Team Spirit

Chapter 147 (1.2 views, requesting monthly votes) Peak Henry, worthy of the Ballon d'Or

In the 25th minute, Arsenal pressed high up the pitch.

Li Weifeng passed the ball back to Scott.

Henry was cunning; he moved toward Scott in advance, forcing Scott to stop the ball and then use his body to block Henry, demonstrating his skill in shielding the ball like Henry.

Then he stumbled and passed the ball to Duff.

As a result, Henry exerted force, Scott's pass went wide, and the ball was caught by Pires, who was not far from Duff.

boom!
Pire hanging door.

Scott, who had been celebrating his successful saves, was now plunged into despair.

boom!
At a crucial moment, Shory headed the ball away from the goal.

Five defenders – having an extra player is always a good thing.

Scott's legs went weak, and he was grateful to Shore's father for saving him.

In the 36th minute, Arsenal executed a brilliant attacking move that marked their 49th consecutive Premier League unbeaten game. Ashley Young's unacquainted older brother, Ashley Cole, made a run down the left flank, and Pires, after receiving the ball on the wing, dribbled it in and cut inside.

Cole passed the ball to Henry, who backheeled it off the wall.

Cole delivered a through ball from the edge of the box.

Bergkamp and Li Weifeng emerged in the penalty area, with Bergkamp seemingly about to receive the ball but suddenly falling to the ground.

Arsenal players immediately surrounded the referee.

Bergkamp also sat on the ground with his hands outstretched.

"Will it be a penalty? Li Weifeng is explaining to the referee... No penalty! The referee believes it was a normal challenge!"

"Let's take another look... There was indeed no foul. Bergkamp did not have control of the ball. It's okay to be a bit more lenient in these 50/50 situations."

"Wenger was a little unhappy on the sidelines, but his complaints were so delicate that the referee didn't even bother to go over and appease him."

"If it were Ferguson, he would probably be in serious trouble by now."

In the 44th minute, Li Weifeng, who had managed to dodge the first time, couldn't escape the fifteenth. When he headed the ball out of the penalty area, he stepped on Henry's ankle during the challenge and received a yellow card.

Unfortunately, Henry is alright and can continue playing.

Bergkamp took the free kick, but the ball went well over the crossbar.

And so, the first half ended in a 0-0 draw.

During halftime, both sides made a series of arrangements.

In the second half, Arsenal tried to lure the enemy out.

But with Lu Kai controlling the game, Dartford simply didn't go out.

Arsenal already has a strong wing presence, and Dartford's two strikers move up and down the pitch, only wearing down Arsenal's two center-backs.

Therefore, Red Gun's advance is not slow at all. He can rush into the attack zone from the side lane in no time and draw a hammer.

In the 52nd minute, Cole once again made a run down the left flank, passed the ball back to Henry, and then accelerated again.

Henry played a through ball after hitting a wall.

Cole outmaneuvered Duff, bursting into the penalty area from the left and unleashing a low shot from a tight angle.

Fortunately, the ball hit the side netting, otherwise Scott would have faced another brutal test.

In the 58th minute, after drawing a lot of players down the left flank, Pires made a long pass to the right flank to shift the attack.

On this side, both wings were attacking simultaneously. Ljungberg, after threatening Shory, passed the ball to Lauren, who was making a run down the flank.

For a long time, Lauren was considered the weakest link in Arsenal's squad. But in reality, he has been selected for the Premier League Team of the Year in recent years.

Lauren received the ball, looked towards the penalty area, and delivered a sharp cross.

Henry suddenly pokes the ball with his toe at the near post.

when!
The football hit the post and bounced away.

A murderous intent suddenly appeared!
The gun king installed a silencer!

On the bench, Ten Hag frowned deeply: "Teacher, the situation is getting worse."

Alfred laughed instead: "Hey kid, go warm up, that's about it!"

Arsenal wanted to lure the snake out, but they lacked the means.

But Dartford's attempt to lure the snake out of its hole won't be too easy.

With Cole and Lauren both on the pitch, Arsenal's current formation could easily be described as a 2-2-6.

The strongest moment is also the weakest moment!
This is the opportunity that Green Gun has been waiting for.

"Arsenal's left flank is currently feinting, while the weak right flank has become their real weapon. What a close call!"

"This will put Dartford in trouble. If they divert their defensive attention to Ljungberg, Arsenal's left flank will take off."

"This is practically flying on all four wings!"

"It's high noon, Dartford are likely to concede a goal!"

"Huh? What's going on? Why did Li Weifeng suddenly collapse? What happened...?"

On the field, the Green Guns team doctor entered the field and, after a perfunctory examination, stated that Li Weifeng could not continue the game.

The reason it's described as fake is because Li Weifeng's fall was actually instructed by Lu Kai.

Henry was the only one at Arsenal who noticed something was wrong. He said to Bergkamp, ​​"Something's strange. Lu glanced at Lee and Lee collapsed."

Bergkamp found it outrageous and was about to say something when Wenger called him over and took the opportunity to reorganize the tactics.

"Datford had terrible luck. They were already struggling to defend, and then center-back Li Weifeng had to leave the field due to injury."

"Dutch unknown player Ten Hag came on as a substitute. He was a starter for Dartford in the first half of the season, but lost his place after Li Weifeng and Toure joined the team."

"It is said that he also works part-time as an assistant coach at Dartford, so it seems that he intends to pursue a coaching career."

"As the best manager in English football right now, after Ferguson and Wenger, Alfred is indeed the best choice!"

And so, Ten Hag took to the field.

Everyone thought he would fill Li Weifeng's position, but... that's not entirely true!

In the 61st minute, Keown played a through ball to Vieira, but Ten Hag rushed out and cleared the ball. During the ensuing scramble, the ball rolled out of bounds.

Vieira gave Ten Hag a strange look. The center-back probably couldn't defend outside this area, could he?
Could he be playing as a... defensive midfielder?
However, considering that Arsenal had compressed Terford's formation into a single, disjointed group with little distinction between positions, Vieira didn't delve into the details.

Just then, a commotion erupted on the sidelines.

"What? Dartford made another substitution? And they used all of their substitutions at once?"

"Is this a life-or-death struggle?"

"It is too early?"

"Ashley Young and Madeira have replaced Beckford and Akinfenwa, and Dartford's two battering rams have been replaced by two arrows! Are they finally thinking of fighting back?"

"But if this adjustment doesn't work, they will lose their ability to counter subsequent tactics... and most likely their adjustment will be useless."

"Although the two horses are fast and sharp, without a bridgehead, their space to maneuver is too small!"

"Datford's adjustment is probably a tactical mistake! How could Alfred make such a major oversight? Ferguson, the Green Gun, seems to be living up to his reputation!"

"Moreover, if Wenger makes any further tactical changes, Dartford will be even more passive."

Regarding the last point, Lu Kai expressed his disagreement.

After all, compared to Ferguson, Wenger's in-game management has always been criticized.

In Wenger's view, once the tactics are all arranged, hysterical command is just a performance and not the way of a gentleman.

But Alfred told Ferguson to believe in "the power of belief".

Your on-site command doesn't need to be effective, because it is effective in itself!

In the sixty-fourth minute, a change occurred!

Dartford's defense is more aggressive than before.

Williams and Duff successfully ganked Henry on the flanks.

But Vieira immediately moved forward, blocking Duff's back pass or cross pass.

Prepare to press Duff in the attacking third alongside Henry and Pires.

boom!
Duff passed the ball across, slightly to the left front.

There are no defensive players on this line.

Vieira smiled slightly; this tactic of passing the ball into an open area was indeed clever.

But Gilbert Silva and Laurent will inevitably seize control of the ball first, which is no different from giving up possession...

Ok?
Ten Hag received the ball and launched a long pass to Ashley Young.

Lauren didn't have time to retreat.

Gilbert Silva immediately turned back to chase, positioned inside, where he could stop Ashley Young if he cut inside.

Vieira stared at Ten Hag with a complicated expression.

confirmed.

Ten Hag isn't playing center-back; center-backs can't get to this position at this point.

He's a defensive midfielder!

Dartford changed their formation in attack, switching from a five-man defense to a four-man defense, with Ten Hag moving forward.

The 4-4-2 formation is not uncommon, but what is rare is that all four midfielders are defensive midfielders!
What's wrong with Dartford?

and many more!

Where is Lu Kai?
Vieira looked ahead and saw Lu Kai making a run without the ball, already past the center circle.

4312!

Lu Kai has moved forward!
boom!
After receiving the ball, Ashley Young found that Gilbert Silva had occupied the inside. Instead of trying to challenge the "chicken neck" with his own ability, he passed the ball back in a triangular shape to Lu Kai, who was running up in the middle.

boom!
After receiving the ball, Lu Kai passed it to the right wing. Madeira received the ball, dribbled it, and without even looking at the penalty area, immediately crossed the ball.

"Watch out!" Seaman warned Luzhni.

Luzhniki broke out in a cold sweat and quickly put his hands up.

Sure enough, an impact came from behind.

boom!
Although Lu Kai was blocked by Luzhni, he still managed to kick the ball.

Unfortunately, due to Luzhni's interference, the shot went wide.

Seaman, who was almost catching a cold during the match, is now sweating profusely.

If Lu Kai's shot is within the goal frame, the ball is in possession, and Lu Kai can't save it.

How dangerous!
"This... attacking midfielder or... center forward?" Wenger frowned on the sidelines.

Ashley Young and Madeira's attacking prowess is negligible; Arsenal have far too much experience dealing with such a formidable duo.

But if Lu Kai also moves forward, then... he might actually be able to revitalize the attacking third.

In the 67th minute, Arsenal besieged Dartford but couldn't find a chance.

Luzhni attempted a long-range shot himself, but it went poorly and was caught by Scott.

This was Scott's first catch of the game.

"Return to defense!"

Vieira gestured for the players to retreat immediately.

Scott also launched a fast break by throwing the ball in.

Henry, who was caught off guard and had no time to intervene, was dumbfounded. He thought that the ball couldn't be thrown very far.

Given the abilities of the Green Gun Duo, they would have already run past the halfway point by now.

As a result, the football was caught by a figure just in front of the center circle.

Lu Kai!

The Green Gunners surged forward, pushing back Arsenal's defense.

Arsenal's midfield and attacking players pushed too deep into the attacking third and couldn't get back down.

For a time, the midfield and forward lines were disconnected from the defense.

There was almost only one player in such a large space, and that player was Lu Kai!
When Lu Kai looked at Ashley Young and Madeira, he realized that the two had indeed been effectively contained by Arsenal and were unable to launch any super counter-attacks.

So he slowed down and advanced, dribbling the ball past half-court and controlling the pace, waiting for his teammates to come up.

Chicken Neck has good defensive skills; once he slowed down, he caught up.

He lunged at Lu Kai, trying to force Lu Kai to pass the ball back.

As a result, Lu Kai made a cross into an open area and then accelerated towards the Arsenal penalty area.

Arsenal's players still had many players in the attacking third, wanting to wait for their teammates to intercept the ball and launch a counter-attack, so no one rushed towards the ball immediately.

On the contrary, Yaya Touré, who was initially further away from the ball, made a determined forward run, successfully took the ball away, and pushed it all the way to the edge of the penalty area.

boom!
Toure makes a diagonal pass.

Ashley Young, unable to break through, cut inside without the ball and received it on the left side of the penalty area.

Send a through ball!

He then combined with Lu Kai, who had rushed into the penalty area early, to make a passing and running combination.

Lu Kai and Luzhni were locked in a fierce struggle for position.

Luzhni was originally far superior to Lu Kai in physical duels, but after an hour of exhaustion by the strongest player in English football, his physical strength actually dropped to the average level of Lu Kai.

boom!
At a crucial moment, Luzhni made a diving tackle to clear the danger.

The football flew out of bounds.

"Oh! Luzhni has made a crucial clearance!"

"That was incredibly dangerous!"

"Datford's counter-attack was very strong this time, they played with great rhythm, not just blindly fast. Lu Kai slowed down, Toure accelerated, Ashley Young made a threatening pass, and Lu Kai made a sharp run into the box!"

"If it weren't for Luzhni, Arsenal would probably have conceded a goal."

"Hey, something seems to have happened to Luzhni!"

On the field, Luzhni clutched his thigh; the situation was dire.

Wenger stood on the sidelines with a furrowed brow.

If there's one area where this Arsenal team isn't perfect, it's their center-backs.

Their best player, Campbell, is injured.

But in a final-level competition, having only one key player injured is already the best-case scenario.

Moreover, the defensive line of Keown and Luzhni is also of a first-class level.

But if Luzhni is injured again, then they will have no choice but to risk using Kolo Toure, who is still a bit lacking in experience.

As expected, Luzhni was unable to continue the match.

Kolo Touré came on as a substitute.

The Touré derby has finally taken place.

The camera focused on these two brothers, which is already a heartwarming story in the football world, especially since they both play for Arsenal!
On the field, Vieira finally made his decision.

It's not "attacking midfielder Lu", it's "center forward Lu"!
Is this Dartford's secret weapon?
Lu Kai, the all-around core player!

On the sidelines, Wenger also noticed this, and he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

During his time in the youth academy, Lu Kai actually played quite well in every position—forward, midfielder, and winger. If Wenger really wanted to keep him, he could have.

But Wenger didn't keep him, because Lu Kai wasn't the kind of outstanding young player with exceptional talent, and it wasn't worth risking a transfer spot with the management.

In other words, if Lu Kai is kept, he may lose a new signing worth two million pounds.

It's obviously a huge loss.

Unexpectedly, Alfred valued Lu Kai so much that he developed such a tactic specifically for Lu Kai's versatility.

In defense, the team consists of five defenders and three defensive midfielders, leveraging Lu Kai's defensive, counter-attacking, and long-passing abilities.

In attack, Lu Kai moves forward as a lone attacking midfielder to control the tempo.

In positional play, Lu Kai moved further forward, and the center forward attacked the goal.

Ironically, this style of play could be used in matches against strong teams, making Lu Kai the absolute protagonist on the field.

Alfred, were you pressured by Lu Kai using his status as the team's Zhu Xi? If so, blink!
In Wenger's view, without the pressure from Lu Kai, Alfred might have been able to devise stronger tactics and assign more suitable players to the game.

There are many players better than Lu Kai in the defensive midfield, attacking midfield, and center forward positions.

Lu Kai's portrayal of three characters seems ingenious, but it is actually a last resort.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. This is the consequence of Dartford earning over 20 million pounds in the transfer window but not making significant signings... The key is that Dartford had previously applied for policy support, and that money hadn't been taxed much yet, making other teams envious.

Moreover... Lu Kai's physical strength was also insufficient to support his "One Qi Transforms into Three Purities" kicking technique.

Continuous long-distance running back and forth is much more energy-consuming than kicking from a fixed position.

Lu Kai will be exhausted in at most twenty minutes!

Therefore, this was nothing more than a false brilliance before the fireworks faded.

boom!
Lu Kai took the corner kick, Keown headed the ball away, and Barton then kicked the ball out of bounds in a scramble, denying Arsenal a chance to counter-attack.

In the 69th minute, Arsenal won a corner kick.

Kolo Toure and his younger brother Yaya Toure fiercely battled for the ball.

Kolo headed the ball, but was affected by Yaya and failed to create a shot on goal.

In the 72nd minute, Arsenal once again pinned Dartford inside the penalty area.

Cole played a through ball.

Henry caught up with the ball at the byline of the penalty area and passed it back in a triangular fashion.

Bergkamp gets a shot off.

But Lu Kai bumped into him, causing him to miss.

Bergkamp was furious, but there was no way to complain about that kind of play.

Lu Kai was drenched in sweat and was clearly exhausted.

His targets today are Bergkamp and Vieira.

One is a striker, the other a midfielder; they're a perfect match.

Henry's positioning made it difficult for Lu Kai to match up against him.

Lu Kai isn't really needed on the flanks either, and Ji Bo is more of a defensive player, so the midfield is left to Vieira, who can handle both offense and defense.

In the 73rd minute, Dartford kicked off.

Dartford players naturally went up the pitch to contest for headers, one of the few opportunities they had to get into the opponent's half.

Scott kicked the ball out.

Yaya Touré fought hard for the header, heading the ball towards Lu Kai.

Lu Kai successfully received the ball.

Arsenal immediately dropped back to position, preparing for a positional battle with Dartford.

Chicken Neck and Lu Kai faced off, eyeing each other warily.

Lu Kai dribbled the ball toward Jibo, but Jibo didn't retreat an inch and instead looked for an opportunity to pounce.

Lu Kai flicked the ball to his right, but not very far, clearly indicating he had other plans.

Chicken Neck thought the time was right and charged toward Lu Kai.

Lu Kai immediately flicked the ball to the left with his right foot.

Chicken Neck wasn't surprised at all; in fact... he had been waiting for this moment!
The chicken neck shifted its center of gravity and extended its leg to steal the ball.

He was very confident about it.

Even if Lu Kai really intends to break through from the right side, that is, right to left, he is confident that he can pok the ball away before Lu Kai can flick the ball to the right with his left foot.

This is a shot that must be intercepted!

"Ok?"

Chicken Neck's foot was about to touch the soccer ball, but Lu Kai's right foot didn't land after the feint; instead, it quickly moved to the left side of the ball, landed, flicked the ball, lifted his foot, and accelerated...

【One-Legged Fried Meatball】!
Lu Kai broke through from the right side with the ball, deliberately lifting his left foot to jump, so as not to be tripped by the chicken's outstretched foot.

The chicken neck froze in place, resembling a wooden stake.

To put it bluntly, the bull's tail can only get past low- to mid-level defenders.

But this one-legged fried dough ball move can get past top defenders!
boom!
Lu Kai quickly pushed the ball to the right side of the arc, but unfortunately, Arsenal's back wall was already in front of him, and there was no chance to shoot.

People often say that Arsenal is strong in attack but weak in defense, but Wenger's positioning and defense are quite good. Their weakness in defense is mainly reflected in their out-of-position defense.

It's difficult to attack them if we just make them stay in their positions.

Bang

Lu Kai passed the ball to the right rear side and then made a forward run to the right front.

Madeira cut inside without the ball, received it, and played a one-two pass.

Lu Kai stood out on the right.

Kerr excels in offense, defense, and speed, keeping up with Lu Kai immediately.

Lu Kai suddenly stopped by stepping on the ball.

Cole braked quickly, using his powerful physique to suppress the momentum and prevent Lu Kai from passing the ball from behind him.

boom!
Lu Kai had already completed the cross.

Cole stretched out his leg to try to block, leaving no space for Lu Kai in front or behind him!
It was completely airtight.

Unfortunately... Lu Kai's cross was a "banana kick" like Beckham's masterpiece!
The ball's superb arc sent it past Cole's toes and into the penalty area.

Both of them then looked toward the penalty area.

Keown stood like a pillar in the penalty area, leaping high... but he couldn't reach the ball!
The scientific name is "roof collapse"!

The football's arc was too great; it somehow bypassed Keown.

boom!
Madeira bursts into the penalty area and scores with a spectacular header.

Because Keown was blocking his view, he couldn't see the ball and could only do what he was supposed to do.

But the football saw him!
Your free kicks have a chance to be accompanied by special effects such as "Speed," "Greater Curve," "Headshot," "Score from Zero Angle," "Ten-Point Angle," "Crossbar Buster," and "Flush Out"!
The football went into the net.

At such close range, He-Man had no chance to pounce.

Seeing the ball fall into the goal, neither team could quite believe it at first.

"This……"

“GOAL!!!”

"One to zero!"

"Datford has surprisingly taken the lead!"

"My God! They were under constant pressure the whole game, with less than 30% possession! They had almost 20 fewer shots than Arsenal! And yet they still managed to score first!"

"Looks like the traffic lights in Cardiff are green at 4 a.m.!"

"Madeira, this striker has given people so many surprises this season! He delivered the fatal blow to Arsenal!"

"But as the instigator and facilitator of this attack, Lu Kai played a pivotal role! His forward runs and wide runs completely bypassed Arsenal's defense."

"He defeated defensive specialist Gilbert Silva and the seemingly invincible superstar full-back Ashley Cole in two one-on-one duels!"

"That perfect cross was just like Beckham reincarnated!"

"His pass bypassed Keane and locked down his teammate Madeira, making it impossible for the latter not to score!"

"Who could have imagined it? Who could have imagined it!"

In the stands, a small number of people surged in green.

The splashes in the lifeless "Red Sea" were like a toxic fumes, making it hard for Arsenal fans to breathe.

Wenger was stunned, muttering to himself, "What... what kind of style of play is this? It's not 5-3-2, not 4-3-1-2, not 4-4-2, and it's not even a traditional 4-3-3."

Beside him, a drowsy Alfred spoke up: "A strikerless formation!"

Wenger remained stunned for a long time.

Center Lu?
Do not!
This is a wing-type land, or rather, a land without a forward!
Lu Kai will attack wherever there is a gap in Arsenal's defense!
The sharpest edge is the one without a sharp point!
What made Wenger even more frustrated was that Erik ten Hag, who was originally positioned as a defensive midfielder, had actually fallen back to the center-back position.

Dartford are back to 5-3-2!

And this time, Lu Kai won't be pushing forward.

He will hold the defensive midfield position.

His physical abilities are more than sufficient!
Dartford will defend just like they did in the first half, leaving Arsenal in despair! This isn't a green spear, it's practically a green turtle!
Chelsea: So you're saying you're not satisfied with just stealing the current nickname, you want to steal the future one too?

Commentators couldn't offer a positive assessment of Dartford's choice, but everyone knew it was the best option.

In the 75th minute, the Green Gunners pressed hard, forcing Kolo Toure to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper, and it took time to reorganize the attack.

Many Manchester United fans looked at these two players and couldn't help but sigh with regret.

If they had signed Ashley Young before, and then signed Madeira this year, wouldn't that be just like the infamous "Black Storm Duo" of Manchester United back in the day?

Manchester United have missed out on a legacy!
After that experience of being "abandoned," Ashley Young is unlikely to want to come to Manchester United again.

In the 78th minute, Chicken Neck took a long-range shot; they only had long-range shooting opportunities.

The football struck Ten Hag, deflected, and went out of bounds.

Ten Hag took a long break on the pitch, relying on his seniority to stall for time.

Henry, who was about to have a perfect performance in his career but was about to end up empty-handed, was angered by him and came over to have a conflict with Ten Hag, which led to a standoff between the two sides.

This season has been incredibly unfriendly to Henry.

He made 37 league appearances, scoring 24 goals and providing 20 assists, leading the Premier League!

But Van Nistelrooy scored 25 goals, beating him to win the Golden Boot. Can you believe it?

But Manchester United pulled off a stunning upset against Arsenal in the final round, snatching the Premier League title. Can you believe it?

Henry scored a total of 32 goals and provided 23 assists in all competitions, and scored 4 goals and provided 4 assists in 4 national team matches, but he didn't win any trophies. Isn't that infuriating?

Of course, he will lead the French team to victory in the Confederations Cup in the summer, but that's two months from now.

At this moment, Henry's emotions exploded!
Time keeps passing.

After arguing for a while, Arsenal finally went to the corner flag area to prepare to take the corner kick.

Both sides pushed and shoved each other inside the penalty area, no longer pretending.

Duff fought hard to get a touch, but Pires controlled the ball from the outside, flicking it on and shooting.

Duff blocked the shot with his body, and the ball bounced towards the outside of the penalty area.

Sherry caught up with the ball and launched a long kick!
Madeira, the Portuguese supercar brand, has launched, standing out from the crowd.

England's supercars are just as impressive, pushing the limits of speed.

Cole was positioned further forward.

But Madeira was able to gradually close the gap with Cole and eventually overtake him.

But Cole was smart; he moved toward Madeira, using his body to slow her down while preparing to touch the ball.

Madeira wasn't stupid either, and took the opportunity to shove him.

Cole touched the ball out of bounds.

Dartford are awarded a corner kick.

The time has reached the eighty-first minute.

First, Xiao Li went to the corner flag area, and halfway there, Lu Kai took over.

Dartford's time-wasting tactics were so skillful that Wenger was furious and cursed from the sidelines.

Even the elegant French couldn't resist.

After losing to Manchester United, they're now losing to Green Gunners. If they keep playing like this, won't they lose to Vietnam next?

Inside the penalty area, Ashley Young was looking for position when he suddenly caught Lu Kai's gaze.

Xiao Yangzi understood Lu Huang's meaning in almost a fraction of a second.

He exchanged a few words with Ten Hah, who had also come to contest the top.

The two parted ways.

Ten Hag went to the forward post.

Ashley Young then dribbled into the goal from the far post, positioned himself near the far post, and attempted to get close to Seaman.

"What are you doing?" Heman noticed Ashley Young's little movements and unconsciously took two steps toward Ashley Young.

However, Chloe Touré then came over and expelled Ashley Young.

Heman then turned to look in Lu Kai's direction.

He did not lose focus.

But the location has changed slightly.

He was previously positioned at the quarter-thickest point from the left side of the goal. The left side is the near end, meaning Lu Kai's ball came from the left.

He is now about a third of the way from the left to the right of the goal, a body length away from the near end.

Soon, Lu Kai took the corner kick.

boom!
The ball moves extremely fast.

The curvature is very large.

But it's relatively low-end.

Cole was at the near post, ready to jump and head the ball away.

That corner kick wasn't taken well...

A force came from behind Cole's waistband; someone had come up behind him and grabbed his waistband, preventing him from jumping.

He turned his head and saw it was Ten Hach.

Cole immediately got goosebumps all over his body.

You old bastard!

But he couldn't utter a curse, because he saw the trajectory of the football, which was...

He's going to shoot!

The football's trajectory was perfectly aligned with the goal, especially after it passed the near post.

This is the "zero-angle goal" effect of the [Crescent Moon Blade]!
Heman realized what was happening and quickly reached out, but it wasn't enough... he needed to take a step first.

But by the time he got to his position and reached out to make the save, the ball had already gone too far in. Not to mention whether it had completely crossed the goal line, the ball bounced off Seaman's hand and hit the side netting.

The waves of the border net are rising from the inside out.

That's a goal without a doubt.

Sure enough, the referee blew his whistle to signal that the goal was valid.

“GOAL!!!”

"Two to zero!"

"Heman made a mistake!"

"He didn't block the near post, instead giving the ball space to go into the goal! He was too careless!"

"Cole made a mistake too; he had a chance to clear the ball directly at the near post! The ball wasn't high!"

"Lu Kai, how dare he kick like that? A corner kick went straight into the goal!"

"He's an absolute genius! He always manages to spot his opponent's weakest point!"

Dartford's bench is getting restless.

Everyone rushed toward Lu Kai in the corner flag area.

Surround him.

They celebrated together in front of the camera, at the splash of green amidst the red.

If one shot doesn't kill Arsenal, then how will you deal with another one?
The camera pans to the Arsenal players.

Many people have completely lost their fighting spirit.

The dejection following their failure to win the Premier League title completely shattered their feigned composure.

So, we can't even beat Green Gunners?

This slump has almost made Arsenal lose its luster.

If they were the red guns before the match, now they're just gray guns.

A world without hope is gray.

Even Lu Kai felt that what awaited this Arsenal team was probably not a 49-game unbeaten run to win the league title, but a 49-game winless run and relegation.
After the celebration, Joe Hart returned to the bench and chatted casually with his teammates: "Heyman is always like this, butterfingers, messes up at crucial moments."

"I will never become a goalkeeper like him!"

Ribery, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "Didn't you say your football idol was British goalkeeper Seaman when we had dinner together at the beginning of the season?"

Joe Hart blushed slightly: "My idol is the British doorman."

Valbuena: "What English goalkeeper doesn't get butterfingers?"

Arsenal made a change after the match restarted.

Wiltord replaced Bergkamp.

This can be considered an enhancement to the attack.

Even so, Wenger still had one substitution in hand that he didn't use.

Many people criticize him for being old-fashioned, while others believe that Wenger has no room for adjustment.

In short, when you fall behind, everything you do is wrong.

In the 83rd minute, Toure was shown a yellow card for pulling down Henry in the midfield.

Arsenal executed a set-piece combination.

Pires kicked off and passed the ball to Wiltord on the left. Wiltord dribbled down the wing, feigned a cross, and then made a bluff.

In reality, it's an inverted triangle sweep.

Pires unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.

Very high quality.

But Scott had gained confidence and actually made a beautiful, incredible save.

Scott swore that this was the most difficult, important, exciting, and spectacular shot he had ever made in his life, in terms of both his own performance and his opponent's performance!

That one save is enough for him to brag about for the rest of his life at Dartford's youth academy!
Who would dare say that he became a teacher because he didn't do well in school!
Teacher: Uh... I'm suing you for defamation!

In the 86th minute, Henry went down in the penalty area after a challenge with Duff, but the referee still did not award a penalty.

Henry was extremely dissatisfied and angrily berated the referee, receiving a yellow card in return.

In the 89th minute, Arsenal launched a desperate siege on Dartford.

Ljungberg seized the opportunity on the right flank and delivered a superb through ball.

Henry, who had moved over, got to the ball first and then controlled it with a half-turn.

Unfortunately, Ljungberg's through ball required tremendous force to get through, and although Henry was technically gifted, he managed to stop the ball a meter away, preventing a direct shot from going into goal.

At the crucial moment, Vieira, making a forward run, used his body to break free from Lu Kai, who was entangled with him, and unleashed a powerful shot at the ball.

That's completely unreasonable!

Scott was dumbfounded!
"GOAL! 1-2! Arsenal have pulled one back!"

"Is there still hope for them?"

"To be honest, I thought this game was hopeless before, but Arsenal at this moment has given me a sliver of confidence."

"Their morale is back!"

"They've experienced too many defeats this season, but if they let these defeats defeat them, they'll never be invincible!"

"I have a feeling that something that has never been seen before is emerging within Arsenal, and that is the only difference between them and Manchester United!"

"They possess an invincible spirit!"

"Do you remember Manchester United's miracle comeback against Bayern Munich with two goals in one minute when they won the treble?"

"Arsenal is giving me that feeling!"

It’s different!

It was only for a moment, but everyone could feel that the game was different.

The Dartford players tensed up.

We've been playing for a whole match, but it seems like Red Gun is only now being loaded!
The camera then focused on Bergkamp on the bench, as if to say that if Bergkamp were still there, this goal wouldn't even have required the cooperation of Henry and Vieira.

Bergkamp can achieve a perfect ball control and shot all by himself.

Soon, regular game time ended.

Three minutes of added time.

Wenger angrily questioned from the sidelines: "Only three minutes? The celebration of three goals lasted more than three minutes!"

"If Ferguson were standing here, you would give him eight minutes!"

Wenger was telling the truth.

However, three minutes is basically the maximum amount of regular extra time during this period, equivalent to five minutes before 2022 and eight minutes after 2022.

The future overtime inflation will be far more exaggerated than it is now.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Vieira delivered a through ball.

Cole made a last-ditch run and managed to stop the ball just before it rolled out of bounds. He then feigned a cross but actually passed it back.

Henry received the ball on the left side of the penalty area, performed several stepovers, and made Duff, who was marking him, hesitant to make a tackle.

He then flicked the ball to the right, shaking off Duff before Williams could double-team him, and completed the dribble.

But Williams covered for him, leaving Henry with no shooting angle.

Henry immediately flicked the ball to the left, attempting to get to the byline, and Williams immediately shifted his weight.

But the next moment, Henry flicked the ball back.

Williams wasn't stupid. He fell for it because Henry had indeed gone to the baseline. Henry's body had already moved, and there was no way to save him.

But Henry has achieved his goal... he has a shooting angle!

Henry, falling to his left, curled a shot with his right foot.

The football flew straight into the far corner of the net!

"This...GOAL!!!"

The earth is shaking!

Cardiff Millennium Stadium exploded instantly!
Red surges forth, sweeping everything away!
Arsenal was shrouded in a storm of activity, with not a single patch of green visible in the stands.

The Dartford bench was deathly silent.

Arsenal's substitutes finally started to stretch their muscles and rushed towards the corner flag.

Henry even delivered an incredibly long knee slide, reminiscent of the king of the pitch for millennia!

He fell in love with this move after seeing Lu Kai use it two years ago. He practiced it for two years, and unexpectedly, the most perfect use of it happened to be when facing Lu Kai!
Lu Kai looked at the celebrating Henry and shook his head with a sigh.

One assist and one goal, a miraculous equalizer!

There's no way around it, this is Henry at the peak of his career.

He was sixth in the 2002 Ballon d'Or and ninth in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

He was the runner-up in both the 2003 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

It's not surprising that the King of Guns performed like this, in fact... he came too late!

If Henry had gotten into this state of high spirits just ten minutes earlier, they would probably be celebrating a last-minute winner, not just a tie!
"Datford is finished! Alfred and Lu Kai lost their bet!"

"I have to say Green Gunners gave us a lot of surprises today; they were even two goals ahead of Arsenal at one point."

"Alfred is an absolute tactical genius! He has developed Lu Kai's versatility to an outrageous degree, and with this surprise, he dealt a heavy blow to Arsenal."

"But Arsenal pulled through! Not to mention that Dartford's dynamic tactics had failed, Lu Kai's stamina was already running out."

"In overtime, Lu Kai can no longer play all four roles by himself!"

"If Lu Kai were replaced by Juventus' Nedved, Green Gunners might have a fighting chance! But only a fighting chance! Don't forget, Wenger still has a precious substitution slot in his hand!"

"In overtime, one substitution can be enough to change the game!"

Tens of millions of fans on the mainland fell silent. On CCTV's "No Match," Huang Jianxiang shook his head in great pain and said, "That's it... Green Gun's brilliant plan secured two goals, Lu Kai's assist and shot aimed for victory, Wenger's composure was as solid as a mountain, and Henry was the true gunner!"

"Lu Kai lost, but losing to Henry is not shameful."

"To have come this far, Dartford deserves honor even in defeat!"

"Lu Kai is still young, he's only seventeen! I believe that ten years from now, when the train of time slowly passes the Millennium Stadium, twenty-seven-year-old Lu Kai will gaze at it with deep affection, his eyes reflecting today's scene. Only he will know that he did not lose today!"

Huang Jianxiang burst into tears.

In front of their televisions, countless Green Gunners fans shed tears.

The young man suffered a setback, but though he was defeated, he was still honorable. How could he accept it?

With the regular game time over.

The players on the field split into two groups, surrounding Wenger and Alfred respectively.

Wenger: "Quiet, warriors, listen to me now..."

Alfred: "Quiet, soldiers, listen to what Lu Kai has to say next..."

Both sides were encouraging each other.

But the green on the field is rapidly fading, turning gray.

Soon, overtime began.

Dartford kicks off.

But Arsenal player Giovanni van Bronckhorst stood on the sidelines. He can play in multiple positions, including left-back, left midfielder, and defensive midfielder.

"Oh! Arsenal are preparing to make a substitution!"

"They didn't make the substitution during the pre-extra-time phase, perhaps because they were in too much of a rush and didn't have enough time. Or maybe they wanted to put pressure on Dartford this way!"

"In any case, the moment Van Bronckhorst came on, Dartford was doomed... Yaya Toure's long-range shot... no, it was a super through ball!"

"He's looking for Lu Kai!"

On the field, the situation suddenly changed!

Dartford launched an attack.

Henry's eyes lit up, and he prepared to fight back.

Lu Kai couldn't catch that ball!

This is just like Ljungberg's super through ball to himself before; it was incredibly powerful.

As soon as Lu Kai stops the ball, he is intercepted by Keown and Kolo Toure.

"If Lu Kai can receive this ball, it would be best to pass it to Madeira on the left wing." Before Huang Jianxiang could finish thinking, Cole had already suppressed Madeira and marked him tightly.

"Lu Kai stretched out his left foot. He's facing away from the goal, probably preparing to pass back to Barton who's coming up on the other side, and then Barton will look for Ashley Young up front..."

With just a thought, Vieira pushed Barton aside.

These actions actually happen simultaneously.

Lu Kai's passing lanes were completely blocked, even if he could stop the ball...

boom!
Lu Kai received the ball with his left foot, and the ball bounced away.

At the same time, he turned around and passed Keown.

Keown stood frozen in place, staring at the football in mid-air, his mind completely blank.

When you're facing away from your opponent, it's perfectly fine to handle the ball with your left foot, then turn to your right to get past them.

But the problem is, if you receive the ball with your left foot, how can the ball continue to move towards Zuo?

The key point is that Lu Kai's movement when receiving the ball was indeed digging it to the right.

Why did the football fly to his left?
Only Bergkamp on the bench realized what was happening and immediately stood up!

Wenger also realized what was happening.

He had seen a ball stop like that a year ago.

He turned to look at Bergkamp.

On the pitch, Lu Kai backheels the ball past his opponent – ​​yes, this is one of Bergkamp's most classic ball control techniques… [Waltz Turn]!
Lu Kai and the ball dribbled past Keown from the left and right, respectively, and then caught up with the ball at the penalty spot. With no one marking him, he unleashed a powerful shot.

He-Man didn't even have time to launch an attack.

He thought Lu Kai would shoot a low, flat shot, but Lu Kai actually shot a high, difficult shot.

For a moment, He-Man lost his balance and was frozen in place.

A tribute to Scott, who is always equally dumbfounded on the other side.

Swish!
The football hits the net.

Lu Kai rushed to the corner flag area immediately.

He leaped high into the air, turned 180 degrees, and then descended from the sky.

The entire Dartford crowd chanted that syllable wildly:

"Luuuuuu!"

beep!

The referee signaled that the goal was valid.

Beep beep, beep~
Two short whistles followed by a long one signaled the end of the match.

People then suddenly realized what was happening.

Most fans and players were baffled.

On the sidelines, Giovanni van Bronckhorst is still waiting for his FA Cup final debut!
What's happening here?
Did the referee blow the wrong whistle?
But soon someone remembered something!
"Oh my god! That's... the golden goal! Lu Kai scored the golden goal in extra time!"

Arsenal suddenly die!

"This……"

"In 1992, the Golden Goal rule first appeared in The Times of London, England! If the score is tied after regular time, the game goes into extra time, and the first team to score wins!"

"This event makes the competition more exciting and unpredictable, hence the name 'sudden death'!"

"Although the Golden Ball rule was not used at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, it was formally proposed."

"Tested the waters in various competitions in England in 1995."

"In the 1996 European Championship final, Germany defeated the Czech Republic in extra time with a golden goal from Bierhoff, thus creating the first-ever Golden Goal in a major tournament!"

"But all along, the biggest beneficiaries of the Ballon d'Or system have actually been the French!"

"In 1998, France scored the first-ever Golden Goal in the World Cup round of 16 against Paraguay and ultimately lifted the World Cup trophy! The Golden Goal rule began to be widely used."

"In 2000, they won the European Championship with Trezeguet's golden goal in the final, completing their consecutive major tournament titles!"

"In February of this year, for various reasons, UEFA announced the abolition of the Golden Ball and the introduction of the Silver Ball! That is, even if a goal is scored in extra time, the half must still be played."

"If a goal is scored in the first half of extra time, then the game goes on until the 105th minute. If the score isn't tied, the team that scored wins, and the next 15 minutes are skipped."

"If a goal is scored in the second half of extra time, then the game will be played for a full 120 minutes. In short, we need to give the losing team a chance to come back."

"But the Silver Ball system won't be implemented in UEFA competitions and the European Championship until next season. The FA Cup is an English FA competition, and they haven't announced that they'll abandon the Golden Ball system in favor of the Silver Ball system... Besides, even if they do announce it, it won't be introduced until next season!"

"The FA Cup final will still use the golden goal rule this season!"

"Considering that the Ballon d'Or has come to an end, Lu Kai may be the last Ballon d'Or winner!"

The entire Arsenal squad surrounded the referee, demanding to know what had happened; they were utterly unable to accept the result.

The referee's comments were actually quite similar to Huang Jianxiang's.

The Dartford players first gathered around.

After hearing the referee's explanation, the Dartford players could no longer contain themselves and started celebrating with their hands raised high.

For a moment, the left side of the referee's office erupted in cheers, while the right side fell silent, creating a stark contrast.

Henry felt incredibly bitter.

He finally felt the bitterness of the Italian team three years ago.

They are clearly stronger!

They clearly have the greater advantage!

They are clearly in better physical condition!

They clearly still have one substitution spot available!
They clearly deserved to win this trophy!

but……

Lu Kai is the champion.

Dartford, champions!

Damn champion!
(End of this chapter)