Capítulo 249: The Opening Battle Has Begun!
With just twenty minutes until the start of the new season's Premier League opener, the Lions' Den stadium was packed with fans. They waved a variety of flags adorned with slogans and designs, expressing their hopes for the team and unwavering support.
The small stadium remained the same, yet some changes had taken place. Previously, the stands were right at the edge of the field; now, they were lined with colorful advertisements from different sponsors, adding a splash of color to the venue.
Aldrich sat in the VIP section of the stands, chatting and laughing with Puskás.
"Really? He fell into the sea? Haha, he always does these hilarious things. You never know when he'll give everyone a scare," Aldrich chuckled as he listened to Puskás recount their Mediterranean holiday stories, especially the one about Arthur getting drunk on the cruise and falling into the ocean while dancing on the deck...
Puskás then turned to Aldrich and whispered, "You did brilliantly last season; it's exciting to see you capable of beating Barcelona now."
"I'll aim for defeating Real Madrid next; I hope you won't cry then."
"Haha if you do make it I'll just be happy for you. Aldridge, I realize I really like Millwall! It's such a joy to watch your team play. There's so much in the game The element was something I didn't see back then, although there don't seem to be as many top players now."
Aldrich couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "There aren't fewer; it's just that as football has evolved, the gap between players has narrowed. With the rapid dissemination of football knowledge, even the best tactics have a short lifespan. If you're free, you could visit the youth training camps; there are many talented young players there. Just look at those ten players—they're quite impressive, even if they can't compare to you. Hahaha."
Puskás leaned forward, scanning the faces of the ten young players sitting attentively in the front row. Today was a home game, and based on their training performance over the past week, two players from each age group had earned the right to watch the match here. They were all thrilled to sit and watch the game alongside a legendary figure like Puskás, and they had all taken pictures with him as mementos.
From the U21 squad, there was Ronaldinho and Larmore.
From the U18 squad, Cahill and Ferreira.
From the U16 squad, Alonso and Villa.
From the U14 squad, Yenas and De Rossi.
From the U12 squad, Agüero and Ronaldo.
Puskás would say a few encouraging words to these young players or talk about the superstar players from his era, like Gento from Spain and Di Stéfano from Argentina.
Arthur, sitting nearby, was more direct, laughing loudly to cheer them on: "Work hard to become a new Lion!"
With just five minutes until match time, Aldrich made his way down the stands, signing autographs for enthusiastic fans. When he reached the sideline, he walked over to shake hands with Wenger.
Last season was Wenger's first but not a complete one with Arsenal. Though they had only played a few fewer matches, the situation was more complex. The summer training camp is crucial for the team, and Wenger couldn't lead the summer preparations, making it hard to overhaul the team during the ongoing season.
But this summer was different.
Arsenal was truly entering the Wenger era.
""Ready for a solid contest today?"Aldrich smiled, extending his hand to Wenger.
Wenger nodded, saying, "Although it may not be the best time, I believe Arsenal is no worse than Millwall now."
"Haha, well, the fans are in for a treat."
After shaking hands with Wenger, Aldrich returned to his seat.
Wenger was right; the timing for Millwall to face Arsenal was not ideal.
The opener featured a London derby, with the defending champions up against the team that finished fourth last season. It was clearly a clash of the titans that was sure to get everyone's blood pumping.
But honestly, the FA must have gone mad.
Such heavyweight clashes usually do not occur in the first two rounds of the season for the sake of entertainment; teams need a recovery period. Who could guarantee that both strong teams would be in top form for their first official match?
But the FA has gone ahead and set it up that way.
Aldrich never voices complaints about the schedule, not even when the FA Cup final and the European Cup Winners' Cup final were only two days apart last season. He didn't propose a rescheduling to the FA for the FA Cup final.
The strong fear nothing. The schedule was set long ago. Even if conspiracy theories existed, if one is strong enough, what is there to fear from the opponent?
Did those scheduling the matches think that giving Millwall a tough start would lead to their downfall?
No matter how easy or difficult the schedule was, it was a test of the coach's ability, and Aldrich welcomed any challenge.
As both teams' players stepped out of the tunnel, the audience waiting at home or in pubs in front of their televisions was ignited with enthusiasm.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've missed you! The Premier League is back! I'm Martin Tyler, and partnering with me this season for commentary is my old friend Andy Gray."
"The opening match is a London derby, where the new champions face the former kings, Arsenal. It's really exciting, Martin. What are your thoughts on the changes in both teams for the new season?"
"For Millwall, aside from losing first-team defender Stam, there haven't been many personnel changes. If I were to mention a change, it's that they should be more mature and stronger now after the experience of winning the championship. The young players have grown significantly after last season's training. On the other hand, Arsenal has undergone considerable change; they've added two powerful players to their starting lineup: French midfielder Petit and Dutch winger Overmars. Additionally, looking at the starting formation, Arsène Wenger has set up a 4-4-2, signaling the end of Graham's Arsenal era as the five-defender formation has entered history."
"Alright, let's look at the starting lineups: for Millwall, they're fielding a full-strength squad with a 4-3-3 formation. Goalkeeper: Butt. Defenders: Schneider, Elguera, Southgate, Capdevila. Midfielders: Makelele, Pirlo, Nedved. Forwards: Larsson, Trezeguet, Shevchenko. Arsenal's starting formation is 4-4-2, with goalkeeper: Seaman. Defenders: Dixon, Adams, Keown, Winterburn. Midfielders: Pires, Vieira, Petit, Overmars. Forwards: Anelka, Bergkamp. Last season, Wenger lost 4-0 when he visited the Lions' Den; can he redeem himself today and give Arsenal's fans something to cheer about in London? Can Millwall, as reigning champions, assert themselves and claim victory in the new season? Let's wait and see!"
Since it was the season opener, a short ceremony was held.
Aldrich stood by the sideline, his eyes sweeping over Arsenal's starting lineup, pondering.
For nearly the next decade, Arsenal's formation would evolve from the 4-4-2 base into numerous variations, like 4-2-2-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-5-1, and so on. Tactical formations are never fixed; the key lies in the areas players are responsible for during attack and defense, as well as their movements when off the ball.
From the personal abilities and characteristics of this Arsenal squad, one could roughly guess their tactical intentions.
The two defensive midfielders, Petit and Vieira, were responsible for strengthening the midfield defense and protecting the area in front of the penalty box. In transitions from defense to attack, they would use the flanks, with Pires or Overmars providing support. Bergkamp could also drop back to assist. The midfielders would occasionally make runs forward, creating connections in their attacking plays.
Defensively, they prioritized stability, while they focused on speed in attacking.
Overall, their strategy was primarily counterattacking.
As the match began, Millwall kicked off.
Since it was the league opener, Millwall didn't push too high up after the kickoff. Pirlo made a diagonal pass to right-winger Shevchenko, who returned the ball to Schneider. Schneider then made a long pass, with the ball landing at Capdevila's feet. He played a through ball for Larsson, who was in position, but Dixon intercepted the pass.
Arsenal quickly transitioned from defense to attack, with the ball at the feet of Dutch winger Overmars, who immediately embarked on a long run down the flank.
Capdevila's attempted through ball had failed, and Arsenal countered on the same side; as he turned, Overmars had already slipped past him.
Speeding down the wing, Overmars surged forward but didn't cut inside. Instead, he went wide to the byline.
Unmarked, Overmars sent in a precise cross to the center where Anelka and Elguera battled for the ball. Elguera had the physical advantage and won the aerial duel, flicking the ball to the right flank where Schneider picked it up, and Millwall restructured their attack.
Wenger felt a tinge of disappointment as the counterattack had not succeeded; they were just one touch away from a goal.
Aldrich had started closely observing Arsenal's players' movements as soon as Overmars received the ball.
Bergkamp had made a run forward and then retreated outside the penalty box; for a fleeting moment, he was unmarked, but the pass from the little flyer didn't find him.
Southgate moved to cover Capdevila's position. Makelele tracked back to the penalty area while Pirlo stood in front of it. Vieira and Pires on the other wing didn't provide effective support for this attack. The situation on the field was ever-changing, and opportunities were fleeting. Overmars missed the chance to pass to the space Bergkamp had run into. Traditionally, crosses from the wing are not very threatening, irrespective of Anelka's heading ability; he was not at an advantage against Elguera, and Overmars' adjustment had allowed Millwall's defense to swiftly close ranks after exposing an opening.
Millwall attempted several penetrating passes but struggled to break down Arsenal's solid defense, which undoubtedly boasted the strongest backline in the entire Premier League.
Arsenal was under pressure, but their counterattacks frequently created scoring threats. Both teams were quick to retract their defensive formations and expand for counterattacks, adhering to a one-touch passing philosophy. Aside from the wingers for Arsenal, who often dribbled the ball, other players sought to be both quick and accurate in ball transitions, making the match very enjoyable to watch.
Schneider made a diagonal pass looking for Trezeguet, which was intercepted by Petit. The French midfielder switched from defense to attack with the intent to find Pires behind Schneider; he made a swift pass that crossed the halfway line. Pires had moved into space, ready to initiate a threatening counterattack.
However, Makelele expertly intercepted the ball just before Pires could receive it and passed it to Pirlo.
After failing to counterattack, Arsenal faced renewed pressure from Millwall, with Pirlo delivering a precise pass that sliced through the Arsenal defense into the right side of the penalty area.
Winterburn monitored the trajectory of the ball, checking Shevchenko's position—everything looked good.
Keown was tightly marking Trezeguet, while Vieira was on Nedved; however, in the area just outside the box, when Pirlo received the ball and prepared to pass, Larsson made a sudden run from the left, darting into the right-side area of the box. Adams reacted just a beat too late and allowed Larsson to exploit the gap between Keown and Winterburn.
Following the ball's trajectory, Larsson turned and flicked it with the inside of his foot. Seaman rushed out to block the near post, but the ball, though not hit with great speed, took an awkward angle toward the far post.
Dixon dashed towards the far post, attempting to head the ball away. However, despite his best effort to leap, he completely missed it and fell into the net, landing right next to the ball.
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