Just as Chelsea fans erupted in cheers, their celebration turned into a deafening chorus of boos.
The hostility inside Stamford Bridge was overwhelming. Shrill jeers rang out, wave after wave, filling the stadium with an almost surreal intensity. If someone had just tuned into the broadcast, they might have thought this was an away match for Chelsea rather than their own fortress.
The reason? Chelsea had just unleashed a well-crafted shot on goal—one with real intent.
Frank Lampard, the man behind the effort, looked up at the stands, puzzled. He knew Chelsea supporters wouldn't boo him, no matter the outcome of his shot. With his legendary status at the club, even if he had ballooned the ball into Row Z, the worst he'd expect was a sigh of disappointment, not outright hostility.
Then he saw it—the giant stadium screen.
Instead of a replay of his attempt, the cameras had locked onto a figure on the sidelines. Dressed in black, hands stuffed into his coat pockets, stood Ethan, the head coach of Luton Town. He appeared calm, unmoved by the moment. But then, just as Lampard had taken his shot, Ethan had muttered something.
The broadcast hadn't captured the sound, but his lips had moved unmistakably.
"F* Chelsea!"**
Lampard's mind went blank for a second. Then rage surged through him. If he was furious, what about the thousands of Chelsea fans now watching this replay?
The stadium erupted into chaos.
Boos rained down louder than ever. The Chelsea players, who had been focused on the match, suddenly turned their attention to the touchline, glaring daggers at Luton's coach. Meanwhile, Luton's bench was a mix of disbelief and admiration. Their boss had just insulted Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge, on live television. That was bold. Insanely bold.
Even David Morton, Luton's American owner, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. As a businessman, he knew capitalism had little conscience, but even he preferred to keep a respectable image. The Luton fans around him, however, had no such concerns. They were loving it—singing and dancing, quickly turning Ethan's words into a chant.
If not for the sheer volume of Chelsea's furious jeering, the entire stadium would have heard Luton's supporters mocking the home crowd.
"Coach Ethan appears to have made an offensive remark towards Chelsea, and Stamford Bridge is in complete uproar!" The commentator, Letterkinson, tried to mask his amusement. "I can confidently say that Ethan is now the least popular man in this stadium… perhaps in all of London!"
"Uh… for those watching at home, let's just say the coach used some colorful language," added He Hongfa, the Chinese commentator. "Kids, don't repeat this at school…"
Behind the dugout, furious Chelsea fans hurled abuse at Luton's technical area.
"F* off, Chinese!"**
"Get out of Stamford Bridge!"
"You won't make it out of London alive!"
Then came the objects—crumpled newspapers, coins, plastic bottles—though, thankfully, no phones. Even in their anger, Chelsea supporters knew some things were too valuable to throw.
Security scrambled into action, urging Ethan to step into a safer position. Yet, despite the chaos around him, the Luton coach remained outwardly composed.
Internally, though, he was panicking.
Heaven help me… this wasn't intentional.
As the jeers continued, Ethan wiped a cold sweat from his forehead. The truth was, he had no personal vendetta against Chelsea. His outburst hadn't been a deliberate provocation.
It was the system.
Just before Lampard's shot, his football card system had suddenly popped up with a new task. A glowing interface had materialized in front of his eyes, displaying a challenge.
[Task]: F* Chelsea!!**
Ethan had been too stunned to react. Was this real? Before he could process it, the stadium camera had zoomed in on him.
Then, instinctively, he'd muttered the task title under his breath.
Now, as he stood under a barrage of hate, he realized there was no taking it back.
With a helpless smile, he turned back to the floating system screen.
Might as well see what the reward is…
[Task Description]
The humiliation suffered against Chelsea can only be washed away with a victory—defeat Chelsea!
[Task Reward]
2000 experience points, a randomly drawn green card!
A green card! Ethan's eyes lit up instantly. Among the cards he currently possessed, there was only one green card, which boosted dribbling ability by 15%! If he could get a few more of these, he could turn an ordinary player into a world-class talent just through his card system! What an incredible advantage!
The booing from the stands gradually subsided as Chelsea launched another attack.
This time, however, their rapid passing game wasn't as fluid as before!
Kanté's ball-winning ability was exceptional, even among Europe's elite. With the added boost from the card system, he was now comparable to a prime Claude Makélélé!
Interception!
Deco received a pass from Lampard, but just as he prepared to play a return ball, Kanté pounced! He cut off the pass but couldn't fully control it at first. However, in an instant, he recovered, sliding in and cleanly winning possession!
A counterattack opportunity!
Ethan no longer cared about the system's task notifications. He sprinted to the touchline, completely ignoring the debris being thrown at him from the stands.
The security personnel sighed—this Chinese coach was making their job a nightmare.
But Ethan's full attention was on the pitch.
This was a golden chance for a counterattack. Even though he had set up defensively in the second half, that didn't mean Luton wouldn't take their chances in the first. If they could snatch a goal—or even two—before halftime, it would be a game-changer.
Kanté immediately knew what to do after winning the ball—he played a quick pass!
Drinkwater made a run into open space. Luton's compact defensive shape swiftly stretched out as they transitioned into attack. Unlike in League Two, where Luton would throw numbers forward recklessly, they were more measured now—after all, this was Chelsea!
But Jamie Vardy had already reacted the moment Kanté made the steal. Chelsea's defensive line was pushed high up the pitch, leaving plenty of space behind for him to exploit.
Just as Vardy found himself shoulder-to-shoulder with Alex, Chelsea's last defender, Drinkwater delivered a perfect through ball!
A low-driven pass sliced through the gap between Ivanović and Alex!
"Vardy's pace!!!"
A roar erupted from the stands!
But Cech was quick off his line. Anticipating the danger, the Chelsea goalkeeper rushed out before Vardy could get to the ball. In a well-timed challenge, he slid in and cleared it out for a throw-in!