Before Taking the Hit
The blow landed the instant the match kicked off.
Chelsea had the kickoff privileges, and from that very whistle, Jo Se-jin took a one-touch pass from Jefferson, fired the ball back to the keeper, and surged forward into Manchester City's half like a tidal wave breaking loose.
He wasn't alone.
Every Chelsea player except a skeleton defense crew exploded forward in a ferocious charge—even a half-beat slower than Se-jin's one-touch release. The sudden influx caught Manchester City flat-footed, their players scrambling in the opening chaos.
Before the City side could even recall their defensive blueprint, instinct took over, blocking the penetrations—and that's when the long ball came arcing from Chelsea's backline.
Ryan Harris, the captain, had scooped it up and launched it perfectly.
All this unfolded in just two or three seconds from kickoff.
Ryan Harris with the long ball! It's headed for Jo Se-jin!! Oh, this is a set play! Manchester City's players got sucked in by the Chelsea rush, leaving space for Se-jin!!
Jo Se-jin, charging ahead!! And there's James Taylor! He didn't bite—he's already in position!! Textbook positioning from the world's top holding mid!!
But James Taylor saw through Chelsea's feint.
Maybe it was possible only because he lacked any real passion for the game.
This was the clash of the Premier League's top two sides.
With the half-season winding down, the winner here was all but guaranteed to top the table. No Manchester City player—veterans of countless titles—could treat a big match like just another game.
Or perhaps their championship pedigrees amplified the stakes even more.
Only those who'd tasted glory truly grasped its weight.
Some felt the pressure, others burned with fire, a few itched to crush the irritating young Asian kid hogging the spotlight—all waiting for the whistle with heightened nerves.
James Taylor alone stayed detached.
Devoid of love or fervor for football, he simply observed Chelsea's players with his usual cool analysis.
That's why he spotted it.
Se-jin starting his run a beat after his teammates' decoy surge.
They're baiting us. Force a reaction with the penetration, then slip into the gap before we reset. Clever, but not against me.
Taylor's movements were unhurried.
Just a few steps forward from his mark.
Enough to claim the drop zone Se-jin targeted.
Those steps shut Se-jin out—the ball now belonged to Taylor first.
To receive it, Se-jin would have to shove Taylor aside or take it in front.
Shoving meant a foul; taking it high meant contesting aerially, back-to-chest against a bigger man.
Confident on the ball? Fine. Deny him the ball. Football's won off it more than on.
That was Taylor's creed.
Fans obsessed over on-ball magic because that's all they saw.
But football's invisible half dwarfed the visible: the endless unseen choices enabling those highlights.
Not just off-ball movement.
Real-time reads of allies and foes, optimal positioning, trap execution, next-play vision—all the game's essence.
Se-jin? A crowd-pleaser, no doubt. On-ball brilliance meant showy plays.
But the shadows? The off-ball mastery that might matter more?
That was Taylor's weapon against him today.
Observing Se-jin's options with icy calm, Taylor's thick brows twitched.
Going for a physical duel?
Se-jin barreled toward him, back turned, posture set to shield and shove.
Taylor dwarfed him in height, bulk, core thickness—a tank versus a sleek dribbler, the physical gap glaring.
Fishing for a foul?
Taylor's shove reflex paused.
Not the box, but close enough for a dangerous free kick.
Still... letting him settle a high ball meant a jump, and no ball-master kept balance mid-air for fine control.
Better to let him take it and snatch it back...
Then it hit him.
Why am I the one overthinking?
Forcing endless dilemmas on foes was his game—not suffering them.
Wait... is he—?
In that split-second hesitation, Se-jin—pressed back against him—tensed like he was leaping. Taylor instinctively leaned to unbalance him.
But Se-jin didn't jump.
Instead, he yielded to the push, stepping back with perfect timing, then exploded sideways off the momentum.
Taylor reacted on reflex again.
No midfielder lets a foe ghost past unchecked.
Shit!
His elite instincts—his world-class edge—betrayed him this time.
The ball!
Too late: chasing Se-jin twisted into a desperate leap, balance lost, ass-planting hard.
Grinding his teeth, Taylor scrambled up and gave chase.
Okay. Minor slip. City had his back—Paul Kruse and Andre Hoffman, the center-backs, were closing on Se-jin.
And just like that, they crumbled.
No hesitation.
No delay.
Effortlessly dismantling both—shot.
Even the impenetrable Yakob stood rooted, eyes bulging as the net rippled. Taylor halted mid-stride.
Ha.
Hand on hip, sighing skyward, Taylor finally clocked it.
The packed Etihad Stadium—full house against the league's runners-up—had fallen deathly silent. The deafening roar from moments ago vanished, replaced by an eerie hush in City's own fortress.
Staring blankly around, Taylor caught Se-jin trudging back, face blank, no celebration.
Ha... haha.
Now he got it.
His analyst's warning days ago.
'Don't get dazzled by the hype.' That was aimed at me.
Premier League's best team, Manchester City?
City's top midfielder?
Meaningless to the kid.
James Taylor claims position first, facing off with Jo Se-jin! Se-jin tries backing into him... no dice, he's slipping sideways!
Whoa—what's this?! James Taylor goes down alone!
Mild compared to the online frenzy.
To viewers, Taylor looked solid until he abruptly tripped himself up.
Jo Se-jin drives on! They've gotta stop him! Paul Kruse steps up—wow! Se-jin breezes right through!
Kruse recovers quick! Andre Hoffman's blocking ahead! Se-jin needs to decide fast—shot?!
Trapped between City's twin center-backs, Se-jin stayed utterly composed.
It looked dire to others, but not to him.
Eyes casually scanning Hoffman and the steadfast keeper behind, he feigned a dribble and unleashed.
Yesss!!! Jo Se-jin slots it through Andre Hoffman's legs for the opener!!
Timing genius!!! City's guardian Yakob never saw it coming—frozen solid!!
The casters' roar cut short.
Wait... how many seconds?
Replay's up... six seconds! Six!! Unbelievable—Jo Se-jin strikes first against Man City in just 6 seconds!!
New record?! Gotta check, but yeah, this breaks it!!
While the booth erupted, Se-jin returned to position stone-faced, no flair.
His teammates lost their minds instead.
Jo! Where's the thing, y'know—that Siu!
That? Meh.
C'mon, it was gold! Siuuu! Siuuuu~!
As the squad mimicked Ronaldo's cry, the feed confirmed it.
Record-breaker Jo Se-jin does it again! Shatters the Euro leagues' fastest goal at 5.6 seconds, topping the old 6.2-second mark!!