger pair, and Pan Yi was about to make a last ditch effort!
Just like this 3-2-4 formation, it is obviously top-heavy. If no forward retreats, there will be a larger space in the middle.
The success of this tactic depends largely on the tacit understanding of passing and running.
How comfortable I was just now, how nervous I am now.
The two of them have a tacit understanding of cooperation, and their abilities are better than Bamford and Schürrle currently on the court.
"Hazard gave a gentle push...the ball went in!!!!!"
The assistant coach could only silently go to the fourth official.
"It's a pity that it's too late now to realize that we underestimated the enemy! How dare you hide so many main players from our game, haha..."
Three defenders, two defensive midfielders, plus four forwards!
This is what Pan Yi specially ordered Lukaku to do before he came on the field.
But instead of shooting, Hazard suddenly moved the ball horizontally, past Speroni's entire body, which was at his feet.
After the substitutions, Chelsea's offensive went higher and higher, and the Crystal Palace goal was like a washed-up ship that could sink completely at any time.
However, the two wing-backs, Marcos Alonso and Ivanovic, have retreated significantly, so that Chelsea actually formed a three-back situation in many cases.
"The result was the first time between two people, resulting in this wonderful goal! Crystal Palace's defense instantly seemed full of loopholes!"
He didn't hesitate at all, he simply pushed the ball forward without stopping!
The ball drew a straight line on the grass, and then appeared between the small penalty area and the large penalty area, almost near the penalty spot.
Over at the home team's coaching bench, Neil Warnock looked at the fourth official and Chelsea players standing on the halfway line and chuckled.
Now is the critical moment when we are falling behind, so naturally we have to use our team's most powerful main striker to score the goal.
Now Lukaku and Bamford form a double center, while Hazard and Schürrle form a double forward on their left and right.
No, to be precise, they are tall, fast and strong!
"Is it really so effective? This is amazing!"
So the assistant coach was a little confused whether the head coach would change his mind.
"The game ends in about ten minutes now. So, what is Pan Yi thinking now?"
But the ball is still in Chelsea's favor.
Under Pan Yi's careful guidance, he is gradually getting rid of his original bad habits and moving towards the goal of becoming a true all-around forward.
It was during this pullback that Crystal Palace's center back Delani, who was supposed to be marking Lukaku, failed to follow up in time, allowing Lukaku to take the ball and pass the ball so comfortably.
Pan Yi whispered a few words to Lukaku and Hazard, and then asked the fourth official to prepare for substitutions.
"And all of this is due to Chelsea coach Pan Yi's magical substitution!"
Warnock blurted out a British vulgarity: "Wang Defa, what is going on?"
——
It’s not just Warnock who is confused?
All Crystal Palace fans and Chelsea fans present, including various commentators, guests, and even Terry and Ake who were substituted by Chelsea, were a little confused.
"If we do this, Chelsea will only have Zouma as a central defender on the field, and there will be four forwards at the same time!"
At the same time, he also felt the gap between himself and Pan Yi deep in his heart.
It was Chelsea's pull from the center to the wing, and then from the wing to the center that caused a small crack to appear in Crystal Palace's defense.
He is 194cm tall and weighs 91kg. He is an out-and-out big guy!
It will definitely be no problem to use him to deal with a young boy like Lukaku!
Seeing Brad Hangland running to warm up, Neil Warnock turned his head away with a smile.
When retreating, he can turn his back to make a fulcrum, and when advancing, he can attack the bull. How could you not love Lukaku like this?
But for the Crystal Palace defender, it was very uncomfortable.
Standing on the sidelines, he wanted to yell, but he had to suppress the anger in his heart.
"This time it's Lukaku! He successfully countered offside and then pushed the ball in!"
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
At this time, the entire Selhurst Park fans were screaming in surprise.
The huge disadvantage in speed makes it difficult for Hangeland to face some ordinary speed forwards, let alone a 200-pound assault tank like Lukaku.
Warnock understood what his assistant meant.
"Even if we are two goals behind, this is too desperate a way to play, isn't it???"
When they are in good form, you really don't know how to defend them because there are so few weaknesses!
In reality, this type of forward will be affected by various factors and may not perform well, but in the game, they are the best.
Therefore, even those substitute players who have not been named still feel that playing Lukaku and Hazard is the best choice at this time.
"Really, I can't find any words to describe it except magic! It's so amazing!"
It stands to reason that even if it is a normal game, Pan Yi is almost ready to make substitutions at this time, but today there was no movement for a long time.
"Everyone thinks this substitution is necessary, but what no one expected is that Pan Yi replaced Terry and Ake with Hazard and Lukaku!"
"So now it's time to see if Crystal Palace can withstand this wave... Wait, let's see Chelsea's attack!"
He made a fake move to take a shot, causing Speroni to fall to the ground to save;
"Given that his magical substitutions have often worked in the past, I still reserve my opinion this time and first look at the specific positions of Chelsea players after the substitution."
Although he felt that it should be booing the visiting team's celebrating players, he didn't know why, but he always felt that the fans were also booing the home team.
At this time, Chelsea's formation will become a more terrifying 1-2-6, launching a more violent attack on Crystal Palace's defense!
"The ball goes in again!!!!"
Almost as soon as Lukaku heard "Hanhan", he quickly kicked a through ball.
"The score is now 1 to 2, Chelsea is still behind."
What happened during this time!
At that moment, Warnock felt a little helpless.
No, he did respond, that is, he made a substitution at center back and replaced Delany with Hangeland.
At this moment, Pan Yi suddenly turned around and looked at the bench.
Obviously, Matic understands Lukaku's intentions.
"Hazard's solo shot!!! Can he score this goal?"
"We can see that Chelsea seemed to quickly control the situation after the substitution."
The Crystal Palace players all looked tired and confused, and almost didn't know what to do.
As for Pan Yi, who has not been replaced, Warnock has certainly thought about it.
Hangeland wanted to kick the ball away, but Lukaku immediately passed the ball back to Matic who was receiving the ball in front of him.
He is tall, super strong, and fast, and his technical and mental attributes are not too bad. He is just killing people on the court.
"Let's take a look at this slow-motion replay again. The cooperation between Lukaku and Hazard is very tacit. The two cooperated at the front of the penalty area to tear apart the Crystal Palace defense. Hazard's subsequent handling was also quite calm."
At this time, Lukaku got the ball. This position was a little past the arc in the center circle and close to the top of the arc in the opponent's penalty area.
"Look, Chelsea has a single shot!"
Both the Crystal Palace fans at home and the Chelsea fans from the visiting team held their breaths as they watched this one-on-one goal in the blink of an eye.
Because the situation he sees now seems a little different from what he imagined.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
In other words, Chelsea's formation at this time is actually a bankrupt version of the extremely offensive 4-2-4 formation.
So Warnock decided to let Hangeland go up, and the focus was still on guarding Lukaku!
Since this Delani is not behaving well, let him come down and rest.
"We can't go on like this." His assistant reminded carefully from the side, "Actually... it's not unacceptable at all."
Although it is not as satisfying as winning, after all, this is something that strong teams like Manchester City and Arsenal have not been able to do. Warnock and his Crystal Palace are also very proud!
Thinking of this, Warnock stood up.
He began to prepare the final arrangements, making substitutions and adjusting tactics.
If eleven people try their best to guard you against ten people, it's impossible that they can't guard you, right?
Thinking about it, Warnock couldn't help but glance at Pan Yi and spat:
"NND, how did he train as a player? How come ten people have played until now and still have the physical strength to launch such a strong attack?"