September 27, evening, Amsterdam Arena.

In the second round of Group B of the Champions League group stage, Ajax hosted Arsenal.

This is a matchup between the two strongest teams in Group B.

With the next match between the two sides set to be the final round of the group stage, and neither Sparta Prague nor Thun will be able to shake the top two places in the group, there is no doubt that this will be a crucial match to decide the top spot in the group.

Ajax drew 1-1 away at Sparta Prague in the first round and Arsenal narrowly beat Toun 2-1 at home, and if they lose this game again, it will be difficult for Ajax to shake Arsenal's top spot in the group.

Coupled with the fact that it was playing at home, everyone thought that Ajax's opening tactics were a little more proactive.

But in fact, Arsenal were prepared.

Two years ago, in the round of 16, Arsenal was beaten by Ajax at the Amsterdam Athletic Stadium.

What's more, Arsenal have lost all three of their away games so far this season, including two defeats to Chelsea and Liverpool, both with a 0-1 scoreline.

Winning all at home and losing all away, such a record is indeed a bit unbelievable.

But it really happened to Arsenal.

Patrick Vieira's departure has left Arsenal's midfield in question, with both Cesc Fabregas and Flamini struggling to fill the void left by Vieira's departure for the time being, which makes it particularly difficult for the Gunners to play away from home.

In this game against Ajax, Arsene Wenger's team was mainly anti-away from the opening and actively took the initiative to attack.

In the first 10 minutes, Arsenal had 63 per cent possession.

Three minutes into the game, Cesc Fabregas played a clever pass to the right, Hleb crossed into the box, Reyes tried to pass the ball to Thierry, but Fermaelen suddenly came up to clear the ball and ruined Arsenal's first attack.

But a minute later, it was a through ball from Cesc Fabregas that Thierry Henry fired with his left foot down the middle of the box, but it couldn't hit the target.

Two minutes later, Reyes passed the ball and right wing-back Lauren followed up and fired a shot from 25 yards out.

In the seventh minute, after Hleb broke the ball in midfield, Reyes tried to burst into the box with the ball, but Maxwell successfully stealed.

In the ninth minute, Thierry Henry flicked a long-range shot past a defender from the edge of the box and was again parried by goalkeeper Stekelenberg.

A minute later, Gilberto Silva tried to emulate his previous performance against Thun and fired a long-range shot from more than 30 yards, but it was a little too far off.

For the first ten minutes, the game was completely controlled by Arsenal.

Ajax was forced to defend tightly.

Ronald Koeman has also come to realise the team's problems after a tumultuous September.

In this game, Yaya Toure was more tasked with defending in midfield, especially with De Jong, to protect the backline.

Arsenal struggled to break down the Ajax defence in the middle and were forced to take frequent long-range shots.

The home team was overwhelmed by their opponents, and it was not until the fifteenth minute that Ajax gradually regained their form.

The right side, led by Yang Yang, has become an active area for the team's attack, but Ashley Cole also attaches great importance to the defense on the left side, while Yang Yang frequently changes his position and often appears on the left side.

In the ensuing time, the two teams played each other's offense and defense.

One of Ajax's most threatening attacks came in the 33rd minute.

McCone quickly cut in on the right flank, and after cooperating with Yang Yang, he crossed into the penalty area, and Charlie Steas headed the ball.

Yang Yang, who quickly inserted into the penalty area from the right rib, rushed all the way to the front of the small penalty area and shook his head to attack the goal from close range.

But such a close header was held by Arsenal goalkeeper Almunia.

Charlie Steas raised his hand apologetically, but he couldn't get the ball on top due to Campbell's interference, resulting in a bit high.

If he can press the ball down, Yang Yang can directly hit the goal with his feet without using his head.

Everyone in the team knows that Yang Yang's header is quite average.

Yang Yang himself also felt a little depressed, the ball ferried by the Greek center, he subconsciously used his head to top it, but he didn't top it well, plus Almunia's position was very good, so he couldn't score.

After learning from the pain, Yang Yang continued to patiently look for opportunities.

In the 43rd minute, Charlie Steias retreated to receive the ball, passed straight behind him, Yang Yang quickly shook off Ashley Cole and inserted it, successfully countered offside, rushed into the penalty area with the ball all the way, and after shaking the goalkeeper Almunia, when he was about to kick the goal, Arsenal central defender Kolo Toure quickly blocked it with his body.

And at this time, there was an obvious opening movement in his hand, which caused Yang Yang's shot to hit his hand and pop off the bottom line.

Yang Yang quickly appealed to the referee, believing that it was a deliberate handball, and Kolo Toure's hand was clearly open.

"If his hand isn't open, my shot is in!" Yang Yang said with great certainty.

But the Spanish referee, Luis Medina Cantario, rejected Yang Yang's appeal, believing that his decision was not wrong, which made Yang Yang feel very depressed and turned to walk back.

Collo Toure patted him lightly on the shoulder as he passed by, and it was clear that the Ivorian himself felt very weak, whether intentionally or not, that his arms were indeed open.

…………

…………

"It was an undoubted handball!"

At half-time, in the home dressing room, Ronald Coman replayed a slow-motion replay to all the players.

Handball, it's absolutely no problem.

It's impossible to tell whether it was intentional or not, but it was a handball.

'But we can't help it, we need to forget about the mistake and focus on the second half.'

After 45 minutes, the players were visibly tired, and the opponent Arsenal was not weak at all.

Despite the departure of Patrick Vieira, the team's attacking firepower is still very strong, especially Thierry Henry.

'As I told you before the game, Arsenal's defensive problems are mainly focused on the position of being dragged back in midfield.

Ronald Koeman drew a large strip of area on the front of the Arsenal penalty area on the tactical board.

Goalkeeper Almunia has Ashley Cole, Saul Campbell, Kolo Toure and Lauren at the back, Pire, Cesc Fabregas, Gilberto Silva and Hleb in midfield, and Thierry Henry in front.

Spanish teenager Cesc Fabregas replaced Patrick Vieira and Saul Campbell captained the team.

Both in pre-season and since the start of the league, Arsenal's performances have clearly demonstrated that Vieira's departure has dealt a terrible blow to the Gunners' midfield.

Of course, although weakened, Arsenal's overall strength is still slightly better than Ajax.

'To be honest, I wasn't happy with the first half, we didn't start the game well, we should have taken the initiative but Arsenal took the lead and then we didn't do a good job of setting up the game.

Ronald Koeman pushes the pieces on the tactical board that represent the Ajax players.

'As we said before the game, pulling Arsenal's midfield from the wings and the flanks, they tend to have only one Gilberto Silva in this area, and as long as we pull him away, we have a chance at the back.

Ronald Koeman is not only the two ribs of Yang Yang and Pinard, but also the middle of the team.

Sneijder and Yaya Toure are both good at getting back and shooting from distance.

Yang Yang has played against Cesc Fabregas and knows the Spanish midfielder's passing ability, but when it comes to his defense, Yang Yang believes that both Sneijder and Yaya Toure have the ability to cut a gap out of him.

The only trouble is Brazilian striker Gilberto Silva, who is like a god standing on the edge of Arsenal's penalty area, and it will be difficult to break through him.

But there is no way to cover it all alone, and after Vieira's departure, Gilberto Silva has struggled to stabilize the midfield alone, which is a key factor in Arsenal's successive defeats to Chelsea and Liverpool this season.

"Let me do it!" Yang Yang took the initiative to stand up and said.

Everyone immediately looked at him one after another, and their eyes showed admiration.

In the face of an opponent like Arsenal, being able to stand up at this time shows Yang Yang's courage and responsibility.

With such a captain, who is not convinced?

"I'll take care of the ball and get the attention of the defence, and the others will take care of the gaps." Yang Yang said.

In many cases, the core players of the team are not just about scoring goals, but also taking on more responsibilities.

In particular, the core players are often the target of the opponent's defense.

Looking at the current Ajax team, it can be said that there is no player with Yang Yang's ability.

Pinar on the left side is really good at responding and passing, but he is not strong with the ball.

As for Sneijder and Yaya Toure, they are positioned at the back and are not as easy to attract defensive attention as Yang Yang.

On the bench, there are many players who can dribble the ball, but there is really no player who can dribble the ball with confidence, attract the attention of the defense, and then pass the ball out, even Ryan Babbel, a talent who is favored by everyone, can't do this.

But Yang Yang was able to do it.

"Then I'll pull in front." Charlie Steias also took the initiative to take on the task.

"Campbell wasn't in great shape this game, so pay attention to him." Yang Yang reminded the Greek center.

Just now when he was in the anti-offside position, he had already noticed Campbell's form.

After moving to Arsenal from rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Saul Campbell was once hailed as the world's top central defender, but since last season, his physical fitness has declined rapidly as he has aged, injuries have increased.

He is only 31 years old now, but he feels like his form is declining rapidly, and it is reported that Arsenal no longer plan to renew his contract and let him leave on a free transfer at the end of this season.

After confirming the information with his teammates, Yang Yang turned his head to look at Sneijder and Yaya Toure.

"Pay attention to the gaps, I'll pass you the ball."