Three Goals Ahead and Still Pushing Forwards, Manchester City is Trying to Kill Arsenal and Wenger!
Wenger has been pushed to the brink; he's fighting with his back against the wall. But some Arsenal players don't think so.
As the saying goes, "The camp remains, but the soldiers come and go." Once a team's performance declines, the team's management will definitely think of replacing the coach first, rather than blaming the players.
For a club, a player is listed on the annual balance sheet as an asset, but a coach is not.
More importantly, some Arsenal players have had their share of criticisms of Wenger's tactics over the years.
Some players privately commented that with Arsenal's current squad, it would be difficult to play beautiful yet effective possession-based football. They suggested that Arsenal should play more pragmatically to earn more points.
Especially against Manchester City, going head-to-head with them is practically suicidal, isn't it?
Because the Arsenal players on the field were not united, the ball did not move as smoothly as it used to.
In addition, Guardiola implemented his usual high-pressing tactic from the start.
Manchester City players employed a multi-pronged attack, cutting off Arsenal's passing lanes, constantly shrinking their space, and further hindering their progress.
In the 15th minute of the first half, the football rolled rapidly across the grass, carrying the heartbeat of the entire stadium.
Spain football star David Silva is as agile as a fish on the wing.
With each touch of the ball, it seemed glued to his feet, weaving effortlessly between the defenders. His agile dribbling was captivating, drawing cheers from Tang Long on the bench.
Ranocchia and Sterling received the ball in turn.
Their teamwork was seamless, with every pass perfectly timed.
Silva charged straight into the penalty area with the ball like a whirlwind.
His gaze was firm as he looked towards the baseline, his feigned descent so convincing that the defenders were easily fooled.
Just then, his left foot suddenly jerked, and unexpectedly, the ball flew accurately towards Sane at the far post.
Sane leaped high into the air, his figure appearing exceptionally agile in the London sunlight at around 3 p. m.
The surrounding opponents all thought he was going to stop the ball, but he deftly flicked his ankle and passed it back without stopping it in mid-air!
Bonazzoli rushed forward like the Cheetah, met the ball, leaned back slightly, and unleashed a powerful volley!
The football, like a cannonball, hurtled into the net with a whistling sound!
"Good shot, Bonazzoli!"
Tang Long, who was on the bench, rushed to the sidelines immediately.
Bonazzoli also rushed towards him from afar, and the two embraced tightly!
Tang Long could feel Bonazzoli's rapid heartbeat.
"Tang, I did it! I did it! Ah, I can do it!"
Bonazzoli, his face flushed, was so excited he was incoherent, repeating the same phrase over and over.
When he said "I did it," he was referring to that powerful volley he just scored without stopping the ball.
During daily training, Tang Long discovered Bonazzoli's problem with shooting.
He always likes to get into position, swing his leg, and only hit the ball steadily after all his body postures are fully extended.
But as a center, in the heat of a game, where is there so much time and space for him to prepare?
Tang Long repeatedly reminded him to increase the speed of his leg swing and seize any opportunity to shoot.
At that moment, Bonazzoli perfectly executed Tang Long's suggestion, swinging his lower leg to intercept the ball before Koscielny could reach out to intercept, and scoring first.
Inside the Emirates Stadium, 60,000 spectators erupted in a deafening chorus of boos.
The boos weren't directed at Bonazzoli, who scored the goal, but rather surged like a tidal wave towards the Arsenal players on the field.
The chants of "Wenger out" that were interspersed among the crowd started as sporadic cries, but within just a minute or two, they coalesced into a deafening roar that echoed throughout the entire stadium.
This marks the first time since the start of the season that Arsenal fans have booed their legendary manager Arsène Wenger at their home stadium.
The towering Wenger turned away helplessly, a hint of weariness and resignation in his eyes. He shrugged at the fans in the stands, as if to say, "What's the point of booing me?"
But this dedicated France coach quickly composed himself, turned back around, and still smiled as he applauded and encouraged the players, as if nothing had happened.
However, with unity of purpose, even mountains can be moved.
When people are not united, everything becomes exhausting!
He noticed that no matter how much he shouted, the players on the field seemed listless and far less energetic than usual.
Ten minutes later, Kolarov delivered a dipping, curved ball, Ranocchia, in the center of the penalty area, dove to head the ball into the net, making it 2-0!
They were already down by two goals halfway through the first half.
Given Arsenal's current form, how can the fans in the stands believe they can turn things around?
A cacophony of noise, rage, and screams filled the Emirates Stadium.
The only cheers came from the more than 2,000 Manchester City fans who had traveled from afar to the stadium, located in the southwest corner of the stands!
They sang and danced, beaming with joy, constantly chanting Guardiola's name!
Guardiola glanced over and waved to them from a distance.
So far, Arsenal have not played the beautiful football that Wenger envisioned.
Manchester City, on the other hand, relied on their powerful high-pressing, quick passing, and a set piece to leave Arsenal helpless.
Tang Long, sitting on the bench, was leisurely drinking water and chatting with his teammates while leaning back in his seat.
He had a vague feeling that he didn't need to appear today?
"It's good to take a break. Playing all the time must be tiring. I'll have Gracie give me a massage later to help me get some exercise."
Before Tang Long could finish his sip of water, he heard the continuous "slap slap slap" sounds of the ball being hit coming from the court.
Looking up suddenly, I saw Silva, Ranocchia, and Bonazzoli making six consecutive passes;
Bonazzoli then moved to the edge of the box, flicked a header on the ball, and Sterling sprinted into the open space inside the penalty area, calmly slotting the ball into the near corner!
Tang Long quickly swallowed the water in his mouth, tossed the water bottle aside, and walked to the sidelines to receive Sterling's rushing hug.
Sterling's hug was even more enthusiastic than Bonazzoli's!
The England, like a little black monkey, clung directly to Tang Long's chest.
"You're right, Tang, we need to shoot at the near post!"
Sterling was so excited not only because he scored against Arsenal, but also because Tang Long had taught him that shot.
Tang Long told him, "Sterling, since your shooting is terrible, you should first make sure your shots are on target. For these half-one-on-one shots, instead of shooting towards the far corner which is very difficult, you should just shoot towards the near corner, since the distance is shorter and you'll be more accurate."
Sterling's shot into the near corner fooled the goalkeeper!
Just 30 minutes into the game, Manchester City were leading Arsenal 3-0 away from home.
Guardiola secretly glanced over, wanting to see Wenger's reaction.
Wenger stood there like a statue, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground, completely still.
Even from ten meters away, Guardiola could see how ugly Wenger's ashen face looked.
"Should we call it a day?" Guardiola wondered to himself after a moment of smug satisfaction.
He quickly dismissed the idea.
A 3-0 scoreline isn't exactly a safe bet in football!
For example, the world-famous Miracle of Istanbul, where AC Milan led 3-0 in the first half but were overturned by Liverpool in the second half, shows that such comebacks are not impossible.
"Only three goals so far, stick to the established tactics and don't make any adjustments yet."
During halftime, Guardiola said to his assistant coach Chivu.
Chivu nodded in agreement, "We need to score at least one more to be on the safe side."
Upon hearing this, Agüero eagerly stepped forward and volunteered, "Coaches, let me play! I guarantee I'll score a goal and complete the mission!"
Agüero has played in the Premier League for many years and has extensive experience in the competition.
He sat on the sidelines for more than ten minutes and observed that the entire Arsenal team was disunited and in very poor form.
Ranocchia's corner kick goal as an example. When he headed the ball, he was actually surrounded by defenders.
Even a typical mid-table Premier League team could have defended against this, but Arsenal conceded a goal so easily, which shows how sluggish they were today!
Faced with such a great opportunity, how could Agüero, the team's top scorer last season, not want to step up and score a few goals?
Saying he'd score another goal was just an excuse; he really wanted to go up there and score a hat trick!
Just then, Sane reported that his right calf muscle was a bit tight, possibly indicating a minor strain.
Guardiola then brought on Agüero to replace Sane.
As for Tang Long, Guardiola decided to wait and not rush to put him on the field.
Although he expected Tang Long to come on as a substitute in the second half to maintain his physical condition, now was not the time.
In the second half, when Arsenal's players saw Agüero, standing on the field with his hands on his hips, twisting his waist back and forth and side to side, they were immediately terrified!
His threat level is far greater than Sane's. You're already leading 3-0, are you Manchester City still not letting up?
Professor Wenger, though outwardly as refined and scholarly as ever;
But sweat poured down his back like a fountain, already soaking his shirt – he was sweating even more than the Arsenal players on the field!
"Playing Agüero at this point, Guardiola is trying to kill me..."