Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 136 Old Trafford! Against Manchester United! The big6 tour is here again!

On August 8, the last game of the opening month of the 28-11 season arrived.

Manchester United's match against Arsenal at Old Trafford will kick off on time at 3:30 p.m. that day.

When Maher woke up in his hotel in central Manchester in the morning, he could clearly feel the tense atmosphere and pressure of the game.

"Glory Glory Man United! Glory Glory Man United!!" Faint cheers could be heard outside the window, mixed with the sounds of firecrackers and clapping.

He went to the window and opened it, and heard even louder noises, including whistles, banging of drums, pointing at the roof and swearing, etc.

Hundreds of Manchester United fans seemed to know where they lived and came here specifically to hold a demonstration.

"Luckily I didn't set off firecrackers while I was sleeping."

Beside him, his roommate Mertesacker yawned with a hint of relief. It seems that even Manchester United's fanatical fans have some sense of propriety.

"Are you nervous?" Maher asked, pulling the window back up, and said, "The game against Manchester United might be your Premier League debut."

"Kind of."

Mertesacker nodded and put on his clothes, saying: "They are the top team in Europe and have the best attackers. It will be difficult to fight them.

“However, during the pre-match analysis meeting, after I listened to Coach Philip’s introduction to the characteristics of their forwards, I found that this type of offensive player is relatively easy for me to defend.

"Compared to them, I'm more afraid of encountering physical stats monsters like you."

"Haha. You are just like the enemy." Maher smiled a few times, dressed neatly, and went to the hotel cafeteria with Mertesacker to eat. The club's chef had already prepared it for them.

After dinner, they rested for about half an hour and then took a bus to Old Trafford for field training.

“Championechampione!!”

Unexpectedly, there were already quite a few Manchester United fans at Old Trafford at this moment. They stared at the bus with eager eyes, raised their hands and sang the team's third anthem with amazing momentum.

"Are they sure we'll be defeated?" Van Persie looked out the window, shook his head and joked.

“Try to make them regret it.”

Although Maer was still a little worried, he had already come this far, so there was nothing to be afraid of. He could just let go and fight.

This time, with Arteta, Mertesacker, and him, an Arsenal team with greater cohesion, fighting spirit and confidence!

He just couldn't believe that they couldn't cause trouble for Manchester United away from home and still lost like that.

"Oh, right." Seeing Maher having some mischievous thoughts, Van Persie turned around and said, "In a match that ended this morning, Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1.

"Dzeko scored four goals and has already scored six goals in the Premier League. Do you think he will be my competitor for the Golden Boot this season?"

"Why are you asking me?"

Maher asked with a faint smile, and after realizing that the other party was teasing him, he said: "You mean, you have become the team's top scorer this season by default?

"Robin, next time you say something like this, it would be best if you score more goals than me."

The players on the bus smiled, but none of them responded. Naturally, they, who had scored few goals, could not join in on this topic.

Maher didn't talk to Van Persie anymore. They soon arrived at the side door of Old Trafford, entered the stadium through the side passage, and saw this historic stadium.

This is a large stadium that is somewhat similar to the Emirates Stadium. It has bright red as the main background color, with the name of "Manchester United" engraved in white letters on the seats, and the grass is a grid of dark green and light green.

Sir Alex Ferguson won 12 top league titles and 2 Champions League titles here, and achieved great success!

This is Maher's first time here, so naturally he has a different feeling.

He could feel the weight and splendor of this stadium.

Glancing inside the venue, the classic moments of the past decade seemed to be replayed one after another, and countless legends were walking by his side.

In fact, Maher currently has very little experience in these top competitions.

Apart from the home grounds of Newcastle and Udinese, and the Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal, he has not been to any major stadiums.

There is still a long way to go in this life. He must visit all the world's famous top stadiums and leave his own story in each venue!

After the training session, a reporter on the sidelines chased Maher and asked: "Are Arsenal confident of taking points away from Old Trafford? Do you hope to score a goal here?"

Maher didn't want to answer his two questions. He hesitated for a moment before walking into the exit passage and then turned back.

He took the microphone and said to the camera: "The team is in good shape and very confident. Of course I hope to score a goal here, that's it."

At 3:15 pm, players from both teams finished warming up on the field and returned to the locker room for final preparations and adjustments.

“Glory Glory Man United!!”

"AaahhOhArsenal!!"

Old Trafford has slowly become hot, with more than 70,000 fans pouring into the stadium, dyeing it red. The fans are singing songs while waiting for the game to begin.

In the Arsenal locker room, Wenger is making final arrangements and adjustments for Manchester United's lineup.

He takes this game very seriously. His fight with Ferguson has lasted for more than ten years. Arsenal has ended Manchester United's championship streak, and Manchester United has also ended their 49-game unbeaten streak.

The two clubs are naturally incompatible, and once they meet, it will be a battle like Mars hitting the Earth.

"The official basic formation is 5-2-3." Wenger pulled out the tactical board and arranged Manchester United's formation, "But it's obvious that they will still play 4-4-2.

“Ashley Young at left-back will not be at the back, he will be very high up the pitch, even close to our penalty area.

"Rooney won't go too far forward. He will drop back to the center position to support Welbeck and Nani to attack forward."

"Ferguson is going to attack hard in this game and they will go for the transitions just like we do, so it will be important to gain control of the midfield."

Arteta raised his head at this time and he got the chance to start in this game.

Wenger glanced at him and Alexander Song and said seriously: “You must run as hard as you can and always be prepared to rotate in an anaerobic state.

"Your condition and concentration will be the decisive factors in the outcome of this game.

"To kill the opponent's chance to switch from defense to offense is to kill the opponent's chance to score; to create an opportunity for our team to switch from defense to offense is to create a chance for our forward to score.

“Attack!
"This must be the main theme of this game. Everyone must be prepared. This is not a battle between spear and shield, but a game between sword and shield."

Maher sat in his seat, took a big gulp of water, swirled it around in his mouth a few times to trick his brain, and then spit it into the trash can.

Offensive War
There is no striker who doesn't like this kind of battle. His body is often twitching and tense with excitement, and he can't wait to get on the field.

"Next, let's talk about Rooney. He scored 2 goals and 3 assists in the first two Premier League games. He is a Manchester United player."

On the other side, Manchester United locker room.

Ferguson was also not careless and gave final instructions to the players based on Arsenal's starting lineup.

"Wenger sent Walcott on the right, he must have wanted to suppress Ashley Young's forward attack."

He looked around at the players with serious expressions, chewed his gum twice and said, "Evra, Evans, don't let that old guy succeed. Pin Walcott to the wing and free Ashley Young."

Evra and Evans looked at each other, turned back to look at Ferguson, clenched his fists and nodded.

"But that's not the point."

Ferguson opened the tactical board and drew a few strokes on the midfield line with his right hand. "This is the key point! You must try to keep Arsenal's attack in the midfield and try not to let them find any threatening points in the frontcourt.

“Anderson, Cleverley, you two have a heavy task ahead of you.

"If you let Arsenal counter-attack and pass the ball to Mahre or Walcott, then our back line will be in great danger.

"That's not what we want to see. We need to solve the problem in the midfield line and in the opponent's half and let them see De Gea less often."

Having said that, he glanced at De Gea and smiled a little.

This young man is the one he just brought from Atletico Madrid this year. He is only 20 years old. He has high expectations for him and hopes that he can become the mainstay of Manchester United in the next 10 years.

Therefore, even though De Gea's performance after joining the team was average, he was criticized.

He still chose to trust him and sent him to this key battle to let him be baptized by the attacking players of the Premier League giants.

Ferguson sometimes fantasizes that once De Gea is trained and has the stability of Van der Sar, he will definitely lead Manchester United to regain its former glory and compete for the Champions League again.

"Phil Jones."

He finally turned his gaze to Phil Jones and said in a low voice: “Mael seldom returns to defense, so you have to give up attacking and focus on marking him.

"You have to stick to him like a fly. Even if he shakes you off, you have to buzz back to him after a circle to make him uncomfortable and make it difficult for him to get the ball.

"If you can't defend, just block the paint, make him go downfield, make him pass with his non-dominant foot.

"Smolin will protect you. Don't be too afraid of him. He has two legs and two arms, and he can't teleport. It won't be that easy for him to defeat you."

Phil Jones nodded and felt some confidence in his heart. He knew what mission he had in this game.

At 3:25 pm, players from both teams stood in the player tunnel, waiting to play.

By coincidence, Maher walked with Rooney. Both of them knew that the other was walking side by side with them, but they pretended not to see it.

The war is about to begin, and at this time, their relationship is still quite tense.

When Maher walked to the player tunnel, he saw a dazzling light rising outside the stadium, shining on the red ceiling and reflecting the dark red on the players, making everyone look a little hazy.

“Manchester United!!”

"Arsenal!!"

The cheers from outside the stadium were deafening, making everyone look grim, nervous and excited. They could only divert their attention to kill the last time.

"Arteta." Maher chose to find someone to chat with, even though he was not good at it. "How many times have you played against Manchester United?"

"13 times."

Arteta said a staggering number, and after seeing the surprise on Mahre's face, he added: "I was at Everton for six years, played seven times at home and six times at Old Trafford.

"We met three times last season in the FA Cup and these players are all old acquaintances of mine."

"Okay." Maher found that he couldn't continue the conversation that day. He was still too young and could not compare with these old players in some aspects.

"I still have one goal and one assist here."

Arteta didn't want to end the topic, and continued with a smile: "It's a wonderful feeling, I hope you can feel it today."

Maher nodded, and after hearing the referee blow the exit whistle, he stepped into the noisy Old Trafford stadium.

This place, which is already full of fans, looks extremely grand. As it adopts a single-layer stand design, all the fans are crowded together, and at a glance, countless heads are staring in your direction.

Today's fans were all standing to watch the game, no one was sitting in the seats, which is the norm in exciting games.

"Three to zero!"

"Four to one!!"

"Five to zero!!" "Shut them down!"

As soon as they walked out of the tunnel, Manchester United fans on both sides clenched their fists and shouted their expected scores, cheering for the players and boosting their confidence in watching the game.

Maher looked back at them. If nothing had changed, he could have shouted even bolder.

But now that he is here, his greatest wish is to help the club he plays for and loves change all this, and strive to let the team leave Old Trafford with their heads held high.

Even if we fail, we must save face and defend the dignity of the team.

After completing the pre-match ceremony and standing in his position, Maher glanced at the sidelines while waiting for the whistle to blow and saw a classic scene.

Wenger, wearing a black suit and dark red tie, stood together with Ferguson, wearing a coat. The two were very close to each other, staring at the court seriously, waiting for the game to begin.

This was already the nth time they had met, and they didn't know how many games they had played together or how many times they had quarreled.

In short, Maher's involvement as a player in the feud between the two and in one of the most classic Premier League clashes of the early 20th century must have been a defining moment in his career.

He will continue to move forward, join more legendary historical scrolls, leave his mark in more classic moments, and let his name be recorded together with these immortal legends.

He will also tamper with the original history, change the fate of countless people, and leave a new story.

"Beep!!"

At 3:30 in the afternoon, with the referee's whistle, the game officially began!
"Oh!"

Nani kicked the ball out of the center circle, Rooney dribbled a few steps and knocked the ball back to Phil Jones, who then passed it to Smalling.

Maher and Van Persie quickly crossed the center line and pressed their backcourt, with Walcott arriving shortly afterwards.

In the broadcast room, Zhan Jun put on his headset, adjusted his state and began to commentate: "Okay, the decisive battle of the third round of the Premier League has begun! Zhan Jun will bring you the live commentary of this game!
"Today, ESPN has invited an important guest, the deputy general manager of the Guoan team, coach Zhang Lu! He will partner with me."

"Hit." Coach Zhang Lu's voice is very recognizable. He often appears in the broadcast studio as a technical and tactical analyst.

"."

"Let's take a look at the starting lineup first. For Arsenal, goalkeeper Szczesny and the back line from left to right are Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker and Sagna.

"I heard Vermaelen missed the game due to injury. It's possible that Wenger wanted to choose a tougher German defender in this game."

“In the midfield, Arteta, Song, Ramsey, and there is also a new player.

"The forward line is very powerful, with Mahel on the left, Van Persie on the center and Walcott on the right."

"."

"For Manchester United, goalkeeper De Gea, the back line from left to right, Ashley Young, Evra, Evans, Smalling, Phil Jones.

"In the midfield, Anderson and Cleverley are a more sweeping option.

"On the front line, Welbeck is on the left, Rooney is in the middle, and on the right, it's Nani who passes the ball."

"Hmm," Coach Zhang Lu appeared as a comma, but this time he said two sentences, "But we can see that Manchester United's backcourt style today is still mainly based on the two central defenders pulling apart.

"At most, Phil Jones was waiting on the wing, while Evra and Ashley Young were nowhere to be seen.

"One moved to the defensive midfielder position, and the other rushed directly to the front court. They played very aggressively and did not pay special attention to Arsenal's explosive points."

On the field, Maher moved along with the team's overall formation, occasionally rushing to the middle to harass the Manchester United backcourt players who had the ball.

His presence reduced Manchester United's passes to the right side of the backcourt, and Phil Jones, as the passing point, seemed somewhat useless standing on the wing.

"Stick to him when you have the ball!"

Soon, Sir Alex Ferguson waved his hand to instruct Phil Jones to go directly next to Maher.

Maher quickly felt a certain amount of pressure, as Phil Jones stuck to his back like super glue and kept making physical contact with him.

He turned left and right and pretended to run a few times, and his opponent immediately followed him, as if he was determined to fight him at all costs.

He didn't care for the moment and just let him stick to him.

After all, it is not the team's turn to control the ball yet. He will try to get rid of it when the time comes. He doesn't think Phil Jones can stop him.

Maher raised his left arm and placed it against Phil Jones' chest, then turned his head to observe the situation in the team's midfield and backfield.

The fight near the midfield was particularly fierce at the start of the game. Both sides were unwilling to give in and fought desperately for the ball as long as they were in a position.

"Snapped!"

First, Arteta rushed from behind, intercepted the half-high ball passed by Anderson to Cleverley, and kicked it to Ramsey on the other side.

As soon as Ramsey received the ball, he was knocked to the ground by Anderson who was chasing him.

"Beep!" The referee blew the whistle and penalized the Manchester United player for a foul.

Ramsey was still holding his leg and wailing in pain, when Alexander Song came up and quickly kicked the ball back to Arteta.

Tazi took a few steps forward and was double-teamed by Anderson and Cleverley. Even Evra rushed up to block his pass to Mahel.

"Here!" Ramsey suddenly let go of his legs, jumped up from the ground, and provided a passing route.

Sure enough, offensive opportunities are the best healer. However, as a player, it is best to face up to possible injuries.

"Oh!"

Arteta passed the ball to Ramsey with a cross, who moved to the right and dribbled past Ashley Young.

Right winger Walcott quickly moved behind Manchester United's defense and pointed to a through pass with his left hand.

Seeing this scene, Maher also ran towards the middle position, hoping that he could serve as a support for Walcott after the ball came over.

Phil Jones immediately followed him. He did well in the first few steps, but was gradually left half a body length behind him.

"Snap!" At the critical moment, Ashley Young near the midfield tackled Ramsey and stopped him with a tactical foul.

"Beep!" The referee blew the whistle again.

Maher regretfully used a jump step to cushion his steps, turned around and returned to his position.

"suffer!"

After seeing that the referee did not draw a card, he spread his hands and walked towards the referee with his teammates to express his dissatisfaction.

"No yellow card?!"

Wenger on the sidelines also swung his right hand with anger on his face, "He was violated twice in a row!"

Ferguson was not so close to him, but the distance between them was no more than three meters, just near the extended line of the center circle.

He saw Wenger complaining, stopped chewing gum, and sneered, "That's enough, go back, it's not like we didn't get the set piece."

"Haha." Wenger also sneered and glared at him with disgust.

The relationship between the two has once again become tense, and there is no chance of reconciliation until the end of the game.

In the 7th minute of the game, Manchester United got a good chance to score.

"Oh!"

Evra made a long pass from the backcourt, and the ball reached Mertesacker's defense area and was cleared to the center circle.

Ashley Young and Ramsey rushed to the second penalty spot together to compete for the falling ball.

"Snap!" The former won without a doubt. He stopped the ball and moved it forward at the same time. He used his body to hold off Ramsey and then dribbled the ball forward.

He then saw Welbeck run in behind Koscielny and deliver a through ball which went past the Arsenal defence.

"Bang!!"

Welbeck had a half-solo chance, but he didn't choose to stop the ball. Instead, he kicked the ball directly towards the far corner of the goal along the line of the ball, but missed the target.

"Crack!" Koscielny's sliding tackle to block the shot came shortly afterwards and knocked him to the ground.

However, since the football had already flown out of the baseline, this defensive action was not directed at the person, but just caused the person to be knocked down due to lack of braking, which was not a foul.

After Szczesny got the goal kick, he made a long pass to Maher's position, preparing for a simple offensive attempt.

But this ball failed to pose a threat. Manchester United's backcourt protection was very good. Phil Jones kept interfering with small movements behind Maher, preventing him from jumping easily.

"Bang!" Smalling rushed over and headed the ball out of the sideline. Because he rushed too fast, he collided with Phil Jones who had no time to dodge.

The two fell together near the sideline, looking quite embarrassed, but neither blamed each other.

"nice shot!"

After standing up, they high-fived each other and briefly celebrated this successful defense.

Maher's eyes narrowed. In this game, the opponent's defenders were very focused and marked him very closely.

It seems that this match will be more difficult than the one against Liverpool.
He prepared himself mentally, took a look at Manchester United's goal, and was extremely greedy.

He needs to think of a way, he really wants to score against Manchester United in this game.

In the 14th minute of the game, Arsenal midfielder intercepted the ball and launched a quick counterattack.

This goal was their first successful transition from defense to offense since the start of the game. Arteta made a steal, Ramsey controlled the advance, and finally Alexander Song came up and kicked the ball into the Manchester United penalty area.

Manchester United's defense was still relatively empty, giving Van Persie space to stop the ball or shoot.

"Bang!!"

Van Persie finally chose not to stop the ball, and shot it towards the lower corner of the goal.

"Snap!" De Gea bounced to his left like a spring, fished the ball out of the lower left corner of the goal, and then held it in his arms.

"Ah!" Van Persie rubbed his face with both hands, hoping that his brain could be clearer.

Maher, who had just rushed into the penalty area, also stopped. He was just about to go up and take a follow-up shot.

"Mael."

Van Persie called him over, came to his side and covered his mouth and said, "If Phil Jones sticks so close again, just get behind him and I will pass the ball diagonally."

"it is good."

Maher nodded and believed in his teammates. No matter how good his personal ability was, he had to receive the ball first.

As long as he receives the ball, he has the opportunity to cause damage to the opponent's goal!
For the next period of time, because Manchester United had more people in the midfield, they took control of the field and suppressed Arsenal.

In the 23rd minute of the game, Ashley Young chose to cut towards the middle after receiving the second ball.

"Bang!!"

He took two steps to the right, looking nonchalant, but suddenly fired a shot nearly 30 meters away from the goal.

(End of this chapter)