"Beautiful!"
The moment Gao Shen saw Pogba score, he jumped up from his seat, clapping hard and cheering loudly.
"Well done, Paul!"
At that moment, he was completely immersed, as if he were on the touchline himself, commanding the match.
And he wasn't the only one.
Around him, Carlo, Buenaventura, Pintus, and even many West Ham United fans cried out in shock and amazement, all stunned by the sudden brilliance of the goal.
No one expected such a spectacular individual effort to occur just before halftime.
And it was a solo performance!
On the touchline, Sarri completely lost control, cheering uncontrollably, but the fourth official quickly stopped him and told him to return to the technical area.
Even Allardyce couldn't help but applaud the goal.
That was pure individual quality.
And the most remarkable thing? It came from 18-year-old Paul Pogba!
"Remember this name, everyone. Remember this 18-year-old player. He is French midfielder Paul Pogba, the core of Leeds United's midfield, hand-picked by Gao Shen!"
Leeds United's players rushed to the corner to celebrate. Even Schneiderlin, who had just scolded Pogba earlier, embraced him on the sideline in sheer excitement.
"I take it back, Gao!" Buenaventura said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
Looking back on the goal, there was no denying it—absolutely brilliant. A piece of art.
More importantly, it was really, really important.
"So he really can do it!" Buenaventura admitted, completely convinced now.
He had just heard what Gao Shen said.
Carlo nodded with a helpless smile. "I was wrong too. That's why I can only be your assistant while you're on your way to being a world-class manager. You're all just a bunch of gamblers!"
The last sentence was clearly a joking complaint about his own lack of boldness.
Gao Shen burst out laughing and didn't mind at all.
What he saw now was hope and opportunity.
More importantly, he truly believed that Leeds United had a real chance this season.
When such a group of young, talented players come together, the energy they can unleash is unimaginable.
Even Gao Shen hadn't expected it.
"The second half. The second half depends on how these young men perform," Gao Shen said with a laugh.
…
But it turned out, Gao Shen had underestimated them.
Fueled by Pogba's equalizer, this group of inexperienced youngsters exploded with unbelievable momentum.
After West Ham United restarted play, they were immediately pressed and quickly lost the ball.
Kurzawa used his pace on the left to tear open West Ham's flank. Benteke had pinned down the center-backs, but instead of playing to him, Kurzawa sent in a low ball across the face of goal.
From nowhere, Paulinho burst into the box and slid in to poke the ball into the West Ham net.
Two-one!
A complete turnaround!
Madness! Absolute madness!
Gao Shen in the stands was stunned.
He hadn't expected the team to just equalize, but to actually take the lead before halftime.
This felt like a slap in the face.
But for Gao Shen, the more face-slapping moments like this, the better!
"I really didn't expect this bunch of kids to actually…" Carlo was speechless and just shook his head with a smile.
It completely overturned his expectations.
"After this match, the overall strength of the team will rise to another level," Buenaventura concluded.
Though Leeds United had won their previous games, they hadn't looked fully convincing.
But now, on the road against West Ham United, playing like this? Win or lose, the performance alone was a massive statement.
It showed what the team and these players had become.
Of course, given the way things were going, unless Sarri messed up at halftime, it wouldn't be easy to lose.
…
In the second half, Leeds United continued pressing and attacking West Ham United relentlessly.
The White Roses had completely shaken off their passive first-half performance and now had the home side under pressure, forcing West Ham to defend deep.
Even so, Leeds still managed to find another goal.
In the 59th minute, Kurzawa and Adam Lallana combined down the left with a neat one-two. Kurzawa made a diagonal run inside, and Lallana sent a cross from the left wing toward Benteke.
The Belgian striker was caught between two defenders and couldn't turn to shoot, but he controlled the ball and laid it off to Kurzawa, who had drifted into the left channel.
The French full-back struck it first time and smashed the ball past West Ham's keeper once again.
Three-one!
And Leeds didn't stop there. They kept attacking West Ham with intensity.
Allardyce had already used up all three of his substitutions.
At halftime, he had replaced a defensive midfielder with a center-back. Later, as the game slipped further, he brought on striker Sam Baldock for O'Neill.
Finally, he substituted Carlton Cole for striker Nicky Maynard.
Every change was aimed at strengthening the attack.
Sarri responded in the 70th minute with two attacking substitutions of his own.
Salah and Icardi came on together.
Just before this match, under FA Chairman Bernstein's guidance, Leeds United players had completed their work permit applications via legal procedures.
This was also Salah's debut for Leeds United.
After all the changes, both sides became more aggressive, but West Ham's midfield and backline became vulnerable.
In the 77th minute, the Hammers finally pulled one back with a well-timed attack, reducing the deficit to 2–3.
That gave them renewed hope, and they launched a fierce offensive.
But just seven minutes later, Leeds United hit back with a counterattack.
Pogba played a long ball from deep in his own half, finding Benteke perfectly.
Benteke timed his run well, avoided the offside trap, and with his back to goal, laid it off behind him.
Icardi latched onto the pass, went one-on-one with the keeper, and calmly slotted it into the net.
Four-two!
The score stayed that way until full-time.
4–2. Leeds United came from behind to defeat West Ham United on the road!
…
Gao Shen, Carlo, and the others were left speechless after witnessing the full match.
They all had the same feeling—this match would be a turning point for Leeds United's season.
The most important part was that some of the tactical issues that had previously held the team back had now been resolved.
For example, Paulinho, Pogba, and the overlapping full-backs on both sides.
Schneiderlin, in particular, had adapted well. When both full-backs went forward, he stayed deep, often dropping between the center-backs.
In many teams, this kind of positioning would be seen as too deep.
In fact, in Gao Shen's memory, one of the main criticisms of Schneiderlin after joining Manchester United was exactly this, retreating too deep and being prone to mistakes when trying to press.
But during his time at Southampton under Pochettino and Koeman, he had become used to playing this way.
Now, at Leeds United, he was fitting in well.
Gao Shen was extremely satisfied with the team's performance. After leaving the stadium, he didn't visit the dressing room. Instead, he waited until the players returned to the hotel, then quietly paid them a visit.
Although everyone knew Leeds United had close ties to Gao Shen, they were still surprised to see him, especially players like Salah.
To them, Gao Shen was a legendary figure.
Even Pogba, Benteke, and others who had met Gao Shen before were still surprised.
"I have to admit something," Gao Shen said with a smile. "Before tonight, I made a serious mistake. I underestimated your strength. Even though I had high hopes for you, the final result still exceeded my expectations."
The Leeds United players all laughed.
They clearly felt honored and proud to receive such praise from someone of Gao Shen's stature—whether as team owner or the world's top manager.
"To be honest, I made several mistakes while watching the game. Your performance made me feel unqualified as a coach, because you just keep shattering my assumptions. Incredible!" Gao Shen even laughed at himself.
The players felt the appreciation and respect from Gao Shen, Carlo, and the others.
It made them all incredibly proud.
"I want to say this. Leeds United fans and I are proud of you. I believe that if you keep up the spirit and intensity you showed tonight, you'll conquer the Championship this season. And next season, I'll be watching you play in the Premier League!"
There was no greater compliment than that.
The players erupted in cheers.
They all dreamed of playing in the Premier League!
…
After praising the players, Gao Shen met with Sarri again. He was very pleased with Sarri's lineup and tactical decisions in this match. He also pointed out a few technical details, but overall, Sarri had done an excellent job.
The team's style of play was fluid and attractive—something rare at this level.
Because of his sensitive identity and the fact that Leeds were on the road, Gao Shen didn't stay at the hotel for long.
But on the way back to the Manchester City hotel, Carlo and the others kept discussing the game and the players.
Leeds United's young players had left a lasting impression.
Especially Pogba.
That goal of his had sparked the team's comeback.
At just 18, he was still young. But with proper development and focused training, he could become the core of Leeds United's midfield.
And everyone gained a deeper understanding of Gao Shen's vision.
Because from the very beginning, Gao Shen was the one who most believed in Pogba.
Even when everyone else thought no one at Leeds United could step up, Gao Shen still put his faith in Pogba.
And that left everyone around him full of admiration.
(To be continued.)