svetikya Chapter 86 The Power of a Superstar
Chapter 86 The Power of a Superstar
The game has restarted.
Cristiano Ronaldo's lightning-fast goal certainly caught Wenger off guard.
But he was, after all, a world-renowned coach, and he quickly grasped Ye Xian's advanced tactical logic of "actively creating dead balls and pausing to press".
He immediately made clear hand gestures from the sidelines, loudly instructing the players to adjust the rhythm of their throw-ins and specifically break through Everton's trap.
Just as Ye Xian said, this move can indeed only be effective once against a master.
In the following matches, Everton tried several times to replicate their opening tactics, but all attempts failed.
When Cech intentionally kicked the goal kick out of bounds, Arsenal players no longer stood still and waited, but moved in advance, spread out and made flexible runs to create space, while speeding up the ball's movement, before Everton's entire team could complete their pressing and positioning.
As a result, Everton's pressing in the attacking third became much less effective.
This tactic is less effective if the opponent is prepared.
For example, in the 2026 World Cup, some teams will quickly run into position and throw the ball out when the opponent kicks it out of bounds, which can quickly break the opponent's "formation".
Ye Xian naturally responded quickly, abandoning this tactic and instead directing the team to proactively shrink their formation, abandon high-pressing, and instead focus on solid defense and efficient counter-attacks.
Since Wenger has figured this out, let's play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. We should take advantage of Everton's young, fast, and energetic players, wait for the gaps when Arsenal press forward, and then launch a deadly attack.
This is the safest and most pragmatic approach, and also the optimal solution against top-tier passing and possession teams.
However, it must be admitted that at this time, Arsenal's squad strength and the individual abilities of its star players were among the best in the Premier League.
Once they adapted to the rhythm, the Gunners completely demonstrated the dominance of the defending champions.
Wenger's passing and control system was in perfect working order. The ball kept circulating at the players' feet, with accurate passing, agile movement, and orderly attack and defense, constantly putting pressure on Everton's defense and keeping the Toffees firmly pinned in their own half.
The strong lineup and individual abilities of the star players gradually erased Everton's tactical advantage, and the situation on the field began to change.
In the 22nd minute, Arsenal equalized!
Arsenal's continuous crosses from the wings and penetrations through the middle kept Everton's defense constantly on the defensive.
Bergkamp dropped back into midfield, calmly orchestrating the play, and delivered a highly imaginative low diagonal pass that precisely tore open a gap on the flank, instantly exploiting Everton's defensive lapses.
Henry, with explosive speed, made a high-speed forward run, perfectly received the ball and entered the penalty area. Facing the onrushing Cech, he calmly dribbled past the defender and easily pushed the ball into the far corner.
1: 1!
Thierry Henry, the King of Highbury, scored a textbook solo goal to help Arsenal equalize and completely stabilize the team's morale.
The cheers at Goodison Park fell silent instantly, and the jubilation on the faces of the home fans vanished, replaced by tension and worry.
The Arsenal stars' performance after their breakout is truly terrifying!
In fact, during those 20 minutes, although Everton was on the back foot, they did a very good job of limiting Arsenal's midfield. Henry didn't get any good passes and had zero shots on goal.
But he seized every single opportunity he had!
A superstar is a superstar.
This was just the beginning of the gunmen's counterattack.
Arsenal's morale soared after equalizing, their passing and control became increasingly fluid, and their attacking pressure intensified.
Everton retreated to defend, doing their utmost to intercept, block, and block, but faced with the combined attack of top stars like Henry, Bergkamp, and Pires, the young defense ultimately showed some inexperience.
In the 38th minute, Arsenal took the lead!
This time, it was Bergkamp, the master of football artistry, who dominated the field.
Arsenal's attacking third featured a series of intricate passing combinations, with the ball eventually landing at Bergkamp's feet at the edge of the penalty area.
The Dutch iceman received the ball with his back to goal. Facing the combined pressure from Stubbs and Weir, he remained calm and composed, deftly deflecting, dribbling, and turning to instantly break free of the double-team. His movements were elegant and graceful, showcasing the style of a master.
The moment he shook off the defense, Bergkamp unleashed a powerful long-range shot that curved through the air. The ball traced an exquisitely beautiful arc, moving with incredible speed and a pinpoint angle, before disappearing into the top left corner of the goal!
Cech leaped and stretched out to make the save, his fingertips barely grazing the air, utterly powerless to stop him!
Goal!
1: 2!
Arsenal complete a comeback victory away from home!
The entire Goodison Park stadium fell completely silent, except for the thousands of Arsenal fans who had traveled with the team, who erupted in deafening cheers.
The Arsenal players on the field embraced and celebrated.
On the sidelines, Wenger looked relaxed, a faint smile on his refined face.
This is his most prized disciple!
Henry and Bergkamp could be considered the best attacking duo in the Premier League during that period.
However, when the camera turned to Ye Xian's side...
Everyone noticed that his expression remained calm and composed, without the slightest sign of panic or anxiety.
He knew that the two goals were not due to tactical errors by the team, but purely due to the individual ability of Arsenal's top stars to force a breakthrough.
Faced with absolute talent and strength, even the most perfect tactical system will have flaws—just like how the Chinese team couldn't stop Ronaldo in the World Cup.
Ye Xian raised his hand to signal the players on the field to keep their composure, not to be impatient or rash because they were behind, and to continue to stick to the defensive counter-attacking tactics and patiently deal with the opponent.
The Everton players on the field quickly adjusted their strategy and continued to solidify their defense.
The last few minutes passed quickly.
The referee blew his whistle, and the first half ended.
"We still need to focus on defense first and continue to counter their counterattacks."
As soon as he entered the locker room, Ye Xian explained the tactical plan for the second half to everyone.
All that talk of an all-out attack is just a smokescreen before the match.
There is a clear gap in the strength of the two teams' players; if they were to engage in an all-out attacking style, they would only suffer a crushing defeat.
In teams of the same style, the stronger team can easily crush the weaker one.
This is why technically skilled teams like the Japanese team can often defeat some European teams with a physical style of play, but often struggle against South American teams.
Only by firmly defending and counter-attacking can we possibly gain an advantage against Arsenal!
"But they're in the lead now," Moyes raised his concerns. "Will they continue their attack?"
"Yes, they will," Ye Xian said with a smile, "because their coach is named Wenger, not Hoddle."
Wenger has a certain idealism about his football.
Not only must we win the game, we must win it beautifully!
This is actually a weakness of idealists like him.
Towards the end of his tenure at Arsenal, under pressure from poor results and the threat of being sacked, he began to change, adopting a more pragmatic and conservative approach in some important matches...
But now is the time when Wenger is at his most successful at Arsenal, so the professor disdains playing counter-attacking football against a team like Everton.
"Your defense in the first half was fine, please keep it up in the second half."
Ye Xian continued to encourage the players:
"They only had two chances in the first half, but they capitalized on both."
"That's a testament to the talent of their star players, and I accept that."
"But I believe that as long as we continue to play normally and execute our established tactics, we will definitely have a chance to turn the score around in the second half!"