"Arsenal kept attacking! Oh, Makelele stole the ball. Whenever you picture Makelele, it's easy to imagine his role on the pitch - he was born for this position. Aldrich Hall is praising Makélélé in front of the media, and now... Larsson breaks through! Goal! Millwall takes the lead! The scorer is Larsson! That was so quick—so quick! After Makélélé won the ball, he passed it to Pirlo. Arsenal's forward players were still in the process of shifting forward after just finishing a defensive play, and that left them vulnerable to Millwall's sudden attack. Pirlo's incisive through ball sliced through Arsenal's defensive lines, and while Shevchenko and Trezeguet were marked by Keown and Winterburn, Larsson made a run from the left to the right. In that split second, Adams lost track of him, and the Swedish sharpshooter seized the chance. Look at how he turns to strike the ball, adjusting his steps while on the move and elegantly lifting it towards the far corner of the net. It wasn't a conventional shot, but it was the most effective and appropriate way to score. The ball is in! Larsson has opened the scoring, kicking off his pursuit for the Premier League Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe!"
After scoring, Larsson ran to the corner flag, arms outstretched, grinning from ear to ear. The fans near the stands erupted with joy.
"Top Scorer! Top Scorer! Larsson! Larsson!"
The crowd was electric, chanting non-stop.
His teammates seemed accustomed to Larsson's ghostly movements after his sudden bursts of speed, effortlessly slotting the ball into the net.
This was a massive morale booster for the entire team.
The midfielders created the opportunity, and the forward seized it—trusting each other, The Lions had no fear of failing to establish dominance!
Arsenal's players looked a bit disheartened. Although they didn't blame each other, an inexplicable sensation weighed on their minds.
The defenders might think that after working hard to defend successfully, they hadn't even caught their breath before being hit by a counterattack.
The forwards felt frustrated too. They knew it was a chance to counter, but the pass was inaccurate, leaving them to run for nothing and now having to regroup.
Aldridge raised his right fist on the sideline with a threatening smile on his face.
"That's it!"
The essence of offensive football is pressure.
Arsenal's biggest weakness at this stage comes from their turnover rate when switching from defense to attack.
Petit and Overmars had just joined the team—one was a key defensive midfielder, the other was an attacking winger.
If they couldn't coordinate well with their teammates, Millwall could break Arsenal's solid defense through repeated attacks, regardless of failing the first.
That goal was a prime example.
Especially Makélélé's interception—it was a masterclass.
It can be said that without Makélélé's precise anticipation and powerful interceptions, Millwall wouldn't be able to field two wingers comfortably cutting in, nor would their full-backs dare to push forward.
Without Makélélé's ability to intercept key passes during the opponent's counter, Millwall's defensive gaps would be significant.
His key role was in the way opponents believed they had a golden opportunity, only to be stifled by Makélélé's sudden intervention, flipping the momentum, then prompting a swift Millwall counterattack that left the opponent scrambling!
As Larsson and Shevchenko's movements on the front line became increasingly coordinated, they could create a numerical advantage on one side at crucial moments, allowing them to attack fiercely, thus forming direct threats to the goal.
Wenger stepped up to calm the players down, reminding them to stay focused on their roles and adhere to the defensive counter strategy.
They could not let one goal make them reckless and rush forward attacking wildly—that would lead to disaster!
After scoring, Millwall maintained their advantage, launching relentless attacks.
Larsson was the most active player on the front line; his every run created opportunities, but both of his shots after the goal were too angled, missing the target.
Arsenal's counterattack patterns became all too familiar to Millwall. Once Overmars had the ball, Capdevila defended just like when Schneider faced top players—slowing the pace without rushing in, pushing the attacker towards the sidelines. They had teammates ready to intercept if an attempt was made. If he wanted to cross, go ahead—their defensive formation was already well-positioned!
Bergkamp struggled to connect with his compatriots, as they failed to pose any legitimate threat with crosses after the thirty-minute mark. Vieira gradually became more involved in the attack, giving Arsenal a few decent shots.
In the thirty-seventh minute of the first half, Millwall repeated their successful tactic. Pirlo penetrated the right side of the box with a perfectly timed through ball. Trezeguet was in the middle, and both Shevchenko and Larsson were ready to respond.
This time, Adams stayed closely behind Larsson, anticipating his reception to put in a pressure defense.
But just at the edge of the box, Larsson feigned to receive the ball, using his body to block Adams, while Shevchenko intercepted the rolling ball from the side. Winterburn was obstructed and was clearly frustrated enough to curse.
Petit rushed back to cut off Shevchenko's inside run, but in doing so, he inadvertently opened up space on the left side of the Arsenal box. Nedvěd darted into the area, and Shevchenko passed it behind Keown, right into the path of the far-left post.
As Keown turned, Nedvěd was already ready to strike.
The ball was cleanly hit into the upper corner of the net, and it was so fast that Seaman couldn't get a fingertip on it!
"What a wonderful combination! Millwall excels at widening defensive gaps through lateral movements. Once an opening appears in the box, they won't hesitate to punish the opposing team. Look at how the attacking players—Trezeguet, Shevchenko, Larsson—drew four Arsenal defenders towards them, purposefully congesting the right flank, leaving another side vulnerable. Nedvěd burst through at high speed, received the perfect pass, and struck without hesitation. This showcases the power of team football! Arsenal, who we waited all summer to see, seems to be even weaker than under Graham. Although their football back then was dull, it was rare to see them concede two goals in under forty minutes!"
"Will this be a repeat of last season's encounters? Arsenal is now two goals down, and their chances are fading again."
Wenger stood on the sidelines, his expression grave. Just looking at the numbers during the attacking and defending sequences, when conceding both goals, Arsenal and Millwall were evenly matched, but Millwall crafted exquisite combinations using their equal numbers to break through.
However, if you compared each player individually, Arsenal's defenders were top-tier; you couldn't fault their defensive abilities. It felt like Millwall's players might falter if they moved to other teams.
That showcases the head coach's ability.
Unity, fluidity, and finesse—Millwall's football style has created a whirlwind that seems unstoppable!
Nedvěd ran to the sidelines, patting the emblem on his jersey, causing the stands to erupt. The Lions' fans turned, creating a stunning visual with words made up of individual letters on their backs: "War God - Nedvěd!"
After conceding two goals, Arsenal's attack turned disjointed, leaving their 2,000 away supporters in despair.
They even felt that signing Pires was a mistake; he had dazzled at Millwall but had struggled at Arsenal, spending half of last season on the bench and only delivering mediocre performances.
Some media described the two players Millwall sold to Arsenal as "a delicious apple hiding a worm."
Vieira was the apple; Pires was the worm because he never integrated into Arsenal's tactical framework and had a few terribly disappointing games.
Today was no different; Overmars still made a mark on the wing due to his individual abilities, but Pires achieved little throughout the first half, while his compatriot Anelka in the starting lineup was invisible upfront. Bergkamp hardly saw the ball in an attacking role; Arsenal's midfield was completely suppressed.
The first half quickly came to a close, with Arsenal holding on through the final minutes without conceding again.
As Aldrich walked into the locker room, Millwall's players were buzzing with excitement, discussing their two goals in the first half.
"An unparalleled performance! You guys did great in the first half. Arsenal has been stunned by us; they're hesitant to control the ball at the back and are scrambling to clear it, handing it back to us. But that's not enough. In the second half, we must continue our momentum and crush the once-great team! We will drain the Gunners' blood, watch them wither and die, then dance over their corpses!"
Aldrich was wild with enthusiasm, and the players caught his energy, roaring like a pack of beasts, nodding in agreement.
"That's right! Send them packing!"
"Show them who the real boss is!"
"The boss of London!"
"No, the boss of England!"
"Leave them no chance!"
"Show no mercy!"
...
Pirlo suddenly asked, "Boss, aren't you and Arsenal's head coach good friends? Isn't that just a rumor?"
As soon as he posed the question, the locker room fell silent.
Everyone knew that since Wenger arrived in England, whenever Aldrich was asked about Wenger, his words always dripped with respect.
Aldrich paused for a moment, shrugged, and said, "Yes, we are friends. Precisely because we're friends, I need you to give 100% effort and strength to take Arsenal down. That's a sign of respect between friends. Do you think it's proper for me to play conservatively in the second half, swapping out a few players to maintain the score at 2-0? No, that would be a betrayal of our friendship—it's a way to belittle it, even humiliate it. It's like if you were competing for a job with a friend; would you simply give them the chance just because you're better? Would that be good for him? No, the world is brutal; you must let your friends recognize their weaknesses and flaws to improve themselves."
The players found this perspective refreshing and thought-provoking.
Aldrich realized this wasn't the right time for a lecture, so he told them, "You're right; there can be only one king of London, one king of England, and in Europe and the world, there can only ever be one king! Football is a brutal world where you either win or lose. As defending champions, we must present ourselves as royalty, crush anyone who dares to challenge our throne underfoot, make them suffer, instill fear in them, and ensure they never forget us. They should remember a fearsome team that haunted them—what was that team called?"
"The Lions! Millwall!"
The players shouted in unison, eyes filled with fervor and excitement!