Team Spirit

Chapter 270 The Duel of the Guns: Arsenal's Final Peak

Emirates Stadium, pre-match press conference.

Lu Kai, Alfred, Wenger, and Henry were interviewed.

Wenger and Henry both expressed confidence in the match.

Their opponents are Manchester United and Chelsea.

No one else has ever been on Arsenal's radar unless they're fighting for a top-four finish.

Lu Kai naturally retorted strongly: "Arsenal and Dartford have always given people a false impression."

"People always think Arsenal is very strong, but in fact they haven't won many titles in recent years."

"A 49-game unbeaten streak is certainly impressive, but two or three championships in five years of simulations is rather underwhelming."

"Datford is always underestimated, and there are certainly many objective reasons for this. In the first generation of the team, we came up from an amateur team. In the second generation, we were almost emptied out. The players in the team are very young and definitely need time to develop."

"But the championship we won was real. We are the most competitive team for the championship in the 21st century, without exception."

"We also have the advantage in the derby between the two gunners."

"We've already beaten two Premier League leaders this season, and I don't think one plus one will be less than three!"

Lu Kai's witty remarks immediately earned him applause from the reporters.

"One plus one is greater than three," Lu Kai's famous quote became the hottest headline before the competition.

However, the Emirates Stadium is Arsenal's home ground, so the stadium was predominantly red and white, with green only making up a small portion.

Players who have played for Arsenal since the Highbury era still feel like it's a dream every time they see this new stadium.

Every time Wenger comes here, he feels a touch of heartache amidst his joy.

If it weren't for the pressure of playing on the pitch, Arsenal wouldn't have won so few titles after their unbeaten season.

Looking at the rosters of the major clubs, former Green Gun players are everywhere.

If someone in your family doesn't have a green gun, it just means you've been too poor these past few years and can't afford anything good.

Arsenal, on the other hand, didn't have a single green-skinned player from start to finish.

"This may be the only season in the next few years that we have a chance to challenge for various titles," Wenger muttered to himself.

While others might not know, he was well aware that Arsenal's generational transition was about to begin.

Vieira left Juventus last season.

This season, key players such as Reyes, Ashley Cole, Pires, Campbell, and Lauren have all left.

Bergkamp has confirmed his retirement at the end of the season.

Henry's desire to join Barcelona is unstoppable.

That "invincible Arsenal" team is about to be completely transformed.

Although Wenger made advance preparations for talent and nurtured young players, he was not forced to replace his generation and suffer a precipitous decline in strength like the Green Gunners.

But to say that Arsenal still has championship competitiveness is to fool yourself.

"Defeat Green Gunners and claim the Premier League title!"

In the stands, Arsenal fans chanted loud slogans.

They haven't realized that the Red Gunners dynasty is about to decline. They are still immersed in the era of "two giants vying for supremacy" and regard teams like Chelsea and Green Gunners as shooting stars.

Arsenal's starting lineup is a 4-2-3-1:

Henry
Van Persie, Fabregas, Hleb
Gilbert Silva, Flamini

Clichy, Gallas, Kolo Touré, Eboue
Almunia
-

Dartford's situation is similar, it's a 4-3-3 formation:

Duff, Giroud, Ribery
Lu Kai, Motta, Modric

Pepe, Vidic, Kompany, Ashley Young
范德萨

-

Phil's injury is not serious, but it has been recurring during his comeback training, and he is still some time away from returning to the field.

Pepe is currently better than Thiago Silva in all aspects and can also play as a left-back.

Playing a midfielder like Modric instead of Barton means Dartford will have to go toe-to-toe with Arsenal, and their tactics will be relatively aggressive.

The two teams have very similar playing styles; both are possession-based attacking teams and are representative of this style.

Along with Barcelona, ​​they are known as the three great teams in possession-based football.

Of course, Green Gunners have the "tactical kaleidoscope" Alfred, so the team is also known as one of the three top attacking teams on the flanks in the Premier League, along with Chelsea and Manchester United.

This match is destined to be extremely exciting.

Just three minutes in, Dartford made a strong threat to Arsenal's goal.

After Kompany intercepted Hleb's pass, Ashley Young launched a counter-attack with a long pass.

Ribery surged ahead down the right flank, cutting into the penalty area from the right and delivering a sweeping cross.

Unfortunately, Arsenal had too many players in their penalty area.

Surrounded by three defenders, Lu Kai was unable to touch the ball.

Gallas made a crucial sliding tackle to clear the danger.

In the seventh minute, Arsenal retaliated.

After a series of passes between Flamini, Hleb, and Fabregas, Fabregas played a through ball that broke through Motta and connected with Henry.

Henry turned and fired a shot from the edge of the box, but it hit the target.

Van der Sar kept a clean sheet.

In the ninth minute, Arsenal launched another attack.

Hleb made a diagonal pass from the right wing to the edge of the penalty area, and almost in the same position, Henry received the ball with his back to goal and passed it to Van Persie on the side.

Unfortunately, Van Persie failed to react immediately.

He thought Henry was going to fight him himself.

As a result, Van Persie adjusted his foot twice, losing his element of surprise, and his shot was caught by Van der Sar.

In the 14th minute, Dartford also launched a counter-attack.

Ribery, drawing attention away from Ashley Young on the wing, dribbled in the opposite direction and passed the ball back to Modric.

Modric's through ball also pierced through Arsenal's defensive midfielder Gilbert Silva.

Lu Kai made a forward run and received the ball. While dribbling, he faked a shot and then made a sudden breakthrough to get past Flamini. He then passed the ball to Giroud and slipped into the penalty area.

Giroud definitely wanted to pass the ball, but Kolo Toure blocked the passing lane.

Giroud could only follow up with a shot on goal.

The ball hit Clichy, who was blocking the shot in front of the goal, and went out of bounds.

"As expected of the Arsenal derby, both teams are playing very aggressively."

"Arsenal and Dartford are both very attacking teams, and these few shots alone have been better than many teams' entire performances."

This statement is a sarcastic jab at Chelsea's recent performance.

Despite alternating with Manchester United for the top spot in the Premier League, Chelsea's attack, which relied on both wings, suffered from constipation, and their success depended entirely on Mourinho's defensive system.

Chelsea fans are already quite dissatisfied.

Attendance at their home games has begun to decline.

Even worse news is that Arshavin, whom Chelsea bought for a record price from Chelsea, has been recovering from illness but is about to return to the field.

He can only play as an attacking midfielder when he comes out.

Lampard will have to retreat.

Joe Cole is even more likely to lose his job completely.

These were among the best-performing players globally over the past year, so it's truly surreal that they've fallen to this state.

Having money is just too painful.

Wenger: ? ? ?
In the 18th minute, it was still Green Gun on the right wing.

Ashley Young dribbled past Modric after a one-two pass.

Ribery made a forward run to receive the ball, and after receiving it, he swept it across the field in a style that resembled both a pass and a shot.

Almunia blocked the ball with his body near the goal.

Giroud and Duff, however, returned empty-handed from a slightly more distant position.

In the 22nd minute, Lukaila moved to the left and made a series of single-car runs, forcing Eboue and Flamini to retreat repeatedly. After compressing the space on Arsenal's left side, he sent out a through ball.

Duff surged forward, broke through, and delivered a cross from deep on the left side of the penalty area.

Giroud leaped high and outjumped Gallas to head the ball into the goal.

It went slightly off course.

Gallas, a former Chelsea player, was swapped with former Arsenal player Ashley Cole, with Chelsea adding an extra five million pounds.

Compared to Kerr, for a long time people described this trade as "terrible".

After all, Cole is three years younger than Gallas.

However, compared to Arsenal's subsequent center-backs, this deal gradually gained acceptance because the later ones were even worse.

In the 25th minute, Green Gun intercepted the ball in their own half and launched a counter-attack.

But Arsenal's defense reacted quickly and didn't lose their positions.

Overall, it was a counterattack where both sides stretched their formations quite loosely and openly.

Motta sent a through ball down the middle.

Lu Kai, having reached the top of the arc, connected with the belt and made a beautiful turn.

As a result, they ran right into Toure.

Both of them staggered.

Lu Kai forcefully pulled Toure aside, taking a step forward before falling and knocking the ball away. Duff cut inside without the ball, caught up with it, and unleashed a powerful shot in a one-on-one situation.

boom!
Almunia rushed out quickly, diving to deliver the ball to the other side of the penalty area from close range.

Ribery then committed a foul, and the game was stopped.

Duff plopped down inside the penalty area, holding his head in disappointment.

I almost used it as a bottle opener.

"Isn't this a penalty?" Lu Kai complained to the referee.

He pointed to his foot, meaning that Toure had kicked him.

However, the referee ruled that Toure touched the ball first, and that Toure collided head-on with Lu Kai because Lu Kai suddenly turned his back and pulled the ball away to change direction.

In this situation, the defending player has no way of predicting where you will turn, so it is not considered a blocking foul.

Despite the intense competition, Lu Kai managed to pull through, didn't he?

Lu Kai shrugged, knowing that the referee wasn't lying and was quite fair.

After all, Arsenal, a poor club, couldn't afford to buy referees to speak for them, unlike the future Red Gunners who were highly controversial because of set pieces.

In the 26th minute, Lu Kai intercepted the ball in the attacking third, but failed to retain possession, and the ball bounced away.

Flamini, Lu Kai, Duff, Hleb and others fought for the ball, and finally Hleb got possession. Before Duff could bring him down, he sent the ball out with a through pass.

Arsenal launched a counter-attack.

Henry received the ball on the right flank and then passed it to Eboue, who had made a run forward.

Eboue then passed the ball back to Henry.

Henry received the ball, turned, and passed it to Van Persie on his left.

Van Persie cut inside from the left side of the penalty area, then went down the byline, outmaneuvering Kompany, and finally shot from a tight angle.

There are plenty of green-gunned defenders on the football field.

But Van Persie was lucky; the ball just slipped past all the legs, went straight to the far post, and bounced into the net.

"GOAL!"

"1-0! Arsenal take the lead at home."

"Henry assists Van Persie to score, this is the great legacy of the Red Gun King!"

"With a player like Van Persie, it wouldn't be unacceptable if Henry actually went to Barcelona."

"In the first two seasons, people were talking about Rooney. In the last two seasons, people have been discussing who is number one, Robben or Ronaldo."

"But if you ask me, have you forgotten about a super player with exceptional talent named Robin van Persie?"

The Emirates Stadium was filled with jubilation.

And this is indeed their inner monologue.

Van Persie in the forward line, Fabregas in the midfield, and whoever you want in the back – isn't this a championship-winning lineup?

Wenger: You know what you're doing!
29th minute.

Trailing behind, Dartford launched a fierce attack, hoping to quickly equalize.

Ribery dribbled the ball to the right and then passed it back to Modric.

Modric made a series of passing feints to deceive his marker Van Persie.

The hero who was just a moment ago was knocked to the ground by Modric's "devilish steps".

Unfortunately, Arsenal players had already returned to their positions, and the defense was densely packed. Modric couldn't see a good route and had to pass the ball back to Ribery on the right.

Ribery received the ball, made a powerful run down the wing, and delivered a cutback pass from near the byline.

Giroud heads the ball towards goal.

But Almunia rushed out and punched the ball out of the penalty area.

Vidic unleashed a superb long-range shot, sending the ball flying into the stands.

"Green Gun's offensive is also quite sharp."

"These two players are truly the epitome of attacking football."

"No wonder Green Gunners were able to climb to fourth in the Premier League this season and even beat the leaders twice; it's no accident."

"However, a young squad lacks composure. If they get into form too early, it will be difficult to manage later on. Dartford's goal in the Premier League this season will probably only be to secure a Europa League spot, and it will be difficult for them to truly break into the Champions League zone."

Sure enough, after the green gun was fired, the red gun was fired.

In the 34th minute, Arsenal also ganged up on Green Gunners.

Van Persie, with his back to Ashley Young, played a one-two pass back to Fabregas, then turned and surged forward, executing a beautiful two-man combination.

In terms of absolute speed, Van Persie slightly outpaced the vice-goat, catching up with the ball first and making a cross pass.

Unfortunately, Henry positioned himself a little too far forward. Although he realized his position was wrong, Vidic was already engaged with him and wouldn't let him retreat.

The football passed behind the two players.

Hleb rushed into the penalty area on the right, ready to unleash a powerful shot at the ball.

But Pepe, coming from the opposite direction, started his attack first. He looked ahead and launched a long pass into the penalty area, initiating a counterattack.

Except for the Arsenal goalkeeper, all players from both sides were in the Green Gunners' half.

Duff accelerated rapidly to the left front, overtaking Eboue and Toure in succession.

He caught up with the ball as he crossed the halfway line, creating a one-on-one opportunity.

Duff's lightning-fast attack prevented the players behind him from closing the gap, while he also adjusted his position, bursting into the penalty area from the center of the arc.

Almunia had no choice but to go out and attack when his teammates couldn't come to his rescue.

When the two met, Duff fired a low shot and calmly broke through the net.

Almunia, who had performed well, also lost his city gate.

"GOAL!"

"One to one! Dartford quickly equalized the score."

Both sides scored their goals through counter-attacks.

"Years of training at Green Gunners have greatly improved Pepe's passing awareness and ability. His passing skills are top-notch among defenders and outstanding even among defensive midfielders!"

"Duff was as sharp as ever. He rarely missed these kinds of goals, whether at Chelsea or Greenfield."

The Green Gunners players celebrated.

Lu Kai took the opportunity to exchange ideas with Duff and Ribery.

In the 39th minute, Dartford regained possession of the ball.

Ribery feigned an inside cut, but actually went to the byline.

Arsenal's main objective is to prevent him from cutting inside, so getting to the byline will be much easier.

Arsenal's defense tends to be positional, meaning they return to their defensive positions as soon as possible.

Once they establish a foothold, it will be difficult for the opponent to score, because their defensive system has been established.

In situations like this, the opponent's crosses from the byline or long balls don't pose much of a threat, even if Giroud has a height advantage, because the opponent always has more defenders than defenders.

However, if a skilled inside player cuts into the middle and disrupts the formation, Arsenal's defensive quality will drop significantly. Therefore, they are one of the Premier League teams that places the most emphasis on inside-cutting defense.

boom!
Ribery crossed from the byline, but the ball was blocked out of bounds by Clichy.

Reds fans cheered, believing their morale had soared.

But Ribery, who was carrying the ball toward the corner flag, looked toward Lu Kai.

Lu Kai nodded. The tactic was a success!
Arsenal excels in both attack and defense; their defense is not easily broken down unless there is an exceptional counter-attack opportunity.

But... with the departures of Campbell and Vieira, Arsenal's defensive strength has suddenly dropped.

Dartford, on the other hand, has never lacked tall players.

Giroud, Motta, Vidic, and Kompany, all four players who are over 1.9 meters tall, have come up.

Lu Kai, who is slightly shorter, is also 1.87 meters tall, about the same height as Arsenal's peak players Henry and Gilbert Silva.

What defense can Arsenal use?

Sure enough, Wenger on the sidelines immediately tensed up.

boom!
Ribery takes the corner kick.

Players from both sides are vying for position in the penalty area.

Arsenal players mainly resorted to shoving and bumping, because they simply couldn't jump over them.

"Oh no, it's the front post!"

Lu Kai rushed forward, finding a position where he wouldn't be afraid of being pushed.

He headed the ball, which wasn't very high, slightly backward.

[A header at a 68-degree angle!]
The football bounced high, and its speed decreased.

The next moment, a giant rose from the ground.

Vidic, with overwhelming power and unstoppable force, smashed a header into the net.

Gallas, Toure, Flamini, and others immediately appeared smaller next to him.

“GOAL!!!”

"Two to one!"

"Datford have taken the lead!"

"Green Gunners put together a header relay, with Lu Kai assisting Vidic!"

"They seem to have found their own advantage!"

"If they focus on creating corner kicks from the byline, Arsenal might have a tough time!"

(End of this chapter)