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

Tonight at Stamford Bridge, the theme can be summed up in just two words: revenge.

Chelsea will host Arsenal at Old Trafford.

The deafening roar vibrated in our ears, and the deep blue of the home stadium almost drowned out that small patch of stubborn Gunners red.

This is a battlefield, and also a place of revenge.

The bitterness of Chelsea's four-goal defeat at the Emirates Stadium at the beginning of the season had not yet faded when the first leg of the League Cup semi-final reignited in London's West End.

The air was thick with the chilling smell of gunpowder and an even colder determination.

"Ladies and gentlemen! What you are watching is the first leg of the 2018-19 English League Cup semi-final, with Chelsea hosting Arsenal at Stamford Bridge!" The commentator's voice came through the microphone.

"Sarri's Chelsea are eager for revenge, while Wenger's team, riding high on their 9-0 FA Cup victory, will be back in the starting lineup as Arsenal's midfield stalwart Rodri recovers from injury! Yan Yuan remains firmly at the top of the Premier League scoring charts, making this the hottest topic in London tonight!"

"Beep—!"

The referee blew his whistle, and the match began.

The ball was passed between Kovacic and Jorginho, steadily and methodically, attempting to bring the rhythm into Chelsea's familiar pace.

Sarri's team, relying on midfield maestro Jorginho's orchestration, calmly controlled the start of the game.

Hazard roamed down the left flank, forming a sharp combination with Marcos Alonso who made overlapping runs, the two repeatedly probing Arsenal's right flank.

Young Ashraf felt the pressure.

Every touch of the Belgian football legend was accompanied by a cunning variation, testing the limits of his nerves.

Achraf's quick footwork and lack of experience allowed the seasoned Hazard to seize the opportunity, and with a change of pace, Hazard cut inside, seemingly about to tear apart the defense!

Just then! Number 7 arrived in time!

It was none other than Yan Yuan, who should have been at the forefront!

He sensed Chelsea's attacking intent shortly after the start of the game, and Chelsea intended to target Achraf Hakimi and put him under heavy pressure.

Yan Yuan's astonishing speed transformed into close-quarters combat, like an unshakeable magnet, clinging tightly to Hazard's side.

Hazard tried to change direction, but Yan Yuan blocked his position.

Hazard tried to accelerate with a touch of the ball, but Yan Yuan's long legs had already blocked his path.

Once, twice, Hazard's delicate space for maneuvering was completely compressed by Yan Yuan's pure speed and aggressive positioning.

Finally, in the instant of an attempt to turn around and get away, Yan Yuan seized the opportunity, lowered his center of gravity, and delivered a precise and crisp sliding tackle!

The ball was cleanly and decisively knocked out of bounds!

"Ashraf is in danger!... Beautiful! Yan Yuan! A crucial defensive tackle!" the commentator exclaimed.

"Let's look at the replay. At first, Achraf couldn't keep up with Hazard's pace, but Yan Yuan covered for him in time! He showed an extraordinary level of defensive commitment from the start of the game today!"

To reiterate, Yan is definitely not a pure winger in the traditional sense. His defensive coverage is enormous, and his sense of smell and timing are just right!

Ashraf's right flank was not completely breached by Hazard and his teammates thanks to his timely support!

On the sidelines, Wenger knew better than anyone how much trouble Ashraf would have against Hazard, and Yan Yuan's timely and superhuman performance as a right wing-back was undoubtedly a reassurance.

Meanwhile, Sari, on the other end, chewed gum with dissatisfaction, his hands in his coat pockets.

Early in the game, Arsenal withstood Chelsea's high-pressure pressing.

In the 23rd minute, the situation finally eased up a bit, and this time, it was Jorginho, Chelsea's midfield metronome, who felt the pressure.

The pressure brought by Rodri's return should not be underestimated.

The Spanish midfielder, returning from injury, keenly sensed Jorginho's hesitation as he turned around under Pepe's pressure.

Without any fancy moves, Rodri's strong body lunged forward like a high-speed train!

Clean! Ruthless! They snatched the ball directly from the Italian player's feet!

The moment he made the successful interception, Rodri raised his head and scanned the frontcourt like a precise radar.

He didn't need to visually confirm each move; his intuition, fueled by his football intelligence, allowed him to instantly pinpoint the optimal attack path:

It was the familiar number 7 on the right flank, quietly making a diagonal incursion from the right flank into the brief vacuum in Chelsea's central territory!

"Rodri's steal! Great shot! Danger!" the commentator's voice rose.

Without pausing or dribbling, Rodri's right foot, like a precision-guided missile launcher, met the lower part of the ball with a powerful chip!

A powerful, high-spinning half-high ball, reaching about chest height.

The half-high ball whistled through the gap between Jorginho and Kovacic in Chelsea midfield with astonishing speed.

The ball's flight path was both flat and rapid, with a strong forward spin.

That was the perfect point of contact for Yan Yuan's high-speed sprint.

Yan Yuan's performance time has arrived.

He rarely slows down when approaching the ball.

Yan Yuan's eyes were fixed on the ball's landing point, and his footwork was precise, neither too much nor too little.

As the ball flew towards them, Chelsea's defenders Luiz and Azpilicueta simultaneously realized the danger and pounced on the landing point like two lions.

Yan Yuan made a decision that made the entire Stamford Bridge hold its breath:

He didn't stop the ball! Not even a moment's hesitation!

The ball was just about half a meter in front of him!

Yan Yuan firmly planted his left foot on the rain-soaked turf.

His body suddenly leaped into the air!

His left arm spread out like an eagle's wing, maintaining his body's perfect balance in the air.

His right leg was like a fully drawn bow, all his core strength bursting forth at this moment, the muscle lines of his leg taut like the texture of rock under the light, and his instep as straight as a steel plate!

Yan Yuan faced the spinning, descending ball.

The instep of his right foot struck the ball with explosive force, like a perfectly aimed sniper bullet!

"Bang--!!!"

A deep, resounding bang, as if a cannonball had exploded on the edge of the restricted area!

After being struck by Yan Yuan's instep, the ball instantly turned into a white afterimage.

This ball had no parabola, no significant arc, only a terrifying, straight kinetic energy that could destroy everything!

This shot went straight, brutally cleaving open the curtain of a rainy night at Stamford Bridge.

The target is aimed directly at the absolute top left corner of the goal!

Kepa reacted extremely quickly on the goal line.

He pushed off the ground with springs, his body soaring out to the side like a roc spreading its wings, his arms reaching their maximum length.

Fingertips strain to reach the corner of the goal!

It was all in vain, nothing but futile efforts.

Without the slightest hesitation, the ball grazed Kepa's desperate fingertips a few inches above his fingertips before slamming into the corner where the lower edge of the crossbeam met the inside of the post!

"Bang!! Swish—!"

After a crisp impact, came the sound of the ball spinning wildly as it crashed into the snow-white net!

0-1!

"GOOOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!" The commentary booth was instantly ignited! The commentator's voice was completely shattered by extreme excitement and shock, almost turning into a superhuman roar.

"Yan Yuan!!! My God!!!!! My eyes aren't deceiving me?! From the center circle to the edge of the penalty area! A half-high ball! A first-time shot! An absolute world-class goal!!!! Absolutely! Perfect! An unparalleled world-class goal! Kepa had no chance! He watched the goal go in! Stamford Bridge was frozen in an instant!!!"

The deathly silence of the stands instantly enveloped the Stamford Bridge, which had just been boiling like a furnace.

The expressions of tens of thousands of Chelsea fans froze, their mouths slightly agape, as if they had been collectively petrified.

Only that small red corner, like a long-suppressed volcano, suddenly erupted with earth-shattering ecstasy!

After scoring, Yan Yuan spread his arms, began his run-up, and then glided along the ground, leaving a deep, long mark on the cold, slippery turf of Stamford Bridge.

The final destination was the stands of the Expeditionary Force, where gunmen were shouting wildly and waving red and white flags!

His teammates rushed in from all directions like madmen, piling him down on top of him like a human pyramid.

Rhodesley was the first to rush over, pounding his head and yelling.

Odegaard, Saka, Aubameyang... everyone's faces were filled with unbelievable ecstasy and utter madness.

On the sidelines, Wenger's usually calm and composed face was now turbulent with emotion. He clenched his fists and swung them forcefully towards the sky, his admiration undisguised.

Chelsea, who were looking to get revenge, were defeated 0-1 so quickly, which is quite dramatic.

After a brief period of deathly silence on Stamford Bridge, what erupted was not despair, but a more ferocious and desperate roar.

Chelsea's flames of revenge were ignited by this incredible goal.

Hazard and Willian began frequent and dangerous positional swaps.

The two were like two poisoned daggers, taking turns stabbing at the right flank that Ashraf and Yan Yuan were jointly protecting, and even trying to penetrate the heart of Arsenal.

In the 35th minute, Kovacic intercepted the ball in the middle and quickly passed it to Willian, who was open on the right wing.

The Brazilian looked up to his left and delivered a surgical through ball!

They broke through the gap in the flanks that Arsenal had briefly exposed due to their forward press.

Hazard unleashed a ghostly attack! Like a blue lightning bolt, he precisely pierced the fatal gap between Cancelo and Pepe! Offside trap successfully broken!

A one-on-one confrontation with Martin!

The heart of the entire stadium seemed to stop beating at that moment! Only the rustling of raindrops hitting the turf and the sound of Hazard's sprinting footsteps could be heard!

Big Martin had no choice.

He abandoned his goal and rushed towards Hazard like a moving city wall, blocking his shooting angles as much as possible.

Hazard was too calm.

Tonight he played at the level he did in the 2018 World Cup.

As a top finisher, while running at high speed, he simply used the outside of his right foot to flick the ball to the right.

He capitalized on a time difference! A perfect maneuver! He easily evaded Martin's blocking body.

Next, it seems all that's left is to gently push open the door...

Hazard's right foot was already raised, about to push towards the far corner of the empty goal.

Chelsea's cheers were about to burst through the dome of Stamford Bridge.

A blur shot out from outside the frame at an incredible speed!

Ashraf's ghost was Hazard's nightmare at this time.

This young man, who was previously struggling to defend against Hazard, now seems like a perpetual motion machine that knows no fatigue!

He gritted his teeth and sprinted forward relentlessly, his eyes fixed on the ball that was about to cross the goal line.

At the very edge of the goal, less than half a meter away, he threw himself out completely.

Ashraf slid across the slippery grass, and thankfully the grass was slippery enough tonight, allowing him to slide quite far.

His right leg stretched out!

In the last millisecond, his toes miraculously reached the ball!

"Snapped!"

For Arsenal, it was a gentle touch, yet like heavenly music.

The ball was deflected by Ashraf's toe and rolled out of bounds, almost grazing the outside of the right post!

In an instant, Hazard's efforts were in vain.

"Hazard is one-on-one with Martinez!!! He's dribbled past Martinez!! Shot... My God!! Achraf Hakimi, Hakimi, where did you come from!!!" The commentator's horrified roar trembled violently at the dramatic turn of events.

"A last-ditch goal-line clearance! Unbelievable! Arsenal's right-back appeared like a ghost in the most dangerous position!!! Where did he come from?! That sliding tackle was priceless! He saved Arsenal's lead! He's definitely a strong contender for the best defense of the season! Without a doubt!"

The cheers from Stamford Bridge were abruptly silenced, turning into a hissing sound of gasping for air.

Then it turned into boos directed at the Arsenal players.

Arsenal players were spared from the ordeal. Yan Yuan pulled up Achraf, who was still lying in the water, and hugged his head tightly.

Martin rushed over and patted the superhero on the back. He let out a heavy sigh of relief, his eyes filled with approval and gratitude as he looked at Ashraf.

Wenger waved his arm wildly on the sidelines, his eyes filled with a mixture of lingering fear and overwhelming joy.

Sarri's frustration was clearly written on his expressionless face.

In the final minutes of the first half, Chelsea's attack became even more ferocious, like a raging torrent.

Pepe and Monreal, two seasoned veterans, have become the most reliable anchors in the defense.

Pepe used his strong and tall body to fight and win the aerial battles against Giroud one after another, and his roar was like a lion.

Monreal, with his accurate judgment, repeatedly defused dangerous crosses and broke through the flanks.

When Willian attempted to cut into the penalty area in the final moments, but Monreal blocked his position and skillfully shielded the ball out of bounds, the whistle for halftime finally blew.

1-0! The Gunners went into the locker room with a valuable away lead and a goal and save that will go down in history.

The rain at Stamford Bridge seemed even colder and more biting.