Lin Hao sighed. "What if I said, 'No need.'"
Salah shook his head. "No need. What's a little different this time is that I hate you, or rather, I hate myself for not performing well. I think it's good. It's also a chance to remind myself not to be too complacent!"
"Clap! Clap! Clap!" Salah's response was clean and efficient, followed by, "See you next round!"
Mane came running over excitedly, "Hey, I want to play too!"
Lin Hao looked like he was about to cry. "My original intention was to beat up those who looked down on me and dare not challenge me again. This is not my original intention!"
"Well, how should I put it? The last time you lost was in the Champions League final. We also lost in the Champions League final. That kind of sadness is nothing compared to a slap!"
"You'll understand next time you lose. Being slapped in front of tens of thousands of fans is a huge psychological burden. You'll never forget it. I'll slap you ten more times and make you taste that feeling!"
Salah said this through gritted teeth.
This season, by sheer coincidence, Arsenal and Liverpool practically lived together during the first part of the season.
The next match is a League Cup Round of 16 game, with Liverpool hosting Arsenal at home.
If we stay in Anfield, we won't have to leave; the match is in three days.
On October 2nd, the first match of October saw Arsenal and Liverpool reignite their rivalry.
Salah, worried that he might renege on his promise later since he hadn't clearly stated it at the end of the last match, specifically told Lin Hao, "I challenge you!"
There were some changes in the starting lineup for the match. After all, the League Cup is not very prestigious and the competition is quite long, so teams usually use a semi-regular or even no regular starters in their starting lineup.
Liverpool fielded a semi-regular lineup against Arsenal, as neither team was considered weak.
Liverpool's starting lineup did not include first-choice goalkeeper Alisson, but Adrian started instead.
The entire defensive line is made up of starters, with Milner playing as left-back.
There is no key player in the midfield.
The front three consist of Jota on the left wing, Minamino Takumi at center forward, and Salah on the right wing.
For Arsenal, Lin Hao, Saka, and Xhaka will be on the field.
This match was a battle between Salah and Lin Hao, but it ended in a goalless draw after 90 minutes.
Finally, it went to a penalty shootout.
Arsenal beat Liverpool 5-4.
To be honest, this win felt a bit like being used as a plaything by Liverpool. Liverpool could win if they wanted to, or draw if they didn't, and then it would come down to a penalty shootout.
Although we won, I'm not very happy.
Neither Lin Hao nor Salah scored a goal and were both substituted in the second half; they needed a rest too.
Therefore, there is no winner or loser in the competition.
Then in the fourth round of the Premier League, Arsenal finally returned to their home ground and finally set up a 4-3-3 formation. Lin Hao had always felt that the 3-4-3 was not good. In a 3-4-3, what about the four players in midfield? Are they midfielders or wingers?
Arsenal currently lack the ability to play on the wing position.
If they increase their attack, then a pure three-man defense will be too difficult to play against.
In this match, right-back Bellerin provided two assists, one to Lin Hao on the left and the other to left-midfielder Saka.
2-1 Sheffield United.
Then, in the fifth round of the league, it was another crucial match against Manchester City.
Manchester City have won the league title in the last few seasons, including 1718 and 1819, and were runners-up last year.
Don't exaggerate or belittle it. Manchester City did win the league title before Guardiola arrived, in the 2013-14 season, by a close call against Liverpool.
Guardiola came in 2016, and in the years since, he has won the runner-up title and has consistently been among the top four.
However, it must be acknowledged that Guardiola's two consecutive league titles are a success. Is he a top-tier player? Yes! Manchester City's squad is definitely strong.
But could a different coach achieve the same level of success as Guardiola?
Manchester City struggled in the first few games of the season, only managing to beat Bournemouth and Burnley, draw with Leeds United, and lose to Leicester City.
Burnley is also a League Cup team.
Manchester City's goal is definitely still to win the title; if they don't win soon, they really won't be able to catch up with Liverpool.
This match was held at Manchester City's home stadium, the Etihad Stadium. In Manchester City's starting lineup, Ederson, who is also Lin Hao's teammate in goal, was in goal.
A 3-1-4-2 formation.
The three center-backs are Aké, Ruben Diaz, and Kyle Walker.
Rodri played as the lone defensive midfielder.
The front four consist of Cancelo in the middle, Bernardo Silva, and the young Phil Foden on the left.
Mahrez is on the right.
The two people at the very front were Sterling and Aguero.
For Arsenal, Leno remained in goal, in a 4-3-3 formation. The center-backs were Gabriel and David Luiz. Gabriel, who started in the League Cup, seemed to have earned the manager's trust, and in this match, he was given the starting center-back position.
Left-back Tierney, right-back Bellerin.
The midfield trio consists of Xhaka in the center, young Saka on the left, and Ceballos on the right.
The front three-pronged attack, with Lin Hao as the undisputed leader on the left.
Nicola Pepe is on the right.
William in the middle.
Another interesting aspect of this match is that, although Guardiola explicitly warned Walker not to engage in private disputes with Lin Hao, this match marks the first mentor-student showdown between Arteta and Guardiola.
This seemed to be the first time Lin Hao had been free of personal grudges in a showdown between powerful families, and he felt completely relaxed.
With the referee's whistle, the match began, and Manchester City kicked off. Manchester City started passing the ball around from the backfield. Before the match, Arteta had already instructed that they should not press high up the field, and that everyone should return to the backfield to defend.
So when Manchester City saw that Arsenal didn't press, they slowly advanced forward. At the edge of the center circle, the center-back passed the ball to Mahrez, who had come back to receive it. Saka immediately stepped up to mark Mahrez.
Saka has played left-back before, and his defense is solid; he's definitely no worse than Arnold.
However, that's Mahrez. Most defenders would have a hard time marking him one-on-one.
Mahrez made several quick passes, shifting his weight and fooling Saka, but Lin Hao also returned at that moment, bypassing Saka and coming to Mahrez's side to challenge him.
In fact, not only kicking, but also seeking physical confrontation is also a way of shifting one's center of gravity. Mahrez's speed decreased suddenly, and Lin Hao was unable to confront Mahrez in time, and staggered.
Mahrez accelerated and passed Lin Hao.
Saka has caught up again!