Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 262 Shouldn’t we learn by watching the video? A tough battle against Schalke 04! Forward, forward, forward!!

On October 10, Maher officially returned to Arsenal and joined the team's coaching staff and teammates.

In the next few months, he will focus all his attention on club competitions. After the games in October and November, the Christmas schedule will follow, and the task will be very heavy.

"I heard you did a good job?"

Before the training that day, Van Persie came up to him with a smile on his face and stretched out his right hand towards him.

Maher high-fived him and asked jokingly, "Half a month, how come it feels like half a year? And how come you just heard about it? Shouldn't you turn on the TV and watch my game videos to learn?"

"Get out!" Van Persie sneered and waved his hand, then laughed and patted Maher on the shoulder.

The two of them immediately found the feeling they had a few days ago. This is what familiar partners do, and they are not affected by the short separation.

"Mr. Wenger."

"Boss."

Several respectful voices rang out, and Maher looked back and saw Wenger walking in from the door. As soon as he entered, he locked his eyes on him.

Wenger walked up to him and, like Van Persie, smiled and held out his hand. "Henry called me a few days ago and said that Arsenal and the French team didn't know whether he should feel lucky or unlucky that a monster like you appeared in their team.

"He is afraid that people will forget about him because of you, but he also hopes that you can help Arsenal and the French team to a higher level."

“Will go higher.”

Maher high-fived Wenger, "And he will never be forgotten. He will always be a legend. Liverpool now have Gerrard, will they forget Dalglish?"

"Haha!" Wenger laughed. "This analogy is inappropriate. Dalglish was much more successful as a player than Gerrard, not to mention his contribution as a coach."

Maher smiled but said nothing. He knew that Wenger was indirectly praising him for being better than Henry.

After Wenger left, he lowered his head and thought for a while, then raised his head again with hope. No matter what, Henry is a target on his way forward. He will move towards him first and then seek to surpass him.

He believes that he can do it and will become the best player in the history of Arsenal and the French team!

"It should be so," he muttered to himself, "After all, the target is the best player in the history of world football."

After exchanging a few words with other teammates, Maher stepped onto the team's training ground. Before walking out of the player tunnel, he looked at this month's schedule at a corner of the tunnel.

这月份还剩下4场比赛，分别是10月22日欧冠小组赛第3轮对阵沙尔克04、10月25日英超第8轮对阵女王公园巡游者。

And the League Cup quarter-final against Reading on October 10 seemed to be a classic game in his memory.

But unfortunately, due to the butterfly effect he brought and due to the current strength of Arsenal, that big reversal is unlikely to happen.

The last game of this month is the decisive battle of the 9th round of the Premier League, which has already become popular on social media and attracted the attention of many fans. Their opponent is the team with the same points in the league, Chelsea!
Let’s strive to occupy the first place in the Premier League, break the 49-game unbeaten league record, and qualify as the first in the Champions League group!

Soon, Maher completely changed his mindset and focused all his attention on all fronts of the club, concentrating on Arsenal.

"Come onArsenal!!"

"Come onArsenal!!"

On October 10, the Emirates Stadium was brightly lit. Fans who had not watched a game for half a month cheered enthusiastically to cheer for the team, and the sound lasted for a long time.

The third round of the Champions League group stage has arrived. In this match, Arsenal's opponent is Schalke 3, the third-tier team in the group.

This is not a strong opponent. However, people can't help but worry about the state of Arsenal, which has many international players and has just experienced the national team match day, and whether they can withstand the rhythm of the Champions League.

"From the start, Schalke 04 took advantage of their physical strength and took a certain initiative. Their performance was better than expected.

"In Arsenal's starting lineup, except for Arteta who was not selected for the Spanish national team, everyone else was selected for their respective national teams and played 2-3 games.

"Only two players in Schalke 04's starting lineup have played for their respective national teams.

"Both are top teams in their respective leagues. One is conserving its energy while the other is exhausted. This is when an upset is most likely to happen."

"."

"Look at this time! Fox! A cross found Huntelaar, but it was too high! Sagna couldn't keep up with the last two steps, and Schalke 04 almost stole the ball!"

On the sidelines, Wenger showed some regret when he saw Huntelaar kneeling in front of the goal.

Before the game, the physical trainer and the team doctor had suggested to him that he should let half of the starters who were in good physical condition play with half of the strong substitutes. With Arsenal's personnel configuration, it might be an advantage to play against Schalke 04 with a half-main lineup.

He didn't listen because he really wanted to win a good victory after the international match day to stabilize the morale of the team.

Unexpectedly, the physical condition of the national team players was worse than he had imagined. Even Maher, the iron man in the past, felt his steps were heavy.

This was carelessness and he was obsessed. Wenger realized his mistake and admitted that he made a wrong decision, but since he had already let the starters play, that was all he could do.

"Don't blame yourself, sir." Philip seemed to see Wenger's inner torment and comforted him: "Everyone makes mistakes, even Maher. Why should we pursue perfection?"

"Haha." These words made Wenger smile, and they did have some comforting effect.

Yes, even a perfect person like Maher can't avoid making mistakes sometimes, and there is no need for them to regard themselves as God who is always right.

Do it!

I hope these guys can bring unexpected goals and hope they win!
Even if they fail, they can just admit it in front of the media. Anyway, they don't have an unbeaten record in the Champions League.

"Bang!!"

In the 31st minute of the game, the ball was lost. Schalke 04 midfielder Afellay kicked the ball violently with the instep of his foot, and the ball flew quickly towards the net along the grass.

Szczesny, who started today, was not ready and was a little slow in going down the flank, so he could only watch the ball go into the net.

"Aaaahhh!" The Schalke 04 fans gathered in the west stand burst into cheers. In comparison, the Arsenal fans fell into dead silence.

Afellay smiled brightly, spread his arms and rushed to the sideline, but was pulled down by his excited teammates in the process.

These days, it is not easy to get into Arsenal, and it is not easy to see hope of victory in Arsenal!

In the Arsenal penalty area, the players looked at each other, and finally sighed and walked towards the midfield position.

Even Maher and others in the front field had their hands on their hips and their foreheads in their hands, and they had a rare feeling of being overwhelmed. The continuous battles and the long journey really made them very tired.

If we meet a team that is very far behind Arsenal today, this fatigue may not be apparent and will not affect the situation.

But the problem is that even if there is a gap between Schalke 04 players and Arsenal players, it is only at the level of awareness, technical and tactical skills, and personal abilities of the players. They are not too far behind in running and physical confrontation.

If they don't fall behind in this aspect, they will be able to drag Arsenal into a tug-of-war by targeting them, and ultimately win with their superior physical strength and excellent strategy.

In any competitive event with intense confrontation, the weak will defeat the strong. If the strong are sure to win and the weak have no means of counterattack and no hope, then the sport is bound to be dead.

One of the reasons why football has been able to develop to where it is today may be that there are enough means and opportunities for the underdogs to defeat the superior ones.

"Beep!"

After the kick-off whistle sounded again, the difficulties faced by Arsenal showed no signs of improvement. Schalke 04, with high morale, began to pursue the victory with the encouragement of the fans.

"Bang bang bang!"

During the process, although Maher was able to receive the ball several times and complete breakthroughs and shots, his completion of the last step was not as good as before.

When your physical fitness is not in the best condition, your movements will easily become deformed, and once the movements are deformed, your feet will not feel as smooth.

However, Maher was not discouraged. He continued to run actively and concentrate on seizing every opportunity.

Adversity can reveal a person's physical potential and ability limit. He believes that he is still capable of dominating the game.

Even if he is not good in the first half, the first 60 or even 75 minutes, as long as there are such crucial 1-2 shots, the outcome of the game may be changed because of him.

"Bang!!"

In the 46th minute of the game, something happened that made Arsenal's situation worse. Schalke 04's right center forward Farfan received a pass from Afellay, and after accidentally getting rid of Koscielny, he made a straight pass.

The ball penetrated Arsenal's defense. Mertesacker turned slowly and his ability to chase back was average. He could only watch Huntelaar take the ball and cut into his pursuit route.

"Oh!"

After a steady and accurate shot, Huntelaar sent the ball into Arsenal's goal.

Zero to two!
"Beep! Beep!" Two long whistles sounded. Arsenal fans looked at the stadium in a daze, and most of them had a dazed look on their faces.

It was not until they saw Wenger walk into the player tunnel with a disappointed look on his face and most of the players lowered their heads and left the field that they seemed to remember what they should do most at this time. "Come on Arsenal!!"

"Come onArsenal!!"

One shout was louder than the other, and the Gunners fans hoped to use this method to boost the team's morale and let the players hold their heads high and enter the second half of the game.

15 minutes later, when players from both teams returned to the field, two Arsenal substitutes stood on the sidelines, ready to make substitutions.

"Podolski, replace Cazorla! Gilbert, replace Ramsey!"

The broadcast in the stadium sounded, announcing the specific candidates for the two substitutions.

Podolski and Gilbert, who played less in the last national team match day, came on to replace Cazorla and Ramsey, whose legs felt like they were filled with lead.

Podolski played at the 10th position, while Gilbert played at the 6th position, partnering with Arteta.

At first glance, this substitution seems to be fine. Podolski does have some jack-of-all-trades attributes in the frontcourt. He often played in the midfield position in the German team and Cologne. Gilbert can also play the number 6 position.

But if you think about it carefully, Wenger replaced two attacking midfielders with one attacking midfielder and one all-around midfielder.

"I think this is the only solution. Arsenal has too many international players. Offensive players like Rosicky have played a lot of minutes in this national team training day and their physical condition is probably not at its best.

"Podolski and Gilbert are probably the two who played less frequently, as their last match was about 10 days ago.

"But for now, you can't jump to the conclusion that Wenger's substitutions weakened the attacking power. The two players with full energy may be better in attack than the two tired offensive players."

"."

After Gilbert came on the field, he immediately exchanged glances with Maher. The two smiled knowingly, and then looked at the Schalke 04 team with serious expressions.

The real battle is about to begin, and they must be prepared for every confrontation!

Since the start of the new season, Arsenal has rarely fallen into a situation where they are two goals behind, which may make every player and every fan feel uncomfortable.

But they must remember that at the beginning of last season, Arsenal often fell into bigger troubles than this. At that time, they came out with their iron will and finally went the season unbeaten.

Why can't they do it this season?
After blooming, there will not only be gradual withering. If they have stronger willpower, they will definitely be able to face the sun longer!

"Beep!!"

"Come onArsenal!!"

"."

The whistle blew, and amid cheers, all the Arsenal players rushed across the half court like wolves, with the desire to reverse the situation in everyone's eyes.

One cannot prepare for all scenarios, and at the beginning of the game, since they did not expect to fall behind 0-2 in the second half, it is hard to say that every Arsenal player really gave their best.

A tired body will affect their will, causing them to lose some small confrontations, and their brains will actively give up some things, or avoid some things.

This is why many teams only start fighting after they fall behind and begin to unleash their potential in desperate situations. Because only then will people realize that otherwise, you have no chance of winning.

Fortunately, Arsenal players still maintained their desire to win. They did not give up, but chose to face difficulties and strive to overcome them!
"Podolski held the ball, and after Gilbert came on, Arsenal's backcourt defense gradually stabilized and they formed a new offensive group in the frontcourt.

“And unlike the first half, their attacking group rarely went back to defend.

"Mael, Van Persie, Bale and Bordeaux, these four players have been pressing near the back line of Schalke 04's defense, making Schalke 04's defenders and defensive midfielders dare not attack."

"."

"Schalke 04's midfield and backcourt are out of touch! This is a good chance for Arsenal! Bale holds the ball and is ready to blast away Fox!
"It was almost there but the ball was still there. Gilbert caught up and controlled the ball. Gilbert passed it to Bale. Bale!! What a great run!!
"A cross! It's Van Persie in the middle!! Beautiful!!!
"Header goal!! 62-!! Van Persie scored a goal in the nd minute. It was a difficult goal!"

"."

"Yeahhh!!" Amid the deafening shouts, Van Persie excitedly raised his head and roared, ran to the sidelines with his legs raised high to celebrate, and after a simple release, he carried the ball back to his own half.

Maher and the others simply congratulated him from a distance and waited for the game to start again.

They narrowed the gap and saw hope of equalizing or even overtaking. But now is not the time to be careless. Schalke 04 still holds the initiative, and their physical advantage will become greater as the game progresses.

If you become complacent at this point, you are likely to be hit by a heavy hammer from the opponent that is enough to kill you in a very short period of time.

"Beep!"

"."

"Jan Huntelaar was very active, and Farfan next to him also performed very well. If Schalke 04 wins in the end, one of them may be the best player of the game!
"Uchida Atsuto comes in! A cross! Holtby! Szczesny holds the ball firmly in his hands!
"Arsenal is preparing to launch a quick counterattack. Gilbert has good footwork! He fouled Afellay and the referee showed a yellow card!"

"."

"Mael faced Uchida Atsuto who had just come on the field, and he dribbled the ball and got stuck in his body! Oh wow! Uchida Atsuto was like a child in front of him!
"But he staggered a bit in the last few steps, which was a sign of a serious decline in physical fitness. The quality of the cross he sent afterwards was also average and failed to create any threat.

"It's been 80 minutes. Should Wenger consider making a substitution? Maher has played a lot of games this month. If you want him to make a difference in the Premier League final at the end of the month, you have to use him sparingly.

"Rosicky is warming up. Maybe he will take Mahel off and let Podolski take Mahel's place!"

"."

On the court, Maher also saw Rosicky warming up on the sidelines, and a sense of urgency arose in his heart.

He has scored more than one goal in many games in a row. If he fails to score in this game, he will inevitably feel uncomfortable.

"Oh!"

Therefore, in the 83rd minute of the game, after receiving the pass from Podolski, Maher resolutely took the ball to the middle, ready to make a final effort.

The Schalke 04 players were very smart. They formed two lines of defense, not giving him the chance to get close to the penalty area and forcing him to dribble the ball away from the penalty area.

"Bang, bang, snap!"

Feeling weak under his feet, Maher had no intention of forcing his way past the opponent. He chose to dribble the ball more safely outwards, farther away from the penalty area, in order to reduce the opponent's players' vigilance.

"Oh!"

After suddenly speeding up and leaving Neustadt behind, he moved the ball to the front right, his determined eyes looking straight towards the goal.

When the other Arsenal players saw this, they immediately dodged around to avoid blocking the shooting path, and at the same time focused their attention on the ball at Maher's feet. Everyone understood what Maher was going to do now.

"Give me a kick!"

"I believe you, Captain!"

“Let’s fight!!”

Unlike in the past, this time the Arsenal players did not persuade him again, but spoke with full expectation. Even Wenger on the sidelines shouted; "Kick him!!"

"Bang!!"

Carrying countless expectations, Maher bent his body and lowered his head. He folded his right leg and his whole body at the same time. Then he used his waist, abdomen, legs and ankles to exert force together and kicked the ball flatly towards the goal.

"Buzz!" The football spun and hit the goal. Even though everyone could not hear the sound of it flying, looking at the sharp force and speed, it still felt as if the sound of wind was ringing in their ears.

Schalke goalkeeper Unnersthal lowered his center of gravity to judge the speed of the ball, then dived to his left, stretching his arms to the extreme in the process.

"Swish!" The football arrived first. The extremely fast speed of the ball made people feel that Unnerstahl's saving speed was extremely slow, like a slow-motion replay, and he could not keep up with the rhythm at all.

"WowWow!!"

“Ohhhhh!!”

"The ball goes in! 83-! Arsenal equalized the score in the rd minute! A sudden goal! But this is the most classic Mahre-style goal!
"I don't know how to describe this goal. Before this, Maher's game score might have been only 6.5 points, which must be his lowest score in recent times, but now, he will definitely be above 8.5 points!!

"This is Arsenal! This is Maher!! Even in the most difficult situation, they can regroup and fight for points, and they can do it every time!!

"Who can stop a team like this?"

"."

After scoring the goal, Maher's veins bulged all over his body, his face trembled, and his legs uncontrollably led him to the edge of the field.

As if it was extremely hot, he took off his clothes and threw them up, then quickly came to the sidelines and punched the Arsenal fans who were only one or two meters away from him, "Vamos!!"

"Arsenal tied Schalke 04 -! Maher scored another world-class goal before leaving the field! The powerful British red and white battleship continues to move forward!!" - The Guardian, UK

(End of this chapter)