After the home win over Valencia, Arsenal dominated their Champions League second group stage, and the home and away double against Valencia made Arsenal not shake their position at the top of the group even if they lost the next two games, while their opponents Valencia will have to try their best to win the next two Champions League group games, or they will face elimination, which is something that the arrogant and ambitious Cooper does not want. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

After a resounding defeat at Wembley Stadium to Valencia, Arsenal are on their way to Middlesborough to face their Premier League 28th-round opponents Middlesbrough.

In the previous 15th round of the league, the Arsenal team at home washed Middlesbrough with incomparable blood, which completely hurt Middlesbrough and made them think about how to take revenge.

Now on Middlesbrough turf, the home side will not let go of this opportunity to wash away the shame.

The match against Valencia ended on 9 March, while the match against Middlesbrough was played on 12 March, with less than 72 hours of rest in between, and after an all-out game, Arsenal's main players were almost exhausted.

Faced with such a situation, Arsene Wenger had to rotate substitutes for this game against Middlesbrough.

The number of games played in the English league was not too large in the whole of Europe, they were banned from European competitions for five years because of the Heysel tragedy, but now with the establishment of the Premier League, English teams are gradually starting to make their mark in Europe, which has led to a huge increase in the number of games they have played.

A season played in March, basically has entered the end of the season, the state of the team's players has gradually declined from the high to the low, some older players are also facing injury risks, so this period of the game can distinguish the big team from the first-class team.

Arsenal are facing a difficult situation right now.

Arsenal's backline was built during the Graham period, and Graham built a steel defence for Arsenal, but there were times when steel decayed, and now Arsenal's defence has problems.

After coming to Middlesborough, Wenger made adjustments to the team's lineup, he urgently transferred a group of second-tier players into the team, especially the players in the backline, some veterans Wenger stayed directly in London to recuperate, and the whole team only Vieira, Liu Han and Henry on the central axis came to Middlesborough.

Against a Middlesbrough team looking to wash away the humiliation, the makeshift Arsenal team almost lost the rhythm of the game.

Arsenal were suppressed by Middlesbrough from the beginning of the game, and the young players in the back line were more than brave and not steady, Liu Han had to retreat to the back to participate in the defense, but Middlesbrough still scored less than 20 minutes after kick-off.

Second-tier centre-back Maltz, who was given the chance to start, brought down the Middlesbrough striker in the box on the 19th minute of the game, and the referee awarded Middlesbrough a penalty and showed Maltz a red card.

Arsenal had to face one less man for the next 70 minutes.

Arsene Wenger has been a little bit more concerned about the health of his defenders, and now the young players who have come on the pitch are not feeling like a game at all.

Faced with such a situation, Liu Han had to retreat again and returned to the penalty area to act as a central defender, and Arsenal's attack was completely paralyzed.

Middlesbrough's forwards faced this with a quick win, a goal clear of Arsenal at home and one man more.

Facing the Arsenal team with one less man, Middlesbrough launched a fierce attack, Liu Han returned to the central defender position and quickly stabilized the team's situation, although this is his first time playing this position, but Liu Han is now very keen to read the game, and coupled with his strong body and quick reactions, so that Middlesbrough's attack will be interrupted immediately when it meets Liu Han.

Originally, Wenger planned to use Liu Han's organization in the midfield to organically combine the team's young people, but now Liu Han has retreated, Arsenal has a vacancy in the midfield, Henry and Ribery are not suitable playmakers, Arsenal's attack can hardly penetrate the front, and can only rely on Henry and Ribery's individual ability to threaten Middlesbrough's goal.

The first half was arguably Arsenal's struggled to hold on to a one-goal deficit as they didn't allow an extra Middlesbrough to find the back of the net again.

Wenger had to make adjustments to the team at halftime, Liu Han did not understand in the back line, but in the midfield position Wenger replaced Bergkamp, the Dutchman was involved in fewer games due to injury some time ago, and now his physical reserves are not bad, so Wenger brought Bergkamp to Middlesbrough.

The arrival of Bergkamp at the start of the second half allowed Arsenal's midfield to find some rhythm, with Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery breaking through aggressively under Bergkamp, threatening the opposition defence on the one hand and creating as many set-pieces as possible on the other.

Middlesbrough didn't expect Arsenal to hold on with one man less, Liu Han did his job well at centre-back, and his performance also made several other young players gradually start to relax.

In the 25th minute of the second half, the stubborn Arsenal finally had their chance, Ribery was fouled by Middlesbrough midfielder when he broke through 10 meters outside the box on the left, and Arsenal won a free-kick in a very good position.

Liu Han came to the penalty spot as soon as possible, and he knew that this was one of the few opportunities for the team.

The Middlesbrough goalkeeper did his best to save a free-kick that could have been put in a textbook, but the ball almost grazed the angle between the post and the crossbar, and it was a real dead end.

Arsenal equalised with 20 minutes remaining.

Middlesbrough almost pushed the defence to the centre circle in the next game, but the united Arsenal team always ensured that the goal was unharmed, Liu Han was no worse than him in the other positions at centre-back, and he was full of energy enough to even drag down the Middlesbrough striker in the second half of the game.

In the end, Arsenal held Middlesbrough to a hard-fought draw away from home, while their bitter league rivals Manchester United won this round of fixtures, meaning Arsenal are now just one point ahead of Manchester United in the table. (To be continued.) )