My light shines on Arsenal

Chapter 167 When will they stop?
Just after the game ended, Chen Yao accepted a brief interview.

"Congratulations, Mr. Coach. In your first season as an independent coach, you won a big victory at White Hart Lane. I believe you are also very happy?"

"Yes, I'm really happy. But it's the result of the hard work of my players. White Hart Lane is a tough away game and I'm happy that we scored five goals."

"From your current perspective, are Arsenal and Tottenham still evenly matched opponents?"

"There is no absolute strength in football. Our will, determination and decision-making outweighed our opponents in this game and we deserved this victory, but Tottenham also caused us problems. I would not say that we have Completely ahead of Tottenham, but I hope we can keep it that way."

……

"If you ask me, Tottenham and we are no longer on the same level as a team."

Theo Walcott, with a scarf draped around his neck, was in high spirits.

Their coach also dealt with the media modestly and gracefully in front of the camera. In the simple visiting team's locker room, the players did not hide their excitement at all.

"Did you see the look on their faces? Especially Gareth Bale, oh, Real Madrid's favorite, leading his team to five goals against us." It wasn't just who made a sarcastic comment.

"Shut up, this guy is still very powerful." Bakari Sagna said, and he wiped his face. In this game, Bell repeatedly attacked his defense area, which made him choke.

If it weren't for Walcott's massive back-and-forth defense, as well as the team's strict and orderly defensive discipline, Sagna would not dare to say that he could do it if Bell was given more sprint space and more one-on-one opportunities. Lock up Bell.

"Don't get too excited, lads. We are in the league... oh, in the top four, but be humble. In five days we have the Champions League again and don't forget, we are in Europe. Acting like a piece of shit!”

Mikel Arteta swiped his phone screen to see Arsenal move into the top four.

He still stood up and shouted to his teammates.

"Of course Mikel, don't worry, the boys are just enthusiastic. Who hasn't been young before."

Santi Cazorla patted the captain on the shoulder.

He and Arteta are not much different in age, and they are both Spanish fellows. They have experienced the ups and downs of wandering. In this team, the two of them have a good relationship.

"I have never felt such enthusiasm when I was in Spain. Young, passionate, crazy and desperate." Cazorla lamented, "I love it here, Mikel."

Arteta nodded, his deep eyes turned towards the Spanish midfielder, and then looked at his legs.

"I understand. But Sandy, you are not a 20-year-old boy anymore. You have some sense of proportion."

Cazorla's smile slowly faded, and he nodded with a heavy expression.

"Yes, we are not young anymore..."

……

"I'm still worried about the team's physical condition."

Two days later, Kearney Base.

Lillo flipped through the sports science analysis report in his hand.

"The athletic status of our players seems to have reached a low point some time ago. We are not used to double matches a week. Their running distance and arrival rate have declined."

The assistant coach frowned, "But it's strange. The boys quickly recovered their form, and their various data immediately rebounded to a higher level."

"Isn't that bad?" Bergkamp asked.

Lillo shook his head, "It's not very scientific. It's not surprising if the team enters a period of trough due to physical adjustments. But excessive continuation of high-intensity state is not necessarily a good thing."

"Juan, the players are in high spirits, they are focused and enthusiastic."

"The spirit can never tire, but the body cannot."

Both Bergkamp and Lillo fell silent.

"Chen said he would not give up the Champions League," Bergkamp said.

"Yes. The next game is Dortmund again. We still have two group matches, and the chance of qualifying is slim. There is only a slight possibility of winning both games."

"Do you think the chances are too slim, Juan?"

"The chance is very slim. Dennis, I understand what you athletes think...honor, victory, dignity, you will not give up any chance. I just hope there will be no injuries."

"Juan, don't think I don't know this problem." Bergkamp lowered his head and said softly, "And I understand that the most important thing that determines how long our team can exist is the league."

"The question is... what does Chen think?" Lillo turned his head towards the training ground.

Over there, Chen Yao shuttled among the players, guiding their training.

"He has given his attitude. I guess it's better not to think too much about it." Bergkamp hung the whistle around his neck, put on his coat and walked to the training ground.

"Don't worry about it, Juan. If we can win two more games, there will be nothing wrong with it."

……

Jurgen Klopp doesn't come to the UK often. In the few times he has come to the UK to play games, Arsenal and Dortmund rank among the top.

Last season, he played against Arsenal, and he is here again this season.

The game took place the next day, and after the pre-match press conference, Klopp met the Arsenal manager in the aisles of the Emirates Stadium.

"Hello, Jurgen." Chen Yao greeted him politely.

There were not many coaches that Klopp looked up to, but when faced with Chen Yao's polite greeting, he thought for a second, stepped forward and shook Chen Yao's hand.

"You are very young, have little experience, and sometimes you look ridiculous." Klopp let go and said, "However, you did a good job leading the team. Some of your tactical ideas are very interesting, and your players are also very talented. .”

"It's not easy to receive your praise, Jurgen."

"I never like to praise others falsely. If you do a bad job, I will not say these words to you. European football is always controlled by a group of old stubborns who cannot see the future of football. But you can see it.”

"You can see that too, Jurgen."

"Of course I can see it, so I will respect everyone who is like me. Tomorrow, here, don't hold back." Klopp rarely smiled from under his beard, "You only have three points. I would be disappointed if you just gave up."

"You'll be looking forward to that game, Jurgen."

"Do you know what questions the reporters asked me?" Klopp asked suddenly.

"what?"

"They asked me, do you think Arsenal's progress will be stopped by Dortmund." The bearded German snorted arrogantly, "When will they stop - what do you think?"

"I guess we won't stop." Chen Yao smiled, "See you tomorrow, Jurgen."

"See you tomorrow."

The two people staggered, each going in different directions.

……

Dortmund, who was playing away from home, seemed uninterested.

In the first four rounds of the group stage, Dortmund achieved a record of three wins and one loss, with the only loss coming against Real Madrid.

Klopp is still haunted by that draw because his Dortmund side showed great courage and passion to beat Real Madrid in a thrilling way against the former European overlords at Signal Iduna Park.In the second round, Klopp wanted to lead his team to conquer the Bernabeu, but Jose Mourinho did not hesitate to choose a defensive counterattack strategy at home.

Mourinho's strategy was very pragmatic. Under his strict requirements, his players fully participated in the defense, retreated significantly, and intentionally counterattacked with a large number of long passes to both wings.

His Real Madrid took the defensive counterattack to the extreme, and Dortmund's repeated high pressure was as futile as a fist hitting cotton.

In the frontcourt, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria used their skills, body and speed to forcefully and effectively disintegrate Dortmund's defense.

In the end, Real Madrid scored two goals, both of which were achieved by counterattacking by using the space behind Dortmund that was leaked after the heavy pressure.

Klopp was quite unhappy with this defeat and criticized Jose Mourinho for his conservatism.

"If I were Jose and I gave the home fans such an ugly show at the Bernabeu, I wouldn't have the face to brag about this victory."

Mourinho responded indifferently, "I don't care what Jurgen thinks. He lost and he was very angry. I can understand the loser's unwillingness. Because the fact is that I scored three points and he didn't." . Let me tell you a truth, this is three points, that is also three points. Tell me, which three points is more noble?"

Klopp's beard still trembles with anger when he thinks back to the unpleasant trip to the Bernabeu, but the trip to the Emirates Stadium made him much less angry, because Arsenal's attitude was completely opposite to Real Madrid's.

They adhered to their usual football style and resolutely pressed Dortmund from the beginning.

Klopp is very satisfied with such an open scene, but his expression is not good because today's Dortmund did not show matching intensity.

Five minutes before the opening, Arsenal's will and attitude were more determined than Dortmund's.

Perhaps because they were distracted by the Bundesliga title race, Dortmund players were quite casual in handling the ball. When faced with Arsenal's pressing, many times they simply chose to kick the ball back to the fifth floor. Five open state.

Klopp was dissatisfied.

He has a high desire to control his team, and at the same time, he has a persistent pursuit of the quality of the game.

Three minutes later, Weidenfeller passed the ball to center back Felipe Santana. As soon as he received the ball, he faced Arsenal's pressing.

Both sides have made appropriate efforts for the league.

Chen Yao rotated the frontcourt players. He let Zaha, Aubameyang and Chamberlain replace Griezmann, Giroud and Walcott, but he kept Cazorla.

Arsenal's current offensive organization in the frontcourt is inseparable from Cazorla's ability to advance and connect.

Cazorla's health condition made him slightly worried. He knew that in another timeline, Cazorla suffered serious injuries at the end of his career, causing countless regrets. He wanted to avoid all of this happening as much as possible.

It's just that Arsenal's reserve in the attacking midfielder position is also a bit embarrassing. Aaron Ramsey, the first-choice substitute, is still confused until now, and Tomas Rosicky, the second-choice pick, is old and has a physical constitution prone to injuries.

As for another young man for whom he has high hopes, Jack Wilshere is still undergoing rehabilitation training at this time.

Chen Yao is looking forward to the opportunity for Wilshere to realize his potential, but at this moment, he can't help but wonder whether he should introduce some players in the creative midfield position to raise the team's ceiling.

There are games he doesn't want to lose, such as this game.

He wants to work hard to reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League, and he wants to play against the top teams in Europe.

Due to the rotation of multiple players, Arsenal's frontcourt pressing system was a little sluggish.

Chen Yao beat Aubameyang frequently off the court. After the Gabonese came on the court, he did not dare to take a walk and started running hard.

His speed is faster than Giroud. When Aubameyang shows similar diligence as Giroud, his pressing intensity is not low, but the quality of pressing is different.

Fortunately, Dortmund also made a rotation. Hummels, the core of Klopp's defense, took a rest due to a minor injury. His replacement was Brazilian defender Felipe Santana.

Santana looks fierce, but his performance is not as fierce as his appearance.

He was reluctant to stay in Dortmund. He was eager to become a regular member of the national team for the Brazil World Cup, but Klopp did not give him many playing opportunities. Most of the time, he was played by Subotic and Hu Myers' replacement.

On the one hand, it was a long-lost battle, and on the other hand, the intensity of the Bundesliga was too low. Santana couldn't handle the few touches he had on the ball well.

But this time he almost made a big mistake.

Santana stopped the ball directly at the midpoint of the line between himself and Aubameyang. Both he and Aubameyang were stunned, and then both rushed towards the ball.

There was a chaotic fight near the penalty area. After all, Santana knew he had made a mistake the moment he touched the ball. He took a step faster and used his body to protect the ball tightly.

Aubameyang slowed down by half a beat and stretched his legs unwillingly, trying to win the ball.

The two were entangled and fighting. Santana found the opportunity, stretched out his leg and kicked the ball into Aubameyang's leg, which resulted in a foul ball.

"What the hell are you doing?" Taking advantage of the opportunity to serve a sideline ball, Klopp stared at Santana and yelled, "You haven't had enough to eat!"

The Dortmund players who were frightened into a cold sweat somewhat cheered up, and the offensive and defensive rhythms of the two teams suddenly accelerated.

In the 36th minute, Arsenal's high pressure had a loophole. Zaha missed a pass, allowing Schmelzer and Perisic to complete the connection.

Perisic dribbled the ball along the left wing. He changed direction slightly and accelerated past Kieran Gibbs and entered the penalty area.

Dortmund's other players weren't too far behind.

Resolute high-speed counterattack after gaining the ball is what Klopp has repeatedly emphasized, and it is also the characteristic of his team.

Lewandowski stood in the penalty area, and the right wingers Kuba and Carvajal cut back to the center at almost the same speed. Marco Reus shook off Verratti's marker from outside the penalty area and inserted in. Break into the restricted area.

Royce was the one who completed the shot. A large number of instant grabbing options in the penalty area disrupted Arsenal's defense. Perisic hit the center and Royce met the ball near the penalty spot and shot.

Dortmund used their familiar sharp counterattack to take the away lead.

Klopp celebrated exaggeratedly. Even if he didn't think defeating Arsenal or qualifying for the Champions League group was a great achievement, he would still not be stingy with his encouragement.

He enjoys this feeling, enjoying the feeling that his players obey his instructions and give everything.

Chen Yao was not disappointed. He knew Klopp's playing style and the capabilities of the Dortmund team in front of him.

And... as a coach who also emphasizes pressure, intensity, and speed, he knows that Dortmund and Arsenal have similarities.

Five minutes later, Arsenal equalized the score in almost the same way.

Dortmund's frontcourt pressure failed. Kieran Gibbs dribbled the ball back to the center, passed Perisic who had just passed him before, and sent a through ball through the press.

Verratti ran forward, and his little skills were very good. He brought the ball softly to his own dribbling rhythm, passed through the area guarded by Nuri Shaheen, and distributed it to the wing.

Chamberlain also has explosive speed.

In the wide space in Dortmund's backcourt, he burst through Schmelzer's defense.

At this time, Aubameyang also appeared in the middle of the two defenders. Zaha cut into the penalty area, Cazorla guarded the top of the gourd, and Verratti was ready to insert...

Like Dortmund, even more aggressively, they invested troops in the counterattack and stormed the penalty area.

Chamberlain hit Santana's leg with a similar cross. The Brazilian defender seemed to have not woken up and made a clearance not far away. Verratti intercepted the ball and passed the ball past Dortmund's defense.

Aubameyang rushed out from behind Santana, knocked the ball lightly in the air, smashed the ball on the grass, and bounced into the net.

A lightning-fast counterattack.

The score returned to one to one.

(End of this chapter)