Arsenal really didn't need to rush.
Because apart from Fabianski's moment of playing with fire, Arsenal's goal hadn't been tested much.
Faced with Luton's pressing in the attacking third, Arsenal's players could simply clear the ball, since Luton's attack was also very simple after regaining possession.
Luton's attack wasn't as complex as Arsenal's. Gao Bo favored simplicity in attack, basically attempting a threatening pass or a long shot from outside the box after a few passes.
Statistically, after ten minutes, Luton had entered the attacking thirty-meter zone more times than Arsenal, and even had more shots. In the sixth minute, Drinkwater had a long shot from outside the box, adding to Vardy's earlier attempt, Luton now had two shots, although Drinkwater's shot went over the bar without posing much threat.
However, the spectators didn't feel that Luton had any advantage on the field. After all, Arsenal had been controlling the ball for most of these ten minutes. Luton's midfield pressing was very active, with the players constantly running, but they hadn't managed to win the ball back.
"Arsenal's passing is getting smoother and smoother..." John said to Gao Bo with a frown.
Gao Bo was also a little nervous at this moment. He had underestimated the strength of Wenger's team. Compared to Chelsea and Manchester City, Arsenal was obviously a team more adept at controlling the ball and didn't panic under such pressure.
Indeed, despite Chelsea's rise, Arsenal had been a strong contender for the Premier League title a few years ago. Their number of Premier League titles was second only to Manchester United.
Gao Bo wanted to create turnovers in Arsenal's passing through pressing in the attacking third, but it was clear that Arsenal was in good form today. They were a little flustered at the beginning, but now they were becoming more and more composed.
Passing the ball around to constantly move Luton's players, Arsenal started a game of possession on the field.
"Luton's strength is still far weaker than Arsenal's. Now on the field, Arsenal seems to be handling things with ease, and Luton's players can only follow the ball around. I don't know if their stamina can hold up," Wrightson said from the commentary box.
Just as Wrightson was speaking, Arsenal organized an attack.
Fabregas suddenly pulled out to the left side. After receiving Gibbs' pass on the left, he controlled the ball, turned around, and then, after looking at the attacking third, released a diagonal long pass, finding Arshavin on the right!
Arsenal quickly saw Luton's weakness. In addition to the weak flanks, Luton's pressing in the attacking third would also leave their team's defense thin. As long as there were accurate long passes, Arsenal could directly send the ball to Luton's defense.
The Russian Tsar steadily brought the ball down. Now, only left-back Solo-Davis was left to defend him.
Solo-Davis's individual ability was, of course, no match for Arshavin's, so he was easily bypassed by Arshavin!
"Arshavin!!!!!"
Wrightson stood up in the stands, and Arsenal fans cheered.
After successfully dribbling past his opponent, Arshavin glanced at the situation in the penalty area, preparing to pass, but just after that glance, Kanté rushed up and slid in, sending the ball out of the baseline.
Arshavin glanced at Kanté, who had just completed the tackle. This was one of the opponent's key players that the old man had emphasized before the game. He really seemed to have some strength. He really didn't see when the opponent came over. In fact, Kanté had already started moving when Arshavin made the long pass.
His anticipation was good, so when Arshavin dribbled past Solo-Davis, he filled that position.
Now it was Luton's fans' turn to cheer, as Kanté made a crucial save.
Gao Bo breathed a sigh of relief.
The weakness in strength did make it difficult. Arsenal's passing and coordination made Gao Bo's pre-match arrangement of pressing in the attacking third seem to not have achieved very good results.
Should they shrink back and set up a defensive formation to play on the counter-attack?
Gao Bo hesitated slightly, but immediately rejected the idea.
It was too early now. It wouldn't be easy to defend for ninety minutes, and if they set up a defensive formation, then Arsenal's two center forwards would be happy.
Especially Adebayor, the Togolese center forward had a physique no less than Drogba's. With a height of 1.93 meters, he had a strong ability to operate in the air.
If Arsenal were allowed to indiscriminately send the ball from both sides to find the center forwards, then Jeffrey and George Parke would be no match for Adebayor.
Compared to the two center backs, Gao Bo still trusted Kanté more.
Kanté's large coverage area gave Gao Bo the confidence to continue the tactic of pressing in the attacking third. But now Luton had to start defending Arsenal's corner kick.
Fabregas kicked the ball.
Adebayor was obviously the key player being marked. George Parke, who was the same height as Adebayor, closely followed his opponent, while Jeffrey went to defend his Dutch compatriot Van Persie.
Fabregas was aiming for Van Persie with this ball.
Compared to Adebayor, Van Persie's physique wasn't as strong, and Van Persie wasn't actually very good at heading the ball.
Jeffrey jumped high and cleared the ball from over Van Persie's head.
Luton's counter-attack failed because Drinkwater was tackled to the ground by Alexandre Song just as he was about to turn around after receiving the ball.
The referee ruled a foul, but didn't give Alexandre Song a card.
This made Gao Bo on the sidelines very dissatisfied. He raised his arms in a gesture for a card, pointing at Drinkwater, who was sitting on the grass rubbing his thigh.
"Yellow card!!! This is a yellow card!!!" Gao Bo jumped around on the sidelines, but the referee ignored him. The fourth official just looked sideways, as long as Gao Bo didn't leave the technical area, the fourth official didn't care what he did.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Gao Bo had no choice but to mutter a few words and turned around to sit back on the coach's bench.
Wenger had been watching Gao Bo's performance from the coach's bench.
Are young people so eager to show off these days? Wenger shook his head.
Wenger didn't know that in a year or two, coaches with rich body language on the sidelines like Gao Bo, or even more exaggerated, would spring up like mushrooms after the rain...
"Good job, kid..." Van Persie praised his Dutch compatriot Jeffrey, and then turned and walked away.
Despite being words of praise, they sounded so harsh to Jeffrey, because Van Persie said it in a tone like an adult praising a child for solving a math problem of "one plus one equals two."
Jeffrey wanted to retort, but Van Persie had already walked away.
Facing a famous Dutch star like Van Persie, Jeffrey was still a little nervous, but heading the ball away from over Van Persie's head just now calmed him down a bit.
Gao Bo sat on the coach's bench. Although Arsenal had created an attacking threat just now, this was actually a rhythm he preferred.
Because after more than ten minutes of the game, Arsenal hadn't had many attacks, and neither side had a shot on target. If this pace of the game continued, the first half might just pass uneventfully.
However, Gao Bo's wishful thinking didn't work out. Wenger also stood on the sidelines and called over Fabregas, the Arsenal's attacking commander on the field, to give him instructions.
Arsenal was going to take the initiative to change things!
Soon, the scene of the game changed.
Fabregas came to the wing.
Arsenal began to quickly pass the ball forward directly on the wing, and Arshavin got another chance!
This time, after slightly opening up the angle of attack, he crossed the ball!!!!
"Adebayor!!!!!"
In the commentator's exclamation, Adebayor, ahead of George Parke, headed the ball directly towards the goal!
Gao Bo jumped up from his seat in shock.
At this moment, Claude-Londo made an incredible save!
He almost instinctively reached out to his left and parried the ball, leaving it within the penalty area, and then right-back Mitchell-Piran, who had recovered, cleared it with a big kick...
"Claude-Londo!!!!! Wow....what a brilliant save!!" Wrightson grabbed the microphone in the stands with a look of shock, "Arsenal almost scored a goal!!"
Gao Bo felt his heart still pounding, and he only calmed down slightly after seeing Mitchell kick the ball out of bounds.
That was... too close.
Gao Bo brought up the football card system.
Save success rate plus eight percent....
Maybe without this, the ball would have gone in. His luck was good, and Luton's luck was also good...
But the game can't rely on luck.