Chapter 343 A confident real man: Goal 35!Premier League single season goal record!
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Liu Nian Fei Shui
Chapter 343 A confident real man: Goal 35!Premier League single season goal record!
The Etihad Stadium can accommodate 55097 spectators, and Manchester City's league match against leader Arsenal was full.
More than an hour before the game, the starting lineups of both sides of the game were leaked.
The formation given by the home team Manchester City is 4141.
Goalkeeper: Bravo
Defenders: Kolarov, Stones, Kompany, Zabaleta
Defender: Fernandinho
Forward: Sterling, David Silva, De Bruyne, Sane
Forward: Aguero
Arsenal still uses the usual 4231 formation.
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
Defenders: Monreal, Koscielny, Van Dijk, Bellerin
Midfielder: Xhaka, Kante
Midfielder: Sanchez, Martin, Walcott
Forward: Cavani
……
Both teams have fielded their strongest lineups. The neutral fans who are following this league game are full of enthusiasm and are looking forward to the next game.
Major media believe that the two teams are well-organized and will give fans a high probability of a wonderful game.
Manchester City fans seemed to have learned a lesson from Chelsea fans who booed Martin wildly but suffered a hat-trick in response. There were not many boos when Arsenal players entered the stadium, so many Arsenal players were a little surprised.
This... is unscientific!
It’s time for Internet guru Gnabry to explain it to everyone. It turns out that... Manchester City’s die-hard fan group gained valuable experience from Chelsea’s complete defeat of Arsenal at home.
Westerners have always been superstitious. In a sense, it is exactly the same as the saying of the Dragon Kingdom: 'It is better to believe what is there than to believe what it is not'.
"Really boring."
Martin, who was warming up, couldn't hear any harsh boos and was a little uncomfortable.
When he communicated with De Bruyne in the player tunnel, he complained: "Your fans don't even boo me anymore? There is no away atmosphere, it's boring."
"..."
When De Bruyne was surfing the Internet, he also noticed the exchange of opinions between Manchester City fans and Chelsea fans. He felt a little speechless at the time. Now that Martin asked him, he was even more speechless.
Because, he also felt that the home atmosphere was a bit strange.
Since the make-up game is scheduled on a working day in the middle of the week, taking into account the issue of attendance, the game time is arranged in the evening when fans are off work.
At [-]pm local time, referee Marina blew the whistle.
"aoaoaooooooooo——"
Aguero kicked the ball to De Bruyne, and the Manchester City fans in the audience roared hysterically to cheer for the home team fans on the field.
They thought that since they couldn't use boos to stimulate Martin to score goals, they would put all their energy into supporting their own players and give them huge support, so as to achieve a better competitive state.
Guardiola has been in charge of Manchester City for more than half a season, and the players have a relatively clear understanding of his tactics. They are not as confused as they were at the beginning of the season when executing them, and they are playing well.
Just as Guardiola said in an interview with the media when he arrived at Manchester City: I am here to prove that passing and controlling football can also pass the Premier League.
In order to compete for the midfielder, he copied the tactics he used when coaching Bayern, and moved the two full-backs to either side of the single midfielder Fernandinho to serve as full-back midfielders.
When necessary, Stones will also take the initiative to participate in passing the ball and attacking, so that De Bruyne and David Silva can focus all their energy on offense without having to multi-purpose.
Sane and Sterling on the wing are both very fast. While controlling the midfield, they use the combination of wing and center tactics to threaten Cech to guard the goal.
It's just that Aguero's height disadvantage is there. High balls passed to him cannot go over the heads of Van Dijk and Koscielny, which results in Manchester City's crosses being low and flat balls passed to the forward point or inverted triangle.
With such a lack of variability in passing, it is relatively easy for Arsenal to defend as a whole.
At the beginning of the game, Martin's position was relatively deep and in the center, allowing Xhaka and Kanter to focus all their attention on the defense of the two ribs.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, Manchester City took the initiative in the game, but did not create a shooting opportunity that threatened Cech's goal.
On the contrary, Arsenal's concise and quick counterattack was more threatening. If Walcott hadn't stopped the ball too much, Arsenal would have been leading the score with a high probability.
Guardiola, who was standing in the technical area commanded by the home team coach, frowned, obviously feeling a lot of pressure.
The team's offensive was in full swing, and they also used the midfielder tactics to effectively increase control in the middle and avoid switching from offense to defense with less defense and more defense. In order to prevent Martin from launching a counterattack and advancing with the ball, Arsenal did not expect that Arsenal would not attack at all. Through the midfield interception, Martin's precise long passing ability is directly used to hit the back...
If Walcott hadn't found the feeling of the game in the opening stage, he would have got the ball and gone straight in.
Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger was very moved when he saw Walcott's condition getting worse and worse due to frequent injuries.
In the blink of an eye, he has been coaching the 'Little Tigers' for his 11th year.
Professional football is cruel. For the sake of team performance, it is impossible to give too many opportunities.
"I hope Theo can get back to his best form soon~"
The game on the field continued to attack, and Manchester City still had the absolute initiative, boiling frogs in warm water through passing and controlling tactics, looking for Arsenal's defensive gaps.
David Silva and De Bruyne are both masters of passing threatening balls, and Aguero has a strong ability to seize opportunities in front of the goal.
Guardiola believes that as long as he creates an opportunity, Aguero will definitely send the ball to Cech to guard the goal.
However, Martin's tactical retracement brought about an improvement in Arsenal's overall defense. On the defensive end, the position is similar to the 4321 formation, which is like a rounded bowstring. It may pose a threat to Bravo's goal at any time.
Thinking of Bravo, Guardiola is even more depressed.
I originally wanted to buy him and become the last piece of the puzzle for the team to dominate the Premier League through pass control, but I didn't expect to become the regent (shot on goal).
Time passed by second by second, and the game soon came to 10 minutes, and the scoreboard still showed 0:0.
The ball possession ratio is close to 82, with Manchester City 76% leading Arsenal 24%.
Xinying Sports commentator Jin Xiangkai looked at the data given by the broadcaster and frowned: "Such data is a bit abnormal. If I remember correctly, Arsenal's ball possession ratio this season exceeds 55%, second only to Manchester City. "
Immediately afterwards, a comparison of the shots and goals hit by both sides is given.
In terms of shooting, Manchester City leads 4:1.
However, Manchester City did not hit the goal range, not even the near post.
On the contrary, Arsenal's only shot missed the right goal post and rolled out of the baseline, shocking all the home team fans in a cold sweat.
Continuous attacks failed to threaten the opponent's fans, but instead made them tremble with fear.
Guardiola had no choice but to signal the team to change their style of play, slow down the offensive pace, and give up some control to see if he could pose a threat to Arsenal's defense during the transition from defense to offense.
In the 25th minute of the game, David Silva suddenly shot a cold arrow from the front of the penalty area on the right side and was easily caught by the focused Cech.
Martin wanted the ball to launch a counterattack, but what he didn't expect was that Manchester City did not use high defense or direct fouls, but retreated to half-court defense.
Such changes directly stunned Wenger and Martin.
Is there such an operation?
Manchester City's defensive tactics were obviously premeditated. The fast break failed. Martin handed the ball to Xhaka and pushed the ball with him into the Manchester City defensive half.
In Martin's view, Manchester City's lineup is not very suitable for defense.
Continuous attacks will definitely open up gaps and find opportunities to break the deadlock.
Guardiola watched Arsenal continue to pass and organize attacks from the outside with both anticipation and hesitation.
Expect a quick counterattack from defense to offense. Whether it is De Bruyne or David Silva, they can deliver threatening balls in a very short time from defense to offense.
The hesitation lies in the fact that the team's overall defense is not very good. He requires the management to buy players who pursue the ultimate offense.
But facing Arsenal, who are quite good at both ends of the offense and defense, they have no choice but to seek tactical changes through this risky approach.
According to his expectations before the game, both sides have thoroughly studied each other's tactics, and if they want to win, they must play something different.
However, against all odds, Bravo would have turned out to be shot dead...
In the 29th minute, Manchester City's attack ended hastily, and Arsenal got a chance to switch from defense to offense, but the home team retreated very quickly, and the fast break was forced to turn into a positional battle.
Martin pushed the ball across the center line and played wonderful coordination with Sanchez, Cavani and Monreal. The sudden increase in offensive intensity flattened Manchester City's formation.
Martin, who came to attack the left rib, caught the ball and attracted the defensive attention of De Bruyne and Fernandinho. He raised his right foot and swayed left and right, as if waiting for something.
De Bruyne and Fernandinho, who were defending frontally, didn't know what medicine Martin was selling, so they didn't act rashly.
At this moment, Sanchez, who was on the front left, suddenly moved forward, and Monreal, who was close to the left sideline, also accelerated.
This change caused Manchester City's entire defense to move to the right. Martin, who had a wide vision, put his right foot down and used the instep of his outside foot to pass the ball to Xhaka, who was advancing to join the attack.
From an offensive standpoint, Martin has attracted a lot of attention.
Xhaka, who joined the attack from behind, was temporarily unmarked. He stopped the ball half a meter in front of him with the outside instep of his left foot, stepped forward with his right foot to support his body, and hit the ball with his left heel.
The kicked football was so powerful and heavy that Fernandinho, who had hastily blocked it, was half a beat too late, so he could only watch helplessly as the football flew towards the goal.
Bravo is still relatively focused, but most of his attention is on Martin, and he is not prepared for Xhaka's long shot, which is about 28 meters away from the goal.
Bravo, whose form has declined at a visible rate since joining Manchester City, made a save immediately, and the fingertips of his right hand also touched the football, but it did not completely change the trajectory of the football.
The football, which slightly changed its flight path, hit the inside of the left goal post and bounced into the net...
※※※※※
"Granit Xhaka!"
"Goooooooooooooooal—"
Sky TV commentator Andy Gray subconsciously lengthened his voice.
"Bravo's finger seems to have touched the football. It's a pity. Arsenal took the lead at the Etihad Stadium with Xhaka's long shot! Leading 1:0!"
Xinying Sports commentator Jin Xiangkailang said: "Guardian Manchester City is expected to make important signings for the goalkeeper this summer. Bravo's performance has conceded too many goals this season and made too many unnecessary mistakes."
The home team fans at the Etihad Stadium shook their heads and sighed, while the Arsenal fans who came to Manchester with the team were ecstatic and celebrated the lead.
From their understanding, as long as they score first, victory is not far away.Xhaka was so excited after scoring that he ran all the way to the broadcast camera and knelt down to celebrate the rare goal.
Arsenal players flocked to celebrate with him.
Martin, who received an assist, smiled and ruffled Xhaka's hair, and other teammates followed suit.
"Damn, my hair!"
Zhaka said loudly.
The Manchester City players on the field shook their heads and sighed.
After all, conceding the ball by the slightest bit is very demoralizing.
From the perspective of Fernandinho, De Bruyne, David Silva and other players, the quality of Xhaka's long shots is actually not high.
The on-site director restored the wonderful process, Leshi sports commentator James Jundao: "'Shoot on target' Bravo was obviously under-prepared, which was a bit inappropriate. Manchester City obviously had to play better before conceding the ball, but... this is football, mistakes It is also a part of football. I hope Bravo can learn from his shame and be brave enough to protect Manchester City's goal!"
"Bravo has made many mistakes this season, which may be due to a mental problem."
Guest commentator Li Yuankui said: "As I said before, adjust your mentality and contribute a hearty game to fans around the world!"
The game restarted, and the Manchester City players quickly collected themselves and prepared for the equalizer.
The balance was broken. Both sides showed their fangs and launched a mercury-like attack on the opponent's defensive half.
The neutral fans watched it with great enjoyment, but the home team fans watched with fear.
Arsenal fans have a very good attitude in watching football in the past two years. They have not experienced the feeling of losing for a long time.
Anyway, the worst result of the game is a draw.
Everyone watched the game with anticipation, waiting for Martin's wonderful goal.
Manchester City's pass-and-control coordination is neither as dominant as it was during Barcelona's time, nor as threatening as it was during Bayern's time. Messi, who lacks a tactical soul, gives the impression that he has no idea.
In addition, Fernandinho cannot play the role of Busquets' blind ball filter.
It is undeniable that David Silva and De Bruyne are both outstanding, but they are still somewhat behind Xavi and Iniesta.
The organization's offense never posed a real threat.
To put it simply, there is no advantage in possession of the ball but no ability to convert the advantage into opportunities.
On the other hand, the offensive system led by Martin that focuses on the left attack is very successful. When encountering Manchester City's tight defense, it can use the width of the court in time to quickly give the ball to the right back Bellerin.
Martin and Xhaka both have the ability to pass precise long passes, and Kanter's transition transfer is also excellent.
If Kompany hadn't restricted Cavani very well, Arsenal would have expanded the score through changes in the offensive rhythm on both wings.
When the time came to 10 minutes, Guardiola realized that there was a high probability that he would not be able to equalize the score if he played high, and Arsenal would even seize the opportunity to widen the point difference. Therefore, he used the dead ball opportunity to signal the team to slow down the offensive and defensive rhythm and return to passing. Control the tempo of the game.
The fans in front of the TV watching the continuous cross passes and back passes were drowsy, but the Manchester City fans felt at ease.
The 0:1 score remained unchanged until the end of the first half.
……
After a 15-minute intermission, the two teams returned to the court to prepare for the second half.
Easy to fight again.
Arsenal, who won the right to kick-off, changed their low-key style of play at the beginning of the first half and took advantage of the kick-off to quickly burn the flames of the war until Manchester City let go at halftime.
Manchester City is a team that is good at attacking, and it is very uncomfortable for them to be forced to defend.
The offense organized by Martin and Xhaka looks nothing special, but actually contains hidden murderous intent.
Guardiola could keenly sense that Martin was planning an attack to widen the point difference. He couldn't help but think, should he send Fernando and Fernandinho to form a double midfielder?
But thinking that strengthening the offense is not his style, after thinking about it, it would be more reliable to send veteran Yaya Toure.
Sane can still play some role on the offensive end, but Sterling is very confused and has limited effect on both offense and defense.
Putting De Bruyne on the left and Yaya Toure partnering with Fernandinho as a double midfielder can not only relieve the defense, but also ensure that the offensive organization ability in the center will not drop too much. .
Yaya Toure is indeed old, but he also has more game experience and can often help the team at critical moments.
Thinking of this, Guardiola asked his assistant to ask Yaya Toure to go to the warm-up area to warm up. He wanted to say that he would come in 10 minutes, but after thinking about it, he said 5 minutes.
In the 54th minute of the game, Yaya Toure changed his jersey and came to the sidelines after the warm-up.
The on-site director switched shots and gave it to the home team coach to direct the technical area.
Fans watching the live broadcast of the game saw Yaya Toure nodding repeatedly while listening to Guardiola's explanation of tactics.
Leshi sports commentator Zhan Jundao: "If I guess correctly, Yaya Toure may have to replace Sterling. He basically has no effect in this game. Yaya Toure's substitute can change the formation back to 4231. , David Silva and De Bruyne can change positions frequently, making it hard to guard against."
As soon as he finished speaking, Aguero, who was facing away from the goal at the edge of the penalty area, stopped and turned De Bruyne's pass, twisted his waist and abdomen, and forced a turn to hit the goal.
This shot with little power and a good angle was easily caught by Cech.
Manchester City's defensive mode has undergone some changes compared to the first half, and it has resumed high-position defense.
Martin is the absolute core of Arsenal and is the most closely guarded.
Xhaka and Kanter in transition are also defended to a certain extent.
Cech did not see Martin's intention to ask for the ball. He swatted the ball twice and waited until Cavani was at the forefront of the front line before taking a big kick.
Cavani, who had just passed the arc of Manchester City's center circle, leaned back and resisted the tall and strong Kompany.
Although he didn't hit the ball, he caused a big gap in Kompany's clearance.
Kompany originally planned to push to Fernandinho, but unexpectedly he pushed to Sanchez's activity area on the left side of Arsenal's half-circle arc.
Monreal, who was close to the left sideline, advanced at high speed. Zabaleta, who was over [-] years old, dropped seriously and fell slightly behind.
In order to prevent Sanchez from passing the ball, Stones' defensive position shifted to the right rib and he was also ready to help defend.
Sanchez, who stopped the ball at his feet, stepped on the football with his right foot and pulled it back. Regardless of Martin, who was pressing forward on the left rib to participate in the attack, and being followed by De Bruyne, he chose to pass it directly.
Monreal's accelerating run did not end, which caused Zabaleta to continue running back until he was close to the parallel position of Stones, who was trailing at the end.
However, due to the influence of inertia, Zabaleta, who was slowing down, became the defensive player closest to the baseline in the entire defense line. Cavani, who was entangled with Kompany, suddenly moved forward and ran behind Stones.
The football just rolled towards Martin, and the Manchester City defenders with outstanding defensive awareness immediately realized the opportunity after Martin got the pass.
Both Stones and Kompany instinctively retreated.
At the same time, Walcott also accelerated from the offensive right rib into the space behind Kompany and Kolarov.
Goalkeeper Bravo was just about to retreat to the penalty area, and his superior awareness allowed him to capture that Martin had at least two passing routes behind him.
Thinking of Martin's amazing ability to pass and threaten the ball, he not only did not retreat, but also took two small steps forward to prepare for a clearance.
Whether he passes the ball to Cavani or Walcott, he has the confidence to clear the ball as soon as possible.
But if nothing else, something unexpected happened.
Martin had a wide field of vision. He originally planned to use a mid-range pass to the forward Walcott to send a wonderful pass, but he noticed that Bravo was positioned higher...
Martin faced the football and decisively changed his mind. Without making any adjustments, he stepped out with his right foot to support his body and kicked the inside of the instep of his left foot towards the middle and lower part of the football.
De Bruyne, who was following the defense, and Fernandinho, who stepped forward to help defend, were stunned.
Who is this for?
Mistake?
De Bruyne's pupils shrank when he thought of this possibility. He knew Martin very well and never did anything he was unsure of.
In an instant, a strong uneasiness swept through my body.
He saw the football rising from the ground flying straight towards the goal with a strong backspin parabola!
Goalkeeper Bravo’s position…
Very forward!
Guardiola, who was still instructing Yaya Toure on tactics, looked at the football flying toward his own goal and suddenly...
what the fuck?
Until the corner of his eye saw Bravo's position as he retreated hastily.
"wowowoowoooo——"
Manchester City fans at the Etihad Stadium subconsciously let out a burst of exclamations.
After completing the half-court shot, Martin raised his arms and turned around.
A real man never looks at the goal!
Bravo, who hurriedly retreated to the penalty spot, looked up at the football flying and falling above the penalty area line, and instinctively stopped.
He knew that there was nothing the ball could do...
as predicted!
Half a second later, the falling football passed directly through the middle of the goal and hit the snow-white net...
"Goooooooooooooooooooal—"
Sky TV commentator Andy Gray reacted quickly and subconsciously stretched out his voice hysterically.
"Beautiful lob! Martin scored a half goal with his left foot! Helping Arsenal lead Manchester City 2:0 away from home!"
Xinying Sports commentator Jin Xiangkai said impassionedly: "This shot was so beautiful! It also caught everyone in Manchester City off guard! Who would have thought that Martin would directly hit the goal with his unused left foot before he reached the halfway line? "
"Oh My God!"
BBC commentator Lineker shouted passionately: "Wonderful long-distance goal! Martin's 35th goal of the season! Officially surpassing the Premier League single-season scoring record set by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer!"
(End of this chapter)
The Etihad Stadium can accommodate 55097 spectators, and Manchester City's league match against leader Arsenal was full.
More than an hour before the game, the starting lineups of both sides of the game were leaked.
The formation given by the home team Manchester City is 4141.
Goalkeeper: Bravo
Defenders: Kolarov, Stones, Kompany, Zabaleta
Defender: Fernandinho
Forward: Sterling, David Silva, De Bruyne, Sane
Forward: Aguero
Arsenal still uses the usual 4231 formation.
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
Defenders: Monreal, Koscielny, Van Dijk, Bellerin
Midfielder: Xhaka, Kante
Midfielder: Sanchez, Martin, Walcott
Forward: Cavani
……
Both teams have fielded their strongest lineups. The neutral fans who are following this league game are full of enthusiasm and are looking forward to the next game.
Major media believe that the two teams are well-organized and will give fans a high probability of a wonderful game.
Manchester City fans seemed to have learned a lesson from Chelsea fans who booed Martin wildly but suffered a hat-trick in response. There were not many boos when Arsenal players entered the stadium, so many Arsenal players were a little surprised.
This... is unscientific!
It’s time for Internet guru Gnabry to explain it to everyone. It turns out that... Manchester City’s die-hard fan group gained valuable experience from Chelsea’s complete defeat of Arsenal at home.
Westerners have always been superstitious. In a sense, it is exactly the same as the saying of the Dragon Kingdom: 'It is better to believe what is there than to believe what it is not'.
"Really boring."
Martin, who was warming up, couldn't hear any harsh boos and was a little uncomfortable.
When he communicated with De Bruyne in the player tunnel, he complained: "Your fans don't even boo me anymore? There is no away atmosphere, it's boring."
"..."
When De Bruyne was surfing the Internet, he also noticed the exchange of opinions between Manchester City fans and Chelsea fans. He felt a little speechless at the time. Now that Martin asked him, he was even more speechless.
Because, he also felt that the home atmosphere was a bit strange.
Since the make-up game is scheduled on a working day in the middle of the week, taking into account the issue of attendance, the game time is arranged in the evening when fans are off work.
At [-]pm local time, referee Marina blew the whistle.
"aoaoaooooooooo——"
Aguero kicked the ball to De Bruyne, and the Manchester City fans in the audience roared hysterically to cheer for the home team fans on the field.
They thought that since they couldn't use boos to stimulate Martin to score goals, they would put all their energy into supporting their own players and give them huge support, so as to achieve a better competitive state.
Guardiola has been in charge of Manchester City for more than half a season, and the players have a relatively clear understanding of his tactics. They are not as confused as they were at the beginning of the season when executing them, and they are playing well.
Just as Guardiola said in an interview with the media when he arrived at Manchester City: I am here to prove that passing and controlling football can also pass the Premier League.
In order to compete for the midfielder, he copied the tactics he used when coaching Bayern, and moved the two full-backs to either side of the single midfielder Fernandinho to serve as full-back midfielders.
When necessary, Stones will also take the initiative to participate in passing the ball and attacking, so that De Bruyne and David Silva can focus all their energy on offense without having to multi-purpose.
Sane and Sterling on the wing are both very fast. While controlling the midfield, they use the combination of wing and center tactics to threaten Cech to guard the goal.
It's just that Aguero's height disadvantage is there. High balls passed to him cannot go over the heads of Van Dijk and Koscielny, which results in Manchester City's crosses being low and flat balls passed to the forward point or inverted triangle.
With such a lack of variability in passing, it is relatively easy for Arsenal to defend as a whole.
At the beginning of the game, Martin's position was relatively deep and in the center, allowing Xhaka and Kanter to focus all their attention on the defense of the two ribs.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, Manchester City took the initiative in the game, but did not create a shooting opportunity that threatened Cech's goal.
On the contrary, Arsenal's concise and quick counterattack was more threatening. If Walcott hadn't stopped the ball too much, Arsenal would have been leading the score with a high probability.
Guardiola, who was standing in the technical area commanded by the home team coach, frowned, obviously feeling a lot of pressure.
The team's offensive was in full swing, and they also used the midfielder tactics to effectively increase control in the middle and avoid switching from offense to defense with less defense and more defense. In order to prevent Martin from launching a counterattack and advancing with the ball, Arsenal did not expect that Arsenal would not attack at all. Through the midfield interception, Martin's precise long passing ability is directly used to hit the back...
If Walcott hadn't found the feeling of the game in the opening stage, he would have got the ball and gone straight in.
Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger was very moved when he saw Walcott's condition getting worse and worse due to frequent injuries.
In the blink of an eye, he has been coaching the 'Little Tigers' for his 11th year.
Professional football is cruel. For the sake of team performance, it is impossible to give too many opportunities.
"I hope Theo can get back to his best form soon~"
The game on the field continued to attack, and Manchester City still had the absolute initiative, boiling frogs in warm water through passing and controlling tactics, looking for Arsenal's defensive gaps.
David Silva and De Bruyne are both masters of passing threatening balls, and Aguero has a strong ability to seize opportunities in front of the goal.
Guardiola believes that as long as he creates an opportunity, Aguero will definitely send the ball to Cech to guard the goal.
However, Martin's tactical retracement brought about an improvement in Arsenal's overall defense. On the defensive end, the position is similar to the 4321 formation, which is like a rounded bowstring. It may pose a threat to Bravo's goal at any time.
Thinking of Bravo, Guardiola is even more depressed.
I originally wanted to buy him and become the last piece of the puzzle for the team to dominate the Premier League through pass control, but I didn't expect to become the regent (shot on goal).
Time passed by second by second, and the game soon came to 10 minutes, and the scoreboard still showed 0:0.
The ball possession ratio is close to 82, with Manchester City 76% leading Arsenal 24%.
Xinying Sports commentator Jin Xiangkai looked at the data given by the broadcaster and frowned: "Such data is a bit abnormal. If I remember correctly, Arsenal's ball possession ratio this season exceeds 55%, second only to Manchester City. "
Immediately afterwards, a comparison of the shots and goals hit by both sides is given.
In terms of shooting, Manchester City leads 4:1.
However, Manchester City did not hit the goal range, not even the near post.
On the contrary, Arsenal's only shot missed the right goal post and rolled out of the baseline, shocking all the home team fans in a cold sweat.
Continuous attacks failed to threaten the opponent's fans, but instead made them tremble with fear.
Guardiola had no choice but to signal the team to change their style of play, slow down the offensive pace, and give up some control to see if he could pose a threat to Arsenal's defense during the transition from defense to offense.
In the 25th minute of the game, David Silva suddenly shot a cold arrow from the front of the penalty area on the right side and was easily caught by the focused Cech.
Martin wanted the ball to launch a counterattack, but what he didn't expect was that Manchester City did not use high defense or direct fouls, but retreated to half-court defense.
Such changes directly stunned Wenger and Martin.
Is there such an operation?
Manchester City's defensive tactics were obviously premeditated. The fast break failed. Martin handed the ball to Xhaka and pushed the ball with him into the Manchester City defensive half.
In Martin's view, Manchester City's lineup is not very suitable for defense.
Continuous attacks will definitely open up gaps and find opportunities to break the deadlock.
Guardiola watched Arsenal continue to pass and organize attacks from the outside with both anticipation and hesitation.
Expect a quick counterattack from defense to offense. Whether it is De Bruyne or David Silva, they can deliver threatening balls in a very short time from defense to offense.
The hesitation lies in the fact that the team's overall defense is not very good. He requires the management to buy players who pursue the ultimate offense.
But facing Arsenal, who are quite good at both ends of the offense and defense, they have no choice but to seek tactical changes through this risky approach.
According to his expectations before the game, both sides have thoroughly studied each other's tactics, and if they want to win, they must play something different.
However, against all odds, Bravo would have turned out to be shot dead...
In the 29th minute, Manchester City's attack ended hastily, and Arsenal got a chance to switch from defense to offense, but the home team retreated very quickly, and the fast break was forced to turn into a positional battle.
Martin pushed the ball across the center line and played wonderful coordination with Sanchez, Cavani and Monreal. The sudden increase in offensive intensity flattened Manchester City's formation.
Martin, who came to attack the left rib, caught the ball and attracted the defensive attention of De Bruyne and Fernandinho. He raised his right foot and swayed left and right, as if waiting for something.
De Bruyne and Fernandinho, who were defending frontally, didn't know what medicine Martin was selling, so they didn't act rashly.
At this moment, Sanchez, who was on the front left, suddenly moved forward, and Monreal, who was close to the left sideline, also accelerated.
This change caused Manchester City's entire defense to move to the right. Martin, who had a wide vision, put his right foot down and used the instep of his outside foot to pass the ball to Xhaka, who was advancing to join the attack.
From an offensive standpoint, Martin has attracted a lot of attention.
Xhaka, who joined the attack from behind, was temporarily unmarked. He stopped the ball half a meter in front of him with the outside instep of his left foot, stepped forward with his right foot to support his body, and hit the ball with his left heel.
The kicked football was so powerful and heavy that Fernandinho, who had hastily blocked it, was half a beat too late, so he could only watch helplessly as the football flew towards the goal.
Bravo is still relatively focused, but most of his attention is on Martin, and he is not prepared for Xhaka's long shot, which is about 28 meters away from the goal.
Bravo, whose form has declined at a visible rate since joining Manchester City, made a save immediately, and the fingertips of his right hand also touched the football, but it did not completely change the trajectory of the football.
The football, which slightly changed its flight path, hit the inside of the left goal post and bounced into the net...
※※※※※
"Granit Xhaka!"
"Goooooooooooooooal—"
Sky TV commentator Andy Gray subconsciously lengthened his voice.
"Bravo's finger seems to have touched the football. It's a pity. Arsenal took the lead at the Etihad Stadium with Xhaka's long shot! Leading 1:0!"
Xinying Sports commentator Jin Xiangkailang said: "Guardian Manchester City is expected to make important signings for the goalkeeper this summer. Bravo's performance has conceded too many goals this season and made too many unnecessary mistakes."
The home team fans at the Etihad Stadium shook their heads and sighed, while the Arsenal fans who came to Manchester with the team were ecstatic and celebrated the lead.
From their understanding, as long as they score first, victory is not far away.Xhaka was so excited after scoring that he ran all the way to the broadcast camera and knelt down to celebrate the rare goal.
Arsenal players flocked to celebrate with him.
Martin, who received an assist, smiled and ruffled Xhaka's hair, and other teammates followed suit.
"Damn, my hair!"
Zhaka said loudly.
The Manchester City players on the field shook their heads and sighed.
After all, conceding the ball by the slightest bit is very demoralizing.
From the perspective of Fernandinho, De Bruyne, David Silva and other players, the quality of Xhaka's long shots is actually not high.
The on-site director restored the wonderful process, Leshi sports commentator James Jundao: "'Shoot on target' Bravo was obviously under-prepared, which was a bit inappropriate. Manchester City obviously had to play better before conceding the ball, but... this is football, mistakes It is also a part of football. I hope Bravo can learn from his shame and be brave enough to protect Manchester City's goal!"
"Bravo has made many mistakes this season, which may be due to a mental problem."
Guest commentator Li Yuankui said: "As I said before, adjust your mentality and contribute a hearty game to fans around the world!"
The game restarted, and the Manchester City players quickly collected themselves and prepared for the equalizer.
The balance was broken. Both sides showed their fangs and launched a mercury-like attack on the opponent's defensive half.
The neutral fans watched it with great enjoyment, but the home team fans watched with fear.
Arsenal fans have a very good attitude in watching football in the past two years. They have not experienced the feeling of losing for a long time.
Anyway, the worst result of the game is a draw.
Everyone watched the game with anticipation, waiting for Martin's wonderful goal.
Manchester City's pass-and-control coordination is neither as dominant as it was during Barcelona's time, nor as threatening as it was during Bayern's time. Messi, who lacks a tactical soul, gives the impression that he has no idea.
In addition, Fernandinho cannot play the role of Busquets' blind ball filter.
It is undeniable that David Silva and De Bruyne are both outstanding, but they are still somewhat behind Xavi and Iniesta.
The organization's offense never posed a real threat.
To put it simply, there is no advantage in possession of the ball but no ability to convert the advantage into opportunities.
On the other hand, the offensive system led by Martin that focuses on the left attack is very successful. When encountering Manchester City's tight defense, it can use the width of the court in time to quickly give the ball to the right back Bellerin.
Martin and Xhaka both have the ability to pass precise long passes, and Kanter's transition transfer is also excellent.
If Kompany hadn't restricted Cavani very well, Arsenal would have expanded the score through changes in the offensive rhythm on both wings.
When the time came to 10 minutes, Guardiola realized that there was a high probability that he would not be able to equalize the score if he played high, and Arsenal would even seize the opportunity to widen the point difference. Therefore, he used the dead ball opportunity to signal the team to slow down the offensive and defensive rhythm and return to passing. Control the tempo of the game.
The fans in front of the TV watching the continuous cross passes and back passes were drowsy, but the Manchester City fans felt at ease.
The 0:1 score remained unchanged until the end of the first half.
……
After a 15-minute intermission, the two teams returned to the court to prepare for the second half.
Easy to fight again.
Arsenal, who won the right to kick-off, changed their low-key style of play at the beginning of the first half and took advantage of the kick-off to quickly burn the flames of the war until Manchester City let go at halftime.
Manchester City is a team that is good at attacking, and it is very uncomfortable for them to be forced to defend.
The offense organized by Martin and Xhaka looks nothing special, but actually contains hidden murderous intent.
Guardiola could keenly sense that Martin was planning an attack to widen the point difference. He couldn't help but think, should he send Fernando and Fernandinho to form a double midfielder?
But thinking that strengthening the offense is not his style, after thinking about it, it would be more reliable to send veteran Yaya Toure.
Sane can still play some role on the offensive end, but Sterling is very confused and has limited effect on both offense and defense.
Putting De Bruyne on the left and Yaya Toure partnering with Fernandinho as a double midfielder can not only relieve the defense, but also ensure that the offensive organization ability in the center will not drop too much. .
Yaya Toure is indeed old, but he also has more game experience and can often help the team at critical moments.
Thinking of this, Guardiola asked his assistant to ask Yaya Toure to go to the warm-up area to warm up. He wanted to say that he would come in 10 minutes, but after thinking about it, he said 5 minutes.
In the 54th minute of the game, Yaya Toure changed his jersey and came to the sidelines after the warm-up.
The on-site director switched shots and gave it to the home team coach to direct the technical area.
Fans watching the live broadcast of the game saw Yaya Toure nodding repeatedly while listening to Guardiola's explanation of tactics.
Leshi sports commentator Zhan Jundao: "If I guess correctly, Yaya Toure may have to replace Sterling. He basically has no effect in this game. Yaya Toure's substitute can change the formation back to 4231. , David Silva and De Bruyne can change positions frequently, making it hard to guard against."
As soon as he finished speaking, Aguero, who was facing away from the goal at the edge of the penalty area, stopped and turned De Bruyne's pass, twisted his waist and abdomen, and forced a turn to hit the goal.
This shot with little power and a good angle was easily caught by Cech.
Manchester City's defensive mode has undergone some changes compared to the first half, and it has resumed high-position defense.
Martin is the absolute core of Arsenal and is the most closely guarded.
Xhaka and Kanter in transition are also defended to a certain extent.
Cech did not see Martin's intention to ask for the ball. He swatted the ball twice and waited until Cavani was at the forefront of the front line before taking a big kick.
Cavani, who had just passed the arc of Manchester City's center circle, leaned back and resisted the tall and strong Kompany.
Although he didn't hit the ball, he caused a big gap in Kompany's clearance.
Kompany originally planned to push to Fernandinho, but unexpectedly he pushed to Sanchez's activity area on the left side of Arsenal's half-circle arc.
Monreal, who was close to the left sideline, advanced at high speed. Zabaleta, who was over [-] years old, dropped seriously and fell slightly behind.
In order to prevent Sanchez from passing the ball, Stones' defensive position shifted to the right rib and he was also ready to help defend.
Sanchez, who stopped the ball at his feet, stepped on the football with his right foot and pulled it back. Regardless of Martin, who was pressing forward on the left rib to participate in the attack, and being followed by De Bruyne, he chose to pass it directly.
Monreal's accelerating run did not end, which caused Zabaleta to continue running back until he was close to the parallel position of Stones, who was trailing at the end.
However, due to the influence of inertia, Zabaleta, who was slowing down, became the defensive player closest to the baseline in the entire defense line. Cavani, who was entangled with Kompany, suddenly moved forward and ran behind Stones.
The football just rolled towards Martin, and the Manchester City defenders with outstanding defensive awareness immediately realized the opportunity after Martin got the pass.
Both Stones and Kompany instinctively retreated.
At the same time, Walcott also accelerated from the offensive right rib into the space behind Kompany and Kolarov.
Goalkeeper Bravo was just about to retreat to the penalty area, and his superior awareness allowed him to capture that Martin had at least two passing routes behind him.
Thinking of Martin's amazing ability to pass and threaten the ball, he not only did not retreat, but also took two small steps forward to prepare for a clearance.
Whether he passes the ball to Cavani or Walcott, he has the confidence to clear the ball as soon as possible.
But if nothing else, something unexpected happened.
Martin had a wide field of vision. He originally planned to use a mid-range pass to the forward Walcott to send a wonderful pass, but he noticed that Bravo was positioned higher...
Martin faced the football and decisively changed his mind. Without making any adjustments, he stepped out with his right foot to support his body and kicked the inside of the instep of his left foot towards the middle and lower part of the football.
De Bruyne, who was following the defense, and Fernandinho, who stepped forward to help defend, were stunned.
Who is this for?
Mistake?
De Bruyne's pupils shrank when he thought of this possibility. He knew Martin very well and never did anything he was unsure of.
In an instant, a strong uneasiness swept through my body.
He saw the football rising from the ground flying straight towards the goal with a strong backspin parabola!
Goalkeeper Bravo’s position…
Very forward!
Guardiola, who was still instructing Yaya Toure on tactics, looked at the football flying toward his own goal and suddenly...
what the fuck?
Until the corner of his eye saw Bravo's position as he retreated hastily.
"wowowoowoooo——"
Manchester City fans at the Etihad Stadium subconsciously let out a burst of exclamations.
After completing the half-court shot, Martin raised his arms and turned around.
A real man never looks at the goal!
Bravo, who hurriedly retreated to the penalty spot, looked up at the football flying and falling above the penalty area line, and instinctively stopped.
He knew that there was nothing the ball could do...
as predicted!
Half a second later, the falling football passed directly through the middle of the goal and hit the snow-white net...
"Goooooooooooooooooooal—"
Sky TV commentator Andy Gray reacted quickly and subconsciously stretched out his voice hysterically.
"Beautiful lob! Martin scored a half goal with his left foot! Helping Arsenal lead Manchester City 2:0 away from home!"
Xinying Sports commentator Jin Xiangkai said impassionedly: "This shot was so beautiful! It also caught everyone in Manchester City off guard! Who would have thought that Martin would directly hit the goal with his unused left foot before he reached the halfway line? "
"Oh My God!"
BBC commentator Lineker shouted passionately: "Wonderful long-distance goal! Martin's 35th goal of the season! Officially surpassing the Premier League single-season scoring record set by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer!"
(End of this chapter)
