"Good afternoon, viewers!"
"I'm currently outside Anfield Stadium. As the most classic rivalry in English football, the countless past encounters between these two teams have left fans with incredible classic memories!"
"Thousands of riot police officers are already on standby to prevent violent clashes among emotionally charged fans!"
"With just four hours left until kickoff, we can see the streets packed with fans on both sides!"
Zhan Jun (the Chinese broadcast pundit) wore a Liverpool jersey, while his co-host Zhang Lu wore a Manchester United jersey as the two conducted pre-match interviews outside the stadium for their program.
"Hello, what are your thoughts on tonight's match?" Zhan Jun randomly approached a passerby and handed over the microphone.
"Thoughts? We've maintained a perfect record in December, scoring 23 goals and conceding only 3! We'll absolutely crush Manchester United! Allez, Allez, Allez!"
The passerby kissed the Liverpool crest on his shirt and screamed hysterically into the microphone.
The nearby Liverpool parade noticed the LeTV Sports interview crew and crowded around, shouting their declarations of victory.
"Liverpool will win!"
Liverpool! Forward! Forward!"
"You'll Never Walk Alone!"
The fervent atmosphere had Zhan Jun buzzing with excitement.
As a lifelong Kopite, he nearly joined in the chant himself.
Even though Ling was his fellow countryman, Zhan Jun's heart still belonged to Liverpool.
Because of his father.
"My father was a die-hard Liverpool fan, and he's one of my most cherished memories. That's the biggest reason I've remained loyal to Liverpool all these years," Zhan Jun once said in an interview.
The interview team soon moved to another entrance of the stadium where the away fans were gathering.
Though Manchester United fans were fewer in number, their spirit was no less formidable.
They were singing their club anthems with thunderous enthusiasm!
The interviewer switched to Zhang Lu.
"Glory, glory, Man United!"
"Glory! Man United!"
"We have the unstoppable Ling! No one can stand in our way, not even that damn Liverpool!"
The roars of the Manchester United fans were deafening.
Some even held up the iconic number 7 jersey, proudly displaying it for the cameras, their faces beaming with pride.
Zhang Lu couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Who would have thought that the once-awkward teenager would grow into the undisputed leader of the Red Devils, earning the absolute adoration of so many?
"So, what do you think the score will be tonight?" Zhang Lu asked a fan.
"Three to one! We'll score three, they'll get one!" the United fan yelled. "Man of the Match? It'll definitely be Jeremy Ling! He'll score at least two goals and show those Liverpool lot what the Premier League's best striker looks like! Come on, you Carrington lads! Let's go!"
With that, the Manchester United fans waved their flags and marched toward the heavily guarded away entrance.
Soon, buses emblazoned with the Liverpool and Manchester United crests slowly made their way from opposite ends of the street toward Anfield.
The crowd erupted instantly!
Inside the United bus, Jeremy Ling sat with noise-canceling headphones on, eyes closed, trying to rest.
Even though he had caught up on sleep the day before and resumed training yesterday, the heavy fatigue from the long journey still lingered in his muscles.
Today was another grueling battle, and he needed to seize every single moment to recover.
The rest of the Manchester United players were also finding their own ways to get into the zone.
David De Gea was listening to loud rock music, Paul Pogba was scrolling online, and Jesse Lingard was video-calling his newborn child.
It wasn't that they weren't nervous—after all, Manchester United had played two more matches than Liverpool this season due to the Club World Cup.
But at most, they felt a little tense.
There was certainly not a shred of fear among them. They were determined to beat Liverpool, no matter what it took!
Every Manchester United player shared the exact same mindset as they stepped off the team bus one by one into the hostile cauldron of Anfield.
...
At this moment, inside Anfield, the players were conducting their pre-match warm-ups.
There was absolutely no interaction between the players of the two teams.
They acted like the most familiar strangers.
The stands were filled with various banners, and on the famous Kop stand, there was a giant TIFO depicting Liverpool's fearsome attacking trio!
Liverpool fans had never imagined that Liverpool could possess an attacking line more luxurious and sharper than the past partnerships of Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, and Luis Suárez with Daniel Sturridge!
Last season, this new trio set a record: three players from the same team scoring double-digit goals in a single Champions League campaign.
With this trident in front and a luxurious expensive defense behind, Liverpool fans were full of confidence for today's match!
On the away stand, Manchester United fans unfurled a massive poster in the wind.
On a grand and majestic red throne sat a young man wearing the Manchester United No. 7 jersey, surrounded by 21 Premier League Title trophies.
During the 1994 North West Derby, Liverpool fans famously held up a banner that read, "Come back when you've won 18 League Titles!"
During the 2011 North West Derby, Manchester United fans held up a banner in response that read, "You told us to come back when we've won 18 League Titles, and now we're here!"
Now, during the 2018 North West Derby, Manchester United fans displayed a new banner that read, "Now we have 21 League Titles, what about you!?"
On the pitch, Jeremy Ling exhaled a breath that turned into white mist in the freezing air.
He suddenly took a running start and unleashed a powerful long-range shot!
The ball, like a cannonball, drilled into the top right corner of the goal!
De Gea gave a thumbs-up in admiration from the other side of the pitch and shouted.
"Jeremy, remember this feeling! I guarantee Alisson definitely won't save that!"
Ling nodded with a smile.
Even though his physical form hadn't been great recently, arriving at Anfield and hearing the noisy, hostile atmosphere made every cell in his body come alive.
After finishing their warm-ups, the players returned to the dressing rooms to make their final preparations.
The coaches of both teams delivered their prepared, fiery motivational speeches, rousing the emotions of every player.
The players from both teams roared as they walked out of the dressing rooms.
Inside the narrow player tunnel, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Many conflicts had occurred here between the two teams in the past, even involving the head coaches in brawls.
Moreover, Manchester United had recently been involved in a serious incident where Ling led a group to assault Atlético Madrid players.
Therefore, the English Football Association made the fullest preparations, stationing over a dozen riot police on high alert inside the tunnel.
The head referee for this match was Martin Atkinson, playfully nicknamed by fans as one of the "Four Blind Referees of the Premier League."
As for why he was called a scourge? Because he seemed to be a supporter of total non-intervention, performing one good deed per day on the pitch—meaning all conflicts and heavy tackles were somehow permissible.
Foul? Not a chance! Yellow card? Impossible!
It was as if heaven itself had instructed him on how to officiate the match loosely.
Who knows what the FA was thinking, daring to assign Atkinson to referee the volatile North West Derby.
As the noise at Anfield grew deafening, the referee team led the players out of the tunnel.
The floodlights in Ling's vision burst forth, transforming the stadium into a boiling red sea.
A strong sense of pressure surged in his heart.
He took several deep breaths and stepped heavily onto the grass!
...
Peter Drury: "Good evening to you, and welcome to the cauldron! Live from Anfield, it is the 18th round of the Premier League season! Liverpool versus Manchester United! A clash of titans, the annual English feast—the North West Derby!"
"Let's introduce the starting lineups. Klopp has deployed his trademark 4-3-3 formation. Virgil van Dijk, who joined last season, is already wearing the captain's armband, defending Liverpool with outstanding performances."
"Liverpool's summer transfer window signings were nothing short of extravagant: Fabinho for 75 million euros, Naby Keïta for 60 million euros, and Alisson Becker for 60 million euros, greatly enhancing the team's overall strength. They have achieved a 17-match unbeaten run this season!"
Jim Beglin: "Now, let's look at Manchester United's starting lineup. Mourinho has also lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Manchester United just played the Club World Cup final in the UAE three days ago. I heard Mourinho rushed back to England overnight and hasn't slept yet. Let's hope he doesn't fall asleep on the touchline tonight!"
Peter Drury: "Jim, what do you think of Manchester United's starting lineup?"
Jim Beglin: "Manchester United's midfield is a bit lightweight today. Whether it's Pogba or Kovačić, they are both players whose attacking prowess heavily outweighs their defensive contributions. And Liverpool's forwards are all quick and extremely agile."
"I think they will cause a lot of trouble for Manchester United's defense! However, according to Mourinho's pre-match statements, they will focus on a Defensive Counterattack tactic, stacking players in the back to increase defensive density and reduce the space Liverpool needs most for their rapid sprints."
Peter Drury: "Exactly. They will try to seize the gaps in Liverpool's front-line passing and possession, regain the ball, and immediately look for Ling up front on the break. As long as Ling can hold the ball under Liverpool's intense Gegenpressing, and hold out until Manchester United transitions from defense to attack, Manchester United still has a very good chance."
Jim Beglin: "Alright, let's turn our cameras to the green pitch. Both teams' players are already in position! The noise is deafening!"
Peter Drury: "The match is about to begin. Let's wait and see who rules the North West!"