Southbound to London Again to Face Arsenal: Who Led the Way in English Possession Football?

In the fourth round of the Premier League, Manchester City are ready to head to London again!

However, this time their opponent is not Tottenham Hotspur, but their Tottenham Hotspur -rivals in the city, Arsenal.

The match is scheduled to start at 3 pm on Sunday. Tang Long's back injury is recovering in an orderly manner and at a good pace. After about ten days of rehabilitation, he finally participated in the team's last training session before the match on Saturday morning.

During their first joint training session after his recovery, assistant coach Rayne reminded the team not to use any aggressive tackles on Don, as he had just recovered from injury. He added that this was a special instruction from Pelle.

Ranocchia, Agüero, Kolarov, Sterling, and the others Tang Long a high-five and a hug, saying, "Congratulations, Tang! You've finally recovered and are back in action!"

Especially Kolarov, when he saw Tang Long come to train with him, his weathered face was full of unconcealed smiles.

These men were either Tang Long's staunch brothers or had vested interests with him on the field; they all hoped that Tang Long could return to the field soon and play with them.

However, some players looked rather indifferent, simply watching from a distance without making any move to approach and speak with Tang Long.

David Silva covered his mouth and whispered to his fellow Spain Navas:

"Why come back earlier or later? He just had to make his comeback in the last training session before going to London. This kid's intentions are very clear: he wants to fight for a starting position!"

Navas scoffed and said, "If Tang starts, won't you have to go back to the wing? You played really well last game, two goals and one assist, and you even won the Premier League Player of the Week award! That's not fair!"

"Wrong! It's two goals and two assists," Silva corrected Navas, holding up two fingers. "I just don't understand. I perform no worse than Dom in the attacking midfield position, so why does Pellegrini always put me on the wing and him in the center?"

Silva was indeed very frustrated.

Last season, aside from playing on the wing in a 4-4-2 formation, Silva was always the starting attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

He is agile, dribbles exceptionally well, and his precise and penetrating through balls are perfectly executed in the attacking midfield position, which he is also more comfortable playing in.

However, after the halfway point of the league, Lampard, who was on loan from Chelsea for six months, took his place. Then, in the last five or six rounds of the league, Lampard dropped back to the defensive midfield position, and Milner suddenly appeared on the right, still occupying the regular starting position as the attacking midfielder.

This season, having outlasted Lampard, Silva thought, "Surely I can finally get back to my regular attacking midfielder position?"

Unexpectedly, the club spent a record transfer fee to buy Tang Long, but he still has no chance of getting that position.

Silva, who had played for Manchester City for five years, was very resentful.

Not only Silva from the Spanish-speaking Faction, but also Clichy from the French-speaking Faction looked at Tang Long with hostility.

Clichy and Sagna both played for Arsenal and were both France. They had a very good relationship and were important members of the French-speaking Faction.

"Good heavens, Tang has only been at Manchester City for a few days and hasn't played many games, yet he's already enjoying superstar treatment? What do you mean by 'don't touch him in training'? Is he made of gold? If he can't even train hard, how can he deserve to play in official matches? It's ridiculous!" Clichy stomped his foot heavily and complained to Sagna.

Seeing his compatriots' indignant expressions, Sagna understood perfectly well what was going on. He thought to himself:

"Tang's position is attacking midfielder. Now that he's back from injury, he'll be competing for Silva's position, not yours as a left-back. Aren't you just jealous of your rival in the same position, Kolarov? He can create wonderful combinations with Tang. It's just a pity that Tang wasn't there last round. Although the team won, Kolarov, who started, didn't play well. And you, there's a high chance you'll replace Kolarov in the starting lineup this round. Hehe, you're worried that once Tang comes back, you'll be overshadowed by Kolarov again, aren't you!"

Meanwhile...

Within Manchester City's first-team coaching staff, those who once strongly supported Milner are now beginning to resurface.

They believe that Tang Long's muscle inflammation after only two Premier League indicates that his physical condition is not good, and that keeping Milner instead of hastily sending him away would have been a better choice!

"I've said it before, Milner is one of our few players with strong tackling ability in the attacking third. He rarely gets injured; he's the one who injures the opponents!"

"No one is indispensable at Manchester City. We won last round even though Tang was absent, didn't we? If Milner were here, he could at least provide a strong rotation option."

"The crucial point is that we actually sold him to Liverpool! God, how could Begiristain do such a stupid thing? Sending him back to the Aston Villa would have been better; wouldn't that have strengthened our title rivals?"

"Tang is still too young. I heard that the club was torn between De Bruyne and Tang at the time, and it was only after the strong recommendation of the commercial director, Berrada, that we chose Tang. Perhaps we thought he was 5 years younger and had the huge Asia market behind him."

"That's ridiculous! Shouldn't we be looking at it from a competitive standpoint? De Bruyne's starting stats were better than Dom's, and he played all three 90-minute matches. Dom can't compare to him in that respect!"

"I said it long ago, a teenage player whose physical functions are not yet fully developed, for the same price of over 70 million, De Bruyne has a much lower error rate."

However, these discussions about Milner and Tang Long among the first-team coaching staff only circulated within a small circle of friends and acquaintances.

At the coaching staff meeting, no one brought up this matter, nor was there any need to.

Milner is gone, and Tang Long can't possibly swap with De Bruyne, so what's the point of saying anything more? Let's just take it one step at a time.

Anyway, when things went wrong in the end, Pellegrini, the boss, would take the blame, and those of us who followed him and got our share of the spoils wouldn't get hurt.

London, Emirates Stadium.

Tang Long was relegated to the bench for this match.

Pellegrini consulted the team doctor and learned that Tang Long was fit to play, but to be on the safe side, he did not start him and instead used Silva to continue playing in the attacking midfield position.

Silva was overjoyed to learn that he would still be playing as an attacking midfielder. He put his arm around Agüero's shoulder and said, "I'll feed you a few more delicious meals today."

As they passed Podolski, the two embraced and exchanged pleasantries with smiles on their faces.

In the Sky Sport live broadcast room, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry saw this scene and laughed, saying:

"I almost forgot, Podolski and Dom were teammates at Inter Milan, they should know each other well. Podolski is starting, I don't know if Dom will play. The information we have is that he has just recovered from a back injury, I think that's why Pellegrini put him on the bench. If that's the case, it's actually quite a pity, because Dom impressed me technically in the first two games."

Thierry Henry, a legendary striker, officially ended his long 21-year professional career at the beginning of this year.

From his debut in Ligue 1 with Monaco in 1994 to his retirement with MLS New York Red Bulls in Ligue 1 in 2015, Henry scored over 400 goals in his career, including 228 goals in 377 appearances for Arsenal. He also won the Premier League Golden Boot in both 2003-2004 and 2004-2005, making him an undisputed top Premier League striker.

It's worth mentioning that Henry not only scored a lot of goals, but also provided a lot of assists, contributing 97 assists for Arsenal alone. He could play in the center or on the wing, making him a truly versatile striker.

Therefore, he naturally had a strong liking for passing masters like Tang Long.

No sooner had Henry finished speaking than Manchester United legend Keane snorted coldly.

"Henry, you're an Arsenal player, you should know what Professor Wenger recently said. He said that Asia players like Tang have a common problem: they think they're technically superior and neglect core strength training."

Keane was a typical tough guy during his playing days.

Although he is only 178 cm tall and not particularly large, he is good at both offense and defense, has a tough style, and a fiery temper. He is the most dominant midfielder in the Premier League in the last 20 years and one of the greatest captains in Manchester United's history, helping Manchester United win 7 league titles and 1 UEFA Champions League title.

"I really can't figure out how a player under 20 could have a back injury. When I was Tang's age, I went through 200 collisions a day on the field, all kinds of tackles, flying tackles, and aerial duels, and I never got injured, let alone a back injury. This guy is really a bit fragile, haha! Or is it that all Asia players are..."

Seeing that Keane was about to say something wrong, Henry quickly coughed to change the subject.

"Injuries are something no player wants to experience. We hope Tang recovers soon. Okay, let's introduce the starting lineups for both sides!"

Home team Arsenal: 4231

Giroud

Campbell / Chamberlain / Walcott

Ramsey / Flamini

Monreal / Koscielny / Mertesacker / Bellerin

Cech

Away team Manchester City: 4231

Agüero

Sterling / Silva / Navas

Yaya Toure / Fernando

Klich/ Kompany / Ranocchia / Sagna

Joe Hart

Wenger and Pellegrini, two white-haired men over 60, shook hands before the match.

The referee blew his whistle, and the match began!

Arsenal, playing at home, launched a strong opening attack amidst the cheers of 60,000 die-hard fans at the Emirates Stadium.

The shrewd Wenger knew that against a strong team like Manchester City, once the game became a close, positional battle, even at home, the outcome was hard to predict. Therefore, a strong attack at the start and a quick win was always a good strategy.

Arsenal's players know the location of every patch of grass on the pitch very well, making excellent use of the width of the field, with the three lines positioned very high up.

Faced with players like Chamberlain and Walcott, who make runs into the attacking third, Manchester City's Yaya Toure and Fernando dared not easily leave their positions to mark them closely. Manchester City adopted a zonal marking strategy in this match.

On both sides, Sterling and Silva are both fast and agile, but Arsenal's fierce attack at the start forced them to retreat a bit and dare not open up the width of the field rashly.

Arsenal's formation encircled Manchester City, with the ball moving back and forth, from left to right and right to left, occasionally with through balls that were crisp, precise, and purposeful. The players moved like butterflies, their positions seemingly both tangible and intangible, their attacks unpredictable yet always hitting the mark. Their style of play was extremely fluid and free.

Tang Long, sitting on the bench, was also watching intently.

He had thought that Manchester City's ground passing was the best in the Premier League, but today, on his first visit to the Emirates Stadium, seeing Arsenal's passing and control, he felt that the opponent's style was no less impressive than Manchester City's, and even more refined in certain zonal details. If it weren't for Giroud being tightly marked by Ranocchia, causing the opponent to lose their target man, Manchester City's penalty area would probably have become Arsenal's playground long ago.

He thought to himself, "When Inter Milan played possession-based football, I always felt that Podolski's tactical understanding was superior to his teammates. It seems he has truly inherited Wenger's skills. He played exceptionally well today. It was the right choice for him not to stay at Inter Milan after his loan ended and to return to Arsenal."

At 14 minutes and 3 seconds into the match, Wenger raised his wrist, glanced at his watch, then gently lowered it and turned to speak to his assistant coach.

Generally speaking, the initial burst of energy can only last for 15 minutes, and at most 20 minutes; otherwise, the players' stamina will be exhausted prematurely, making it difficult to sustain the rest of the game.

Pellegrini also glanced up at the Emirates Stadium clock: 14:12.

The Chile manager was prepared for this start; he knew Arsenal couldn't keep pressing forward like this indefinitely, and once they started to retreat, it would be Manchester City's time to counterattack.

At this point, Arsenal launched the final wave of their opening attack.

Monreal had given up hope of breaking through Manchester City's defense, so he began to retreat early, preparing for the next tense phase between the two teams.

Defensive Flamini shared the same thought. While forward runs are his forte, he didn't make any forward runs, instead strolling around midfield to recover his energy and prepare for the tough battle ahead.

But the Spain youngster Bellerin, who just turned 20, doesn't think so!

He suddenly accelerated forward from his right-back position, yelling at defensive midfielder Ramsey, "Watch me!"

Ramsey was thinking of one last attack. His previous short passes hadn't gotten him into the penalty area, so this time he decided to try a long pass. The ball flew high into the air!

Bellerin is known for his speed; he even trained in sprinting during his school days, and his off-the-ball sprint speed is much faster than with the ball.

The opposing full-back, Clichy, is also known for his speed, but even with his cheeks puffed out and a fierce chase, he still trailed Bellerin by half a body length!

"Bellerin! Bellerin!" Henry called out!

"He cut inside! He was so fast!"

"Clichy dared not pull Bellerin from behind in the penalty area!"

"Shoot!!"

"Ah?"

Just as Henry was holding his head in disbelief at Hart's miraculous save, Giroud in the middle stretched out his toe and flicked the ball into the net!

"Haha, Giroud got a steal! Great job!"

Henry, who had been holding his own head, put his hands on Keane's head and shook him back and forth.

Keane felt like his brain was about to pop out, and quickly pushed him away.

"What is Ranocchia doing?" he said. "Why did they leave out Giroud?"

"Giroud's final shot was great! Ranocchia was right there, but he was still knocked away!" Henry exclaimed happily.

"See? This is the Premier League. I told you, even a possession-based team like Arsenal needs a tough guy like Giroud!"

Keane was smug, and his words were alluding to Tang Long.

But that's not surprising.

Keane was a legendary passer for Manchester United. In his era, if Manchester United failed to win the league title in a particular year, it was a disgrace and something to be deeply reflected upon.

And what about their arch-rivals Manchester City back then? There's only one word to describe them: noisy neighbors.

But ever since this neighbor suddenly became rich, the balance of power has begun to subtly shift!

Judging from at least the last two seasons, Manchester City not only won the Premier League title, but is also a strong contender for the championship.

Manchester United's strength was greatly reduced after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, and they finished seventh. Even though they climbed to fourth the following year, the UEFA Champions League qualification was a fig leaf, but it could not hide the fact that the team's strength was no longer comparable to that of the Keane era.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Keane is happy that Manchester City's all-time leading scorer Tang Long is injured, and he also cheers for Arsenal's goal!

Ranocchia covered his throat and went to appeal to the referee, with Kompany and Yaya Toure following suit.

He believes that Giroud elbowed him in the neck when he finally won the header.

But the referee ignored it and walked away.

"Hey, this is the Premier League, not your soft Serie A, that's a park for old men and women to stroll in!" When the referee ignored him, Giroud even walked up to Ranocchia, covered his mouth, and whispered provocatively at him.

Ranocchia smiled and nodded at him.

Fine, you tricked me, I'll return the favor.

Trying to play dirty with the Italy defender? You're just showing off your limited skills in front of an expert.

When the scoreboard at the Emirates Stadium went from 0 to 1, cheers erupted everywhere!

Professor Wenger was very satisfied with the result; he had once thought it would be impossible to win.

He waved his hand, signaling the players to drop back slightly and prepare to defend.

At this moment, Tang Long glanced at Pellegrini.

He saw a hint of panic and confusion in the eyes of the veteran Chile coach.

Tang Long thought to himself, "It seems that Pellegrini did not expect to concede a goal within the first 15 minutes. This is indeed an accident. Arsenal, who mainly play beautiful passing and possession football, actually scored with a traditional English long pass. If it were Clichy facing Bellerin with the ball, he could have easily let go of him, but unfortunately, his off-the-ball sprint was still a bit lacking."

He then thought, "After watching for 15 minutes, Bellerin likes to make runs forward, a bit recklessly. After I come on as a substitute, I will definitely use the space behind him to make through balls. Sterling is positioned on this side, and his speed and attacking power are not a problem. As long as we don't lose possession later, it shouldn't be a big problem for us to equalize."