svetikya Chapter 89 Even Penalty Kicks Have Tricks?
Chapter 89 Even Penalty Kicks Have Tricks?
"Beep—!"
When the referee pointed firmly to the penalty spot, the entire stadium erupted!
Goodison Park, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly erupted into a thunderous roar of cheers. The sea of blue people surged wildly, and all the fans raised their arms and roared. The sound wave almost lifted the roof of the stadium!
This is a golden opportunity to win the game!
With the game already past the 85th minute, they were essentially awarded a penalty in the final moments of the match, a penalty that could have sealed the victory!
Arsenal offered no explanation for the penalty decision.
They knew that the penalty was clear and indisputable.
Seaman gave Arsenal a slim chance to avoid conceding a goal when all other options seemed hopeless.
On the contrary, Everton protested to the referee, arguing that it was a chance to breach an open goal and that Seaman should have received a red card, not just a yellow.
However, the referee upheld the original decision and dispersed the crowd.
At this moment, Cristiano Ronaldo, who had fallen to the ground, had already gotten up.
He immediately bent down to pick up the ball and held it tightly in his arms.
To everyone, this penalty undoubtedly belonged to Ronaldo.
This was an opportunity he fought for; it was a dangerous chance he created with his speed and dribbling. Coupled with his hot form in this match and his earlier opening goal, he was the first choice to take the penalty, both logically and in terms of form.
Even Arsenal players have tacitly accepted this fact.
Instantly, the entire Arsenal team swarmed around them.
Knowing the importance of penalties, the Arsenal players did everything they could to disrupt Ronaldo's mindset.
Vieira was the first to rush forward, constantly spewing trash talk to distract them:
"Kid, first time taking a penalty kick? Feeling nervous? Maybe you shouldn't take it, just let someone else take it!"
Seeing that Ronaldo ignored him, he even raised his hand and forcefully slapped the ball out of Ronaldo's arms, trying to disrupt Ronaldo's rhythm in a rough manner.
At that moment, Rooney also came over and stood in front of Vieira.
Drogba picked up the ball and put it back in Ronaldo's hands.
Then the two Everton strikers seemed to transform into defenders of the penalty spot, not allowing any Arsenal player the possibility of damaging the pitch.
Indeed, in previous matches, some players have used their cleats to create holes in the penalty spot, making it difficult for the penalty taker to accurately control the point of contact, resulting in the ball being kicked wide...
At the same time, they also prevented anyone from getting close to Ronaldo.
Seeing this, the referee came over to maintain order, warned the Arsenal players, and signaled that the Everton players should also leave the penalty area.
then……
Cristiano Ronaldo then left the penalty area and passed the ball to Alonso outside the box!
Brother Long had been watching the "show" the whole time, as if the conflict inside the restricted area had nothing to do with him.
But when Ronaldo handed him the ball, he took it without hesitation and walked straight to the penalty spot!
This completely baffled everyone in the room.
Everyone thought Ronaldo was conserving his energy and adjusting his mindset, preparing to take the penalty himself.
Arsenal's players were completely focused on Ronaldo, directing all their interference and pressure at the 17-year-old Portuguese prodigy.
But why wasn't he the one to take the final punishment?
Only Ye Xian stood calmly on the sidelines, his expression indifferent, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.
No one knew that everything happening on the field at that moment was exactly what he had anticipated.
This scene perfectly replicated a classic moment from the 2025-2026 Champions League final.
At that time, PSG was also playing against Arsenal. Vitinha stood in front of the penalty spot with the ball, attracting all the attention. Everyone thought he would take the penalty, but in the end, it was Dembele who calmly pushed the ball into the goal.
This move fooled everyone in the stadium and avoided putting psychological pressure on the key players.
As a time traveler, Ye Xian vividly remembers this famous scene of an extreme psychological battle.
He knew all too well that Ronaldo was only seventeen years old at the time, despite his unparalleled talent and mature mentality;
But in a do-or-die situation with the score tied 2-2, the game nearing its end, tens of thousands of fans watching, and the opponent's relentless interference, it was still too cruel to place the pressure on him to score the winning goal.
Young players are most likely to have their mentality collapse and carry the shadow of defeat for life in these crucial penalty shootouts.
The same goes for everyone else.
Rooney is younger and shouldn't be burdened with such a heavy responsibility.
The older Drogba actually had no experience taking penalties in professional leagues.
As Real Sociedad's captain, Alonso has a high chance of taking penalties, and his mental fortitude is currently the best.
Therefore, in the pre-match arrangements, Ye Xian had already designated Alonso as Everton's number one penalty taker this season, and also arranged this set of "tricks" to avoid interference.
After all, even Alonso is only 20 years old. He is not the same Alonso who can stand at the penalty spot in the Champions League final three years later. He also has psychological fluctuations!
On the field now, Alonso, who had been silently waiting, has stopped in the penalty area and put the ball down.
"Oh no, it's not Ronaldo taking the penalty! It's Alonso!"
"My God! Was this arranged by the coaching staff? It must be, otherwise the players wouldn't be so in sync."
"I have to say, Ye Xian is too cunning! And too clever!"
"I see, this is to protect the penalty taker. After all, this team is too young, and not many of them have experience taking penalties in professional leagues!"
"He even considered such detailed things so clearly, it's truly amazing!"
It's fair to say that everyone was fooled by this tactic!
Cristiano Ronaldo drew all the attention and absorbed all the distractions, shouldering all the psychological pressure for the team. Meanwhile, the composed and technically superb Alonso remained unnoticed and undisturbed throughout the match, maintaining an extremely calm mindset.
At this moment, in front of the penalty spot.
Alonso took a deep breath, calmly positioned the ball, carefully adjusted its landing point, stepped back a few paces, stood steadily with a determined look in his eyes, and remained completely calm.
Heman looked tense and focused.
However, his rhythm was somewhat disrupted because he had been anticipating Ronaldo's shooting habits throughout the game.
The referee blew his whistle to signal that the penalty kick could begin.
Alonso's run-up was slow and deliberate, his pace relaxed and unhurried.
No powerful shots, no fancy angles, just an extremely calm and steady push shot. The ball flew low to the ground and steadily nestled into the bottom left corner of the goal!
After misjudging the situation, Seaman lost his balance and could only watch helplessly as the ball rolled into the net!
Goal!
3: 2!
Everton have taken the lead again!
Goodison Park explodes again!
A deafening roar of cheers swept through the entire stadium once again!
As Alonso turned to run, Ronaldo rushed up and hugged him tightly. Rooney, Gravesen, and other players also rushed over, and everyone embraced each other.
Then they rushed toward the coach's bench.
No one knew better than them that this penalty kick was won through tactics, through winning hearts and minds, and through Ye Xian's foresight.
Wenger, who was falling behind, was really anxious.
He used his last substitution, bringing on Brazilian midfielder Edu.
This is also the last player on the bench he can use to bolster the attack.
He wanted to give it his all in the last few minutes!
But at this point, the situation on the field was no longer under Wenger's control.
Everton's momentum reached its peak after overturning Arsenal's deficit in the score.
All the Everton players were determined to keep putting pressure on Arsenal.
Arsenal struggled to even contain Everton's attacks, let alone mount a counterattack.
In the final stages, Ye Xian also brought on Pembridge, Casley and Genmir to keep the team active and delay the game.
At the final whistle, the score remained 3-2.
Everton defeated the mighty Arsenal at home, securing their third Premier League victory of the season!