Chapter 41

On September 19th, Chelsea will face Tottenham Hotspur, led by Robbie Keane, at home. Notably, in the Premier League match held the day before, Arsenal, who had won five consecutive games, were held to a 2-2 draw by Bolton at home. This means that if Chelsea can secure all three points in this match, they will, for the first time, lead the defending champions Arsenal in the standings.

Amid the cacophony of North London fans, Arsène Wenger expressed his regret after the match for not securing three points at home, and harshly criticized the referee, attributing the draw to a misjudgment.

At the pre-match press conference before the sixth round of the league, a journalist asked Jowan Xian about Arsenal's match the previous night. Jowan Xian spoke candidly: "Their unbeaten run has reached 44 games, which is already a very impressive achievement. I think Wenger should be more magnanimous. The FA and the referees have been very friendly to him and Arsenal. Of course, I will not comment on any referee."

Despite Jowan Xian's tactful words, the journalists, skilled in reading between the lines, detected the hidden meaning in his words.

Was he insinuating that there was something fishy behind Arsenal's 44-game unbeaten run? Or was Jowan Xian preparing to take aim at Professor Wenger, following in the footsteps of Eriksson, Mourinho, and Ferguson?

The journalists were like chickens injected with adrenaline, already planning the next wave of media frenzy.

In contrast, Tottenham's manager, Santini, remained calm and serious, with a confident demeanor. This former French coach did not lavish praise on Chelsea's tactical lineup as the media had expected. Instead, he delivered a profound statement: "I am not a perfectionist, because I believe that absolute perfection does not exist!"

Jowan Xian understood that Santini was indirectly criticizing him, but he was not bothered by it. He found no interest in engaging in a verbal spat with such a minor figure.

However, when the match kicked off at 23:05, Tottenham's tactics immediately put Jowan Xian on high alert.

Tottenham's starting lineup consisted of goalkeeper Robinson, defenders Edman, Nebet, King, and Kelly, midfielders Simon Davies, Ricketts, Brown, and Mendes, and forwards Keane and Defoe.

Although it was a 4-4-2 formation, clearly weaker than Manchester United, Santini had an advantage over Ferguson: he had watched Chelsea's six matches and had a preliminary understanding of Jowan Xian's tactics, unlike Ferguson, who was caught off guard in the first round of the league.

Tottenham's tactical approach was straightforward: to disrupt Chelsea's fluid attack through strong collisions and brutal interceptions by the eight players in the midfield and defense. They also exploited the weaknesses in Chelsea's 3-1-2 formation, where the flanks were vulnerable, by using Simon Davies and Brown to create chaos in Chelsea's defense.

In the history of football, every formation has been rigorously tested both theoretically and practically. Whether it's 3-5-2, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, or 4-1-4-1, each has its own rationale and can achieve mutual support, counter-attacks, full-attack and full-defense, or balanced attack and defense.

However, football history has never seen a formation like the bizarre 3-1-2 (4-1-3-2) that Jowan Xian had deployed. This formation, with three attacking midfielders and a single defensive midfielder, is something that only exists in video games. Even Ancelotti's Christmas Tree formation, with four playmakers, has a clear requirement for the attacking midfielder to participate in defensive duties on the flanks.

In Chelsea's lineup, Jowan Xian assigned all defensive responsibilities to the five players in the midfield and defense.

The two main offensive strategies in modern football are central penetration and flank attacks, which is why the double defensive midfielder system has become the mainstream in world football.

With the strong interception capabilities of a double defensive midfielder, it is very difficult to penetrate the center. For flank attacks, the double defensive midfielders can assist the full-backs in defending both flanks, making it hard for the attackers to maneuver.

However, the flaw in Jowan Xian's unconventional formation became apparent. With only one defensive midfielder, Claude Makélélé, even if he is exceptionally skilled and can hold the midfield line, preventing Tottenham from penetrating the center, what about the flank attacks? Should he focus on the left flank or the right flank?

Should Joe Cole and Kaká come back to help with the defense? This is simply impossible.

Tottenham's manager had studied the video of Chelsea's previous Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain and reviewed the starting lineup published in advance by The Times. He couldn't help but smile, seeing the same 4-1-3-2 formation again, with three attacking midfielders and two forwards.

Tottenham's strategy was clear: to disrupt Chelsea's attack through brutal defense and to create opportunities by continuously attacking Chelsea's flanks.

If Makélélé participates in the left flank defense, we will shift the ball to the right flank; if he participates in the right flank defense, we will shift the ball to the left flank. This kept Makélélé running frantically across the field, unable to use his full potential.

Bridge is not a top-tier full-back, and Ramos is still inexperienced, so naturally, Tottenham had more and more opportunities. By the 30th minute of the first half, a detailed technical analysis showed that Chelsea had 69% possession, 8 shots, 6 corners, and 2 free kicks. While these statistics for Chelsea were not surprising, what was surprising was that Tottenham had also managed 5 shots, 4 corners, and 3 free kicks in the same 30 minutes!

The unassuming Tottenham had achieved even greater statistics than Manchester United!

Seeing the match unfold exactly as he had anticipated, Tottenham's manager Santini stood on the sidelines with a smile, occasionally glancing at Jowan Xian, basking in his own satisfaction.

Tottenham's players, undeterred by the rising chorus of boos from the Stamford Bridge crowd, continued to play according to their coach's intentions, using brutal and aggressive fouls.

Finally, at the 38th minute, the scoreboard was changed!

While Makélélé was helping the struggling Ramos defend on the right flank, Brown cleverly passed the ball to Ricketts. Simon Davies and Ricketts executed a wall pass, skillfully bypassing Chelsea's left-back Bridge. Terry rushed to provide support, but the quick transition in Chelsea's defense was not smooth. England's forward Defoe received a cross from Simon Davies and headed the ball past the Czech goalkeeper, scoring a goal!

No one had expected this scoreline, 1-0! Leading, was the visiting Tottenham Hotspur!

The 40,000 Chelsea fans in attendance gasped in shock, their faces showing fear. Jowan Xian's team was trailing? More importantly, Chelsea seemed to be in poor form today, giving Tottenham too many shooting opportunities. Was it due to fatigue from the midweek double-header?

The commentator was also stunned, pausing for a moment before dejectedly saying, "It seems that the match against Paris Saint-Germain has drained the players' energy. Today... Jowan Xian's team might have to give Tottenham a big favor at home..."

"Idiot!"

"Moron!"

"You can go to hell!"

...

The Chelsea fans, already frustrated by the scoreline, were further enraged by the commentator's pessimistic words. The commentator quickly turned off the sound, too afraid to breathe.

Even the usually calm Jowan Xian stood on the sidelines with a frown, his expression stern as he watched the Tottenham players celebrate wildly on the field, his eyes flickering with thoughts.

Back on the bench, assistant coach Boas whispered, "Jowan, it seems Santini has identified the flaw in our formation. The team needs to make changes."

"Changes? How?" Jowan Xian, who was stubborn about his reputation, especially in front of his "pupil" Boas, did not want to change his image as a "genius."

Boas thought for a moment and said, "Actually, the 3-1-2 formation has been used before, but... it must be paired with a double defensive midfielder to achieve balance. Especially with Kaká and Joe Cole having almost zero defensive ability, the defensive pressure is too great."

"What do you suggest?"

Boas said earnestly, "Take off Owen and bring on Scott Parker. Use the physically stronger and taller Rooney as the lone striker. This way, the team can achieve a balance in attack and defense."

"Take off Owen? That's a joke, isn't it? Did I waste my Source No. 1?" Jowan Xian shook his head, rejecting the idea outright: "No, your substitution strategy is too rigid. Let's wait and see. We'll make adjustments in the second half."

"Adjustments in the second half?" Boas couldn't help but laugh bitterly. The situation on the field was already out of control. After Tottenham scored, the players were like mad dogs, fiercely attacking. Aren't you afraid they will score again?

Sure enough, at the 42nd minute, England's forward Defoe received a low pass from Robbie Keane, who had cut in from the right flank, and scored again with a poke.

2-0, Defoe scored a brace, and Tottenham had a perfect first half!

"Ah..."

Amid the endless boos, the Stamford Bridge fans let out a collective sigh. Even Abramovich in the VIP box had a stern expression, his eyes frequently darting towards the Chelsea bench.

Many Arsenal fans watching the match in bars and cafes cheered and applauded, savoring the goal scored by their local rivals. At this moment, they cared little about whether Tottenham was their arch-rival, focusing instead on the fact that if Chelsea lost this match, Arsenal would, for the first time this season, top the league table!