Chapter 395: Famous scene in the English League Cup final: Why do I always score?
Chapter 395: Famous scene in the English League Cup final: Why do I always score?
At the end of February, a much-anticipated battle took place in the British arena.
2017-2018 EFL Cup final.
The two sides in the decisive battle are the top two teams in the Premier League this season.
Arsenal and Manchester City.
This season is Guardiola's second season in charge of Manchester City, and his overall performance is getting better and better.
Not as passive as other teams against Arsenal.
The most recent confrontation between the two teams was in the 11th round of the league in early November. Manchester City once led by two goals at home.
In the end, Martin was still unable to restrain and was scored three goals in a row.
However, that game was quite controversial, but the controversy was not that Arsenal scored three goals in a row, but that... Manchester City's two-goal lead at home was directly related to the referee on duty.
What’s interesting is that the referee appointed by the FA Referees Committee for the EFL Cup final is...
Anthony Taylor!
When Arsenal fans saw the official list of referees, they immediately protested.
It's just that the effect is completely negligible.
After three months of fighting again, fans around the world who want to see a strong dialogue are full of expectations.
As for the referee issue, it also completed their focus.
Manchester City players who have arrived in London are confident about tomorrow night's game.
Nowadays, the tacit understanding between each other is stronger and the condition is getting better and better.
For this meeting at the cup level, Manchester City's coaching staff and players made sufficient preparations before the game.
High morale and bursting with confidence.
The night before the game, midfielder De Bruyne was once again full of confidence and challenged Martin again through Instagram.
Martin, who was staying at the hotel, immediately saw the prompt bar showing De Bruyne's Ins.
【Tomorrow's game, I will win! (struggle)】
The corners of Martin's mouth raised slightly, and he looked out the window at the rain that had stopped for some time. He showed a playful smile and typed out a set of English replies on the screen with his two thumbs. OK again?
De Bruyne's face darkened when he saw the reply, and then he replied: Are you talking about the upcoming defeat?
Martin quickly responded: I don’t know, dear Tintin, do you remember which game you lost against me in the next game?
"Seems to be……"
De Bruyne instinctively thought of it, but as soon as he started to calculate, he slapped his forehead suddenly and realized that he had fallen into inertial thinking: "This guy."
After thinking for a long time, he pressed the confirmation button to reply: I hope that after the game ends tomorrow night, you can still be as proud as you are now.
【as you wish. 】
Martin replied simply.
De Bruyne, who received the news alert, felt as if he was going to explode on the spot.
What the hell.
Why is it always like this?
Forget it if you can't win the ball.
Why do you always lose when you talk nonsense?
Tintin: ┭┮﹏┭┮
……
The new Wembley Stadium can accommodate 90,000 fans and is the largest stadium in England and the second largest stadium in Europe.
Normally, it is the home stadium of the England national team.
It also hosts the EFL Cup final, FA Cup semi-finals, finals and Community Shield.
London is the world's cultural, economic, financial, fashion and other center.
At the same time, the city also has a fanatical football atmosphere.
Based on the 20 teams in the Premier League this season, there are five London teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham United.
If you add Watford, which is close to London, there are six teams.
At its peak, there were seven London teams competing in the Premier League.
According to media reports, London has 18 teams spread across six levels of leagues, from the Premier League to the National League South.
There are more than a dozen teams in the Premier League, English Championship and English League One alone.
A veritable football city.
Arsenal is the most successful of these London teams.
the reason is simple.
champion!
Enough champions!
Dominate European football.
Seven crowns two years in a row.
All the wealthy teams have become bleak in the past two years.
Including Europe's top clubs.
Very few teams can survive by relying on league titles and national cup titles.
But not Premier League teams.
All live in the shadow of Arsenal.
Against this background, Arsenal has won the favor of many new generations of young fans.
Of course, many people say that if you love a team, you love its temperament.
But today's society is quite impetuous, and few young fans will appreciate your club culture and temperament.
The playing style is good to watch, and various championship honors are obtained.
This is the current situation of the new generation of fans choosing to support the team.
Therefore, many young fans in London fall in love with and support Arsenal.
The day of the EFL Cup final.
The city of London is awash in red.
The blue belonging to Manchester City can be seen in London, but... there is no way to compare with the red of Arsenal.
At 3:30 in the afternoon, the teams from both sides of the final took their respective buses to the new Wembley Stadium.
The outer square of the stadium, including the main roads extending to the traffic, has a large number of fans from both sides, as well as security and patrols responsible for maintaining public order.
Again, England is rich in football hooligans.
Martin looked through the glass window at the large number of fans who made a great noise, smiling.
His calmness is also a microcosm of the Arsenal team.
Looking at Manchester City, all the players on the team seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds, with heavy expressions on their faces.
De Bruyne, who has a very good relationship with Martin, frowned and became increasingly worried about the upcoming EFL Cup final.
※※※※※
"Oh? The referee of this game is Anthony Taylor again."
When PP sports commentator Zhan Jun saw that the broadcast screen was showing the well-known Premier League whistle, he said in a deep voice: "I think the Arsenal fans waiting for the kick-off must be deeply impressed by this referee?"
All the Arsenal fans in Dragon Kingdom gritted their teeth when they saw this scene.
In the first half of the Premier League season, Arsenal visited the Etihad Stadium.
It was this whistler who favored the home team that caused Arsenal to fall behind by two goals. Fortunately, captain Martin performed extremely well and helped the team turn the tide and complete the great feat of chasing three from two.
However, Arsenal fans did not have much trouble with Anthony Taylor as the referee.
The reason is simple, there is already a warning from last time.
Presumably this time even if the FA has a mission, it will not be too obvious.
By then, Martin, who has a strong personal scoring ability, will definitely solve the current problem.
Guest commentator Li Yuankui said: "This is a game related to England's first championship this season. It has attracted the attention of the world. Mature people will not do the same thing in the same place."
"correct."
……
An hour before the game, the starting list submitted by both sides appeared in front of the public.
The official formation given by Manchester City, who won the home team's draw, is 433.
Goalkeeper: Ederson
Defenders: Danilo, Otamendi, Stones, Kyle Walker
Midfielder: Gundogan, Fernandinho, De Bruyne
Forwards: Sane, Aguero, David Silva
……
Arsenal still uses the usual 4231 formation
Goalkeeper: Ospina
Defenders: Mendy, Van Dijk, De Ligt, Alves
Midfielder: Xhaka, Kante
Midfielder: Aubameyang, Martin, Ronaldo
Forward: Cavani
※※※※※ “Beep~”
With the whistle of the referee Anthony Taylor, the 2017-2018 EFL Cup final was officially announced.
"aoaooaooooooo——"
Overwhelming cheers resounded throughout the stadium, and David Silva, who received Aguero's pass, directly passed it to De Bruyne.
Players such as Cavani, Aubameyang, and Ronaldo moved forward in sequence, bringing the ball and potential Manchester City receivers closer, enriching the three-dimensional defense.
Manchester City players felt the intensity from Arsenal players, but they were also mentally prepared.
If Arsenal's goal is so easy to break, why should we be cautious?
Just do it.
As a dominant team in the past three seasons, Arsenal is excellent on both offense and defense.
After the Kroenke family took full control of Arsenal, they invested regardless of the cost, allowing Wenger to complete the upgrade of the lineup.
There is a Bug-level Martin himself, and the overall strength of the lineup has increased significantly.
This...is also the fundamental reason why Arsenal has dominated Europe since the 2016-2017 season.
Gundogan, De Bruyne and David Silva, who shouldered the heavy responsibility of offensive organization, played very patiently and connected the whole team through constant back and forth passes to see if they could find Arsenal's seemingly impregnable defensive shortcomings. .
Problems were found in every game against Arsenal in the past and many opportunities were created, but in the end they lost due to the limited adaptability of Arsenal's defensive players and the limited ability of their own players to seize opportunities.
Every game is a new beginning, and Guardiola believes that this EFL Cup final is a key game that sets a new tone for England!
Defeat Arsenal and regain confidence for the team while looking towards the future.
The boss, who is not short of money, invests in all kinds of things in order to win the championship.
Since taking charge of Manchester City in the summer of 16, he has still gained nothing.
It was a very heavy blow to his coaching career.
After all, from taking charge of Barcelona to Bayern Munich, there have been championships every year.
Putting aside the adaptation season of 2016-2017, the second complete season should start to win championships, otherwise the boss will be unable to live up to his annual investment of 2 million pounds+.
Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger was sitting on the coaching bench with his legs crossed leisurely, in sharp contrast to Guardiola who was standing in the coaching area.
The Arsenal fans in the audience were very passionate and shouted hysterically to cheer for the players struggling on the field.
Manchester City fans did not hesitate to give in, cheering for the players who were fighting for their wits and courage by constantly shouting.
Coupled with the neutral fans who joined in the fun, the whole new Wembley Stadium was full of momentum.
In this context, the two sides gradually entered the fast pace of confrontation in the Premier League.
It's a pity that the continuous fast-paced offensive and defensive transitions did not result in a goal.
But the fans watching the game live were so enjoying themselves that they didn't even notice the time flying by.
Pay attention to the game time, it's nearly half an hour.
"At the 29th minute of the game, the score is still 0:0, but both sides contributed a total of 9 shots, Arsenal 5 times and Manchester City 4 times. Arsenal leads 3:1 in terms of hitting the goal range."
PP commentator Zhan Jun said loudly while looking at the real-time data given by the broadcaster.
As Martin stopped and passed Fernandinho's long shot outside the penalty area and missed the right goal post, James added: "This is Arsenal's sixth shot in the first half! Still haven’t broken the deadlock!”
"I don't know if it's an illusion, but I always feel that Arsenal are not far away from scoring a goal."
Guest commentator Li Yuankui looked at Martin on the broadcast screen and said solemnly.
"I'm feeling it too."
James said: "Martin, who was closely guarded before, seems to have found a way to get rid of Manchester City's defense. His continuous long-range shots show that his condition is getting better and better."
Guardiola, who had been standing in the coach's technical area, frowned more and more, obviously feeling strong uneasiness in his heart.
Ederson took a short goal kick from the backcourt.
The frontcourt players, led by Cavani and Aubameyang, immediately put pressure on the Manchester City players holding the ball.
After three passes and two downs, the football came to De Bruyne's feet. He saw his friend Martin pressing up and did not stick to the ball. When Gundogan was marked by Xhaka, he had to give the ball to Fernandinho.
Although he is from Brazil, Fernandinho is not very good with his feet. He is known for his defense and his passing and receiving skills are also good. He will hold the ball and observe when facing most teams, but his opponent is the one that dominates Europe. For Arsenal, he chose to drive the ball forward with his big foot.
Although De Bruyne is a little dissatisfied with Fernandinho's approach, he often puts himself in his shoes.
Expecting a purely defensive midfielder to pass the ball calmly seems... a bit far-fetched.
Aguero is not tall, and Van Dijk, who is stuck in his position, can pass the ball to his partner De Ligt without taking off.
When the Manchester City players thought Arsenal would slowly pass the ball forward from the backcourt, De Ligt, who received the ball, made a slight adjustment and directly hit the frontcourt with a long pass.
When Cavani retreated, he resisted Otamendi at the top of the penalty area, flicked his neck, and used his head to pass the ball to Aubameyang on the right.
Kyle I was afraid of Aubameyang's speed and did not dare to take the initiative to defend.
It is precisely this that gives Aubameyang more time to think.
When the left back Mendy picked up his speed, he sent a direct pass just in advance.
David Silva, who serves as the right winger, is relatively old, and his speed and explosive power have seriously declined. Even though he has good defensive awareness, he is not comparable to the young Mendy.
Right center back Stones had no choice but to cover up the defense immediately.
Mendy, who was running at high speed, had an early observation. Before Stones came to defend, he swept the pass in the middle area of the left sideline of the penalty area and diagonally inserted into Cavani in the left rib of the penalty area.
Such a pass was already expected by Otamendi and Fernandinho.
The two worked in tandem to block Cavani's shooting angle.
Unexpectedly, Cavani, who had no shooting angle, used the outside instep of his left foot to lift the rolling football behind him.
"Martin!!!"
Sky TV commentator Andy Gray's voice suddenly rose an octave higher.
At the same time, Fernandinho instinctively dropped Cavani and formed a double-team with De Bruyne.
In addition, a small safe distance was maintained to prevent Martin from changing direction when meeting the ball.
But whenever Martin breaks through or shoots, he will be blocked.
Kyle Walker, who was previously responsible for marking Aubameyang, was staring at Martin!
Unexpectedly, Martin didn't stop the ball and sent the ball diagonally to the left with his left foot.
"Aubameyang!!!"
PP sports commentator Zhan Jun looked at the Arsenal players who appeared on the broadcast screen.
Kyle Walker and Fernandinho's hearts rang, and they instinctively pounced on Aubameyang, who only joined Arsenal in the winter window this year.
Even goalkeeper Ederson moved towards the near corner, ready to block the shot.
During the running process, Aubameyang adjusted his pace. When Fernandinho threw his body and fell to the ground with a shovel to block the shot, Kyle Walker bet on Aubameyang's fake shot and the real dunk. Fake shot and real shot.
The close-up shot provided by the on-site director covered the entire Manchester City penalty area.
The whole world's attention followed the football movement.
Sky TV commentator Andy Gray saw a familiar figure and almost reflexively shouted: "Martin!!!"
De Bruyne, who was following closely behind, watched Martin meet the ball in the middle of the penalty area and swing his left foot. He had no choice but to push people from behind.
It just turned out to be very frustrating for him.
His pushing behind did not affect the quality of Martin's shot.
Boom~
A crisp muffled sound arose spontaneously, and the football shot up from the ground like a cannonball, whizzing towards the upper right corner of the goal against Otamendi's brow, who was still trying to push the ball away with his forehead, at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Ederson had been attracted to the near corner of the goal by Aubameyang's adjustment point. Looking at the football flying towards the other end of the goal, his solemn expression became desperate.
Half a second later.
"Goooooooooooooooal——"
Sky commentator Andy Gray blurted out.
"Beautiful! Martin!!"
PP sports commentator Zhan Jun said impassionedly: "His left foot blasted through the net and helped Arsenal lead Manchester City 30:1 at the new Wembley Stadium in the 0th minute!"
"At critical moments, you still have to look to Martin!"
"Oh My God! Super Martin shows his power again!"
"The World Wave user ignored Kevin De Bruyne's push from behind and blasted the goal!"
……
The commentator in the live commentary box/live broadcast room blurted out at this moment.
Arsenal fans chanted at the top of their lungs, and Arsenal players danced on the field. Only Martin, who scored the goal, still had the same calm expression and shrugged while facing the broadcast camera.
The meaning I want to express is already relatively obvious: Why do I always score?
The Manchester City fans in the audience were very dissatisfied when they saw Martin's goal celebration, but... they had nothing to do.
If someone scores a goal, he is indeed qualified to pretend.
The most injured was undoubtedly De Bruyne.
When he couldn't keep an eye on him, he reached out and pushed him, but... it didn't work at all.
(End of this chapter)
