Chapter 458: Wenger's Bold Words and Arsenal in the Lead
"I know many people don't believe Arsenal can beat Manchester City. Indeed, our record against them in recent years hasn't been great," said Wenger. "But I want to tell everyone, today's Arsenal is different!" "We will definitely win this match!" Before the start of the Premier League's 17th round match, where Arsenal hosted Manchester City, Wenger expressed his firm belief in victory during an interview. His confident tone suggested he was making a pledge.
This statement piqued public interest. If Arsenal could indeed defeat Manchester City as Wenger claimed, City's lead could shrink to just three points, significantly increasing the suspense in this season's title race. This led many fans to tune in eagerly to see how Arsenal would challenge City.
As expected, the highly anticipated clash between these two giants began. Arsenal played aggressively from the start, showing a level of intensity and aggression in both attack and defense that seemed out of character. This change in Arsenal's approach intrigued the fans:
What happened to Arsenal? Why do they seem so energized? Is this the same Arsenal we know?
The general perception of Arsenal was that they are a traditional Premier League powerhouse that hasn't won the league title in many years. Every season, they start strong but falter at crucial moments. Nevertheless, their performance has been consistently stable, never dropping out of the top four in the last decade. Even if they often just scrape into the top four, maintaining a top-four spot in a league packed with giants is an impressive feat. After all, even historically richer clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United have fallen out of the top four. This consistency affirms Arsenal's strength.
However, Arsenal's position is often seen as being above ordinary teams but below the top tier—a middling status. Their performance over the past decade in the league and Champions League supports this view. Arsenal's raw power might be a notch below the elite clubs, but this doesn't mean they can't win against top teams. Arsenal is known for being unbeatable when things are going their way.
Perhaps because Arsenal's squad is generally younger and follows a more technical playstyle, they are often seen as lacking resilience, with a softer playing style that struggles in adverse situations. This is particularly evident in the physically demanding Premier League. Since Bergkamp's era, Arsenal has been criticized for lacking toughness. However, when not playing from behind, Arsenal's elegant passing and cutting moves are beautiful to watch, creating a formidable offense that's hard to defend against, even for top teams like Bayern Munich.
Not long ago, in the Champions League group stage against Bayern, Arsenal's two first-half goals were met with widespread applause. Most fans thought Arsenal had the game in the bag at halftime. But no one expected Bayern to stage a dramatic comeback in the second half, scoring five goals. This game perfectly illustrated Arsenal's dual nature: unbeatable when ahead, but struggling badly when behind.
After this match, criticism of Arsenal grew, with many suggesting Wenger had grown too old and should retire. If Arsenal hadn't managed to scrape through their group in the Champions League, the criticism would have been even harsher.
Therefore, this match against City was crucial for both Wenger and Arsenal. Winning would not only improve their public perception, proving they can win tough matches, but also help the team build momentum from their Champions League breakthrough, transforming into a genuine top team. As Arsenal's manager, Wenger was tired of the recurring narrative of his team faltering in the second half of the season. He wanted to change their fate, and City was the perfect stepping stone.
On the visiting bench, Guardiola watched Arsenal's aggressive start with a newfound respect for Wenger. Few teams dare to play so aggressively against City. Most Premier League teams play very conservatively against City, satisfied with just a draw. Such matches are tough for City. If more teams played like Arsenal, the games would be easier. Despite this, Guardiola remained cautious. Wenger is not reckless; Arsenal must have some confidence to play this way. He was curious to see what Arsenal had planned.
The fans at the Emirates Stadium didn't care about the strategies. They cheered as both teams played offensively, especially the Arsenal fans, who were invigorated, singing Arsenal's anthem loudly. This further fueled the young Arsenal players' intensity. Seeing this effort, Wenger grew a bit concerned, hoping his players wouldn't burn out and lose steam in the second half.
Arsenal's efforts paid off. In the first 15 minutes, they controlled the game, making it hard for City to organize effective attacks, relying instead on individual brilliance for a few shots. Arsenal's goalkeeper, Cech, was in excellent form, making a close-range save against Lin Quan's solo attempt in the 12th minute. This save elevated the stadium's atmosphere to new heights, with Arsenal's fans and players' morale soaring.
After missing the solo chance, Lin Quan was also surprised.
His success rate on breakaways is very high, and it's rare for him to be blocked. Just now, when he faced Cech, who rushed out, he planned to cut the ball past the goalkeeper. However, Cech anticipated his move and intercepted the ball ahead of time. No wonder Cech was once named the best goalkeeper in the world by the IFFHS; he is indeed incredibly strong!
It's unclear why Chelsea let Cech go, but Arsenal clearly picked up a gem. Reportedly, Arsenal signed him for a very low transfer fee, only 12 million euros. After making the save, Cech looked at Lin Quan, who smiled and gave him a thumbs-up, complimenting his performance. Cech initially wanted to show off to Lin Quan but was taken aback by the thumbs-up and returned the gesture, acknowledging Lin Quan's impressive breakaway.
Manchester City's attacking round had just ended, and Arsenal quickly responded. Seizing the opportunity with City's formation pushed forward, Arsenal launched a fast counterattack. Özil made a precise pass to his teammate on the wing. Theo Walcott sprinted along the wing, drove the ball to the byline, and sent a cross into City's penalty area.
Giroud jumped and made a powerful header toward the goal. Fortunately, Manchester City's goalkeeper, Navas, was alert and quickly tipped the ball over the crossbar. This save was just as spectacular as Cech's save earlier. Both goalkeepers had stepped up, each making a brilliant save.
Seeing his shot saved, Giroud held his head in disbelief, looking like he'd seen a ghost. Theo Walcott also shook his head in regret at the missed opportunity. "What a chance!" In such a fast-paced match, there would be more opportunities like this, and Walcott didn't have to dwell on it for long.
Five minutes later, Arsenal came back with another attack. Walcott, after a one-two with a teammate, charged toward City's goal. This time, he chose not to cross but cut inside and took a shot from the edge of the box. Under defensive pressure, the shot lacked quality and was easily saved by the goalkeeper.
Giroud spread his hands toward Sanchez, seemingly saying, "I was in a great position, and he didn't pass. Too selfish, right?" Sanchez felt even more puzzled, wondering why Özil kept passing to Walcott instead of him. "I'm the main man for Arsenal, aren't I?"
Walcott's activity drew City players' attention, and they focused on defending his side, not giving him easy chances to shoot again. Özil, with his high football IQ, noticed City's tightened defense on the right and decisively shifted his passes to the left, targeting Sanchez more.
Since joining Arsenal, Sanchez had been their key player. Last season, he played 52 matches for Arsenal, scoring 25 goals, showcasing his high scoring efficiency. Once Özil started passing to him, Sanchez quickly displayed his expected performance.
In the 33rd minute of the first half, Arsenal executed a beautiful passing play, with Sanchez receiving Özil's excellent pass and scoring with a low shot in the box, changing the score to 1-0! It was a superb goal, with Arsenal's counterattack featuring excellent coordination that left City's defense in disarray, giving Sanchez the chance to shoot.
However, Özil, who provided the assist, also deserved credit. If he hadn't spotted the gap in City's defense and synced perfectly with his teammates, Sanchez wouldn't have had such an opportunity. After scoring, Sanchez pointed to Özil, indicating the goal was largely thanks to him!
On the sidelines, Wenger leapt in excitement, celebrating with clenched fists as Sanchez scored. The Emirates Stadium erupted like a pressure cooker, boiling over with joy as Arsenal took the lead. "We are ahead! Coach Wenger has really done it!" Arsenal fans began to believe Wenger's pre-match promise. He said he would lead Arsenal to victory over City, and now the score seemed to validate his claim.
"Well done!" "Keep it up!" "Beat City!" In the pubs of North London, some Arsenal fans, their faces flushed from drinking, raised their glasses and shouted. Scoring against City felt amazing; they hadn't beaten City in years! Winning today would be worth celebrating with a night of drinking!
The opponents' lead didn't make City's players nervous or anxious. They had faced all kinds of battles and had gained rich experience and a mature mindset. Being one goal down was nothing. Hadn't they been in worse situations before? In a previous match against Liverpool, they were down three goals at the start but still managed to come back.
On the sidelines, Guardiola was pleased to see his players not losing their composure after falling behind. It showed that City had truly transformed. He saw qualities in his players that only top clubs possessed: confidence, composure, and calmness. This mindset would minimize fluctuations in their performance, allowing them to showcase their strength more consistently. Even when trailing, they believed they could turn the game around and had the ability to do so. Top clubs are hard to beat because of this deep-seated confidence; their players are inherently more self-assured than those of ordinary teams.
City was evolving in this direction, which was a positive sign. As the match resumed, Arsenal fans at the Emirates focused intently on the pitch, knowing their team excelled when in the lead. With Arsenal ahead, they eagerly awaited more brilliant plays, wondering if their team would extend the lead to 2-0 or even 3-0.
Given City's comeback from a 0-3 deficit in a previous home match, some Arsenal fans thought scoring four goals was the only safe bet. They weren't worried about the challenge of scoring four against City. When Arsenal hit their stride, goals came easily. As long-time fans, they had seen it many times. The only question was how long Arsenal could maintain this form and how soon the next goal would come. If it took until the second half, when Arsenal's form might dip, the situation could change.
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