svetikya Chapter 87 The Counterattack Begins
Chapter 87 The Counterattack Begins
The second half begins.
As expected, Arsenal did not slow down their attack despite taking the lead, continuing to launch a four-pronged assault on Everton's territory.
Actually, there are more than just "four arrows".
Besides forwards Henry and Bergkamp, and wingers Pires and Ljungberg, midfielder Vieira and full-back Ashley Cole will frequently push forward into the attack.
Everton, on the other hand, did not become overconfident despite falling behind.
They continued to play steadily, just as Ye Xian had instructed before the match and during halftime, setting up their defense and closely marking the opponent's key player, Henry.
Just as Ye Xian said, as long as Henry is contained, Arsenal's attacking power will be greatly reduced.
With him and Bergkamp getting the ball less often, their chances of scoring a spectacular goal naturally decreased significantly!
Even superstars who can change the game in an instant still need to have the ball at their feet!
This meant that although Arsenal launched a lively attack in the second half, they didn't actually create many clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Sidelines.
Wenger sat on the away team's bench, his eyes fixed on the pitch.
"This kid is quite interesting; he's so young and already knows how to use psychological warfare," Wenger thought.
Before the match, they shouted slogans that were deafening, saying they would play an attacking game against Arsenal and play some fancy football.
They started by using a strange and unexpected tactic to steal a point from Arsenal, but when they realized they couldn't use it anymore, they retreated and started playing a defensive counter-attacking game.
But what's the point?
In the Premier League, there are many teams that play a defensive counter-attacking style against Arsenal. Are you sure Everton can hold on?
Sure enough, Arsenal took the lead in the first half.
Wenger is now confident that the Gunners can score again.
After all, retreating to a defensive posture to secure a one-goal victory is not Wenger's style.
Moreover, being one goal ahead is indeed a rather dangerous situation on the football field.
Generally speaking, the leader only starts to relax a little after taking a two-goal lead...
So he just hoped his players could step up their game and score at least one more goal to secure the victory!
"Under sustained pressure, scoring is only a matter of time."
However, this time flow seems a bit too fast.
The second half has reached the 65th minute, and Arsenal still haven't managed to score.
This made Wenger vaguely feel uneasy.
"Why is it so hard to score again?"
Everton's defense has been incredibly well organized during this period!
They compressed the space in their own half so much that even Arsenal's stars couldn't find a way to break through their defense.
If it weren't for the flashes of brilliance from Henry and Bergkamp, his players would probably be getting a little impatient after such a long siege without a goal.
There's another point that Wenger feels is somewhat of a concern.
The game has been going on for 65 minutes now, and Everton's players don't seem to be showing any signs of fatigue.
While his Arsenal players were still attacking hard, their activity level on the field was far lower than at the start of the game.
Wenger adjusted his glasses and frowned.
In terms of running ability, players like Vieira, Gilberto Silva, and Ljungberg are already considered to be very good.
But compared to the group of young people on the other side, they still seem to be lacking.
That shouldn't be happening!
During summer training, Wenger made a very meticulous training plan, and the players had plenty of physical reserves, so why couldn't they outrun their opponents?
After observing for a few more minutes, Wenger understood.
Although both involve running, Arsenal players are constantly making runs to break through the opponent's defense, resulting in many players engaging in high-speed back-and-forth runs, which is extremely taxing.
Everton, however, is different.
Their defense is very well-structured, the players maintain good positioning, and the coverage and support between the three lines are also very effective. This means that although Everton players run a lot, they don't really need to make many sprints.
In other words, their players tend to run at a constant speed, which consumes far less energy compared to Arsenal.
So now, after 60 minutes, many Arsenal players, who have been attacking with all their might, are already showing signs of fatigue, and sweat is pouring down their faces.
Everton, on the other hand, were much more relaxed, continuing their defense at a leisurely pace.
After Wenger figured out the running costs, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.
There are still more than twenty minutes left in the game.
Although it may not seem like much, if Everton launches a counter-attack against a slightly fatigued Arsenal at this point, it's not certain they can withstand it...
At this moment, Ye Xian on the other side had already stood up.
Taking advantage of the dead ball situation, he called Rooney and Ronaldo aside: "From now on, you can push further forward. When making runs, be sure to make diagonal and straight runs to avoid falling into the opponent's offside trap..."
For a period of time, both Rooney and Ronaldo dropped back to the flanks of midfield, essentially playing as wingers.
At this point, Everton's formation was actually a defensive 4-5-1, with only Drogba up front.
But if we push it up again now, then it will be a real 4-3-3!
This also sends a signal to the teammates:
The counterattack begins now!
All of this was arranged before the competition.
Taking advantage of Arsenal players' declining stamina and the widening gaps between their defenders, they began to exploit the openings on their flanks and in the half-spaces!
Once the opportunity arises, Everton's midfield and defense will not hesitate to launch long passes and then use the speed of the two players to create a breakthrough!
Just 3 minutes later.
Arsenal's attack was intercepted by Everton, and the ball fell to the feet of center-back Stubbs.
Stubbs passed the ball to Alves.
This is Everton's old trick.
Overloading the right flank creates a strong attacking opportunity, which is then used to launch an attack.
This is because, compared to Grosso on the left, Alves has exquisite technique, can get away from the spot, and has top-notch short passing ability. He can both cross from the byline and cut inside from the flanks to make through passes, and can single-handedly energize the entire flank.
In addition, his abundant physical strength and top-notch ability to move up and down the field allow him to push forward more often in the attack.
Wenger had certainly studied Everton's previous matches and knew how formidable Alves was.
So as soon as he got the ball, Pires rushed over.
But Alves had no intention of dribbling forward. Instead, after glancing ahead, he decisively launched a high ball!
Directly in front of him, a blue figure moved along the wing and suddenly surged forward into Arsenal's penalty area!
It's number 11, Rooney!
He used his agile movement to shake off Ashley Cole, who was standing right next to him, without being offside!
Everton's sudden acceleration caught Arsenal players off guard.
Saul Campbell rushed over to cover.
But after Rooney controlled the ball with his chest, he didn't dribble anymore and instead took a shot!
The angle of that shot wasn't great; it was a few meters outside the corner of the penalty area, at an angle of about 40 degrees.
Rooney's shot was so sudden that Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman made a desperate dive to save it, but he was too late.
His right arm was almost touching the ball, but he still couldn't stop it from going into the net!
Everton have equalized!
2: 2!