"Beep! Beep! Beep——!"
As soon as the Arsenal players finished celebrating and Swansea kicked off from the center circle again, the game was over.
In the end, thanks to each of the starting front three scoring a goal, they drew with Swansea away, taking a valuable point, a valuable draw!
Continuing undefeated!
The Arsenal players didn't celebrate wildly after the game, and the Swansea players weren't too disappointed either.
Such a result was acceptable to both sides: one maintained their undefeated streak, and the other took points from the top team.
"Hang in there."
Walking beside Maël as they left the field, Van Persie looked at the grass beneath his feet and said, "This kind of situation happens almost every season. The impact of injuries on Premier League teams can be infinitely large.
"I just hope we're lucky and no one else in the midfield and attack gets injured.
"Especially you and me. If either of us is injured for more than two weeks, the team will definitely not be able to hold onto the top spot in the league."
Maël nodded, feeling a sense of difficulty. Just as Mr. Wenger said, the Premier League schedule is very, very tough.
This difficulty sometimes has nothing to do with the strength of the opponents or their explosive performance, but with oneself.
A team can be incredibly strong and powerful, but it can also be incredibly fragile. The injury of one or two key players can cause its performance to plummet. There are too many examples of this.
Fortunately, his probability of getting injured is very small. As long as he pays attention to protection, it is almost impossible to encounter accidents.
"Phew"
When Maël came to the sidelines, he saw Mr. Wenger let out a long sigh and give him a smile, "Well done, Maël. Maybe one day, header goals will become your norm."
"It definitely will." He nodded to Professor, seeing a strong sense of relief and expectation in his eyes.
This is normal. People think that he already has the same intensity as Henry, and his shortcomings are similar, except for headers.
But once he slowly masters headers, it proves that he will definitely become a more versatile and efficient scorer than Henry!
That will bring more contribution to a team and make the team's front line more intense!
By then, whether it's Walcott or Gervinho on the wing, they can cross the ball at will, and Van Persie in the middle and him at the far post can launch aerial bombardments at any time, devastating the goal.
"Let me see your head shape."
Hearing their conversation, Henry smiled and came to Maël's side to look at his forehead, "Someone once wrote a paper proving that my head shape is not suitable for headers.
"But your head shape should be fine, very normal and standard, a bit like the French movie star Alain Delon back then.
"Hahaha, not a joke, someone really wrote a paper analyzing my heading ability."
Maël laughed with him. It was indeed an interesting story. He followed Henry's words and said, "It's good that the head shape is suitable. Just wait, one day I will smash in 10 header goals in a single season."
"You kid." Henry smiled and pointed his index finger at him in the air, seemingly feeling that his wish was too big.
10 header goals in a single season is the level of heading of Klose and Ronaldo.
"Maël." A voice came from the side, and Swansea midfielder Joe Allen walked over, "Can I exchange jerseys?"
"No problem."
Maël, wearing a white compression shirt, didn't seem to mind the cold. He agreed and immediately took off his jersey.
He remembered the player's performance at the end of the game. After being tackled by him, the opponent didn't waste any time and immediately got up to join the fight, which he considered very professional, although he might regret it a bit after the game.
"I'm three years older than you." Joe Allen didn't expect Maël to agree so readily, and said happily, "But I can't seem to get my hands on any awards. Seeing you get into the top ten for the Golden Ball the other day, I really admire you."
"You're one of the best players in the Premier League right now, a scorer like Van Persie, Rooney, Agüero, and Suárez."
Maël nodded and thanked him, handing him the jersey. He then noticed Graham walking over from the other side, seemingly wanting to exchange jerseys with him as well.
Seeing that he had already exchanged jerseys with someone else, the other man awkwardly turned and walked away.
He knew this player from his time in the EFL Championship. Although they hadn't spoken, their competition for the top spot on the Top Scorer List had lasted a long time.
He had also heard that after being overtaken by him, the other man had angrily beaten up his own teammate, resulting in a club punishment.
It was quite amusing; he couldn't quite picture the scene.
Not long after entering the player tunnel, a reporter chased after him, smiling and asking, "Is this your job?"
Maël stopped, realizing he was talking about the equalizer, and smiled, "Yes, scoring equalizers and game-winning goals to earn points for the team and maintain our unbeaten streak, that's my job."
"I'm very good at this job, and I do a good job every time. However, I still hope the team can get points more easily."
He patted the reporter on the shoulder, smiled with him, and then walked into the locker room.
This game was thrilling but without danger.
He hoped they could endure this period and grit their teeth to overcome the difficult times!
After that, everyone would surely gain a lot of positive feedback and a sense of accomplishment, and move forward with more confidence!
When that time comes, what awaits them will be a broad and smooth road ahead.
"Arsenal suffered an injury wave, and the team suffered two consecutive draws in the Premier League! Fortunately, star strikers Maël and Van Persie continue to perform steadily, leading the team forward!" - Sky Sports Premier League Column
"About to break the unbeaten record? Arsenal drew against Fulham and Swansea in succession. At the end of this month, they will also face Manchester United in the 22nd round of the Premier League. With many players injured, they are very likely to lose the top spot battle!" - Manchester Evening News
"League Table 1: Arsenal 16 wins, 5 draws, 53 points! League Table 2: Manchester United 16 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss, 52 points! League Table 3: Manchester City 15 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses, 49 points!" - Premier League standings, Manchester, Carrington Training Base, conference center.
Ferguson and a group of assistant coaches sat here, watching Arsenal's game against Swansea.
Seeing Arsenal's late equalizer, the Old Sir's face was not very good. He had originally thought that the team would be tied with Arsenal at the end of this round.
"It's okay." An Assistant Coach felt that the atmosphere was a little quiet and said, "The team's injuries and fatigue are already very serious, and we will defeat them at the end of the month."
"At the end of this month, we can still have a 2-point advantage and firmly occupy the initiative in the title race!"
Obviously, the fierce title race had already begun in January.
While the Manchester clubs and Arsenal had a clear advantage over other teams, each of the next three team's games was crucial, especially their 6-point battles against each other.
This was a good opportunity for the lower-ranked teams to close the gap or surpass the top teams. Of course, it was also a good opportunity for the top teams to widen the gap.
"What about Mertesacker?"
Ferguson looked at the Assistant Coach and asked, "I heard someone say he is about to return. This is still very important to Arsenal."
"I don't know." The assistant coach shook his head. The team usually keeps this kind of news secret, and outsiders can't possibly know the real situation.
"Then what about Kyle Walker?" Ferguson frowned. "He's been rumored to Arsenal. What's the progress of this deal?"
"Him?"
Regarding this, Manchester United's assistant coaches were not very clear, but they could be sure of one thing: "Kyle Walker can't join Arsenal, there's no possibility.
"At most, Tottenham will feel the pressure and give him a new contract with a high salary."
Ferguson stood up from his seat, recalling the game at the end of the month, his eyes narrowed slightly, "These days, we must practice positional defense well, and we can no longer let Maël and others create more than 3 goals in a single game.
"As long as our defense is good, we will definitely be able to break through Arsenal's defense in attack.
"This season, we were eliminated from the EFL Cup, had bad luck in the FA Cup draw, and failed to qualify from the Champions League group stage. It can be said that the Premier League is the front where we have the best chance of competing!"
He tapped the table twice, "The team must be united from top to bottom, take advantage of Arsenal's internal turmoil, and be sure to win the game on January 30th to reach the top of the table!"
"No problem!"
"Let's go!"
A burst of encouragement sounded in the meeting room, and the assistant coaches were in high spirits. This emotion would soon be transmitted to the entire team.
When the meeting room slowly quieted down, Ferguson paced in front of the stage with his arms folded. After a long time, he sighed softly: "I missed Maël, and I can't miss the Premier League title again.
"In that case, I will lose to my old rival Wenger in all aspects, which is an unacceptable failure, you can understand."
Manchester City Training Base, Conference Center, Manchester City's coaching team had just finished watching the game.
Mancini was wearing a dark gray coat, and even though his expression was calm, he still gave people a melancholic feeling, which seemed to be a characteristic of Italians.
"Maël, ah."
He rubbed his hair, "He really looks like a magician. As long as he wants, he can conjure up goals at any time.
"Another goal and an assist. If I had him, I could now pull Arsenal and Manchester United apart by 5 points."
Shaking his head, as if he didn't want to complain like this, he turned his head and asked, "Do they have a match against Manchester United at the end of the month?"
Seeing an assistant coach nod, Mancini slowly took off his gloves and turned to look at the sky outside the window, "I really hope they draw, so that the gap between our points and theirs will only be one game."
"A draw should be a bit difficult." An assistant coach shook his head. "Given Arsenal's situation these days, they will probably be directly defeated by Manchester United."
"Yes, it was already very difficult when they played Manchester United in full form in the first half of the season, and there's no chance of winning with a depleted squad in the second half."
"It's useless for Maël and Van Persie to be in good form, Djourou and Mikel are too bad."
"Once Manchester United gains momentum and presses on Arsenal's half, they won't leak the ball to the backfield."
They were still talking about the game, but Mancini's thoughts had drifted far away. He suddenly turned his head and said, "Do you think, if I coached this Arsenal team now, would I have a chance to win the championship?"
Assistant coaching team: "..."
Although speechless, they still played a deduction game with Mancini. After nearly 10 minutes of intense discussion, they finally came to a conclusion.
"That is to say."
Mancini understood their thoughts and clarified his ideas, "As long as Maël and Van Persie can jointly create 80 goals in a season, and I strengthen the defense from the back through signings, there is hope?"
"Yes, this team relies on these two players now, and the strong players in other positions are just there to help them."
"I agree. If either of them were missing, they would have at least 10-15 fewer points by now."
Mancini smiled, put his hands in his pockets, and shook his head, laughing, "We could have had a Maël + Van Persie frontline, but unfortunately, our 'Maël' didn't develop a brain."
This remark caused a small burst of laughter, but if you looked at their faces, you would find that these smiles were mostly wry.
Now, the title race is becoming increasingly tense. A small change or mistake could affect the whole situation. They can no longer joke around like they did at the beginning of the season.
The crucial period has arrived! On January 20th, the FA Cup fourth-round match arrived, with Arsenal playing against Aston Villa in this game.
This is the third-to-last game of the month. After this round, Arsenal will play against Liverpool on January 24th in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, competing for a place in the final.
After that, on January 30th, they will have a home game against Manchester United.
Given the severe personnel fatigue and injury situation, this is a very difficult schedule, and neither of the two games at the end of the month can afford any mistakes. Giving up the FA Cup seems inevitable.
Unsurprisingly, Mr. Wenger fielded a completely rotated lineup, prepared to abandon one front. The core players of the team were not even included in the match roster.
Inside the villa, Maël and his team of four, along with several teammates from the club, watched the game together.
They ate fruit, drank beverages, and were generally quite relaxed.
The FA Cup is an important front. If you had asked them before the season, they would definitely say that the FA Cup is more important than the EFL Cup.
But now, with only the last two games remaining for the EFL Cup title, the FA Cup, which has only reached the fourth round, doesn't seem so important anymore.
The criticality of a front is constantly changing based on the current situation. No one can calculate everything from the beginning and then proceed according to plan.
Bang!
In the 32nd minute of the match, Villa defender Dunn overpowered Mikel in a corner kick and scored with a header, changing the score to 1-0, as shown in the broadcast.
"Ah!"
A wave of regretful sounds arose, and the last bit of luck in everyone's hearts disappeared.
Then, in the 59th minute of the second half, Villa once again played a smooth First Touch combination in the frontcourt, and their center forward Darren Bent finally Side-Foot Shot the ball into the net, once again extending Villa's lead.
Two to zero! "Is Mertesacker coming back soon?"
"Seems like it."
"Now I just don't know if Kyle Walker can come over. Didn't Mr. Wenger ask Maël to contact him?"
"I contacted him."
Everyone tacitly started talking about other things, shifting their attention, no longer wanting to discuss the game.
Maël drank a glass of water and suddenly heard his phone buzzing. It was Mr. Mendes calling.
"I'll take a call." He explained the situation to everyone and went upstairs to his room to answer the phone.
"Mr. Wenger keeps urging me to conduct contract renewal negotiations. I'm preparing to come over, and I'll accompany you to Puma this time. They've been wanting to see us recently."
The other party seemed to be at a party, and it was very noisy around him. "If we accept the 1+1 contract renewal terms as we discussed before, the Weekly Salary should increase by another 45k, reaching £150,000.
"Don't worry, this number looks a bit scary now, but believe me, you absolutely deserve it."
The other side paused, then continued, "However, I think, with Arsenal's current financial situation, it's difficult to simply offer such a contract.
"They might try to offset the difference by increasing the signing fee and promising you more conditions.
"I'll have a good chat with them this time and try to get the highest price. Don't worry, I've got it covered."
On this issue, Maël absolutely trusted Mendes. He didn't discuss the contract further with him, and after a few casual words, he hung up.
"Oh!" After pushing open the door to his bedroom, he heard cheers and the sound of table-slapping from downstairs.
Realizing what it could be, he hurried down and saw everyone jumping around excitedly, with incredulous expressions on their faces.
Maël looked at the screen, the score was two-two, Arsenal had equalized.
"Huh?" He widened his eyes. The soundproofing upstairs was excellent, and he hadn't heard anything while he was on the phone.
But even so, he had only been on the phone for about 3 minutes, how could it be so fast?
"Yennaris!" Alexandre Song pointed to a young midfielder on the screen, laughing loudly, "He earned a penalty in the 61st minute, Gervinho scored the penalty, and then scored a world wave goal in the 63rd minute.
"It's level! We have a chance to enter the fifth round... A replay is also good, the team's youngsters will have another high-intensity match to train."
Maël calmed down and sat on the sofa, joining Van Persie and Alexandre Song, and once again had expectations for the match.
Li Ke is good, from today's perspective, he is definitely a member of Arsenal's future, why didn't he make it in European football? "Bang!"
When the time came to the 82nd minute of the match, with everyone feeling expectant and nervous, Li Ke found Gervinho on the wing with a diagonal long pass, who then sent in a cross.
In the center, loanee Benayoun made a diving header, smashing the ball into Aston Villa's goal with his head.
Three to two! They've taken the lead! "Yeah!"
Maël raised his arms and hugged Van Persie, Alexandre Song, and others, celebrating excitedly.
Arsenal are going to the fifth round!
This excitement turned into heartfelt joy after the match.
Arsenal ultimately defeated Aston Villa three to two, advancing to the fifth round of the FA Cup, the round of sixteen! "Ai! Ai! Ai!"
Alexandre Song came to the center of the living room after the match, dancing and entertaining himself while keeping rhythm, enjoying himself immensely.
Maël and Van Persie applauded and cheered for him, as if everyone had found some fighting spirit again, and some confidence in winning the next two matches against Liverpool and Manchester United.
The team's rotation lineup performed so well, helping the team win a victory and go further! They can't lose the responsibility and temperament of core players either, they must fight Liverpool and Manchester United to the death, and tide over January hand in hand with this family! January 22nd, 2 days away from the match against Liverpool, and 8 days away from the match against Manchester United.
Maël drove his Ferrari out, preparing to go out for a trip. Before the awards ceremony, he said that he would properly thank Isabella after coming over this time.
It just so happened that her friend wanted to ask him to leave a photo in a suit shop to enhance the style of the suit brand, so he simply agreed.
This is not an advertisement or endorsement, just showing support and returning a favor.
On the way, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Kevin Systrom.
He switched the phone to his left hand, answered it, and held it to his ear, driving his beloved Ferrari with one hand, "Kevin, what's the good news?"
"You could say that, how did you guess? Media news?"
"No, generally speaking, you guys wouldn't contact me if there's nothing going on, and you wouldn't contact me if there's bad news either, because I can't solve your problems."
"Haha, I don't know if you've heard the rumor, Facebook is interested in acquiring us. They've offered $1.5 billion for a full acquisition, which means your 10% stake will be worth $150 million."
"I've heard about it."
Maël saw that there was a traffic jam ahead, seemingly due to an accident, and slowly braked to reduce his speed. "What do you think? Continue on your own, or sell it?"
ins's development was faster than he had imagined, which might be partly due to him.
In less than a year, its market value had risen from $30 million to $1.5 billion, a 50-fold increase! Now, if this company wanted to raise more funds, Maël couldn't afford to invest anymore. 1% was $15 million, which translated to just over £10 million.
His plan to grab more shares was foiled, but that was fine. He had earned over $100 million for nothing!
That impulsive transaction ultimately earned him a generous reward!
Moreover, knowing the future development trend of ins, he could choose not to sell his 10% stake. The cooperation agreement did not require him to sell his shares in such a situation.
He could wait, let that 10% appreciate further, and sell it when he needed the money.
"I want to sell it."
Kevin Systrom didn't beat around the bush. He confessed, "Our original intention in creating this software was just to make a successful and valuable software, not to make a great one."
"And, if we go further, when we have to compete directly with Facebook and Twitter, some trouble will probably occur."
Maël nodded slightly. He knew that it would be difficult for him to persuade the other party. "I respect your decision, but I have to be honest, I don't want to sell my shares in this company at the moment."
"." The other side didn't expect his decision. After a moment of silence, he said, "I should have respected your decision, but they want a full acquisition. If you don't want to sell, it may affect the final acquisition."
"But I can't deny your decision either. How about this, I know you definitely don't have time to come over. Tell me a time, and I'll have the people from Facebook go and talk to you."
"There's no rush. The first half of the year is the negotiation period, and we still have some room to maneuver."
"Okay." Maël agreed, thought for a moment, and said, "Mid-February, January is too busy."
The other side agreed and said goodbye, "Maël, this collaboration has been really pleasant. I really look forward to working with you again in the future."
"Congratulations on making the top ten in the Ballon d'Or, and also winning the Golden Boy and Puskas awards. We've actually been following your news all along, haha... Bye, I'll come to England after the acquisition is over."
Maël put down the phone, a smile on his lips. So, could he be considered to have over £100 million in assets now?
In front of the suit shop, many people were already waiting, including the suit shop's employees, Aisha's parents, and her aunt and uncle.
Isabella was wearing a khaki trench coat and tight jeans today, paired with mid-calf boots, and the scarf and bag added a very fashionable touch. She always had a good sense of style.
She looked at Aisha with slight worry, "Isn't it just you? Why are there so many people?"
Aisha looked apologetic and embarrassed, "I originally wanted to come alone, but I couldn't help but mention it to them during dinner yesterday. It just so happened that my uncle is an Arsenal fan."
"They insisted on coming, and I couldn't stop them... But don't worry, my father contacted Mendes's agency and is preparing to pay an advertising fee."
"How much is his advertising fee now?" Isabella glanced at Aisha's father and asked, "It should be very expensive, right?"
"His Facebook and Twitter quotes are now £400,000 per post. It's indeed quite expensive for a shop like ours, and he might not even accept it."
Aisha bit her lower lip. She was wearing a bright suit and trousers, nearly six feet tall, looking like a capable businesswoman, but she had been a bit nervous and anxious all day.
She had met Maël for the first time that day. Before that, she had only heard about him, never truly realizing what kind of player he was.
Plus, she was a bit grumpy from just waking up, and she had complained a lot along the way, showing a lot of contempt and offense.
After accompanying Isabella to the awards ceremony, she finally had a clearer understanding of Maël, a top ten superstar in the world's number one sport. Even his parents wouldn't dare to neglect someone like that.
It was their honor that he could wear the clothes from their shop, and it was very likely to elevate the value of their shop to another level.
"£400,000 a piece."
Isabella's heart trembled. This was no different from a printing press. Just over a year ago, she had signed Maël for an endorsement deal for a year at a similar price.
"He's here, he's here." Aisha saw a Ferrari appear across the street and subconsciously nudged Isabella with her arm, her face even more flustered.
She wasn't like her good friend, who had known Maël for a long time and had a good relationship with him.
After knowing his value, she became more restrained when interacting with him, which was normal. After all, they were a small custom shop, not a big brand like Puma.
Isabella glanced at her, her small face slightly raised, a smile on her lips, and she felt a bit of enjoyment in her heart.
She took a few steps forward, signaling Maël to park the car at the door of the shop.
"The next Mr. Golden Boy!"
Behind her, Aisha's family also whispered, all talking about Maël.
"That's right."
"What luck did Aisha have? This is a steal. If she had slept in that day, we wouldn't have this opportunity."
"We have to compensate her well, and her good friend too. I heard it's because her friend has a good relationship with Maël."
"Oh~ that kind of relationship?"
"Don't spread rumors."
Isabella's heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably. She could feel many people behind her looking at her, which made her feel a sense of pride.
"Maël."
Seeing Maël get out of the car, she, as always, raised her chin and gave a sunny smile, "Congratulations, you're not far from your goal."
"Haha..." Maël closed the car door. He knew she was talking about the agreement he had made with her in the car, "Yes, not far."
He walked forward, gave Isabella a kiss on the cheek, hugged her tightly, and then greeted Aisha.
"I'm sorry." Aisha seemed a little flustered and chose an inappropriate opening line, "Originally it was just me, but my family insisted on coming when they heard the news. I'm really sorry."
Maël gave her a slight hug, saw the people behind her, and shook his head with a smile: "It's okay, I like the hustle and bustle."
That was the truth, he didn't like it too quiet, as if he was used to it.
"Maël."
A man of about fifty years old walked up. The people standing at the door were about the same age, and they were all wearing suits today. "I'm Aisha's uncle, it's an honor for you to come here, please come in."
"Coffee or tea? Or would you like to have some red wine in the shop?"
"No need for any of that." Maël smiled and waved his hand, politely declining, "I have training in the afternoon, so I'll leave in a little while."
He followed the crowd into the shop, subconsciously looking back, and found that Isabella was naturally walking beside him, very close.
"Oh." Aisha's uncle was also very good at talking. Seeing this scene, he quickly said to Isabella, "It's also an honor that Aisha has a friend like you, otherwise we wouldn't be able to see this year's Mr. Golden Boy."
"Haha." The group smiled and walked upstairs, welcoming Maël and Isabella.
Isabella's face was slightly red, but she still nodded politely to them. During this process, she naturally took Maël's arm.
The group chatted upstairs for a while. Since Maël had training in the afternoon, they quickly had Maël put on a set of clothes from the store and took a few group photos.
"Thank you so much."
Aisha's uncle seemed to be the actual controller of the store. He covered his chest with one hand and spread the other to express his gratitude. "We just seriously and carefully do one thing, and never thought about anything else."
"I didn't expect that thanks to my niece's lucky move, we would suddenly have this opportunity."
"We will buy one of your Twitter ads. Everyone is very clear that we don't have the face to let a top ten world star leave these for free, and you shouldn't decline."
He thought of Isabella and quickly pointed to her and added, "Ah, even if Aisha has a good relationship with your female companion, we don't have the face to do this on her account."
Maël smiled and exchanged a few polite words with them, and then prepared to leave. Aisha didn't say much during the whole process, just followed behind everyone, always with a smile.
When they came downstairs and got into the car, everyone came out to see them off. Isabella also came to his car window, smiling sweetly and waving goodbye to him.
"Buzz."
Maël rolled down the car window, glanced at Aisha in the distance, and then looked at Isabella, "Is she very close to you?"
"The best." Isabella nodded and explained, "We grew up together, and we will definitely be friends for life."
"Okay."
Maël smiled at her, "Then tell her that since she is your friend, Mendes and I will not charge her advertising fees."
"I will post those photos as lifestyle photos, and at the same time include the brand name."
In the past year or so, he owed Isabella a lot, such as signing with Puma before the contract period ended. The other party not only didn't care, but also treated him very well and took care of him in life.
Although he can't help her sports brand now, it's also good to help her friend's suit shop.
£400,000 is not much for him now. After the Ballon d'Or, he may soon receive several similar advertisements, and it may even break ten.
It's better to give her friend a favor in Isabella's name. Anyway, they have a good relationship, and they will definitely help each other in the future.
This favor will always return to Isabella in another way.
"Don't decline, I'm going to be late for training, bye." Maël didn't give Isabella a chance to refuse, and drove away from here with a roar.
The golden hair on Isabella's forehead was blown up and fell back around her eyes. She stood there in a mess and sluggishly, and after a long time, she walked towards Aisha.
"You are so lucky." Aisha looked at her and returned to her usual lively appearance, "I don't know how happy I would be if I had a boyfriend like this."
"Yes." Aisha's parents also came up, looking at Isabella with great love, "People also have good conditions themselves, and there must be many advantages. It would be great if you could learn them."
Isabella was a little embarrassed by their praise, pursed her lips and said, "Maël just told me that he will not charge advertising fees."
"Ah?" Aisha's uncle came over and waved his hand subconsciously: "No, no, no, we..."
"He has already decided." Isabella glanced at the direction where Maël left, and a few colorful lights appeared on her face, "That little money is nothing to him now, just take it as a thank you for saving the emergency."
Aisha's whole family was silent. They were not stupid and knew that Maël must have done this for Isabella's sake.
"Please come in quickly." Aisha's uncle reached out and invited Isabella into the house, and said in a flustered manner: "I don't know how to thank you and him, but in the future in London, as long as you can use us, just ask, okay?
"Let's go out for dinner tonight to celebrate. Aisha is so, so lucky to know you."
Aisha also laughed at this moment. She followed the others in, "Now, I think I've gotten some of your luck too."
Isabella walked with them, glancing into the distance again before entering the house. She really wanted to say that the luckiest one was actually her, for taking the initiative to get to know Maël back then.
January 23rd, the day before the home game against Liverpool, Wenger held a meeting at the Colney Base.
This was a very important match. Originally, they had drawn 2-2 with Liverpool away, giving them a significant advantage for the second leg.
But with Mertesacker's Muscle Fatigue and Vermaelen's injury absence, the situation for this match became unpredictable again.
"The starting lineup can be confirmed in advance."
Wenger opened the tactics board and used chess pieces to arrange a 4-3-3 formation. "Goalkeeper Szczęsny, left-back Gibbs, center-backs Djourou partnering Koscielny, and right-back Sagna.
"In midfield, Alexandre Song will be in the center, with Arteta and Rosický on either side.
"The front line remains unchanged: Maël, Van Persie, Walcott."
After announcing the lineup, he moved the pieces around a bit, arranging a 4-4-2 formation. "We've studied Liverpool's recent matches, and they're likely to use a 4-4-2 formation, but with changes compared to the last game."
Mr. Wenger was a coach who lacked on-the-spot command ability, but his pre-match analysis ability was definitely very strong, which was why Arsenal had consistently been in the top four for many years.
"First, we can be sure that they definitely won't send out multiple defensive midfielders again; they'll try to take the initiative away from home."
Mr. Wenger spoke while looking at the tactics board. This was well known, but he brought it up to facilitate the following remarks. "If that's the case, Henderson and Gerrard's positions will be very advanced; they must keep up with the team's overall formation.
"And at this time, transition is very important... Yes, still transition. Modern football is all about transition."
Maël sat below, listening. He attached great importance to this match. On the one hand, he was extremely eager for a championship, and on the other hand, he remembered that this was a battle line he had fought for.
This battle line had now become a real championship line. If they could win two more games, they would lift the trophy at the end of February.
That would be the first Championship Trophy of his top-flight league career, the beginning of a Grand Slam.
"Whoosh..." Mr. Wenger opened the tactics board, gathering the pieces on it into a small area. "When we intercept the ball, the opponent knows that there are very few people in the defensive line, so they will desperately counter-press on the spot.
"But since they don't have many defensive players in the frontcourt, the intensity of the counter-press may be lacking, unless Henderson and Gerrard also join in.
"At this time, the more difficult it is to pass the ball out, the more you must strive to get the ball to the weak side. Remember, how difficult it is for you to pass the ball, how difficult it will be for their defense to defend later."
He tapped the edge of the box with the tips of his fingers. "This will be their most empty area, so I hope that after getting possession of the ball, the two wings will Cut Inside more.
"As long as you attract their center-backs to come out and fill the gap, their defense will be in chaos. Then... you know what to do. I don't need to teach you how to shoot and pass."
He closed the tactics board and supported himself on the table in front of him with both hands. "Now that we've reached the semi-finals, I sincerely hope that you can end the embarrassment of 7 years without a title on this battle line!
"Come on, lads!"
"Clap clap clap!" A burst of applause rang out from the tactics room, and the players clapped their hands excitedly, full of fighting spirit.
"Come on, come on!!"
"Take them down!"
Everyone's momentum was stirred up, and captain Van Persie quickly stood up, clapping his hands and encouraging, "Every team has difficulties and will encounter problems, but the championship team is the team that overcomes difficulties and solves all problems!
"Advance to the EFL Cup final, and then take down Manchester United at the end of the month! We are still advancing on all fronts this month! Come on!"
Another round of enthusiastic applause erupted, with many turning their gazes towards the second captain, Maël, seemingly expecting him to say something.
Maël's fighting spirit was also ignited. He stood up and said, "The title race has begun! Endure this month, and in February, we'll officially launch our final assault on the ultimate honor!
"This is our best season for an opportunity. As long as we play well this season, we'll have the chance to gain more next season. Let's go!!"
"Vamos!"
"Come on!"
The weather was still cold, but a few rays of sunlight shone through the window today. The winter sun always seemed brighter, as if it had more vitality than the summer sun.
January 24th, Emirates Stadium, the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final was about to kick off. For both teams, this match was crucial.
Liverpool's performance in the Premier League this season had been poor, and they had been striving to compete for the top four. For them, winning the League Cup would be an explanation to their fans.
Arsenal had been performing very well in the league, but with two top goalscorers and remaining undefeated in the Premier League so far this season, they were still hoping to achieve something on other fronts as well!
What's more, with the championship just one step away, who would choose to give up at this time? "This is a battle between ambition and redemption! The situation of both teams has not been good in recent seasons. Arsenal seems to be the luckier one, having picked up a super striker Maël this season!
"But Liverpool is also on the road to revival. Copa América champion Suárez has brought different competitiveness to this team! "Let's take a look at the starting lineups of both sides. For the visiting team Liverpool, the goalkeeper is still Reina, and the defense line from left to right is Glen Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, and Martin Kelly! "The four midfielders are in a parallel formation: Downing, Henderson, Gerrard, and Charlie Adam! "The two forwards are Kuyt partnering with Suárez! It can be seen that they have a lot of ideas in attack today.
"Arsenal's side..."
"The two teams played against each other once in January. In that game, Arsenal drew 2-2 with Liverpool away, with the advantage of two away goals.
"Therefore, Dalglish's team should try to ensure that their number of goals at Emirates Stadium is more than 2 to have a better chance of winning!"
In the player tunnel, Maël held the hand of a ball boy and stood behind Szczęsny. He glanced to the left and saw Suárez, whom he had met in Zurich.
The opponent didn't win any awards, but because he won the Copa América and the Golden Boot last year, his Ballon d'Or ranking was higher than his.
His data was very good now, so he was a little unconvinced about this. He would take this opportunity to see the Uruguayan forward's condition in this game.
"Beep beep!"
A whistle sounded, and the players from both sides walked out onto the fiery pitch, hearing the enthusiastic shouts from inside the stadium.
"Arsenal Arsenal!"
"Liverpool Liverpool!"
The fans of the two teams hadn't started singing yet, just shouting the names of their teams to boost their momentum. Although it was simple, it was still very shocking and inspiring because of the large number of people, and it could give everyone goosebumps.
Maël looked towards the stands, where some Arsenal fans raised banners.
——"Final! Champion!"
——"We need a champion!"
——"End 7 years without a title!"
They very directly expressed their desire for the championship. This was a sincere emotion that could give him stronger motivation.
Since he played for this team and completed many brilliant performances with the company of these fans, then he must also satisfy them! "Beep!"
At four o'clock in the afternoon, this game kicked off at Emirates Stadium. The next 90 minutes would determine a spot in the EFL Cup final! Moreover, both of these teams clearly had a very high chance of winning the championship, no matter who entered the final.
At the same time, in the semi-final of the upper bracket, the two sides facing each other were Crystal Palace, a mid-to-lower Premier League team, and Cardiff City, a dark horse team from the EFL Championship.
These two teams don't seem likely to cause Arsenal and Liverpool much trouble. But if they advance to the final, we can't underestimate them. Anyone who makes it this far has real skill and a strong fighting spirit.
"Bang, bang!"
"Bang!"
From the start, Liverpool constantly used long, direct passes and cross-field switches to speed up the tempo, aiming to seize the initiative and use attack as their form of defense.
The two teams are old rivals and very familiar with each other; there are practically no secrets.
In matches like these, it all depends on which side is in better form and takes the lead first.
"Fall back!"
Arteta called for Rosický on the other side to retreat, leaving the attack to the three forwards. Their goal was to intercept the ball in the mid and rear areas, then pass it out to launch counter-attacks.
"Snap!"
With their fierce tackling, Liverpool's fast-paced attack didn't create much of a threat for the time being.
In the 7th minute, Arsenal's chance came first. After intercepting the ball, Arteta sent a long pass to Walcott on the other side.
After receiving the ball, Little Tiger began his breakthrough against Glen Johnson. The attacking full-back was quickly defeated, outpaced by an explosive dribble, and lost his defensive position.
"Bang!"
He then sent a cross towards the far post. Van Persie in the center was bound to face pressure from the two center-backs, so finding Maël at the far post might have a miraculous effect.
He guessed right.
As Maël jumped alongside his old rival Martin Kelly, people saw Maël's amazing jumping ability and Strength. Under his pressure, Martin Kelly only managed to jump about 20 centimeters.
"Bang!" The ensuing header was very powerful, heading straight for the far corner of the goal, but unfortunately, it lacked precision and flew out of the net.
After landing, Maël waved at Walcott, indicating that if his header technique was more refined, he might have been able to score.
Walcott didn't blame him, raised his arm, and ran back. This kind of threatening pass at the start of the game, regardless of whether his teammate can score, is a good boost to his own confidence.
Anyway, Liverpool hasn't scored yet, so there's no need to worry too much. They can take their time and find their touch.
"You'll Never Walk Alone! You'll Never Walk Alone!!"
Inside the Emirates Stadium, the singing of several thousand Liverpool fans gradually rose. They raised their hands, creating a fiery atmosphere to cheer for their team. This was the aspect Liverpool had the least to worry about.
Because they were too enthusiastic, constantly pushing towards the front of the stands, the riot police immediately came over with riot shields and batons to maintain order, and police dogs were also brought over.
"Everything was going Ma-ehl! Ma-ehl!"
The more than 50,000 Arsenal fans naturally wouldn't be suppressed by them, and immediately began singing their favorite player song of the moment, "Walking in a van Persie Wonderland!!"
They instantly overwhelmed the Liverpool fans' momentum, making the sound in the Emirates Stadium become uniform.
The match continued in this atmosphere, with the mid and forward players of both teams playing smoother and more threatening.
In the 16th minute, Downing on Liverpool's left Wing shook off Sagna's center of gravity and curled a Cross towards the center.
"Bang!!"
Suárez, with his muscular physique, twisted his shapely behind, judged the landing point well, and followed up by raising his right leg, swinging it downwards to meet the ball. He was also a center forward very skilled at Volley.
The football bounced off the ground and flew towards the goal again, creating a great difficulty for the goalkeeper to save.
"Bang!" But then the sound of the ball hitting the post echoed throughout the stadium, making Liverpool fans sigh with regret. The football brushed against the outer edge of the post and slid out of the net.
Just a little bit more! "Shit!" Suárez himself also raised his hands, helplessly looking up to the sky and complaining.
Seven minutes later, Arsenal seized a transition opportunity and passed the ball to Maël on the left wing.
Maël dribbled the ball towards Martin Kelly. He had done this no less than ten times this season. This time, he didn't choose an explosive dribble, but instead took advantage of the opponent's midfielders not returning to rush towards the center.
He still remembered Mr. Wenger's instructions before the match: the center is the most undefended area of the opponent.
"Fill the gap!"
"Skrtel, you go up!"
When he arrived in front of the edge of the box, the opponent's defense did change rapidly. Skrtel came out to delay him, and the remaining three moved behind Skrtel to provide protection.
As a result, the gap on the wing appeared, and Walcott was left unmarked.
"Bang!"
Maël sent a through ball towards Walcott's position, giving him some lead time so that he could directly cross the ball backward near the baseline.
"Da-da-da!"
Walcott sprinted to catch up and successfully got the ball after reaching the baseline. He looked up to observe the situation in the center.
Liverpool's defense became even more chaotic, with players unsure whether to mark a man or defend an area.
Maël rushed behind the opponent's defense, looking for a chance to pass the ball across. Van Persie behind him stood still, waiting for the backward pass.
"Bang!"
Walcott finally chose a backward pass, seemingly feeling that passing the ball to Maël risked the goalkeeper getting it.
The pass was good, and Van Persie got a chance for a side-foot shot.
He aimed at the far corner of the goal, pressed his right foot on the lower middle part of the football, and pushed the ball out.
Maël arrived in front of the goal at this time, and ran back after seeing Walcott's backward pass.
"Pa!" As a result, the ball hit a Liverpool player's leg and bounced towards his position.
His eyes lit up, and he turned around and side-footed the incoming ball.
"Shua!" The football passed Reina's hands and touched the net, giving the opponent no time to react. The Emirates Stadium instantly became hot, "Yeah!"
On the sidelines, Mr. Wenger raised his hands and sprinted while charging, "Beautiful!"
Only Maël in the penalty area was a little uncertain. He glanced at the linesman, unsure if he had crossed the offside position just now.
Sure enough, he saw the linesman raise the offside flag and then place it at about 120 degrees to his body, which meant that someone in the middle was offside.
"Pa!"
He regretfully slapped his hand. There was nothing he could do about this ball. Even if he didn't touch it, it would probably fly directly out of the baseline. It could only be said that the opponent's defender blocked it in time.
"Bip!" The referee's whistle sounded afterwards, the momentum of the Arsenal fans gradually weakened, and a round of applause came from the Liverpool fan area. This was a very crucial judgment.
"What? No goal?"
On the sidelines, Wenger heard the referee's whistle and was instantly embarrassed. He flung his hand back and exclaimed, "F*ck!"
From his angle, he couldn't see clearly, but in such an important match today, he definitely leaned towards believing there was a misjudgment.
To express his dissatisfaction, he argued with the Fourth Official. After returning, he even hammered the dugout's rain shelter a few times, muttering to himself to vent his frustration.
No one could stay calm in such a match; everyone's heart rate was over a hundred, and they would explode with the slightest provocation.
The Fourth Official also blew up. He called the referee over and described Wenger's just now actions, embellishing it a bit.
"Beep!" Seeing the referee team's authority challenged, the referee walked over and showed Wenger a red card. "Leave the coaching area! Return to the player tunnel or the stands!"
In the 25th minute of the match, a change occurred: the Arsenal Head Coach was sent off! "What?!"
Wenger spread his hands, wanting to explain, but the referee wouldn't listen, constantly waving him off the field.
Helpless, he could only do as he always did when sent off with a red card and climbed into the stands with the fans.
"Xu Xu~!"
"Clap clap clap!"
"Mr. Wenger!"
His arrival quickly stirred up the surrounding fans. No one blamed him; the fans only felt honored to be in such close contact with a world-class Head Coach, constantly waving at him.
Wenger had actually calmed down after coming up, but hearing the fans' fervent shouts, he stood up straight, spread his long arms, and expressed his dissatisfaction with the referee's two calls.
"Yeah!" This caused an even bigger stir. Fans far away also looked at him with smiles, cheering and applauding him. Many spread their arms like him.
The photographers on the sidelines quickly captured the moment. In the lens, he looked like a noble and gentlemanly French aristocrat, refined and handsome, as if reigning over the world.
Yesterday I said I'd make up for 3 chapters of 9k, which is 27,000 words. This chapter is 1.37k, the next chapter will be about the same, and those two chapters will make up for it.
January is more important, as it's a transition between the first and second halves of the season. By March, April, and May, it'll be about the EFL Championship title race rhythm, and it'll be even more exciting.
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