My light shines on Arsenal

Chapter 263 The new year has arrived

When Juan Lillo knocked on Chen Yao's office door, he found that no one responded to him.

The assistant teacher thought for a few seconds and then gently opened the door.

He saw Arsenal's young manager sleeping on the table.

Lillo looked out the window, it was completely dark.

It's Christmas Eve.

After defeating Chelsea, Arsenal only have a short rest, and they will soon face the Boxing Day game against West Ham United.

Therefore, the coaching staff gave the players a holiday after giving them the necessary training to maintain their condition.

The Kearney base was quieter earlier than usual.

There are no recreational activities for Lillo. In the eyes of many Arsenal staff, the shaggy-haired assistant coach is a Spanish madman who is obsessed with football. His expression is often unsmiling, and he has few friends in the UK. .

Most of the time, Lillo appeared seriously on the training ground, taking charge of the players' training meticulously, taking notes one after another, and disappearing from people's sight after get off work, returning to his absence. Well-known residence for rest.

Lillo was not content with being just an assistant coach. He was crystal clear about his ambitions.

He often misses the days of independent coaching, although that time was also painful for him - it's not that he doesn't know how to make a group of players with worrying strength win, but he is unwilling to accept those practical, popular but ugly football .

He stubbornly wants to use unique tactics to urge a group of second-rate players to play first-rate football, but the final result is bound to be failure.

But, even so, he still missed that feeling.

Days like that would give him hope.

After coming to Arsenal, Lillo calmed down his ambitions a lot, and the team gradually grew under his responsible training and won amazing victories one after another, which partially satisfied his desires.

But Lillo didn't think it was all his fault.

He began to realize the effects of working with capable staff:

Dennis Bergkamp is a great former superstar who has a unique training philosophy and is able to coach players to become better in technical details.

Antonio Pintus, this little old man who looks like a gangster, is the most talented physical coach Lillo has ever seen. In the hands of Pintus, he can build a team with amazing physical fitness. This is the basis for the grand tactical concept to be implemented.

And...Arsenal's manager.

Chen Yao's youth once made Lillo full of doubts, but Lillo never doubted the diligence of this head coach.

He devoted almost all his time to football. On nights like this, it was not uncommon for Chen Yao to stay at the Kearney base.

If Li Luo's life was monotonous, then Chen Yao's life was no less boring.

In a sense, we may be the same kind of people. Li thought.

Moreover, this coach has some surprising talents. Sooner or later, the players under his guidance will undergo qualitative changes and make rapid progress.

Lillo hesitated for a long time, and finally coughed twice, "Coach, it's getting late. We have a game tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh...?" Chen Yao raised his head from the table in a daze and smiled sheepishly, "Oh, Juan, you haven't left either."

He scratched his hair and took a deep breath, "I'll sort out my thoughts... I'll get off work soon. Thank you, Juan, you don't need to stay so late."

"Yeah. There's also this, don't forget to read it." Lillo didn't say much, threw a document on the table and exited the room.

Chen Yao saw the door being closed and the blue light of the computer shining dimly on his face.

It’s already December 25th.

He had a lot of confusions and obsessions, and he was groping forward on a foggy road.

Chen Yao touched the calendar on the table. The new year was coming soon.

He picked up the document that Lillo left on the table. It was a preliminary tactical report for Arsenal's opponents in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Bayern Munich.

……

Boxing Day, Upton Park.

The eighteenth round of the Premier League.

Arsenal vs West Ham.

Arsenal's offensive was slightly less aggressive than before, but the continuous high-intensity games still had a considerable impact on the team's physical fitness.

Even if Antonio Pintus has provided physical reserves for the team, Arsenal cannot be able to compete with the intensity of two games in three days.

However, West Ham United, ranked 17th in the Premier League, only lasted 20 minutes with the cheers of their home fans.

Kevin De Bruyne enjoys breaking through and passing the ball in the ribs. He seems to have found his favorite area. Recently, De Bruyne's condition is getting better and better. In the twenty-fifth minute, De Bruyne found another route and put the ball in front of Olivier Giroud.

Giroud finally did not spit out the cake this time and scored, rewriting the score to 1-0.

"It feels good, Kevin." Giroud happily hugged De Bruyne's head and thanked the Belgian for his assist.

"Olivier, if you can have this efficiency for every ball, I can have 20 assists a season." De Bruyne said.

The rest of the first half was easy, with West Ham players looking like they were in a hurry to get back to spend the rest of Boxing Day and not posing a threat to Arsenal's goal.

During halftime, Kevin De Bruyne complained that he had slight discomfort in his leg. Arsenal's team doctor went up to check it out, but found nothing wrong.

"Do I need to tell the coach to replace you?" the team doctor asked.

"No, no need." De Bruyne didn't take it seriously. He finally gained a foothold in the team.

This is what De Bruyne longs for, ample opportunities to play in high-level games. What's more, he felt good this time and had already scored an assist, and he wanted to continue.

In the second half of the game, Arsenal was a little slack, but West Ham's counterattack was also weak.

In the 52nd minute, De Bruyne accelerated his dribbling and broke through the "Hammer Gang" defense.

It is difficult for West Ham to resist De Bruyne's strange role of sometimes appearing in the ribs and sometimes playing as a winger on the wing.

Chen Yao is very happy with De Bruyne's performance. His "pseudo winger" role can provide the team with sharper destructiveness.

Arsenal has no shortage of talented players, but De Bruyne's talent of simplifying the complex and being able to tear apart the defense with one pass is something Arsenal lacks.

Even if De Bruyne's skills are not yet mature enough and his mistakes in aggressive passes will cause opponents to counterattack, Chen Yao must be determined to cultivate the Belgian.

De Bruyne's sudden attack caused Arsenal's offensive rhythm to change drastically with his breakthrough. West Ham United's defense was smashed to pieces, and Olivier Giroud received De Bruyne's pass in front of the goal. , the header hit the net.

Giroud scored twice and De Bruyne received his second assist.

The suspense of the game ended at this time.

"Kevin, scoring a goal turns out to be so easy!" Giroud rubbed De Bruyne's head again excitedly.

"If I don't put the ball in your mouth, I'm really afraid you won't be able to score." De Bruyne complained with a smile.

Giroud and De Bruyne were surrounded by teammates and hugged happily, but the Belgian frowned unnoticed.

Maybe he was too tired, he thought.

Arsenal defeated West Ham United 2013- away from home. Three days later, they ushered in their last game of .

December 12, Emirates Stadium, the 29th round of the Premier League.

Arsenal vs Newcastle.

Newcastle, ranked seventh in the league, were not as vulnerable as West Ham United. The "Magpies" resisted tenaciously throughout the game and competed with Arsenal players for every possession of the ball.

Shortly after the start of the second half, Theo Walcott and Kevin De Bruyne created murderous opportunities in the right rib.

Walcott's pace, technique and nose resonate with De Bruyne's creativity.

The two players completed a classic direct pass and diagonal penetration. Walcott led the ball and cut in, and succeeded in shooting from a small angle.

Arsenal's right-wing combination has been the most eye-catching offensive combination in the Premier League in the past month.

The score was fixed at 1-0, and the difficult and cold December schedule was over.

The Premier League schedule is officially halfway through, and Arsenal ranks first in the Premier League with a historic record of 15 points with 3 wins, 1 draws, and 48 loss, and has become the half-time champion.

Manchester United did not fall behind, with 13 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses, accumulating 43 points, ranking second in the Premier League.

Liverpool has 11 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses, with 38 points, ranking third in the Premier League.

Chelsea has 11 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses, with 37 points, ranking fourth in the Premier League.

2013 is coming to an end and 2014 is coming.

　2023 is about to pass, and 2024 is about to arrive.

　　Looking back on 2023, I believe it will be an unforgettable year in many people’s lives. We emerged from the epidemic and staggered back to find the trajectory of life.

　　It is my honor and luck to be able to use this book to accompany friends I have never met for six months.

　　I wish you all a Happy New Year in advance. Football is great to watch and our lives will be brighter.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)