Chapter 135: Arsenal's "Mr. Key"
Highbury was in mourning after two goals down, but the angry fans realized that time was running out.
There is still about half an hour left in stoppage time, but Chelsea's 'mission' has been completed. Not only did they score two away goals on the road, but they also managed to keep a goal from conceding and threw all the problems to the Gunners.
In the next game, even if the Gunners scored, they could only play extra time with Chelsea with an aggregate score of 4-4. What's more, if Chelsea score one more goal, the Gunners will have to score three goals to qualify.
So now all the pressure is shifted to the gunners.
The professor was so distressed that he simply stopped zipping his down jacket.
If the Gunners had been effective in attacking, then Chelsea would not have been led by two goals in this game; Chelsea's two-goal lead also shows that the Gunners' attack is not afraid of threat, so that the Blues can attack with impunity.
Bergkamp, who has the ability to change the tide of the game, has gone down injured, and the professor has only one substitution left. With the main force at their best, who can stand up and save the team?
Glancing back at the bench, the rest of the Gunners were silent, not even daring to make eye contact with the coach.
The professor sighed, now he had to rely on Henry.
The cold wind of April blew into the chests of the French, and without the protection of the down jacket, the professor only felt his heart feel cold.
"Is the offense still effective?"
"Is there any hope of advancing to the Final Four?"
"Who can step up and save the team?"
Gun fans with a stomach full of questions were puzzled.
In front of Tang Wu's "middle finger", they can fight back with impunity; But now the team is behind, like a basin of cold water poured over their heads, but they can't resist.
"Come on, come on!"
I don't know who took the lead, but the red fans in the stands stood up together to cheer for the backward Arsenal.
However, what followed did not turn out as the Gunners had hoped, with the Gunners struggling to attack, with the Blues struggling to resist.
The ball is still in Chelsea's hands, at least the Gunners will have a hard time touching it.
"There was a strong contrast in the possession of the two sides in this game." "In the first 60 minutes, Chelsea had 64 per cent of the possession and Arsenal had 36 per cent. ”
"In other words, if Arsenal wants to counterattack, they must firmly control the ball at their feet, and the midfield's fighting intensity and ball handling level must also be improved."
'It's a shame that Bergkamp wasn't on the pitch and the Gunners didn't have anyone to form an effective midfield organisation other than Thierry Henry on the run and Pire on the flank, who could hold the ball briefly.
When Huang Jianxiang was popularizing science for the fans in front of the data, the ball rolled to Tang Wu's feet again.
As in the first half, Chelsea played without rush. When you don't score, you don't rush to attack, and now that you're two goals ahead, you're even less anxious.
Three passes and two downs, from left to right and from right to left.
Tang Wuyi will appear in the right corner of the penalty area, and then run to the left side of the penalty area.
It seems like a waste of physical strength, but how would Lapinli mind?
At the end of each game, the B2B midfielders run to leg cramps, but the goalkeeper in the box is like a 90-minute walk. I don't know how many coaches want the goalkeeper to transfer excess energy to the midfield, but everyone knows that this is not realistic.
But now, Frank Lampard and Parker, the two B2B midfielders, are still brisk at their feet, while the likes of Patrick Vieira and Ljungberg can only barely support themselves at the back.
The biggest reason for this situation is that Tang Wu, who frequently runs in the backfield, moves no worse than Gudjohnsen and others at the front.
"Coach, let me give it a try." Just as Wenger frowned, a tall, dark man came up behind him.
"Kanu, you..." The professor never expected that it would still be Kanu who stood up at this time.
Oh, it can only be Kanu!
There were two strikers on the bench, one was Kanu and the other was Wiltord.
In contrast, the professor wanted Wiltord, who was shorter, faster and more skilled on his feet, to make his debut in the final moments of the race.
Because although Kanu is 1.97 meters tall, his heading ability is not outstanding, and he is even a little weak.
In addition, Tang Wu has an unparalleled advantage in defending high-altitude balls, so Kanu will not use high-altitude balls in the penalty area to threaten Tang Wu's goal, which is why Wenger does not want Kanu to play.
But now, the French, who are "fellow countrymen", are still sitting firmly on the bench as steady as Mount Tai, as if it is none of their business; And the Nigerian African Footballer of the Year stood up to do his best for the team.
Arsene Wenger knows that with his prestige in the team, even if he rejects Kanu, it doesn't matter if he "forcibly" lets Wiltord play. But somehow, although the professor was talking at this time, it was difficult to speak.
As the greatest African player in the history of Arsenal FC, Kanu has always been loved by fans.
The reason is simple, Kanu has a loyal and open-minded personality and has been working the Arsenal bench.
In the 99-00 season, Kanu made 50 appearances for Arsenal, many of them as substitutes, but he scored 17 goals in one go.
And the most talked-about of these is the game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Kanu came on from two goals behind the Blues and scored a hat-trick in the space of 15 minutes to make it 3-2 for the Gunners.
It was precisely because of Kanu's "super sub" status that the professor did not hesitate to reject Fulham's offer of £7 million in the summer of 2001.
Judging from the data and performance, Arsenal has not had a "super substitute" who can turn the tide after Kanu.
"Mr. Arsene Wenger, let me play!" Seeing that the professor did not reply for a long time, Kanu said again, "Coach, you know, my time at Arsenal is running out..."
Hearing Kanu's deep voice, Wenger suddenly woke up from his memory.
This season, the Gunners have produced too many young rookies.
There are Reyes, there are Clichy, there are Cesc Fabregas and many other young players in the midfield position. As they grow up in the gunman, there will eventually be a group of old people who will leave.
Among them is Kanu from Nigeria.
Kanu is twenty-eight years old this year, although it is the year of the fight. But because of heart surgery, he is no longer comfortable with the fierce competition at Arsenal.
His contract is set to expire this summer, and even Arsene Wenger's report to the club has not recommended a further extension of Kanu's contract.
But now, seeing Kanu's sincere eyes, the professor couldn't hold back any longer, and finally made up his mind: "Okay, you go warm up!" ”
"Good coach!" Without saying a word, Kanu jogged along the sideline with his arms in his arms.
"Hey, it's Kanu!"
"That's right, our key sir!"
"Mr. Key is coming on!?"
"One more hat-trick to let these nouveau riche know that this is Highbury, not a place for them to go wild!"
Seeing Kanu warming up, gun fans became inexplicably excited.
It's the popularity that Kanoo has built up over the past five years, and it's the result of his hard work.
Gun fans seem to have a feeling of "turning defeat into victory" as long as they see this African high-ranking guy with a moustache warming up. This is an "achievement" that no Arsenal substitute can achieve.
Finally, thanks to a tackle by Ljungberg, German Merck blew a halt to the game.
Looking at the number 9 number plate held high on the sidelines, Reyes cursed in a low voice and walked towards the sideline gloomily.
In this game, in addition to the clash between Lang Shot and Tang Wu that was captured by the camera, fans couldn't even see him running interspersed on the screen.
The game is like a roam, except for the waste of chances, nothing does contribute to the team.
Seven shots, all from outside the box, none of them were in the woodwork.
Coupled with a yellow card, Reyes was not booed by the home fans when he left the game, but the scene was eerily quiet.
All the Gunners fans were waiting for the Spanish stunned young man to get off the pitch and then send the most enthusiastic call to the African footballer who had been on the Gunners' bench for five years the moment Kanu took the pitch.
"Fack, Fack! Why is this happening? Reyes spat on the ground, the only thing that proved he had played in Highbury in this game.
"Kanu, when you come on the pitch you have to take advantage of your height as much as possible and play for Thierry. As long as we score a goal, we have to hold on to the score and send Chelsea into extra time, you know? ”
The professor didn't even look at Reyes, he only had the African players who stepped up at this critical moment.