Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 139: August ends! Golden Boot ranking rises, odds fall! Champions' ambitions!

After this goal, Maher was replaced by Chamberlain, and Ramsey was subsequently replaced by Jenkinson.

Wenger strengthened the defensive intensity in the midfield and backcourt to prevent Manchester United from counterattacking at the last minute and bring any variables to the game.

"Mael! Mael!"

As he left the field, Maher heard the travelling Arsenal fans at the corner of the stands singing a familiar melody.

"Ding ding ding ding! I have a friend who drives a Pagani on the sidelines and does the swan dance on the back line!"

The fans hugged each other and jumped all over the place, singing as they danced. After a while, they found it was not fun anymore, so they followed the example of the Manchester United fans and turned their backs to the stadium and jumped for joy.

This is a Poznan-style celebration, an old tradition in the Premier League, and fans of many teams have done it.

With the score at 4-4, it seemed a little inappropriate to face the court with your back to the court.

But today is different, this is a game against Manchester United, a game to stop Ferguson at Old Trafford. They still have a chance to get 1 point given that Manchester United players are in such good shape.

By this calculation, Arsenal is likely to get 8 points after three hard battles in August!
A perfect start!

Naturally, they have to thank this genius who made a stunning debut in the first three rounds of the season and appeared in the Premier League with 3 goals and 5 assists!

"Haha." Maher smiled with satisfaction when he left the court. He turned around and waved to the stands. This seemed to be his farewell gesture after every game.

There is no way around it. He played really well in the first few games after coming to the Premier League, and the fans gave him the most fanatical support every time.

We must maintain this excitement and state as much as possible, continue to forge ahead on the path of improving personal abilities and striving for honors in the arena, and leave something more for this year!
"Hi!" Sania on the other side waved at him, raised his head, patted his chest and smiled proudly: "Look at them, this is my credit!"

Maher smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Sania said that he wanted to promote this song of Maher, and now it seems that he has initially achieved it.

"come on!"

After leaving the field, Maher and Chamberlain high-fived and hugged each other on the center circle to cheer for the new signing who was making his Premier League debut for Arsenal.

He then walked to Wenger, and the two of them smiled at each other and high-fived. They didn't say much, but their feelings were sincere.

"nice shot."

"Perfect!"

"Old Trafford will remember you."

Maher also high-fived the players and coaches on the bench one by one, and briefly celebrated before sitting down to rest.

He soon saw Ferguson replace the legendary Giggs, Mexican attacker Hernandez and South Korean international Park Ji-sung with a last-ditch effort at home.

But their appearance did not play much of a role. On the contrary, due to the unstable defense in the backcourt, Arsenal launched several highly threatening counterattacks, which almost had the opposite effect.

"Beep! Beep! Beep--!"

In the end, the referee blew the whistle to end the game, and the two sides shook hands and made peace with a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford.

There are no variables!
Arsenal had two wins and one draw in the Premier League in August, and defeated Udinese in both rounds of the play-offs, which was a good start!

"Pa pa pa!" Maher stood up again, clapped his hands and celebrated with the people on the bench. This month finally ended in a perfect way.

Four to four!
They drew with the defending champions Manchester United away and got 1 point!
The tragedy was over, and they successfully climbed over a majestic peak, a peak that had often caused them to fall into the abyss in the past!
This will give them great confidence and the courage to overcome all obstacles in the remaining 16 games in the first half!
Maher let out a long breath and wandered around Old Trafford for a long time before being stopped by Wenger and going to the post-match press conference together.

In front of them, Ferguson turned away and walked quickly towards the locker room, looking extremely dissatisfied with the result of the game.

"There is no doubt that we have a new look and the team is in a new state in all competitions."

In the press conference room, Wenger smiled and answered questions angrily: "We finished this month's schedule almost perfectly, with 4 wins and 1 draw, which is a very good performance. I hope this can bring us good luck this season."

"Can you tell me what good luck is for a team?" A reporter poked the microphone to his mouth and asked with a smile.

"in many ways."

Wenger is much more patient, as people are when they are in a good mood. "I hope there will be fewer setbacks, fewer injuries to key players, fewer changes in the club, and that we can maintain harmony and confidence, etc.

"But I know that every season is difficult and things won't go your way. We have to stay focused and face every challenge with optimism."

"."

"Mael has played in three rounds of the Premier League since he came to the Premier League and played well. What do you think of the Premier League?"

The camera turned to Maher, with many microphones pointed at him. He organized his words and answered seriously: "As Mr. Wenger said, this is a league full of fierce competition and challenges.

"For me, it's more like a long and difficult road with many obstacles of different sizes and many peaks that you have to try to climb over and move yourself and the team forward.

“The whole process is full of surprises. You might sprain your ankle on a small stone, or feel intimidated by the towering peaks.

“Everyone must grit their teeth and work together to overcome all challenges and difficulties and ultimately achieve a good result.”

"."

"What are the goals for the season? Does the team have ambitions to win the championship? Or is it too early to talk about this now?"

Maher saw that the reporter was looking at him, turned his head to look at Wenger, then smiled and said: "Everyone may have different goals based on different stages. I hope to continue the excellent form in the Championship.

"First, strive for 30+ points in all fronts, and then slowly pursue some major personal honors.

"As for the team, I don't think it's too early to talk about it now, we all have the ambition to chase the championship.

"The team has four fronts this season and we will try to win the championship on one or two of them."

"."

"But that's difficult, isn't it? Whether it's the individual honors you mentioned, or the team's double championship."

"of course."

Maher was amused by the reporter and raised his eyebrows and said, "Any pursuit is difficult. If it's something simple, just reach out and take it. It doesn't count as a pursuit, and there's no need to rush for it."

On the other side, in the press conference room, Ferguson and Giggs were sitting in their seats. The atmosphere was a bit depressing and there was no harmony at all.

"It's a regrettable draw. Can the Jazz accept this result?"

“Unacceptable.”

Ferguson raised his left hand uncontrollably while speaking, and his hand trembled uncontrollably as he gestured. "The team performed very well on the offensive line, but the performance on the defensive end was pathetic."

"We can't build an effective midfield defense, and the defense at the back is a mess, especially on the wing. I don't want to say much. We need to change, whether it is through signings or any other means."

Giggs looked at him in surprise. What he said was a bit harsh and would cause great harm to the team's starting players.

However, most coaches from that era were like this. They liked to set obstacles for the players in order to inspire them to fight harder. This is an old method.

Except for Cristiano, who is favored by Sir Alex Ferguson, most of the students in Class 92 have come through this kind of high pressure.

"How do you evaluate Maher's performance?" Some reporters began to add fuel to the fire. They wanted to see a Jazz who had lost his mind. That would be the big news tonight.

Ferguson put his hands down, stopped all movements, stared at the reporter fiercely, and said nothing.

"Some people say that the Jazz had a chance to sign him but gave up in the end?"

The reporter was secretly delighted but appeared serious on the surface, "Will this be a pity? Judging from today's game, the youngsters from Kearney took control of the game, scored 2 goals and completed a penultimate pass.

"Manchester United may have missed out on a new Ronaldo. Wenger is the winner in this battle for the player."

"You'd better shut up." Ferguson remained motionless, his tone gloomy. He was already at the critical point of anger.

Giggs touched him gently with his left foot under the table several times, signaling him to calm down. He had indeed clashed with media reporters more than once.

'Man Utd fans will fantasize about Mahé'

The reporter was about to add fuel to the fire when Sir Alex Ferguson suddenly stood up, his cheeks puffed up, and pointed at him with suppressed anger and said: "If it were a few years ago, I would kick you, I swear."

Giggs immediately held his arm and pulled him away from the press conference, and everyone left in a bad mood.

"Focus battle! Arsenal tied Manchester United 4-4 away! Leave Old Trafford with your head held high!" - London Evening News

"A battle of magical goals! Manchester United once again played a classic battle with Arsenal in the home game on Saturday afternoon! Both sides scored 8 goals together!" - Spain's Marca

"Rooney scored a hat-trick! Young player Maher scored 2 goals! It was a showdown between two 'geniuses', one old and one young. Maher officially started to catch up with the big brothers in the Premier League!" - Britain's "442"

“哲科6球、鲁尼5球、范佩西5球、马埃尔5球、阿圭罗4球。”——英超联赛射手榜
"Is the attention in the team approaching that of Van Persie? After Maher came to Arsenal, the search volume of his entries under related topics has surpassed all Arsenal players except Van Persie." - EP "Data Network"

“弗格森赛后发布会与记者险些爆发冲突、哲科大四喜、马埃尔立下30+与赛季1—2冠豪言、阿森纳本赛季3轮英超狂轰12球！”——每日邮报《英超新闻速递》

After this round of games, news about the third round of the Premier League instantly occupied the front pages of major media.

Among them, the goal battle between Manchester United and Arsenal attracted attention from all over the world. Their fans are spread all over the world, and the public opinion aroused by the confrontation was naturally overwhelming.

What's more, this is such an exciting game. Even if you are not a fan of either club, you can't help but click in to take a look when you see the score.

At this time, everyone noticed that when the new season of the Premier League started, Maher's name had been appearing in their eyes again and again.

"Leon Mahel?"

"Don't ask who he is. If you don't know, it means you haven't paid attention to football for a long time."

"Haha. Indeed, in the entire European football world and even in the world football world, who doesn't know Maher now?"

"Will he be a strong contender for the Premier League Player of the Month award this month? Or will the award go to Rooney, who has scored 5 goals and made 3 assists?"

"Will give it to Rooney."

"But it's also good. He's so violent. He played against Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester United and scored 5 goals and 2 assists against these strong teams!"

"The devil from Aix is ​​approaching London. The indescribable monster of Colney has landed in the Premier League. Maher scored a hat trick on his debut. The super star conquered Old Trafford!"

"Hahaha, if the English official media hated him at first, this might happen, but he is the best in the second division and came with great expectations."

“He’s not really a contender for the Golden Boot this season, is he?”

"Not only that, if they continue to play like this, Gotze's Golden Boy Award will be in danger." "Where can I listen to Maher's song?"

Fans started talking about Maher again, and many people searched for everything about him. Many people who had begun to be pessimistic about him seemed to have been conquered by him.

It's hard to say why these fans love him.

Maybe it's because of his talent, maybe they see the possibility of another life, or maybe they simply enjoy the passion he brings and appreciate the young man who shines brightly.

In London, the atmosphere is lively in an Arsenal fan bar.

A fan sitting in the middle of a round table excitedly waved his lottery ticket and shouted, "2300 pounds, the odds when I bought it were 1 to 56!

"If Maher wins the Golden Boot this season, I'll have an extra £128800 in my pocket, tax-free!
"When you come to this bar every week for a drink, you will see a brand new Mercedes SLS parked at the door, and a generous Birmingham man will treat his London friends to a drink!"

Other people in the bar looked at him, some with envy and jealousy, some feeling relieved, and some still looking at him as if he were a fool.

"Really bought it?"

"Yes, Jones bought 2300 pounds on impulse, and we were all there at the time."

"I bought it too! But it's not much, only 200 pounds. But if I successfully redeem the prize, I can get more than pounds!"

"How dare you buy it then?"

"Amazing courage."

"I think it's incredibly stupid. Have you forgotten Rooney, Van Persie, Aguero? How can Mahre compete with them?"

"Why do you think so?"

"No, you misunderstood. I like Maher very much and admire him very much, but isn't it a bit ridiculous for an 18-year-old to win the Golden Boot in his first season in the Premier League?"

Everyone at the table fell silent. Obviously, whether they had bought the ticket or not, they all agreed with what he said.

However, seeing Jones and others living in anticipation of winning the jackpot every day, their complexions have improved a lot. Looking at Maher's data, many people also have the urge to give it a try and are eager to try.

"Where does Maher rank on the odds list now? What are the odds?"

Someone turned around and asked, any odds are not static, and the bookmakers are not stupid, they will adjust in real time according to the actual situation.

"It has risen 12 places to 11th place, and the odds are 1 to 24."

"."

Hearing that the odds had been reduced by more than half, many people suppressed the impulse in their hearts, but some people made up their minds and rushed out of the bar to the betting shop next door.

"I've already scored 5 goals. I'm only goals away from last season's Golden Boot. Let's go for it!"

"Dry!"

“Follow 1000!”

Jones, who already had a lottery ticket, saw the gambling trend becoming more and more popular, and gained a lot of recognition. He stood up and smiled with satisfaction, "I want to increase my bet, another 1700 pounds!"

Many people who had followed him to buy tickets before also walked out of the bar holding their lottery tickets and ran to the betting shop next door.

Soon, a long queue formed in front of the betting shop. This situation was happening in real time all over London, and many Arsenal fans soon had a Maher Golden Boot lottery ticket in their pockets.

Even fans of other teams in other cities were soon affected and felt that there was no hope of an upset by betting on Maher.

Compared with other players, this guy who has created miracles in the Championship has a certain chance of continuing to create miracles in the Premier League.

Even so, even though Maher has not yet scored more Premier League goals, his Golden Boot odds ranking is still rising, all the way to 7th place.

赔率，从最开始的1赔56，到第3轮结束后的1赔24，再缓缓落入到1赔16。

The bookmakers obviously can't bear it anymore. The increasing payout amounts exceed their risk estimates, and they can only lower the odds again and again.

It was not until the odds dropped to 1 to 15.5 that the fans' enthusiasm was suppressed, and the money that entered the betting plate flowed back to Van Persie, Rooney, Dzeko and others.

Germany, Westphalia, Ruhr area.

With the help of Reus, the young Gotze lay down on the sofa, with a painful look on his face and tears in his eyes.

"How did you hurt yourself?"

Royce's eyes were filled with sorrow, and he asked with concern, "Something seems to be wrong. Why are you so careless?"

"My back, my left arm is weak, and I have to be injured again."

Gotze's head was parallel to the ground, tears kept dripping down, and he bit his lip and said: "It's the final sprint of the Golden Boy Award. Why is my luck so bad? I'm sorry, I'm really sorry.

"Everyone was expecting me to win a Golden Boy award for Germany, but I can't do that now."

The team doctor came quickly and breathed a sigh of relief after a simple examination. He said, "It's not a serious muscle strain. It will recover in a week or two."

"Really?"

Royce turned to look at him first, his face showing joy, "It will be fine in a week or two?"

"Yes." The team doctor nodded, his tone firm: "Just pay attention to rehabilitation treatment."

Gotze was still lying on the sofa. He looked back and his mood immediately changed. He smiled and said, "That's good. That's good. I will pay attention!"

After the team doctor left, Reus sat next to him and said seriously: "You and I have to focus on physical therapy. We can't mess around on our own anymore. Don't be unwilling to invest in this area.

"If you keep getting injured so frequently, no matter how good your talent is, it will be wasted."

At this point, his eyes moved, “Maher, your biggest competitor for the Golden Boy Award, played 42 games in the Championship season without any injuries.

"He takes this very seriously. I heard from British media that he is now supporting his team, spending £1.4 a week, and renting a house with them for more than £1 a week."

Gotze's expression dimmed a little, and he shook his head and said, "I can't afford so much money on this. Maher got a generous bonus for winning the promotion to the Super League last season, but I don't."

Reus wanted to persuade them, but when he thought about himself, he didn't seem willing to pay so much money. He could only say, "That's true. The income of Premier League giants is generally higher than that of Bundesliga giants. Plus, Maher has great potential, so he will definitely earn more than us."

“It doesn’t matter how much money you make now.”

Gotze found that he only needed to be out for a week or two to regain his confidence and pride. He is the super Gotze in the eyes of the fans.

He looked at the ground with a determined look in his eyes: "In the next two months, I must work hard on the data of various competitions, bring back the Golden Boy Award, and ask the club for a salary increase!"

Reus cheered for him, but thinking about the media reports he saw today, he felt a little worried about Gotze's prospects of winning the Golden Boy award.

Inside the villa, London.

More than a dozen movers carried several large items wrapped in foam into Maher's home. Each piece required their combined efforts to lift, and it took great effort to move them into the room.

The custom-made cabinets of honor finally arrived, and they were all placed in an empty room that had been prepared long ago, neatly arranged against the wall.

They had already discussed the specific size and shape, and it was made according to the size and height of the room to ensure a perfect fit.

“This is the best ironwood.”

Davis pointed to the disassembled base of the honor cabinet and introduced with a smile: "It is very durable, strong, wear-resistant, rot-resistant and insect-resistant. This is wood found in the rain forest.

"The glass on top is special glass. It won't deform even with ordinary bumps, and it's basically impossible for it to break."

Maher stood beside him, looking at the new cabinet of honor and nodding with satisfaction.

In fact, the material is not the most important thing. The handmade workmanship and various small designs are the reasons why it is sold at such a high price.

Looking closely, you can see that there is a mirror in front of the three-story honor cabinet, and a row of strong light strips above it, illuminating the entire cabinet.

One can't help but look forward to seeing these three floors filled with all kinds of golden boots and best awards, which must be dazzling.

In addition to four such cabinets, there are more than a dozen small vertical cabinets with a sense of design that can fill the hollow space in the room and store some game balls and commemorative trophies.

There are also many wooden racks for hanging off-field jerseys, and fences for storing posters of exciting games and handsome cover photos. Overall, everything is well thought out and covered.

“It’s empty again.”

Maher took out the things from his small cabinet of honor and moved them into these cabinets. "We have to work harder and try to put the Golden Boy Award in first."

"Yeah." Davis nodded in agreement. The room was filled with these honor cabinets, but it did look very empty.

“It’s only the first year.”

Maher put the last game ball into the vertical cabinet and said expectantly, "When I retire, I will definitely fill it up."

"Good luck." Davis raised his eyebrows and smiled, saying something encouraging. That was difficult.

As the movers carried the last cabinet into the room, they sat on the ground exhausted, panting with sweat on their foreheads.

Maher did not let them down. In a good mood, he gave each of them a tip of 200 pounds to express his sympathy and gratitude.

"Thank you!"

“What a great employer.”

"May you become the king of London."

Europe itself has a tipping culture. These people accepted the money with a smile on their faces and stood up to express their gratitude.

Maher waved his hand to indicate that it was okay, went to another room, hung the two printed photos of the game on the photo wall, and admired them with contentment.

Well, the photo wall is slowly filling up, and there are already 9 photos.

keep it up!

After getting through this stage with Manchester United, there will be no games for the next ten days or so, so you can concentrate on improving your proficiency.

He wanted to train new skills, and this time, he chose to improve his shooting ability.

(End of this chapter)