Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 236 A beautiful lineup! Moving forward with confidence! New season, new atmosphere! Continue to strengthen? !

February 7, Emirates Stadium.

More than 40,000 Arsenal fans and more than 10,000 Manchester City fans filled all the stands. They ate popcorn and drank beer, and welcomed the team's first friendly match of the new season with a relaxed mood.

"ArsenalArsenal!!"

"Ma-ehl!!"

Cheers echoed throughout the stadium, but judging from the volume of the sound and the enthusiasm of the fans, this was different from the main competition.

More Arsenal fans came with the idea of ​​welcoming the European Cup champions and new players, while some wanted to see the new look of the team to judge the team's competitiveness in the new season.

Off the field, Mancini and Wenger, two old rivals, shook hands near the center circle extension line. They held hands and talked with smiles.

“Will it be stronger this year?”

Mancini took a look at Arsenal's lineup, and his eyes showed emotion. "It's been a long time since I saw such a big reshuffle of Arsenal's lineup. The newcomers are all top players who are well-known in European football."

It's not that we envy him. In the three years at Manchester City, he has spent over 100 million euros every year. Arsenal's investment this year is just the average of their previous years.

More than that, he just lamented that the old professor finally got the treatment he deserved and had the opportunity to make a big splash in the transfer market.

“Haha.” Wenger nodded with a smile, “We don’t know what the effect will be yet, so we need to compete with another top team.”

Mancini patted Wenger on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the coaching bench.

Wenger also walked back and took a look at the team's new lineup. Looking at those strong backs, he felt an extraordinary sense of security and confidence in his heart.

Goalkeeper Szczesny, center back Thiago Silva, Mertesacker, left back Kyle Walker and right back Sagna.

The midfield is Arteta and Cazorla, on the left is Maher, on the right is Gervinho, and the center is Giroud and Van Persie.

Of course, this 4-4-2 is just the initial position. In most offensive and defensive scenarios, the team's formation will be closer to 4-3-3.

Mahel will then move closer to the middle, playing in his inside forward position for France, while Gervinho will drop back to midfield to assist Arteta in clearing the defence.

It can be said that this is a close to perfect lineup configuration in any position!
Looking at the back line, the partnership between D. Silva and Mertesacker is good at both air defense and ground interception, as well as excellent passing ability.

The full-backs on both sides, one tends to be more defensive, the other tends to be offensive. Of course, these two people tend to be all-round and can be used in any way.

In the midfield, Spanish midfielder Cazorla's technical ability enables him to play the role of the core of the organization, responsible for creating space and passing threatening balls. Arteta can provide him with support while completing defense and clearing work.

With the addition of Gervinho who can run, there will be basically no problem.

Not to mention the forwards. As a center forward, Giroud can withstand the opponent's central defender and form a tactical fulcrum. He also has aerial advantage and ball-playing ability, which can enrich the team's offensive means.

Van Persie is good at finishing and organizing. He can hold the ball at his feet, is extremely flexible and very lethal. His role does not overlap or conflict with Giroud, and they can complement each other very well.

Super sharp knife Maher, on the other hand, is an all-around role as a free man in the frontcourt. He will rush to provide reinforcements wherever he sees an opportunity and use his personal ability to create opportunities for the team to score!
"Huh" Wenger looked at them with a flushed face, his eyes filled with satisfaction and expectation.

In the past, this was definitely a dream lineup that he could not even imagine, not even in his dreams.

And this is actually not the area where the team has improved the most this season.

Wenger looked back at the bench, where Vermaelen and Joao Pereira were sitting together chatting about something, while Gibbs and Alexander Song were also leaning back and laughing.

Chamberlain and Gilbert were browsing their phones, occasionally sharing the screen with each other. Both of them are new England internationals.

Rosicky on the side lowered his head as if tying Ramsey's shoelaces, playing a prank. They were the main players last season and are also Czech and Welsh internationals.

On the other side, Walcott was chatting with Podolski, who was stunned by what he heard. They were both international players for powerful teams in the European Cup.

As for the substitute goalkeeper Fabianski, he was left alone because the cup competition system only allowed 11 substitutes. He couldn't find anyone to chat with and sat on the bench yawning in boredom.

They, as the supplement to the bench depth, are Arsenal's greatest asset this season!

Including Koscielny who was injured in the European Cup, Jenkinson, Squillaci, Frimpong and others who have gradually become marginalized, and the former geniuses Diaby, Coquelin and others.

In the new season, Arsenal can unscrupulously field two or even three lineups.

Even if they play with a substitute lineup, they are still a strong contender for the top six, and if they play better, they even have a chance of being in the top four!
“It’s really picturesque.”

Assistant coach Philip stood behind Wenger, enjoying the team's growing strength. "If you must be picky, Mr. Wenger, what positions do you think we need to strengthen?"

Wenger walked over to Philippe and said without any hesitation: "For Gervinho's position, Bale, who we have been pursuing, is a better choice. He not only has first-class offense, but also has excellent defense because he is a full-back.

"As for the goalkeeper position, Szczesny is actually a bit unstable and is more suitable as a second goalkeeper for a top team. I hope to call up French national goalkeeper Hugo Lloris."

Philip nodded slightly, and then he laughed. "If they can come, the red and white battleship will be truly complete, and we will have a chance to create a red and white dynasty."

Wenger raised his chin and looked at the sky without answering. No one knew what he was thinking.

He quickly turned around and calmly sat back in the coaching booth, waiting for the game to begin.

This time his body language does give us some clues, which is that don't dream too far ahead, but just hold your head high and walk forward step by step!

On the field, Maher took the lead in leading the Arsenal players onto the field, bathed in admiring and curious gazes from all directions.

Most of the admiration comes from Arsenal fans, while curiosity comes from Manchester City players.

Even though they had played against each other last season, a few months later, in the hearts of Manchester City players, he is definitely a different player. He came with more light and glory.

To be honest, Maher was very happy to see this, which made him understand more clearly what he had achieved in the past January.

Nasri is also in Manchester City's lineup. After the European Cup, his relationship with Maher and others is not so stiff, and his relationship with Arsenal fans will also improve.

However, when he stepped onto the field again wearing the Manchester City jersey, complex emotions inevitably surged in his heart.

How he wished he was wearing Cazorla's jersey and standing in the Arsenal lineup.

"Beep!"

After the side selection ceremony, Maher and the Arsenal players came to the coaching bench, squatting in a row and standing on tiptoe to take a pre-match photo. This is also their first photo with the new lineup this season.

"Don't go too far, Maher. You're almost half a head taller than Szczesny on tiptoe."

"Don't put a cushion on it."

"Hahaha!" The players laughed and joked with each other. They were still in a relaxed mood and were confident that they could win today.

After arriving at his own half and standing still, Maher gathered everyone in a circle in the middle for a final collective encouragement.

Wearing the captain's armband, he was the first to put his hand in the middle, and while looking around he said, "There are three new faces in the starting lineup today, and it's my first time working with two of them.

"But I hope that no matter what, we can continue the momentum from last season and do everything we can to win.

“Because compared to the pain of failure and the confusion of a draw, I hope we can enjoy the joy of victory every time. It will not make us tired, but will only make us more excited to reach the finish line!

“Arsenal!!”

"come on.!!"

Everyone pressed their hands on Mahel's to the ground, and after shouting, they scattered and sprinted to their positions at high speed.

Just by looking at the speed at which they returned to their positions, others could feel how this team wanted to win.

"Beep!" The halftime whistle was blown immediately. Manchester City sent a ball from the center circle, and Arsenal players stepped forward to carry out resolute high pressure.

Mancini's team lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation today, which caused them to lack width in the backcourt and frontcourt and fail to make good use of the space.

Their midfield seems to have a lot of people and width, but in fact it has no connection with the front and back, and is easily blocked, becoming just four decorations.

When Arsenal blocked their triangular passing lines from the back to the two sides of the midfield, Manchester City players had to choose the more risky middle route to pass the ball.

"Bang bang bang!"

Sometimes, they were able to successfully pass the ball to Aguero and Balotelli, and sometimes, the ball would be intercepted directly by Arteta or Cazorla, and Maher would quickly record an interception record.

Today's Arsenal not only has more tactics in attack, but also has become more sharp, making it extremely difficult for Manchester City's defenders to defend.

On defense, they no longer have to delay retreating every time and wait for the team's midfield to return to defense and pile up numbers to reduce the threat.

"Snapped!"

Thiago Silva is often able to intercept the opponent's attack through excellent anticipation and tackling, and use his excellent footwork to quickly pass the ball to the midfielder or directly to the forward.

"Clap clap clap!"

His excellent performance in the opening stage quickly boosted the emotions of Arsenal fans and made Arsenal's defensive players more confident and aggressive every time they went for the ball.

"Bang!" Even though this initiative and aggressiveness sometimes makes them lose their position and get defeated by Manchester City's small-scale cooperation.

But every time they looked back nervously, Thiago Silva always appeared behind them, covered their position and kicked the ball out of the danger area.

"Oh!"

After another defensive clearance, Thiago Silva handsomely lifted his curly hair on his forehead and stretched out his big hand to his teammates who were out of position to signal them to stay calm, "It's okay, I'm here!"

"So cool!" Sagna secretly gave him a thumbs up. He felt that this is how a defender should be.

Just like this, in defensive scenes again and again, Arsenal's defense gradually became more motivated, and Kyle Walker and Sagna also began to make crazy steals, causing Manchester City players to suffer constant setbacks.

Football is such a sport. When a stabilizing force appears in the team, what he brings is definitely not only his special skills, but more importantly, things on the spiritual and psychological levels.

He can inspire every teammate to become a better self and improve the overall strength of the team!
"This is Thiago Silva, a strong contender for the best central defender in the world today! From the opening 20 minutes, the improvement he has brought to Arsenal is significant!"

The Arsenal commentator on the local radio station was full of appreciation, and he also believed that the presence of D Silva would be enough to help Arsenal lose fewer goals.

It didn't take long for Manchester City's attacking players on the field to fall into deep depression, with many of them starting to spread their hands and complain to their teammates.

They were already under tremendous pressure from the three Arsenal strikers behind them who could score at any time, hoping to buy the team some breathing time and win through attack, but they failed to create any threat.

Even when they moved the ball upfield, they found themselves with little time to organize themselves.

Arsenal's players rushed forward like mad dogs every time, telling them clearly through their actions that they should either attack resolutely and quickly to win the one-on-one or two-on-two situation in front of them, or give up the ball quickly.

Every time they chose to move forward out of helplessness, they would quickly cross the ball when the opportunity was not very good, and then watch in despair as the opponent took possession of the ball steadily through positioning and defense.

"Cough cough."

Mancini on the sidelines choked while drinking water tactically and started coughing wildly. His anxious eyes revealed Manchester City's current predicament.

"Oh!"

In the 34th minute of the game, Maher easily passed Savic on the left and swept a low ball across the middle, breaking through Manchester City's defense.

"Bang!" Van Persie, who came in from the middle, made a shovel shot and finally used his calf to knock the ball into the net.

"Yeah!" As the familiar voices of Arsenal fans rang out at the Emirates Stadium, the score on the field was rewritten to 1-0, with Arsenal taking the lead.

"The ball goes in! The familiar Van Marow connection appears again at the Emirates Stadium! One to zero!

"The top scorer of the European Cup started the new season with an assist. Van Persie also swept away the resentment accumulated in the European Cup and found the feeling of scoring 30+ goals last season!
"This is a pair of partners worth looking forward to. They scored nearly 80 goals together in the Premier League last season. What new chapter will they write with their feet this season?!"

Arsenal's No. 10 stood up and laughed while pointing at Arsenal's No. 7. The two then came to the sidelines and slid on their knees.

“How many more moments like this will we have, and how long will we continue to work together?”

Van Persie stretched out his hands and high-fived Maher, shaking his head with an intoxicated look in his eyes, “Maer, I can guarantee that as a center forward, I will go crazy without a great shooter and passer like you.”

Maher didn't know how to give him a definite answer, so he just smiled and said, "A lot. It takes a long time to win two championships together, right? We will definitely win 2+ championships in our careers."

"Ha ha.!"

Van Persie thought Maher was joking, "Okay, let's see how far we will be from this goal at the end of our career."

Giroud then rushed over, not knowing if he could join Van Persie and Maher as strikers, and hugged them both, saying: "When will I feel like that? I feel like I'd go crazy without you two.

"My requirements are not high. Scoring 10 goals in a season is good enough." "10?"

Maher glanced at him, then looked at Van Persie, and said in unison with his partner: "It will be there at the end of this season."

They didn't celebrate for too long as they returned to their own half and kicked off again.

The first half of the game ended shortly after, with the score still one to zero and Arsenal leading.

Maher walked off the court in a calm mood. He hardly sweated. He just ran around to warm up and observed whether the rotation of the team's new players and new lineup was smooth.

There is no doubt that he was satisfied with the suppression shown by the team.

He needs to make a good effort in the second half and score some goals, otherwise the new players will see him and think that he is overrated and can only shine for one or two seasons, which will affect his ability to win the support of the players.

"Beep!"

At around 11:03, the second half of this early game started. Manchester City seemed to know that they were unable to win, so they replaced several substitute players to gain experience in fighting against a strong team at close range.

These players who are frantically scrambling for playing opportunities in the new season have brought some pressure to Arsenal players, but it is limited.

When their attack failed to make any progress, they had no choice but to accept the fate of being pushed back to the half court by Arsenal and endure wave after wave of bombardment.

"Bang!" In the 61st minute of the game, Cazorla made a corner kick from the right and the ball went straight to the front position.

Maher was waiting for an opportunity at the back post, and when he saw that the ball had nothing to do with him, he retreated towards the penalty spot, waiting for a second shot.

"Snap!" Giroud, who was in the front position, played the role of a center forward. He headed the ball backwards and sent it to Kolarov's defense area at the back point.

opportunity!

Maher quickly stopped retreating, pushed off the ground and started forward again, leaping up with tremendous impact force and hitting Kolarov and the flying football.

"boom!!"

As Kolarov fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string, Maher's forehead also touched the middle of the football, "Bang!"

The angle of the football was not too tricky. After Joe Hart took two steps, his hand stretched towards the sky was just enough to catch the ball. However, the ball was too fast. He only had time to move but not to raise his hand.

"Swish!" The football hit the net. The referee standing on the penalty area line turned around and pointed to the center circle, "Beep!"

The goal is valid!

Two to zero!
"Aaahhh!" The Emirates Stadium welcomed the return of their king with cheers. Some people quickly put up banners, some wishing Maher to win the European Cup, and some hoping that he would lead the team to win the Premier League and the Champions League this season.

After landing, Maher raised his arms and shouted. He bypassed Giroud and Van Persie, came to Cazorla, hugged him and ran towards the fans' stands, waving to the fans.

"Vamos!!"

When two identical celebrations sounded, Cazorla was obviously stunned and looked back at Maher, a Frenchman playing football in England. Why celebrate in Spanish?
Shouldn't he 'come on' or 'Fola'? Is he trying to gain his approval in this way?

Cazorla had a faint smile on his face. He originally thought that Mahel would be very aloof, but he didn't expect that he was quite humane.

This has strengthened his confidence in his development at Arsenal, and he also hopes to provide Mahel with 5-8 assists in the official matches this season.

After this goal, Manchester City players completely lost hope of a comeback, and Arsenal played with all their might, starting a goal feast.

"Bang!!"

In the 68th minute of the game, Arteta hit the bottom right corner with a long shot from outside the penalty area, giving Joe Hart his first magical goal of the new season.

Three to zero!
"Oh!"

In the following 71st minute, Maher fired a shot with the instep of his foot near the penalty area line before leaving the field, blasting the ball into the goal and also scoring Joe Hart.

Of course, it’s not that he was carried into the net by the shock wave. It’s just that when he saw Maher’s nervousness at the moment of shooting, he subconsciously took two steps back before reaching out to save the ball, but he only grabbed the ball and it went into the net.

Four to zero!
After getting up, Hart looked embarrassed. He fished the ball out and smashed the goal post in frustration.

Maher once again ran to the sidelines to celebrate. If he was able to average 1.5 goals per game last season, then this season he will gradually acquire multiple lv5 truth skills, and he will definitely have a chance to exceed 2 goals per game.

He cannot estimate how high it will reach because it depends on the speed of improvement based on his strength, but 2 goals may be a lower limit.

This is by no means an exaggeration. Even though football is a complex sport and even though the players' performance may fluctuate, these are nothing compared to solid strength!

Too shocking?

Of course, otherwise why would he spend so much effort to master the lv5 skills?
What he wants is not to beat Melo, Pele and Maradona in tough competition, but to be the top 1 in the history by overwhelming others!

He firmly believed that the extreme level of lv5 would definitely help him open up a new path and achieve the original goal!

"Clap clap clap!"

Two minutes later, Maher left the field to the applause of the fans and walked towards Podolski who was clapping with the fans.

As Germany's No. 10, Podolski is absolutely capable of playing as a starter in any mid-table team in the top four leagues.

He joined Arsenal this season knowing that he would be Mahel's substitute, just for the championship and for honor!

Looking at the performance of the young captain on the field just now, he believed that he also had a chance to pursue what he wanted.

"Snapped!"

The two then high-fived to complete the handover, and Podolski sprinted onto the court and came to Maher's position.

After Maher left the field, he hugged Wenger again, who praised him: "New season, new atmosphere, do you feel something different?"

"A little bit. The overall strength has improved." He looked back at the field and smiled, "But I can't feel it too much in a friendly match. I'd better feel it through continuous victories in the Premier League."

"Haha." Wenger smiled and touched Maher's head, then looked thoughtfully at Philip beside him.

Maher returned to the bench, wiped his body with a towel, and stretched his leg muscles to relieve fatigue.

The rest of the game was spent in a stable manner, with neither side able to score a goal.

"Beep! Beep! Beep--!"

Soon after, with the referee's three long whistles, Arsenal defeated their strongest opponent in the warm-up cup match, Manchester City, with a score of 4-0 and won their first victory in the Emirates Cup.

They laid a solid foundation for winning the cup at home. After the game, the players happily walked around the field to thank the team and celebrated their victory with laughter.

On the other hand, in the match between Hong Kong Premier League team Kitchee and Bundesliga team Cologne, Cologne unexpectedly drew 1- and temporarily had the same point as Kitchee.

After the game, Wenger and Maher walked towards the player tunnel together. He asked with longing: "At the beginning of last season, we vowed to work together to end the championship drought. Do you have the confidence to set a new goal this year?"

“Triple Crown.”

Maher spoke without hesitation about his expectations, “We will win the Premier League and Community Shield, and chase the Champions League. Of course, the FA Cup would also be nice.”

Wenger's eyes showed surprise. The confidence shown by his favorite player was so strong that he had to slow down and think carefully about the feasibility of this goal.

After a long time, he suddenly looked up at Mael who had walked to the front. The other's back was so heroic and his steps were so energetic, as if they could infect everyone.

"Crack, click, click."

Under the media cameras, he also quickened his pace and walked forward with high spirits.

This year, they are more brilliant and vigorous, and they are fully prepared to pursue higher honors. So, they should acknowledge their inner desires and believe that they can do it!

On July 7, news suddenly broke out in the transfer market that Arsenal was interested in Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lori.

Before this, Lori, who performed well in the European Cup, received offers from many teams in the four major leagues and was a hot commodity in the transfer market.

Arsenal fans did not have high hopes for this transfer. They felt that Lori might not join Arsenal under the competitive pressure of Szczesny, even though there were four of his national team teammates here.

But that evening, two reports from Romano gave them confidence that the transfer was feasible.

"The president of Lyon said that the player is indeed very popular, but judging from the player's own wishes, the team he most wants to go to is the Premier League." - Romano report

"Lyon's president said again that he would not block the player's transfer, but only hoped to get a suitable offer." - Romano report

Going to the Premier League and the club's willingness to let him go is a clear signal, which means Arsenal has the upper hand in the negotiations with Lyon and Lori, and only negotiates the price in the end.

Lori is very likely to join!

"The French gang is about to sweep the entire Premier League! If Hugo Lloris is introduced, Arsenal will have up to 5 main players of the French national team on the field at the same time in the new season!" - British "Guardian"

"Lori is definitely a good choice. I think Wenger has contributed not only to Arsenal, but also to the French team. He has trained many people." - Former Arsenal legend Bergkamp social media

"With Maher here, the French team will definitely not have any problems adapting to the local climate. After all, he was the core of the national team. It is natural for him to move to the club. I am optimistic about their consecutive championships." - Former Arsenal legend Henry's social media

"Arsenal's excellent performance in the warm-up match may give Lori confidence. He will feel that as long as he joins Arsenal, he can win important championships." - Former French team legend Platini social media

July 7, Tottenham base.

The team owner Levy, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked in, lit a cigar and asked, "How is Real Madrid doing? Still can't make a clear offer?"

An assistant shook his head slightly. "They are still pursuing Maher. I heard that some senior officials went to Portugal to look for Mendes. It is not ruled out that it was Florentino. He is very interested in Maher."

"Bang!" Levy slammed the table heavily and said unhappily, "They said they wanted to buy Bale when the transfer market opened, but they still haven't given us a reasonable offer. Are they kidding us?

"And Florentino went to Poland, Ukraine, France and Portugal to pursue the impossible Maher, but he was not even willing to come to London for Bale?"

The assistant lowered his head, not knowing what to say. He couldn't say that this sharp vision and unremitting efforts after making a judgment were the reasons why he could become the best chairman.

"But." He thought of something and hesitated before saying, "I heard from Bale's agent that a senior executive at Real Madrid once revealed that they were willing to prepare a transfer fee of 5500 million pounds for Bale."

"5500 million pounds?!"

Levy was so angry that he laughed. He took a deep puff of his cigarette, "That's only 2000 million pounds less than Arsenal's first round offer! Prepare for this number. The maximum they offer is 4500 million pounds!

"If that's the case, I won't hesitate to sell the player to a rival team! I don't want to bother with them anymore!"

He ignored the ash from his cigar falling to the ground and gestured with his right hand, "Do they think I won't make a choice that goes against the will of the fans, and insult us with this price?
"They have the money to make an offer to Maher, but they are reluctant to make an offer to Bale! This really puts Levy in a difficult position. Levy is capable of doing anything!
"After all, I have been scolded by fans for so long, this time is not bad, and let me be frank, we have no competition with Arsenal, they are fighting for the championship, we are fighting for the fourth place."

The assistant opened his mouth to say something, but seeing the boss was furious, he held back and just glanced around to see if anyone else had heard this outrageous remark.

When Levy calmed down a bit, he advised: "That's still different. We have a derby relationship. And there is already Kyle Walker in front. Bale can't be sold, otherwise there will be a parade and impeachment."

Unexpectedly, this remark ignited Levy's anger again, and he slammed the table again, "What parade and impeachment! Since we can sell Kyle Walker, we can also sell Bale!
"The player is in great form this season, but who knows if he can maintain that status next season? It's possible that his value will drop by half in a year! It will be very difficult to find a buyer worth nearly 100 million yuan by then!"

"Calm down, calm down." The assistant knew that Levy must understand the seriousness of the matter and was just angry with Real Madrid.

“I can’t calm down.”

Levy placed his cigarette next to the ashtray and took off his black gloves. "It's all because of the inaction of you senior executives. The sports director and Redknapp spent so much money, and even though we got it all back, why haven't we won a single championship?
"With Villas-Boas coming this year, there will definitely be a major reshuffle. We might as well go all out and sell Bale for money so that he can be upgraded. We want to compete for the championship!"

The assistant didn't know how to persuade them. Real Madrid's attitude and disrespectful offer were really disheartening. In addition, Levy himself was very emotional and could be pushed to extremes.

Just then, a female assistant rushed in with a brand new document in her hand.

Levi took the document, read through all the contents with a dark face, and then his expression softened in a strange way.

He slowly placed the document on the table and looked at his assistant. "Arsenal's latest offer is 8000 million pounds. This is really hard to refuse. I want to start negotiations."

On July 7, the second round of the Emirates Cup kicked off, with Cologne and Manchester City taking the lead.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Cologne played well and Manchester City still couldn't find their form.

This result also creates an opportunity for Arsenal to win the championship trophy if they beat Kitchee in the second round.

At 3 pm, the match between Arsenal and Kitchee kicked off at the Emirates Stadium. Wenger sent out a full rotation lineup, giving the substitute players the opportunity to prove themselves in this game.

ps: Watch the next chapter tomorrow morning brothers, the unimportant games of the new season will be pushed quickly, so don’t worry about procrastination.

(End of this chapter)