Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 149: September ends! Summary moment! Maher's goal! Pressure on Aguero and Rooney!
On September 9, the second round of the Champions League group stage kicked off at the Emirates Stadium.

In this round, Arsenal faced the Greek super giants Olympiacos, a second-rate team in a third-rate European league with a devilish home field that made countless European giants tremble.

But in away games, they are slightly weaker, losing more than winning.

"Give it a try! Come on!"

“Perfect end to the month!”

"If we take them down, we'll be undefeated in the first two months of the season!"

"9 wins and 2 draws on all fronts!"

Arsenal players cheered each other up in the tunnel, they were very close to the summary of the opening season.

Maher stood in the player tunnel holding the ball boy, adjusting his breathing and preparing to play. He could feel the warm atmosphere inside the Emirates Stadium.

The second Champions League match of their life has arrived. In the last match at the Westfalen Stadium, they defeated Dortmund, a top-tier team in the group. In this match, they will strive to beat Olympiacos, a top-tier team, at home.

Don't be careless!

We must use all our strength and fight with overwhelming force to win the 6th point in the Champions League group stage!
By then, the situation for qualifying will be extremely favorable for them.

"Arsenal! Arsenal!"

Soon after, Maher walked into the stadium amid the cheers of the audience and performed the pre-match ceremony.

He soon saw Wenger smiling at him, and he smiled back. This month Wenger has a chance to win the Coach of the Month award.

This is an award selected within the English Premier League. Although it is in the name of the Premier League, the team's performance on all fronts will be examined.

Last month, Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United won this honor. He led Manchester United to win the Community Shield and remained unbeaten in the Premier League with 2 wins and 1 draw.

Arsenal's Premier League record is the same as theirs, with 2 play-off wins to their credit.

It’s a pity that without the support of the champion, I lost the competition.

After regrouping in September, Wenger resumed his bid for this honour. He has been pushed to the brink of the Player of the Month award by the performance of Arsenal players, and it all depends on whether he can win this game.

"If I win this game, I wonder if I can compete for the Player of the Month award?"

Maher thought about this after he got into position. Actually, logically speaking, his performance of 5 goals and 2 assists in the Premier League last month was a sure win for the best player of the month.

However, Rooney's performance was too good. He won the Player of the Month award with 5 goals, 3 assists, 1 championship and a goal in the Premier League final.

Rooney's performance declined slightly this month, but Manchester City's new signing Aguero has emerged again. After an adaptation period in August, he scored 8 goals and 4 assists this month.

This is a better statistic than Maher's performance this month and it is the first breakout period of Aguero's Premier League career.

“It’s not easy to argue.”

Maher felt that the advantage was not on his side, and he gradually realized the fierce competition in the top league.

There is not only a battle between teams for league points, cup promotion, and the win or loss of a single game; the players also have their own battlefields on various lists, such as the scorer ranking, assist ranking, player of the month, etc.

Although his statistics are efficient and stable, he has not yet ranked first on any list, and it is difficult for him to win the Player of the Month award in February.

"We have to keep working on it."

Maher encouraged himself in his heart, he raised his head, signaling himself to look forward.

We defeated Olympiacos steadily in this game, ended September perfectly and entered a new journey in October!
By then, as his strength gradually grows and he becomes more and more adapted to this league, he will surely produce even more explosive statistics, surpassing other top players in their breakout stages and competing for the Player of the Month award!
This is just a small goal. Slowly, he will also impact the scorer and assist lists of the Premier League!

"Beat Barcelona, ​​beat Barcelona! Beat Bayern Munich!

"My factory has collapsed!"

At 7:30 in the evening, Maher completed the opening ceremony with a not-so-auspicious song, and the competition began.

"Arsenal's control, they chose a very aggressive formation in this round, 3-5-2!

"One of the defenders was the attacking full-back Andre Santos. His intention was clear. They wanted to end the battle in the middle and front court and did not want the Olympiacos players to see the goalkeeper's face.

"Opportunity! Mahel's cut-in shot was saved brilliantly by Costanzo, corner kick."

After the opening, Arsenal suppressed Olympiacos tightly. They did a good job in recovering the ball after losing it and rarely gave the opponent a chance to counterattack.

Most of the time, the football was played in Olympiacos' dangerous areas, which quickly paid off.

"Boom."

In the 7th minute of the game, Maher received the ball on the left side. He played as a left midfielder today, but with the freedom given to him by Wenger, he could be considered a free man on the left side of the frontcourt.

"With people!"

"here!"

"Mael!"

He dribbled the ball towards the middle, and the players on the penalty area line quickly chose to move diagonally inward, taking away the defensive players while waiting for an opportunity.

Due to the large number of attackers, Olympiacos' defenders quickly felt a little dazzled.

The originally tight defense line was torn open in an instant. Many defensive players who wanted to fill the position were anxious and distracted, leaving several gaps. The defense line suddenly became chaotic.

"Bang!" Maher's right foot arch touched the football, and he passed the ball straight to the empty space on the ribs at the far right end, where Chamberlain, who performed well in the last game, was making a high-speed forward run.

"Swish!" After entering the penalty area, Chamberlain chose to take a low shot towards the ball. The football finally rolled into the far corner of the goal and hit the side net.

One to zero!

Arsenal leads at home!
"Yeah!!" A huge roar broke out at the Emirates Stadium, and tens of thousands of fans cheered and celebrated passionately.

They had a great week, with three consecutive home games, on three completely different fronts.

If they could win, they would surely be so happy.

"Chamberlain!"

"Mael!"

"Go Arsenal!"

Wenger clapped his hands in the stands and celebrated simply. There was joy in his expression, as if he had seen the Coach of the Month award waving to him.

"Thank you!"

On the field, Chamberlain did not run to the side of the field to celebrate, but came to Maher's side to express his gratitude, his eyes filled with tears and he was extremely excited, "My first Champions League game, my first Champions League goal!
"My dream has come true. I thought it would take a long time, but I didn't expect that after playing in League One last year, I would be able to work with you this year."

Maher touched Chamberlain's head. He was also born in 93, the same age as himself, and also came to this team as a genius.

Come to think of it, the other party's resume is somewhat similar to mine. One led a Championship team to be promoted to the Premier League, and the other led a League One team to be promoted to the Championship. Both of them were selected into the best team at the end of the season.

But in other aspects, Chamberlain is far behind.

As if thinking of this, Chamberlain made a vow when he hugged Maher, "Two years ago I was arrogant, until I saw your performance and statistics at Sheffield United a year ago, and then I gradually settled down.

"This year I am more aware of the gap between you and me, but I still want to set a goal. I want to strive to have half of your data by the end of the season!"

"I hope you can have more." Maher patted him on the back. Other teammates soon came and the two were quickly surrounded by joy.

After this goal, Arsenal's offensive continued unabated, as if they were looking for an opportunity to pin Olympiacos down.

They launched continuous attacks on the left and right flanks, and the football flew towards the goal countless times.

In the 19th minute of the game, Maher received the ball near the middle. He looked left and right and saw the full-back Andre Santos advancing behind him.

This forward run may be the one that breaks the balance between offense and defense.

“Bang, bang. bang!”

Maher pretended not to see him and dribbled the ball towards the middle, trying to draw the opponent's defense line to the middle.

"Follow him!"

"Don't let him shoot!"

The players of Olympiacos were indeed in a panic, and the entire defense line followed Maher's footsteps with the ball. This is the restraining ability that Maher brings to the team after his increased threat level.

"Bang!" After creating space, he lightly kicked the ball back with his ankle and passed it to the left rib position.

The football cleverly passed through the defense line and came into the penalty area, catching all the defensive players off guard.

"Oh!" The fans at the Emirates Stadium stood up from their seats. They saw Andre Santos had already rushed into the penalty area. "Santos! Get ready to shoot. Dribble! He dribbled past the goalkeeper! Beautiful!
"Hit the empty net! Score it steadily! 20-! Arsenal took a - lead in the first minutes!

"As a full-back, Santos still has the dexterous footwork of a Brazilian player and the imagination of an elf!
"With assists from Maher, he has already assisted in scoring twice today. This talented player has already scored 2 goals and assisted 2 times in the new season of the Champions League, which is amazing!"

On the field, Santos, who also scored his first Champions League goal, was very excited. He rushed to the sidelines and slid on his knees, feeling the grass of the new stadium with his knees for the first time.

After standing up, he pointed to Maher who passed the ball to him, "My brother, that was a great pass!"

"It's a good fight too!"

Maher, who had two assists, was also very excited. He picked up Andre Santos and then waved to the fans in the stands to celebrate.

At a certain moment, he thought of the four fans who attended the charity event. Some of them should be there today.

The season tickets he promised to give to the four people have been obtained. He plans to hand the season tickets to the four people before the next game starts and invite them to watch the North London derby.

In the rest of the game, Arsenal continued to suppress the opponent's crazy attack, and Olympiacos seemed very weak and uncomfortable on the road.

In the 37th minute of the game, Arsenal took a - lead with Alexander Song's powerful shot.

At halftime, Wenger replaced Maher with Alexander Song and Mertesacker as he began to prepare for the first derby next month.

That will be the most important game in the whole month of October!
The significance of a derby is self-evident; its status in the hearts of fans is no less than that of a championship match.

This is more like a 'championship battle' for honor and face, a crucial battle that cannot be lost!

"Beep! Beep! Beep--!"

When the referee blew the whistle for the final time of the game, the final score was four to one.

Arsenal and Olympiacos each scored a goal in the second half, the former achieving an easy victory and the latter also retaining some face.

In the post-match press conference room, Wenger and Maher sat here and were interviewed by reporters.

“Perfect January?”

A reporter stood next to Wenger with a microphone and said with a smile: "Do you know? Just now, the English Football Association selected you as the best coach of the month.

"We all know that the monthly player award in the top league is a rare honor, and there are the best coaches and the best players in the world.

“Many times it’s not because the coach did a good job and worked hard during that period that he gets the honor.”

"Yes." Wenger replied with a beaming smile. He was even happier after hearing the news. "This year is my 16th year in the UK. If I remember correctly, I..."

Seeing that he was a little hesitant, a reporter reminded him: "Before this, you have won the monthly player award 10 times, the last time was in the 07 season."

Wenger glanced at the reporter with a hint of praise, nodded and said: "Yes, even though we had a very good performance around the millennium, I only won the best player award 16 times in 10 years.

"I haven't tasted the best flavor for three consecutive years. I really miss it, haha."

Maher also laughed. During this period of time, he could feel that Wenger's spirit and spirit were gradually getting better.

Whether it is a game day or a training day, he is always full of energy and seems to be many years younger.

"Well, are you waiting for my acceptance speech? I can't say much."

Wenger said a few words, and seemed to be moved by the scene. He lowered his head and swallowed his saliva for a while, then turned to look at Maher and said: "I can only say that the team has a good combat effectiveness supplement this season. Several players have made us more competitive."

"Is it Maher?" a reporter looked at Maher and asked.

"Of course." Wenger did not hide or be stingy. He smiled generously and said the player's name. "There is no doubt that Maher has improved the combat effectiveness of the offensive line. His performance is amazing."

"Oh!" There was a burst of booing at the scene and many reporters clapped their hands. They were happy to see the scene of the deep affection between master and apprentice.

The cheers and applause made Maher and Wenger feel a little embarrassed. They sat where they were, blushing and smiling faintly.

However, this "embarrassment" only lasted for a moment, and they quickly admitted it generously.

"He's scored three goals and provided one assist in the Premier League this month, what a great performance."

Wenger patted Maher on the back, turned around and continued: "Although it seems that he is not as hot as last month, that is because of the involvement of multiple fronts and the distraction of attention.

"Including the two goals and two assists in the Champions League, his record this month is still an amazing five goals and three assists.

"If a player can help the team create 8 goals in January, no one can deny that he must be the core player of the team."

After these words were spoken, the reporters at the scene showed some surprise. This was the first time that Wenger admitted in front of the media that Mahel had become the core.

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes. Even if everyone is in the same group and working towards a common goal, there will be a distinction between the primary and the secondary.

Battles for succession, struggles for core members, and violent conflicts due to unequal status are all things that often break out within a team.

No one does not value this. Everyone wants to get promoted and become the club's darling and the first superstar.

Wenger said that Mahel is a core player, which must have been a well-thought-out decision and will definitely trigger a series of chain reactions.

It depends on whether Maher's performance can convince the audience and whether he can maintain this position.

"Does Maher have any ideas? I mean, about milestone honors like the monthly best." Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, a reporter pointed the microphone at Maher.

"You haven't told me yet, which means there's no chance of this month."

Maher felt a little regretful, but after adjusting his mentality, he said: "I won the Player of the Month award in my debut month in the Championship and won five Player of the Month awards in a single season.

“I was hoping to continue that form into the Premier League but obviously things didn’t go the way I expected.

"It doesn't matter, I will keep fighting for it. It's an honor for me to compete with these top players. I want to win three Premier League Player of the Month trophies by the end of the season."

"Three?" A reporter looked surprised and sighed, "What a grand goal. How confident are you?"

“120%.” Maher smiled, half seriously and half jokingly.

Instead of laughing, the reporters fell into a long silence.

On the other side, at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, a game had just ended.

Argentine striker Aguero held the Premier League Player of the Month award in his hand and accepted interviews from reporters with an excited expression.

"Some people say that this award should be given to Maher?" A reporter began to ask questions that added fuel to the fire.

Aguero raised his eyebrows, but finally replied with a smile: "Anyone is qualified for this honor. He is a very good young player and will definitely have the opportunity to win this honor in the future.

"But this month, I feel I deserved this trophy and you keep saying 'someone said', who is saying that?

"I don't think the player himself thinks that way. He is a respectable person."

Seeing that this method didn't work, the reporters thought of something else. Someone continued to ask: "Will you continue to compete for the best of the month next month?"

"Definitely." Aguero nodded with a firm expression: "No player doesn't want to pursue the best. If I stop one day, it means I will retire soon."

The previous sentence was just a prelude, and this sentence was the key to the reporter's question: "Do you think you can compete with Maher? We all know that he has scored 8 goals in the Premier League, tied with Rooney for second place in the scorer list.

"You've only scored six goals this season, and you don't seem to be as efficient as him."

"Haha." Aguero looked at the reporter with a bit more disgust. He knew he had been tricked, but there was no other way to solve it. He could only say: "I have confidence in myself. We'll see at the end of the month."

At night, in a hotel in Manchester, Rooney, wearing a mask and a hood, sneaked in first.

Not long after, an old lady about 45 years old walked into the hotel and went straight to Rooney's room.

After a period of lovemaking, Rooney, sitting by the window, drank beer and entered a sage state: "We will have to meet less often this season. A very strong opponent has arrived in the secondary league."

"Very strong?" The old lady smiled and stretched out a hand, sliding it over Rooney's body, and asked, "How strong? Aren't you the most talented player in England?"

"I'm."

Rooney took a sip of wine and continued: "So in order to keep this title, I must focus more on the court, fulfill my talent, and not indulge in other things."

"Hmm" He suddenly twitched his body and moved his hands away.

"Tsk." The old lady was a little disdainful and said angrily: "Why didn't you say it just now, but now you start talking about it? You are always like this."

"I'm serious this time," Rooney said with a determined look, thinking of Maher, "He's really strong."

"Am I stronger than you?" The old lady looked dissatisfied, and her voice became bewitching again.

Rooney has sobered up after the madness. He looked at the old woman in front of him speechlessly, "He is only 18. Not everyone has this habit. Wake up."

ps: I just got home, so there may still be 2 chapters today, and there will be at least 3 chapters starting tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)