Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 370 Hat-trick against Liverpool
On April 15, 2018, amidst much discussion surrounding the match against Southampton.

Arsenal will play a rescheduled match against Liverpool.

The camera panned to Klopp on the sidelines, who, despite Wenger's various adjustments, persisted with his own style of play.

Famous coaches in the football world are actually quite stubborn.

Klopp, Guardiola, and even Wenger are the same.

However, unlike many other matches, Liverpool were more proactive in tackling down the flanks, partly to counter Arsenal's attacking pressure from the wings, and partly to better launch counter-attacks.

"Looking at the tackle distribution chart, Liverpool's tackles in this game landed closer to the two flanks, which is the opponent's activity area on the wings. This is more conducive to the rapid transition between attack and defense."

"And Liverpool didn't start at full tempo like they used to."

"The early stages of today's match may involve mutual restrictions."

Paul Dutton has some concerns about this.

Everyone knows that Arsenal are in poor form recently.

In such a situation, if the mid-game is not handled well, Liverpool's attacking line, which has recently seen a surge in its goal-scoring rate, will certainly not miss this crucial opportunity to score.

"Don't worry!"

Qin Ming is still playing as an attacking midfielder today, but since Cazorla has replaced Dembele, he can drift more to the wing.

It's somewhat similar to the tactical system from last season.

This frequent switching of tactics caught Liverpool off guard, forcing them to intensify their pressing in midfield.

"Both sides maintained a relatively good defense in the middle lane, and no major dangers occurred!"

"Both sides struggled to penetrate the other's penalty area, often relying on long-range shots to threaten the opponent. Players like Qin Ming and Henderson delivered some very high-quality long-range shots!"

"Cut inside and kick again!"

Zhan Jun breathed a sigh of relief.

Karius had made some basic mistakes before, but today, facing Qin Ming's multiple long-range shots, he was surprisingly consistent.

It seems there has been considerable progress.

On the other side, Cech also withstood Liverpool's long-range shot, but the rhythm changed after 25 minutes of the game.

Both teams began to push forward.

The opportunity is coming!

Perhaps due to not starting for too long, Cazorla made a mistake, his pass lacking power.

"Return to defense!"

Qin Ming led the way and ran back.

Meanwhile, Kanté and Kirkland also moved to their designated positions.

From God's perspective.

There was a subtle detail about Liverpool: Wenger squinted and saw Phil Mino dropping back.

As a standard "defensive forward," also known as a "shield forward," Phil Mino was always very active on the defensive end.

He may not be the one leading the charge.

However, its role in both offense and defense is irreplaceable.

His dropping back prevented Van Dijk from marking him closely and allowed him to gain possession first on the counter-attack. At this point, Salah and Mane would quickly move forward, and Firmino would then pass the ball through the large gap between Arsenal's center-backs.

This also indirectly prevented Kanté and his companion from sweeping through the area.

The ball was passed to Salah, who was making a forward run. Mane, on the same side, quickly moved forward, and Salah passed the ball to him.

"coming!"

"Mane passes the ball across again, Salah receives it, and shoots without stopping the ball!"

"That was a beautiful shot from the near post!"

Carragher, who was commentating at the scene, was so excited that his voice was trembling.

Liverpool hadn't beaten Arsenal in a long time, but Arsenal legend Ian Wright, who was also a special guest today, just smiled.

Liverpool also scored first in the match between the two teams at the beginning of the season.

But in the end, they couldn't hold on.

Carragher is getting too excited now; he might start crying later.

Arsenal fans were clearly thinking about that match, continuing to cheer on their players at the Emirates Stadium, with the team flags fluttering in the wind.

Qin Ming withdrew his gaze from Salah, who was celebrating.

“Nigel, you can go out with him, and let your teammates cover for you. Don’t let him play so comfortably.”

He said to Van Dyke.

"Row!"

Van Dijk nodded.

In the world of football, it's impossible to avoid conceding goals. No team in the top five European leagues has yet managed to go an entire season without conceding a single goal.

This is several times more difficult than winning the championship undefeated.

On the sidelines, Wenger was dressed as usual in a black suit and red tie. He watched Klopp celebrating wildly with his fist pumping and thought to himself that young people are more passionate.

That's not wrong either.

Klopp is indeed a young man compared to him.

Wenger gestured to Roberto, indicating that the Spanish full-back should boldly push forward, as Coquelin would cover for him.

Arsenal began to focus their attack on the right flank.

Since Coutinho's departure, Liverpool's new signing Aubameyang, who replaced Coutinho as a fast striker, has had a mediocre performance on the defensive end.

"Get on top!"

Emre Can yelled at Robertson to push forward.

Qin Ming delivered a through ball from a deeper position, reminiscent of De Bruyne, whose precise trajectory tore apart Liverpool's flank defense.

Cazorla and Roberto both surged forward.

Unfortunately, Roberto's shot went too high and he missed a golden opportunity.

"mine!"

Roberto rubbed his calves.

"It's okay, just keep kicking like this, watch me next time."

Qin Ming gestured towards his right rib area with his lip.

These attacks targeting Liverpool's flanks were actually intended to draw Emre Can away and create more space for him.

Liverpool fans in the away stands were terrified.

They even hoped Klopp would be more pragmatic and simply park the bus in the midfield and backfield to fight back defensively.

As long as we can win the game, that's all that matters.

While this might be paving the way for Manchester City, it might also prevent Arsenal from winning the title.

But still the same sentence.

As long as you can win.

Liverpool fans, who haven't beaten Arsenal in so long, have forgotten what it feels like to win at the Emirates Stadium.

"Arsenal keep launching attacks down the flanks!"

"Cazorla's ball control is different from Dembele's; he can hold the ball for extended periods on the flanks, drawing defenders away—"

Paul Dutton hadn't finished speaking.

The football rolled straight toward Morata, who was retreating.

The Spanish center forward glanced at Phil Mino out of the corner of his eye. If you can drop back, why can't you drop back yourself?

Lovren, nicknamed "Leaky Lovren," immediately pounced.

Morata, however, is not the player he used to be, and he protected the ball very well.

This not only restrained Lovren but also attracted Henderson.

"Qin!"

He had barely uttered a shout when he saw a red and white figure dart into the defensive space he had created.

Extremely fast!

The football caught up with Qin Ming in the next second, and Klavan quickly raised his hand to indicate that Qin Ming was offside.

But the linesman didn't say a word.

How could someone who's a full body length behind be offside?
Qin Ming received the ball and faced off against Karius.

"Qin! He's feinted! Karius strikes!"

"A chip shot!"

"It's so easy!"

"Arsenal equalize in the 31st minute of the first half!"

"A goal from Qin!"

Paul Dutton took a deep breath, "It's all back!"

That's right. Arsenal's form has returned, and it's this dashing style that fascinates countless Gunners.

"Yeah!!!"

Tens of thousands of Arsenal players at the Emirates Stadium raised their hands and cheered.

They've been facing a lot of criticism lately, and they've been holding back their anger for a while.

Qin Ming hugged his teammates and walked back to his own half of the field after celebrating. Although the game was still tied, they still had a psychological advantage.

Because Liverpool are significantly behind Manchester City and their points total.

To turn the tide in the final rounds, they not only need to beat them away from home, but also need to beat Manchester City in a few days.

Klopp obviously knew that too.

After thinking about it, I decided to make a final push before the end of the first half.

"Don't let their attacks down the flanks hold you back. Both wingers need to drop back and not just stand there watching!"

"Even those who are far removed from football should get running!"

Klopp shouted at his players.

Their tactics are much more refined than in the first half of the season, and they also made a round of reinforcements during the winter transfer window.

As long as we stay focused, we absolutely cannot be suppressed by Arsenal.

After Liverpool restarted the game, they again chose to launch a fierce attack down the flanks, but this time they targeted Aubameyang's side.

The main focus is on leveraging Aubameyang's speed advantage.

Roberto isn't as fast as Bellerin, but he has his own methods.

foul.

So he received a yellow card.

"Let's take a look at Liverpool's free kicks in the attacking third!"

Henderson passes the ball directly into the penalty area!

"Van Dijk won the first ball, brilliant! Arsenal's aerial defense is flawless!"

Paul Dutton breathed a sigh of relief.

Arsenal were well-prepared to protect the two points outside the penalty area, with Qin Ming even running back.

He successfully contested a header with Emre Can using his heading skills.

He passed the ball to Morata, but Mane, who was playing as a winger today, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, bumped into Morata, and stole the ball.

"Damn it!"

Morata staggered back in pursuit.

Unfortunately, Mane was like a black whirlwind, creating space for his opponent in the blink of an eye.

Snapped!
What Mane also didn't expect was Kante's unexpected intervention.

When did they ambush us from the side?
Mane reached out unexpectedly, but Kanté's height had an effect; his low center of gravity prevented him from falling on the first strike, and he even used the momentum to poke Kanté.

The ball rolled toward Morata again.

This time he learned his lesson and observed the surroundings beforehand.

perfect!

Liverpool players pushed forward to participate in the attack, while some defenders were still near the penalty area, preparing for the second wave of attack after the free kick.

He dribbles the ball, turns, and takes a large stride forward.

The speed wasn't fast, but Mane, who had just committed the foul, was rushing towards them at top speed.

Morata passes the ball to the left.

Sanchez continued his advance, choosing a very tricky route. After passing midfield, he cut diagonally, hindering Henderson's pursuit.

Swish!
A sudden stop and traffic jam.

The football rolled from the middle to the right wing, where Qin Ming was sprinting.

"That pass was a bit too long!"

"Can we catch up?"

"Robertson!"

Scottish full-back Andrew Robertson was a key player when Liverpool's left flank was considered a long-term weakness for the team.

As a result, his market value approached 6000 million euros in less than a season.

Effort seems so fragile in the face of talent.

Qin Ming's chest rose and fell slightly as he took a breath, held it, and unleashed his full power.

The advertising boards beside the stadium became blurry in the shot.

Arsenal fans gaped as they watched the Arsenal number 10 speed past them from the outside, making a powerful run and ultimately taking the lead.

Robertson was also filled with questions.

He had planned to pass the ball back to Karius or directly resolve the situation, but at this moment he lost his composure.

This commotion caused him to miss his last chance to foul.

"Qin Ming got the ball, he's very fast, and he cuts diagonally into the penalty area!"

Karius didn't dare to attack again!

"Outer instep!"

"The ball is in!"

Zhan Jun is still very dedicated. Even though it was his team that conceded the goal, he still gave a passionate commentary.

Zhang Lu, standing next to him, clicked his tongue and said, "Qin Ming's speed is really exaggerated, especially in the middle and second half of the race. He's practically a blur!"

This made him even more excited for the upcoming World Cup.

Because the Chinese team has recently been imitating Arsenal's tactics, and has also sometimes given up possession to focus on counter-attacks, and the World Cup group stage is full of strong opponents, counter-attacks are the easiest tactic to defeat the strong with the weak, without exception.

Qin Ming's speed should be able to be utilized even better then.

The Emirates Stadium was abuzz with excitement in North London, and Liverpool fans, looking at the 2-1 scoreline, were flooded with unpleasant memories.

"The first half has ended, and Arsenal are in the lead!"

Qin Ming scores twice!

"Let's see what adjustments the two teams make in the second half?"

Qin Ming changed his clothes after returning to the locker room. The weather in London was pretty good today; it wasn't raining.

Otherwise, being wet and sticky is very uncomfortable.

Wenger focused on the issues on the flanks, while Klopp in the next dressing room was once again fired up.

That's why Germans are known for their excellent oratory skills.

When Qin Ming returned to the players' tunnel, he found that the Liverpool players had red eyes and were as excited as if they had drunk several bottles of Red Bull.

But as Arsenal suddenly changed their attacking direction, shifting from attacking the right flank to the left, Qin Ming led Sanchez on a fierce run, seizing the opportunity to score with a rabona.

Klopp and the Liverpool players were completely dumbfounded.

That's just how Qin Ming is; he always manages to do things that leave people speechless when you least expect it.

That shot came too suddenly.

After taking a 3-1 lead, Arsenal decisively slowed down the pace, adjusting their ball possession frequency from time to time to wear down Liverpool's players' enthusiasm.

"The pressure is now on Liverpool!"

"The fact that several midfielders have yellow cards makes it even more difficult to maintain a high press, because they cannot guarantee that they can hold the most important midfield defense when Arsenal counter-attack!"

Time is slipping away, little by little!

"Hey, we see Arnold is about to go on stage. Remember the last time we faced off, this young man was thoroughly outmaneuvered by Qin!"

Paul Dutton chuckles when he thinks about the comments from netizens.

Highway 66.

Live life however you want.

Arnold came on as a substitute with a grudge, and his forward runs did improve Liverpool's situation. However, while his crossing technique was good, his ability to cut inside and attack was lacking.

"You can see that Arnold and Salah are working together."

"But Kante, Monreal, and the retreating Sanchez still managed to stabilize the flank defense."

"Wenger's adjustments allowed Arsenal to withstand these waves of attacks."

Beep-beep-beep!
The final whistle blew before we knew it.

Arsenal beat Liverpool at home, and with the points from this rescheduled match, they have widened their lead over Manchester City to three points.

This calmed down the gunman who was filled with anxiety.

A few days later, Arsenal won decisively 3-0 against Newcastle United.

"Tomorrow is the 35th round of the league. If Arsenal can beat West Ham United, they will clinch the title three rounds early!"

"Manchester City, in second place, will once again miss out on the Premier League title!"

"I wonder if Arsenal can clinch the Europa League title before the semi-finals?"

(End of this chapter)