After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

With the International Champions Cup nearing its end, Arsenal faced their final opponent, their old Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Unlike the previous two matches against Dortmund and Barcelona, ​​this "English Premier League derby," while also a warm-up game, had a familiar tension between the players and fans.

Mourinho's Manchester United and Wenger's Arsenal, these old rivals, are bound to spark a clash whenever they meet.

After the game started, both sides lined up their respective lineups.

The match started at a noticeably faster pace and was more intense than the previous two.

Manchester United are trying to use Lukaku as a target man and Rashford's attacking prowess on the left flank to launch quick counter-attacks.

Arsenal relied on Rodri's solid control of the game and Maddison's creativity to organize their attacks.

The focus of the match quickly shifted to Arsenal's right flank.

Yan Yuan, playing as a right winger, was directly matched up against Manchester United's left-back Ashley Young.

Yang is experienced, but at 33 years old, his speed and explosiveness are no longer what they used to be.

Yan Yuan, on the other hand, not only possesses top-notch startup speed and driving skills, but also has a huge advantage.

He knows Rashford all too well!

During the England national team's World Cup training and matches.

Yan Yuan and Rashford spent every day together, training, playing, and even occasionally reviewing game footage together.

He knew Rashford's positioning habits, dribbling style, whether he preferred to cut inside or go to the byline, and even some of his little tricks when handling the ball.

This familiarity of "teammates turning into opponents" can often translate into a huge advantage in top-level competition.

Manchester United's attacks often started from the left flank, with Rashford receiving the ball and attempting to break past Hakimi.

But Yan Yuan had already begun to anticipate Rashford's next move before Rashford even received the ball.

When Rashford habitually tries to use his speed to overpower Ashraf, Yan Yuan will move in advance to block his cutting inside.

When Rashford attempts to cross from the byline, Yan Yuan quickly tracks back to cover and compress his space.

Yan Yuan completely controlled Master La.

Rashford played very awkwardly, feeling as if Yan Yuan could predict his every move, leaving him unable to exert his strength.

After several unsuccessful attempts to break through, Rashford appeared somewhat impatient and began to make more mistakes.

Defensively, Yan Yuan suppressed Rashford, while offensively, he formed a very efficient attacking combination with Ashraf and attacking midfielder Maddison.

In the 28th minute, Rodri intercepted Herrera's pass in midfield and quickly passed the ball to Maddison, who had dropped back to receive it.

Madison possesses exquisite footwork and a relatively wide field of vision.

He took the ball, turned around, looked up and observed that Yan Yuan on the right wing had already started his forward run.

Ashley Young is trying to catch up with Yan Yuan.

Madison delivered a precise long diagonal pass.

The ball, spinning sharply, flew over the head of Manchester United midfielder Fred and landed precisely in front of Manchester United left-back Ashley Young.

Yan Yuan sprang into action like a cheetah, instantly shaking off Yang's guard.

He stopped the ball with his chest and then took several long strides to dribble towards the baseline.

Ashley Young tried his best to catch up, but the speed difference was obvious.

Yan Yuan dribbled the ball to the vicinity of the byline, but instead of blindly crossing, he calmly observed the movement of his teammates in the penalty area.

He saw Lacazette making a high-speed run from the center towards the near post of the six-yard box, drawing the attention of Manchester United centre-back Lindelof.

Yan Yuan seized the opportunity and delivered a perfectly executed inverted triangular pass with just the right amount of power and arc using the instep of his right foot.

The ball bypassed the defender at the near post and rolled cleverly towards the penalty spot.

Madison's timing for his run was perfect.

Madison met the ball without adjusting and calmly slotted it home with the inside of his right foot.

The ball flew like an arrow, soaring straight into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Although De Gea reacted quickly, he was too far away to reach the target.

1-0.

After scoring, Madison excitedly rushed towards the corner flag, and Yan Yuan and Ashraf immediately ran over to hug him in celebration.

This attack, from Rodri intercepting the ball to Maddison initiating a long pass, then Yan Yuan breaking through and crossing, and finally Maddison making a late run to score, was a fluid and well-coordinated display of Arsenal's attacking prowess on the right flank.

Ashley Young was completely overwhelmed by Yan Yuan's speed and Madison's passing in this defensive play, and seemed powerless to do anything about it.

Manchester United's left flank became Arsenal's main attacking channel.

Although Rashford was marked by Yan Yuan, Manchester United tried to shift the ball more to their right flank, while using the individual abilities of their midfielders to attack the right side guarded by Cancelo and Hakimi.

Arsenal's left-winger Cancelo was active in this match, making several threatening runs into the box.

However, their defense still showed some weaknesses against Manchester United's attacks, with Pogba successfully breaking through several times using his speed and changes of direction.

Fortunately, Pepe and Monreal stepped in in time to avert the danger.

Mourinho watched from the sidelines with a furrowed brow.

He certainly saw Ashley Young's predicament on the left wing.

Mourinho turned to look at the substitutes' bench, where a healthy Luke Shaw was sitting.

Luke Shaw's defensive prowess makes him a better option for dealing with the "supercar duo" of Yan Yuan and Ashraf.

Mourinho raised and lowered his hand several times, his mind in turmoil.

Should we really replace him with Luke Shaw?

To be honest, it's a bit much.

After all, the International Champions Cup is just a commercial warm-up match.

Moreover, Luke Shaw's injury history is a major concern for Mourinho, especially his serious leg injury in 2015.

With the new Premier League season about to begin, Manchester United need a healthy Luke Shaw to cope with the long season.

If we put him to the test against the in-form Yan Yuan and Ashraf in this insignificant cup match, and if Luke Shaw gets injured again...

Tsk tsk.

Mourinho wouldn't dare take that risk.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and did not make any substitutions, but instead loudly directed the players on the sidelines to strengthen their defensive support.

On the other side, Professor Wenger also keenly observed the situation on the field.

Arsenal are currently in the lead and their attacks down the right flank are relentless. While there is a defensive concern on the left flank due to Cancelo, it is not a major obstacle for the time being.

The professor also considered that this was just a warm-up match, and winning or losing was not the primary goal.

More importantly, it is about protecting the players and avoiding unnecessary injuries, especially key players and promising stars like Yan Yuan, Saka, and Odegaard.

Seeing that Manchester United did not field a fresh squad for a full-scale counterattack, Wenger also made a gesture.

The professor walked to the sidelines and gestured to the players on the field.

He instructed his players to control the tempo, reduce unnecessary risky attacks, and maintain a stable formation.

The players on the field understood each other perfectly.

After that, Yan Yuan continued to pose a threat on the right flank, but reduced the number of times he made individual breakthroughs and focused more on passing and coordinating with his teammates.

Ashraf's runs into the box also became more restrained.

Arsenal's overall attacking momentum was somewhat restrained, but they maintained good possession and defensive formation.

Both sides played cautiously, and the match ended with Arsenal narrowly defeating Manchester United 1-0.

In the three International Champions Cup matches, Arsenal achieved a respectable record of two wins and one draw (against Dortmund and Manchester United, and against Barcelona).

More importantly, the team has received positive signs in terms of new player integration, tactical cohesion, and the form of key players.

Yan Yuan contributed goals and assists in three matches, demonstrating his core value;

Saka scored his first goal; new signings such as Ødegaard, Rodri, and Hakimi also had impressive performances.

……

Returning to London's Colney training ground with positive results from the International Champions Cup, Professor Wenger and his coaching staff were not blinded by victory.

The professor carefully reviewed the video recordings of the three matches, especially the problems exposed against Barcelona and Manchester United, and a clear weakness emerged.

That's left-wing defense!

Especially Cancelo, the Portuguese full-back known for his attacking prowess, whose defensive consistency is a cause for concern.

Cancelo is extremely committed to the attack, but his timely recovery and defensive positioning are clearly problematic.

When faced with attacks from top wingers, he seemed to have few options, was prone to losing his position, and required frequent cover from center-backs, which put extra pressure on the entire defense.

Although Saka is exceptionally talented, he is still young and needs to improve his experience and positional awareness on the defensive end.

Professor Wenger called a meeting with the coaching staff and said,

"João's attacking talent is beyond doubt; he is an important weapon for our attacks on the flanks."

But if we want to go further in the Premier League and the Champions League, we must improve the overall defensive capabilities on the left flank, especially João's defensive awareness and Saka's understanding of each other. This requires specialized, high-intensity training.

A bold and effective solution was quickly proposed and implemented.

The coaching staff plans to use Yan Yuan as a top-tier sparring partner to build an ironclad defensive barrier on the left flank!

Wenger certainly knew that the best way to improve Cancelo's defensive abilities was through real match performances.

Fortunately, Arsenal has a world-class right winger – Yan Yuan.

His speed, technique, dribbling ability, and rhythm changes are all excellent benchmarks for testing and improving left-wing defense.

Therefore, Professor Wenger made special arrangements for the subsequent intra-team scrimmage training sessions.

They were divided into two groups to compete against each other.

Normally, Cancelo and Yan Yuan are in the same group.

But this time, Cancelo and Yan Yuan were matched up against each other.

For Cancelo, the training intensity has suddenly increased!

Professor Wenger stood personally on the sidelines, closely watching every offensive and defensive confrontation on the left flank.

As soon as training began, Yan Yuan and Ashraf, the right-wing duo, displayed terrifying power.

Yan Yuan used various methods to attack Cancelo.

Sometimes, it involves using a relative speed advantage to force an overtake on the outside, testing Cancelo's recovery speed and positioning awareness.

Sometimes, sudden stops and starts, feints, and changes in stride frequency and center of gravity can shift Cancelo's balance.

Another option is to draw Cancelo's weight outwards, then suddenly cut inside to try and combine with Odegaard or Lacazette, or simply take a long-range shot.

Finally, Yan Yuan also played a one-two with Ashraf, who had made a run down the flank, before crossing from the byline, testing Cancelo's ability to anticipate and block the crosses.

It was purely military training.

[Yan Yuan: Cancelo!]

[Cancelo: Here!]

Under Yan Yuan's relentless onslaught, Cancelo appeared flustered and repeatedly lost his position.

Saka also seemed somewhat lost when providing help defense, unsure whether to stick close to Yan Yuan or protect the space behind Cancelo.

Whenever Cancelo is beaten or his defense is out of position, Professor Wenger will immediately stop training.

He went to Cancelo's side, not to scold him, but to patiently explain:

"João, watch your positioning! Don't stray too far from Saka, keep the defensive formation compact!"

"Watch Yan's shoulder! You know Yan's center of gravity shifts very quickly, so don't kick him recklessly! Keep your distance and block the inside cutting lanes!"

"Get back on defense! Return to your positions immediately after the attack ends! Don't linger in the attacking third!"

"João, communicate with Saka! Shout it out! Clearly tell him your location and intentions!"

……

Wenger will also patiently guide Saka.

"Bucayo, when Yan cuts inside, you need to be careful to protect the area behind João!"

"Be decisive in providing support, but don't blindly rush in! Remember to maintain your overall formation!"

"Immediately counter-press after losing possession to slow down their attack!"

At the same time, Wenger gave Yan Yuan even more extra help.

After Yan Yuan used a beautiful feint to get past Cancelo and cut inside to shoot, Wenger called him over.

"Yan, that cut inside was beautiful. But," Wenger changed the subject, "if you were a defender, what do you think an attacker like that would be most afraid of? Or, what kind of defense would you find most difficult to break through?"

Yan Yuan paused for a moment, then began to think.

"Hmm... What I fear most is defenders who anticipate my moves perfectly, blocking my cut inside, and who are very physically strong, not giving me any easy space to accelerate. Also... the excellent teamwork between the defenders and the wingers, one pressing and the other positioning themselves, makes it very difficult for me."

Wenger nodded approvingly.

"Very good, kid. This is the art of defense. You've now put yourself in the attacker's shoes and grasped the difficulties and key points of defense. This will also help your future offensive choices. Remember this feeling, and in training, you should also try to break down your own habitual offensive methods."

The idea that the professor taught Yan Yuan was somewhat similar to "destruction before construction".

These words truly enlightened Yan Yuan.

After receiving guidance and reflecting, Yan Yuan no longer treated this confrontation merely as a "sparring" task, but began to consciously observe Cancelo and Saka's defensive strategies and think about why they were sometimes able to defend against him.

There are also the potential weaknesses in his own offensive tactics against top-tier defenses.

This undoubtedly represents a new level of improvement for Yan Yuan's offensive choices and game reading abilities.

As the training progressed, under the meticulous guidance of Professor Wenger and the repeated tempering by Yan Yuan, the "top whetstone,"...

A few days later, Cancelo and Saka's defense on the left flank began to show positive changes.

Cancelo gradually came to understand the importance of defensive positioning and choice that Wenger emphasized.

He reduced his reckless rushes and learned to use physical contact to slow down Yan Yuan's acceleration, while paying more attention to coordinating his position with Saka.

Saka has also become more proactive and decisive, daring to press and interfere when assisting in defense, and his awareness of counter-pressing after losing the ball has clearly increased.

The two started communicating more, reminding each other of their positions and who to defend.

Although Yan Yuan and Achraf still held the advantage, Cancelo was easily beaten one-on-one less often, and Saka was able to more effectively disrupt Yan Yuan's passes and shots.

The defensive formation on the left flank has become more solid, and the efficiency of supporting and covering has improved significantly.

After training, Cancelo was able to calm down and would often take the initiative to find Professor Wenger or the defensive coach to ask for advice on some defensive details.

Sometimes he would ask his older brother Pepe for advice on defense.

Yan Yuan would also take the initiative to seek out professors and ask them about any new questions he had discovered.

The professor actually preferred answering Yan Yuan's questions.

Because his beloved student always asked insightful questions, he enjoyed answering those kinds of questions.

Now, the entire Arsenal is immersed in a positive and progressive atmosphere.

Professor Wenger looked at the players sweating profusely on the training field, especially his left-wing partner who was growing rapidly under "high pressure," and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

The challenges of the new season have only just begun, with fierce competition in the Premier League and formidable rivals in the Champions League looming ahead.

However, through the test of the International Champions Cup and the targeted training during this period, the team exposed its problems and found directions for improvement.

Yan Yuan is not only the professor's sharpest spear,

He also became the professor's most favored candidate for future captain.

He even has a higher opinion of him than his former favorite student.

This young Arsenal team is becoming more resilient and mature at a visible pace.