Chapter 336: Chapter 336: Chelsea’s Relentless Pursuit, Diego Costa's Comeback!
Chapter 336: Chelsea's Relentless Pursuit, Diego Costa's Comeback!
"Wilshere! Arsenal's number 10, our pride, has scored a spectacular goal to help the team pull one back!"
"We are still one goal behind; it's not the time to relax yet. Keep up the attack, Gunners!"
As the second half began, Arsenal changed their tactics.
They shifted from their first-half approach, deploying more players into their offensive play.
With more support from the midfield and backline, Arsenal's elegant passing and cutting reappeared on the field.
This scene made the Arsenal fans at the stadium boil with excitement!
This is it, this is the Arsenal we know!
This is Emirates Stadium, our home ground; we should fear no one!
After scoring, Arsenal's young players really stepped up.
They are indeed less adept at handling pressure, often experiencing significant fluctuations in their performance.
But once they shed their burdens and played to their strengths, Arsenal's offensive power was not to be underestimated.
As the second half started, Manchester City found themselves on the back foot.
Arsenal may not have top-tier superstars, but each of their players possesses refined skills.
Once their confidence was bolstered, they were capable of executing almost fantastical passing plays on the field.
Such interplay could even give the once-dominant Barcelona a run for their money, nearly causing an upset.
Manchester City were witnessing a frenzied Arsenal for the first time, forced to retreat to their half to defend against the all-out assault.
Lin was puzzled by the stark contrast between Arsenal's first and second half.
Not just their tactics, but the players' attitudes and performance on the field had also dramatically transformed.
This made him curious about what Wenger might have said in the dressing room at halftime.
What kind of pep talk could have caused such a drastic turnaround?
Although unclear about the specifics, Lin knew they had to stem Arsenal's momentum.
Otherwise, another goal from the opposition could really throw the match wide open.
And just as he feared, Manchester City conceded again!
In the 74th minute, Arsenal launched an attack from the right.
Ramsey's cross from the right was not properly cleared by Kompany's header.
Wilshere, getting ahead of the defenders, headed the ball into the left side of the box, and Sanchez, retreating, caught it and executed a stunning volley.
The shot was so sudden that Navas could only react instinctively, but the ball cunningly found the top right corner of the net.
Arsenal had drawn level at 2:2!
Emirates Stadium erupted the moment Sanchez scored.
The Chilean star, thrilled, ripped off his shirt and sprinted along the sideline in celebration.
His teammates chased him down and piled on top of him, celebrating wildly.
This was Sanchez's third goal in recent matches, and within just four games at Arsenal, he had already won over the fans.
On the sidelines, Wenger excitedly punched the air.
The €43.5 million spent felt painful at the time, but Sanchez's performances made it seem well worth it.
Since van Persie's departure, Arsenal had desperately needed a real powerhouse.
Pellegrini, a bit annoyed by the opposition's goal, rushed to the sideline, yelling at his players to focus and not get distracted.
Captain Kompany's performance had been fluctuating, not as solid as before.
Pellegrini glanced at the bench, his gaze resting on summer signing van Dijk.
Should he bring him on?
Van Dijk, intensely focused on the game from the bench, had performed well in pre-season matches for Manchester City.
But once the Premier League started, his opportunities to play were still limited.
After all, he was at best a substitute, not a regular starter.
Yet van Dijk didn't complain; after all, Manchester City were the reigning treble winners.
A player who had never competed in the top five European leagues could not expect to secure a starting position immediately.
His task was to train hard, cherish every minute he played, and earn the trust of the coach and his teammates to secure more playtime and eventually a starting position.
Van Dijk was confident about this.
"Virgil, warm up, get ready to play!"
Just then, van Dijk heard the coach calling his name.
Suppressing his excitement, he swiftly stood up from the bench and ran to warm up by the sideline.
After naming van Dijk, Pellegrini looked towards the other substitutes.
Arsenal's wing attack was fierce in this match.
Their midfield was strong, with players like Özil, Wilshere, Ramsey, and Sanchez all having excellent technical skills.
Their close-range combinations were threatening, making it difficult for Manchester City to press effectively.
Once the opponent's passing broke through their defense, it posed a lethal threat to their goal.
Thus, strengthening the midfield interception became crucial.
Thinking this, he called Fernando to prepare to reinforce the midfield's toughness.
In the 78th minute of the second half, Manchester City started making substitutions, bringing on two players at once.
After entering the game, van Dijk, perceived as young and easy to bully by Arsenal's players, saw increased attacks in his defensive area.
Sanchez, Ramsey, and others took turns testing van Dijk's defenses, hoping to break through at this point.
However, to their disappointment, the young player was impressively stable, not only avoiding mistakes but also using his solid defense to neutralize their attacks.
On the other side, Fernando, joining forces with his Brazilian compatriot Fernandinho, formed an impenetrable barrier in midfield.
Manchester City's midfield toughness was significantly enhanced, and they started to aggressively press Arsenal's midfield players.
Özil's aversion to physical contact in the Premier League was no secret, and opponents often exploited this by intensifying their physical game against him.
Manchester City was no exception.
Under the intense pressing and harassment from Fernandinho and Fernando, Özil's performance rapidly deteriorated.
He became increasingly error-prone as his performance on the field worsened.
Although Arsenal's midfield was visually impressive, no one could match Özil's ability to threaten with his passes.
By neutralizing Özil, Arsenal's offensive threat significantly declined.
After intercepting Özil, Manchester City exploited the vast spaces behind their opponents with quick, simple passes and positioning, launching dangerous counterattacks.
This match saw Cazorla out injured, leaving Flamini as the sole defensive midfielder.
A single defensive midfielder struggles to cover the entire midfield alone.
By exploiting this, Manchester City continuously attacked from the wings.
Facing Manchester City's counters, Arsenal's players aggressively tracked back.
But apart from Ramsey, the other three midfielders were offensive-minded and lacked strong defensive and intercepting abilities.
Their rush back from the front to defend was largely futile, merely draining their energy without much benefit.
The ineffective defensive effort from the three offensive midfielders led to a disconnect between Arsenal's defensive line and midfield within their own thirty-meter zone.
Relying solely on a single defensive midfielder couldn't bridge this significant defensive gap.
Manchester City keenly seized this weakness.
In the 82nd minute, after a turnover, Manchester City launched a rapid counterattack.
The ball was passed forward continuously until it reached Lin Quan. A clear path opened up before him, and seizing the opportunity, Lin cut in from the flank and glided across the open space along Arsenal's penalty area. Arsenal's defenders, noticing Lin maneuvering outside their box, became visibly tense.
While they were distracted by Lin, they failed to notice a tall player in sky blue, rushing up from behind and breaking into Arsenal's box. Lin spotted the run of his teammate and delivered a precise cross. Van Dijk leaped high to meet the ball with a powerful header, smashing it into Arsenal's net. The score changed to 3-2!
Manchester City had regained the lead! It was Van Dijk's first Premier League goal. After scoring, he excitedly rushed to the sidelines, sliding in celebration with authority. On the sidelines, Pellegrini, seeing Van Dijk's crucial goal, was thrilled, celebrating with each of his colleagues through hugs and high-fives.
Manchester City's fans were ecstatic, amazed that this new signing, acquired for just €10 million, proved to be so effective. At such a critical moment in their battle for the top spot with Chelsea, this goal was priceless.
"How did he get there?"
"He's playing too confidently. If we were counter-attacked, he'd be to blame!"
Lin was curious about how Van Dijk had managed to get near Arsenal's box. After the celebration, he asked him about it.
"It was like this: their forward Welbeck dropped back to defend, and I followed him to the middle. Seeing an opening in front of the goal, I just charged forward," Van Dijk explained.
Lin laughed upon hearing this. Van Dijk, just subbed on and full of energy, could sprint across the field with no issue. Even if his forward push had not resulted in a goal, he could quickly retreat to defend. Arsenal had not expected a defender to push up so deeply and couldn't assign someone to guard him in time. Even if they had seen his advance, they couldn't prevent his header due to their fatigue.
"Lin, thanks for the pass. It was beautifully delivered, and I've never headed such a comfortable ball before!" Realizing a great chance to bond with the team leader, Van Dijk quickly thanked Lin, also taking the opportunity to flatter him a bit.
"You played beautifully yourself!" Lin responded with a smile. As a team leader, it was only right to encourage a newcomer who showed such initiative and effectiveness on the field.
After falling behind again, Arsenal's players became anxious. With less than ten minutes left in the game, unless they could score two goals, victory seemed unlikely. Now, they were no longer hoping for a three-point win but just to equalize and secure one point.
Realizing their midfield was vulnerable, Wenger instructed Arsenal's midfield to tighten up their formation to prevent Manchester City from exploiting any gaps. However, this tactic didn't work well, as Manchester City had already figured out how to counter them.
In the final stages of the game, Manchester City's midfield overwhelmed Arsenal's half, aggressively pressing Özil and Wilshere. They couldn't hold the ball under pressure, and Lin continuously attacked from the right, specifically targeting Özil. Özil struggled defensively against Lin, unable to stop the repeated assaults.
This scene reminded many fans of the World Cup final, where Spain employed similar tactics against Germany. Forced by necessity, Wenger substituted Podolski in for Özil.
With Özil off the field, Manchester City's defensive midfielders focused on Wilshere, who also couldn't manage to control the ball. With Özil and Wilshere unable to link play, Arsenal's attack disintegrated.
In the last moments, Sanchez tried to use his individual skill to break through, but without the support of his teammates, his efforts were in vain. On the sidelines, Wenger frowned, wondering if Sanchez had played similarly at Barcelona.
Ultimately, the game ended with Arsenal losing 2-3 at home. This loss dropped Arsenal to 10th place in the league, seven points behind Manchester City, who continued to lead with four wins in four games.
In another Premier League match, Chelsea maintained their perfect record with a 4-2 victory over Swansea at home. However, they were still one goal behind Manchester City in goal difference, placing them second.
Yet, in another ranking, Chelsea's players surpassed Lin Quan. In the victory over Swansea, Diego Costa achieved a hat-trick within 20 minutes, his first in the Premier League. This brought his total to 8 goals, temporarily putting him ahead of Lin Quan as the top scorer in the Premier League.
(End of Chapter)
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