Chapter 471

"Li, you go as a striker!"

"Yes!"

Li Lei responded straightforwardly.

No one had any objection to Guardiola's temporary change of formation.

Manchester City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart

Defenders: Bacary Sagna, Nicolas Otamendi, Eliaquim Mangala, Aleksandar Kolarov

Midfielders: Fernando, Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne, Jesus Navas

Forwards: Sergio Aguero, Li Lei

Arsenal (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech

Defenders: Hector Bellerin, Gabriel Paulista, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal

Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Iwobi, Alexis Sanchez

Forwards: Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck

In the Sky Sports live studio, host Keane and guest Jones are discussing the upcoming game.

"Welcome to today's Premier League focus game, Manchester City vs. Arsenal at home."

"This game is crucial for Manchester City. They only need one victory to continue to lead Tottenham in the standings, and may even win the championship in advance." Keane introduced enthusiastically.

Jones nodded in agreement: "Yes, Keane, especially when Tottenham is 1:2 behind today, Manchester City has a great chance to lay the foundation for the league championship in one fell swoop."

"And Guardiola's lineup today also shows his desire for victory. Let's take a look at the starting lineups of both sides."

Keane continued: "Manchester City's starting lineup today uses a 4-4-2 formation."

"The goalkeeper is still Joe Hart, and the defense line has Bacary Sagna, Nicolas Otamendi, Eliaquim Mangala and Alexander Kolarov."

"In midfield, Fernando and Fernandinho are in charge of defense, while Kevin De Bruyne and Jesus Navas are responsible for organizing the attack. "

"On the forward line, Guardiola made an important adjustment, Li Lei and Sergio Aguero partnered, and Li Lei played as a striker. "

Jones added: "This is an interesting change. Li Lei's speed and breakthrough ability will be an important weapon for Manchester City's offense. "

"His performance in the Champions League has proved his strength. I believe he can cause a lot of trouble for Arsenal's defense. "

"Let's take a look at Arsenal's starting lineup," Keane continued.

"Arsenal also used a 4-4-2 formation."

"The goalkeeper is Petr Cech, and the defense consists of Hector Bellerin, Gabriel Paulista, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal."

"In the midfield, Mohamed Elneny and Aaron Ramsey are responsible for interception, and Alex Iwobi and Alexis Sanchez are responsible for offensive organization."

"On the forward line are Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck."

Jones then analyzed: "Arsenal's lineup is also very strong, and the offensive combination of Sanchez and Iwobi will pose a great threat to Manchester City's defense."

"Giroud and Welbeck's partnership also has strong aerial and ground offensive capabilities."

Before the game started, Keane He concluded: "Today's game is not only about three points for Manchester City, but also a key battle for the league championship."

"Guardiola must go all out to ensure that the team can beat Arsenal at home."

"Fans are looking forward to Manchester City's performance, hoping that they can hold their ground in the last few games of this season and finally win the league championship."

Jones nodded in agreement and said: "Yes, the result of this game will directly affect the ownership of the league championship."

"Let's wait and see if Manchester City can take all three points at home and realize their championship dream."

As the players of both teams walked onto the court, the game was about to begin. The atmosphere on the scene was tense and warm, and everyone was looking forward to the arrival of this Premier League peak showdown.

At the beginning of the game, Manchester City's players showed a very high state of play, and every corner of the court was filled with their figures.

The cheers at home also provided them with a constant source of motivation.

Manchester City's players showed a very high running enthusiasm and good cooperation awareness after the opening.

De Bruyne and Fernandinho organized well in the midfield, and every pass had a clear attacking intention.

Li Lei's running and containment in the frontcourt also gave Aguero more space.

Manchester City fans cheered loudly in the stands, and the entire Etihad Stadium fell into a frenzy..

The players' confidence and morale also reached their peak at this moment.

In the 8th minute, Fernandinho received a pass from De Bruyne on the right and quickly dribbled forward.

After seeing Aguero's position, he decisively chose to cross the ball.

Fernandinho's pass was moderate in strength and flew accurately into the penalty area.

Aguero quickly kicked and shot. At the moment Aguero received the ball, Arsenal's defense was in a moment of confusion.

Koscielny and Gabriel tried to block it, but they were a little slow.

Petr Cech also made a save in front of the goal, but Aguero's shot was at a tricky angle, and the ball brushed past his fingertips and flew into the net.

"goooooooal!!!"

Manchester City made a dream start at home, with the score becoming 1-0.

At the beginning of the game, Arsenal's defense seemed a little flustered at this moment.

Bellerin and Monreal failed to retreat in time when defending on the wing, and Koscielny and Gabriel in the middle seemed a little unprepared in the face of Manchester City's fast and accurate passes.

Although they tried to double-team as soon as possible, Aguero's shooting speed and accuracy made their efforts seem powerless.

Aguero's goal made Manchester City players and fans fall into ecstasy. Cheers echoed in the Etihad Stadium, and the players hugged each other on the field to celebrate.

This early goal seemed to inject more motivation and confidence into Manchester City.

The players surrounded Aguero and patted his shoulders, while De Bruyne and Fernandinho jumped happily on the side.

Head coach Guardiola couldn't help but smile with satisfaction on the sidelines. He clapped his hands and praised the players on the field.

However, the Arsenal players were not disrupted by this unexpected goal. They quickly adjusted their mentality and prepared to launch a counterattack.

Arsenal head coach Wenger shouted on the sidelines, signaling the players to stay calm and quickly launch an attack.

In the 10th minute, Arsenal got a corner kick opportunity, and Sanchez took the penalty.

He passed the ball accurately into the penalty area, and the ball flew in an arc towards Manchester City's goal area.

In the penalty area, Olivier Giroud jumped high and got rid of the defense of Manchester City's defender.

Giroud used his height advantage to accurately judge the landing point of the ball. After adjusting his body posture in the air, he pushed hard and the ball went into the net.

Joe Hart tried to save the ball, but the speed and angle of the ball made him helpless.

Manchester City players quickly returned to defense the moment Arsenal took the corner kick, but due to Giroud's physical fitness and ability to grab points, they failed to block his shooting angle in time.

Otamendi and Mangala seemed a little hesitant when defending Giroud and did not form effective interference.

As the net vibrated, Arsenal players excitedly rushed to Giroud to celebrate this crucial goal with him.

Arsenal fans also cheered in the away stands, and their voices seemed to declare that the game was far from over.

The score quickly became 1-1, and the game returned to the starting point.