Chapter 53

"Whistle! Is it a penalty? If it is, Alonso will at least be shown a yellow card, and then he will have to leave the field!" A shocking scene unfolded on the pitch, and Stanford Bridge fell silent. However, the CCTV5 commentator, Huang Jianxiang, became excited: "Oh my God, the referee Fernandez has pointed to the penalty spot! He is about to show a card! What? Wait, what's happening on the field?"

Referee Fernandez had already retreated to the sidelines, surrounded by a large group of Liverpool players, including goalkeeper Dudek, who had rushed over to plead for leniency.

Leinker, after watching the replay several times, couldn't help but comment, "Alonso brought Owen down; this is an uncontested penalty! Unfortunately, if this penalty is awarded, the score being tied by Chelsea is a minor issue. The best-performing player for Liverpool, Alonso, might have to leave the field! If that happens, the game will be completely ruined, and the match will inevitably enter Chelsea's rhythm..."

Although Leinker was invited by London TV to be a commentator, he still felt a bit regretful about this unexpected turn of events.

Owen, who had been brought down by Alonso, felt a piercing pain in his ankle, likely due to being hit by Alonso's cleats. He rolled on the ground in agony, holding his calf, and the Chelsea medical team quickly rushed onto the field to check on their star striker.

However, Owen, seeing the desperate looks and the frantic behavior of his former teammates, didn't wait for the medical team to treat his injury. He gritted his teeth, staggered to his feet, and limped towards the referee.

"Hey, mate, move over a bit." The pain in his ankle was excruciating, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead. He patted Baros on the shoulder, asking him to make room.

Baros was startled when he saw Owen. His face was pale, and he was tightly biting his lip, clearly in great pain. Although he had just felt a bit competitive, the years of camaraderie made him ask with concern, "Michael, are you okay? Go see the doctor quickly."

Owen gave a bitter smile, shook his head, and said firmly, "It's fine, there's something more important!"

Owen patted the shoulders of the Liverpool players one by one, and under the astonished gazes of his former teammates, he finally endured the intense pain and reached the referee, flashing a sunny smile. "Mr. Fernandez, I think you might have misunderstood. When I fell in the penalty area, it had nothing to do with that guy."

Owen pointed at Alonso, making his heart skip a beat. In the penalty area, he could clearly feel that he had been tripped by Alonso, and the force was not light! But why was Owen saying this now?

Fernandez was always very decisive, so even with many Liverpool players surrounding him, he still intended to award a penalty and a yellow card! However, Owen's appearance made him suddenly change his mind: "Did I really make a mistake?"

"Are you injured?" the referee asked with concern.

Owen shrugged, "I twisted my ankle, it's very painful, but that's not important. I don't want a wrong decision to affect the entire game. Of course, I also don't want to be labeled as a diver."

Alonso's heart was flooded with bitterness. He had been extremely distressed, feeling lost, even desperate! But hearing Owen's words, he suddenly understood that there was something more important than winning on the pitch, and that was camaraderie! His face was agitated, his eyes moist, and he quickly turned his head to wipe away the tears, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Alonso had just transferred to Liverpool this year and had never been Owen's teammate. But at this moment, he finally understood why his teammates held a departed player in such high regard. Owen's image instantly grew in his mind.

Referee Fernandez glanced at Owen a few more times, put the red and yellow cards back in his pocket, and awarded a goal kick. He then signaled the medical team to come and treat Owen quickly.

The decision was changed because of Owen! The former Liverpool golden boy!

Gerrard, Riise, Baros, Carragher, and other former teammates of Owen lifted him high like a hero and ran towards the medical team.

"Michael! Michael! Michael!..." The Liverpool players were shouting Owen's name loudly, and the 11 players on the field, including new transfers like Garcia and Alonso, surrounded him, giving him the highest honor!

At this moment, the entire Stamford Bridge understood what had happened, and the die-hard KOP fans were in tears! The blue sea of fans, with red accents, cheered in unison, and over 40,000 fans in the stadium joined the commentator in chanting one name—Michael Owen!

Leinker, who had never received a yellow card in his career and was known as a "football gentleman," was also choked up, whispering, "Hero, he will always be Liverpool's hero..."

The ESPN commentator, Zhan Jun, seeing this scene, couldn't help but exclaim, "The former wind-chasing boy, who repeatedly stepped up in Liverpool's time of need, turning danger into safety! Now, the Chelsea forward, in Liverpool's time of need, once again stepped up, saving Liverpool! We must say, at Anfield, Owen is a hero, and at Stamford Bridge, Owen is still a hero!"

The applause was thunderous, and the entire stadium echoed with cheers! Carried by his former teammates to the sidelines, Owen finally understood the meaning of his coach, Jowan Xian's, words: "Winning is important, but winning with respect is even more important!"

Owen was deeply moved by his former teammates and the fans in the stadium, but his gaze was fixed on the young man chatting and laughing on the Chelsea bench. That person was the one who moved him the most, the one he felt grateful to!

In football history, many transferred players have faced ridicule and abuse when facing their former clubs! Especially Figo of Real Madrid, who even received death threats from Barcelona! But Owen was treated like a hero by Liverpool fans! The root of this was that he followed Jowan Xian's advice!

"Boss, thank you." Owen closed his mouth but shouted in his heart.

On the field, the game continued, but Owen seemed to be affected by the tackle, and his steps were unsteady.

Chelsea's attack was relentless. Kaka advanced down the center, with Rooney on the left, Joe Cole on the right, and Owen up front, all making rapid forward runs. According to Chelsea's usual tactical setup, once the ball was passed to the wings, the two wingers could easily cut inside and even take shots under the pressure in the center.

But at this moment, Kaka's eyes were fixed on only one person, the wind-chasing boy.

The blue ball was chipped forward, and the blue jersey raced ahead! One high, one low, like two blue lightning bolts, they pierced into the Liverpool penalty area!

In Liverpool, many Red fans gathered in bars, drinking beer and waving their fists, creating a passionate atmosphere. If they usually saw Liverpool's goal under threat, these drunkards would curse loudly, but this time, they... were celebrating!

"Owen! Oh my God, it's Owen again, and he's still as good as before!" The fans in the bar, seeing Owen get another scoring opportunity, shouted excitedly, just like the Chelsea fans in London!

On the field, Owen, running at high speed, faced the defense of Carragher and Hyypiä. Instead of shooting, which might have been blocked by the two, he flicked the ball with his toe, sending it past Carragher's left side. As Carragher was momentarily distracted, Owen dashed past him from the right like a gust of wind!

A nutmeg! Brilliant!

Liverpool's goalkeeper Dudek abandoned his goal to charge out? He didn't have the time to react; Owen had already taken a shot!

In the 35th minute, Chelsea, who had missed the penalty, equalized the score with Owen's second goal!

Suddenly, in the West Stand, where the KOP fans were, a banner caught the attention of the broadcast cameras and the fans: "Michael Owen, you will never walk alone!"

The banner looked a bit crude, as if it had been hastily written in blue on red fabric, but it was filled with deep emotion.

This time, Owen didn't walk calmly to the center circle. Instead, he covered his ears, pretending to listen, and the cheers came as expected, with the entire stadium cheering!

Even the Liverpool substitutes lined up on the sideline, showing respect to their former teammate.

In the 43rd minute of the first half, Owen received a through ball from Lampard and scored his third goal of the match, completing a hat-trick and helping Chelsea take a 3-2 lead over Liverpool.

After scoring, the fourth official suddenly raised the electronic board, 7 Owen off, 11 Duff on!

In fact, Jowan Xian had long planned to substitute Owen, as he was playing with an injury, and the risk was too high. Owen was a fragile player. But he knew he needed to give Owen enough time to perform. After the hat-trick, he stood up from the bench, walked to the sideline, and led the entire stadium in applause as Owen limped off the field.

After leaving the field, Owen immediately hugged Jowan Xian, and countless cameras focused on this moment, as it was the only time Jowan Xian hugged one of his players!

Jowan Xian felt a bit helpless but could understand Owen's feelings. He smiled, patted Owen's back, and whispered, "Michael, you did great!"

"Great teachers produce great students," Owen said with a sunny smile.

This phrase was something Jowan Xian often used to boast on the training ground, but at this moment, Owen felt it was truly genuine.