"Fabianski!!! Don't play with fire!!!" Leighton Baines was dumbfounded in the stands: "Facing Luton forward Vardy's press, Fabianski tried to dribble past Vardy, but Vardy poked the ball away with one foot!!"
"Goalkeepers should always play it safe!!" Morson said from the side.
Wenger was also taken aback. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until he saw the football, poked away by Vardy, graze the post and go out for a goal kick. Before the game started, he wasn't very confident in Fabianski's experience. The goalkeeper can be said to be a very important part of the defense, and Fabianski's choice to dribble just now was a big problem.
Gao Bo also rushed to the sideline. He almost thought his team could score at the very beginning of the game. He had just run out to celebrate when he realized the football didn't go into the net, but went out on the other side.
Gao Bo turned back regretfully and spread his hands towards John and the others. If they had taken the lead at the beginning, this game would have been perfect for Luton.
What a pity, it seems Vardy was also a little unprepared for Fabianski's actions...
Fabianski was so frightened that his heart rate doubled. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until he saw the football hit the advertising board behind the goal.
Because the game had just started, many viewers in front of the TV hadn't seen what happened just now, but fortunately, there was TV replay technology, allowing people to see how this ball developed.
Arsenal kicked the ball out, and Van Persie passed the ball back to Fabregas in midfield. Fabregas was a key player Luton was focusing on, so Kanté rushed up immediately, blocking Fabregas's path forward. However, Fabregas didn't force it and continued to pass the ball back to Kolo Touré.
At this time, some of Luton's players had already crossed midfield.
Lewis Emanuel on the left, Kevin Keane on the right, Vardy in the middle, and Hassan Ali following behind him!
They rushed out very quickly, which meant that Kolo Touré had already seen Vardy rushing towards him as soon as he got the ball.
Kolo Touré was not in a hurry. He leisurely looked at his center-back partner, Senderos.
However, this look was crucial. A black figure appeared next to Senderos. It was the opponent's defensive midfielder wearing the number thirty-two jersey, Hassan Ali!!
Isn't he a defensive midfielder? Why is he in this position?!!
When Wenger saw Luton's lineup for this game, he judged that Gao Bo would still play with a single forward, but at this time, a defensive midfielder actually appeared on the front line, which made Kolo Touré very puzzled.
But now is not the time to think about these things, because the pressure Vardy is putting on him is real, and there is no way to pass to Senderos either.
If Arsenal's main goalkeeper Almunia was on the goal line now, Kolo Touré would have passed back with confidence, but now he is so close to the goalkeeper's position that Kolo Touré dare not easily hand the ball over to the young goalkeeper Fabianski.
So he passed the ball to right-back Eboué.
Eboué had come back from the front to receive the ball, so he had his back to Luton's players when he got the ball. At this time, Lewis Emanuel had already stuck to him. Eboué couldn't see the situation behind him, and Kolo Touré and others standing parallel to him were also marked. Moreover, even if no one was marking them, Eboué wouldn't dare to pass sideways without seeing the situation behind him.
Eboué originally planned to turn around and clear the ball with a big kick, even if it went out of bounds, it would be better than a short pass in the current unclear situation. Fortunately, Fabianski moved over to ask for the ball at this time.
Eboué breathed a sigh of relief. He passed the ball to Fabianski's feet, thinking that if the goalkeeper cleared the ball with a big kick, perhaps they could continue to maintain possession.
At the moment Eboué passed the ball, Vardy suddenly accelerated!!
He lunged towards Fabianski!!!
"Careful!!!"
After passing the ball out, Eboué realized that Vardy was also chasing the ball forward!
Fabianski was also taken aback. He was originally prepared to handle this ball calmly, and he had seen that there seemed to be space for Gibbs to receive the ball on the left.
However, Vardy's arrival at this time seemed to leave Fabianski with only one option, which was to clear the ball with a big kick!!
If this was the Premier League, facing a top-level opponent, Fabianski would have chosen this option one hundred percent.
But looking at Vardy's unfamiliar face, even though he knew that the opponent was the best striker in League Two, Fabianski still felt that his skills should be better than the opponent's. He planned to pull the ball to his left foot, and then pass the ball to Gibbs with his left foot.
Fabianski feigned a big kick, and then suddenly pulled the ball with his right foot...
But Vardy seemed to ignore the opponent's big kick action. He was also gambling, gambling that the opponent's goalkeeper would play some tricks in the penalty area... Although the odds were not high, Vardy was such a player, even if there was only a 0.01% chance, he would put in all his effort to fight for it!!
Vardy's efforts paid off!
Fabianski really wanted to play around in the penalty area!!
Vardy poked the ball with his right foot, and the football flew to the far post!!
However, in a hurry, the football was still not blocked into the goal...
"Play the ball safely!!!" Fabianski, who had almost played with fire and conceded a goal, was yelled at by Eboué, who had rushed back in shock.
Fabianski didn't dare to refute, so he pretended not to hear, ran to the back of the goal to pick up the ball, and prepared to take a goal kick.
Although it was Vardy who created the threat, Wenger's eyes were always on Hassan Ali.
"Is the information correct?!" Wenger turned to ask his assistant, "Is that kid really a defensive midfielder?!"
Rice nodded affirmatively: "I've watched several Luton games, Hassan Ali is indeed a defensive midfielder."
Wenger actually knew that, he just didn't quite understand why Gao Bo would put a defensive midfielder behind the forward. Could it be that this Hassan Ali has some amazing offensive talent?
In Wenger's view, the danger on Arsenal's defense just now was largely due to ignoring Hassan Ali. Before, Arsenal's players thought that Luton was playing with a single forward, so there could be enough space for mutual passing between the two center-backs, and Hassan Ali's sudden pressure came as a surprise to Kolo Touré, which also laid the groundwork for what happened next.
When the game continued, Wenger realized that Hassan Ali was really playing behind the forward, but he was not doing the work of a forward—but a tireless interceptor!
Under the agitation of Hassan Ali and the frontcourt pressure of Vardy, Drinkwater, and others, Arsenal's backcourt passing took a long time, and they couldn't find a good way to pass forward. The defenders in the backcourt were even robbed a little flustered.
The final big kick clearance was not so reliable. Either Luton headed it back directly, or even if Adebayor withdrew to get the ball, he was quickly besieged by Luton's midfield. Kanté has now contributed two steals.
Arsenal's attack is a whole push, starting from the center-back, with two full-backs pressing past the halfway line, passing the ball to the frontcourt, and then creating an offensive threat. When the frontcourt encounters pressure, it is really difficult for Arsenal to launch an attack for a while.
Although there is no chance to attack for the time being, Wenger is not in a hurry because Arsenal is in possession of the ball.
There are ninety minutes in a football match, and Wenger believes that his players have enough ability to solve the difficulties they are encountering now.