Chapter 82

"Danger! Lampard's volley is seamless, and Lehmann can't return in time to defend. The Arsenal goal is in a state of panic, no, it's very likely that the score will be rewritten in the second minute of the match!" Duan Xuan shouted with a high-pitched voice. The other commentators beside him were even more hysterical, mumbling a long string of words, their faces flushed and breathless as if they couldn't catch their breath.

"Hey? Who is that person? Number 3, it's Arsenal's Number 3 player, Ashley Cole! Ashley Cole has done his part, blocking Lampard's shot with... his face at the goal line. He has saved Arsenal from the brink of disaster! A miraculous left-back, if he had been 0.1 seconds slower, Chelsea would have created a dream start! What a thrilling moment, and the atmosphere at Highbury is truly intense. At this moment, I feel a cold sweat all over my body." Duan Xuan's deep voice was clearly more pleasant to listen to than the chaotic bird-like languages of the other commentators, who looked at him with amusement.

Ashley Cole headed the ball away, and Campbell cleared it with a long kick, finally defusing the danger. The fans in the stadium and in front of their TVs all patted their chests in relief. Many fans realized that this would be a suspenseful match and had already prepared their heart-saving pills.

From the start, Chelsea gave Arsenal a warning. The Arsenal fans were still in shock, and even the usually gentle Wenger rushed to the sidelines, roaring loudly.

"Mr. Adams, what do you think of this play? The professor is roaring at his players, and we've never seen him lose his composure like this. Do you think it's due to the immense pressure brought by Jiao Dapao?"

Today's commentator, Adams, is a legendary captain of Arsenal. In the hearts of the fans, he is even greater than the Ice Prince Bergkamp and the Gunner King Henry. Adams won 10 titles for Arsenal, more than Wenger's entire coaching career. Naturally, he speaks with authority, and even when Arsenal went years without a title, he boasted that he would replace Wenger and lead Arsenal back to the top.

As a commentator today, Adams once again displayed his fierce side on the field: "The main reason for Chelsea's attack is still the defensive mispositioning of Kolo Touré. It seems he's here to watch the game, not to play it! As for Professor Wenger, I believe his ability is not constrained by a young kid like Jiao Dapao. His roaring, I think, is more about the tactical battle between managers, a psychological war."

"Hmm... So it's a psychological war. It seems Jiao Dapao has indeed received high attention from Wenger. We've never seen him lose his composure like this, even against Ferguson..."

Adams' words were meant to give Arsenal a way out and to mock Jiao Wanxian. This commentator seemed a bit slow, and with one sentence, he elevated Jiao Wanxian to an unexpected height, making Adams' face turn pale with anger.

Wenger's roaring was not due to the players' performance but more from the pressure from the board. The emergence of Jiao Wanxian at Chelsea has seriously affected Arsenal's status as the top club in London. The board fears that before the Emirates Stadium is even built, all the fans will be lured away by Chelsea, and if the attendance at the Emirates is lower than at Highbury, it would be a laughingstock worldwide.

Wenger treats his players like a kind father. Seeing his loss of composure, the players on the field seemed to wake up from a dream and finally burst into a powerful offensive. After weathering Chelsea's initial three attacks, they immediately launched a strong counterattack. Amid the thunderous cheers of the home fans, Arsenal transformed into a sharp blade, charging towards the goal guarded by Cech.

In the 5th minute, Gilberto Silva initiated an attack. The Brazilian and the Swedish warrior, Freddie Ljungberg, played a series of short passes to toy with the Chelsea defensive midfielder, Claude Makélélé. Seeing Lampard retreat to assist, Ljungberg delivered a very subtle through pass that split the gap between Bridge and Terry. The Spanish player, Reyes, arrived as expected!

Reyes is 21 years old. At Sevilla, he once led the team to defeat the Galaxy, especially on the wing, where he outperformed Figo and Salgado. After the match, Zidane's comment, "the motorbike boy," made him a star! After Wenger signed him, he praised him multiple times, saying he would be the next Bergkamp!

Wearing the Arsenal number 9 jersey, Reyes is incredibly fast and skilled. Facing the frantic backtracking Bridge, he didn't choose to cross the ball as usual but instead made a quick feint, like a basketball player's sudden stop, easily bypassing Bridge's defense.

Entering the penalty area, the path ahead was wide open!

Seeing this, Jiao Wanxian's heart tightened, and he stood up from the bench, clenching his fists: "No wonder Eriksson put Ashley Cole in the starting lineup for the national team. Comparing the two, the difference in ability is clear!"

After Roberto Carlos retired, Ashley Cole became the world's top left-back. Jiao Wanxian had made several offers for Cole in the summer, but Wenger refused them all. Currently, Chelsea's left-back is Bridge, and the substitute is a 19-year-old named Watt, which is unacceptable.

Jiao Wanxian gritted his teeth: "The left-back position must be reinforced this winter! If a player like Reyes can easily break through Bridge's defense, imagine what would happen against strong teams like Milan or Barcelona!"

On the field, Henry was caught in a double team by Terry and Cannavaro. Seeing that the supporting defender had not yet closed in, Reyes seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and unleashed a powerful shot towards the near post of the Chelsea goal!

This shot was hidden and sudden, only 7-8 meters from the goal, lightning-fast!

The cheers in Highbury Stadium began to rise, and the commentator Adams even shouted excitedly: "This ball will definitely go in! I said it, that Jiao Dapao is just a name, he's no match for Arsenal!"

The London TV commentator, however, remained impartial: "Arsenal's attack, Ljungberg and Silva played a brilliant combination, and Reyes' breakthrough was even more impressive!... He entered the penalty area and took a decisive shot. Makélélé's tackle was too late... Oh, God! Cech... Cech made a world-class save!"

Cech's skull was not yet injured, and his reaction speed was no less than that of Iker Casillas. In an instant, he made a save, barely keeping the ball out of the goal.

After being warned by Chelsea's initial attack, the defending champions Arsenal quickly retaliated. Their offensive strategy was almost identical to Chelsea's, using right-wing passing to penetrate the penalty area. Lehmann cleared the ball, and Cech saved it, but the same situation... was about to happen again.

The ball Cech saved was heading towards Henry, whose speed made the Chelsea players think of their injured teammate, Owen, who was recovering in the United States!

Cannavaro couldn't keep up with Henry's speed, and it looked like Arsenal was about to have a one-on-one opportunity!

If Lehmann had Ashley Cole behind him, Cech would have an empty goal behind him! If Henry touched the ball in the small penalty area, Cech knew that even if all the Chelsea goalkeepers were there, they couldn't stop him.

Leaving the goal, became Cech's only option.

Facing the ball, Cech's passion could make him forget his life. At this moment, he charged towards Henry with all his might, trying to clear the ball like Lehmann did before him.

However...

A scene that made all Chelsea fans' pupils constrict and hearts stop appeared. Henry's speed was much faster than Cech's, and he touched the ball first!

With a light touch, Henry skillfully bypassed the Czech goalkeeper Cech!

Then...

Henry's body, like a high-speed train, was struck by lightning, immediately losing control and falling to the ground... on the goal line!

"Foul! Penalty! Cech used a wrestling move to pull down Henry, this is an uncontested penalty!" Adams was excited, slapping his thigh and singing: "Cech is Chelsea's last defender, the penalty is uncontested, and a red card is also justified! In just 6 minutes, Arsenal has made Chelsea lose its soul!"

The London TV commentator was also speechless: "Cech... Cech, in a moment of heat, actually... actually pulled down Henry in that position... Oh God, such a move could ruin a match..."

Duan Xuan's voice was trembling: "Let's look at the replay to see if Henry was diving... Henry had the ball first, and then... yes... Cech's hand did touch Henry's ankle, but it didn't seem to apply much force. There was physical contact, but Henry also had a bit of an acting component!"

The ESPN commentator, Zhan Jun, sitting in the studio, brought the audience the commentary via satellite signal: "Cech pulling down Henry is undeniable. Let's see how the referee, Jeff Winter, will rule. This season, he has officiated 9 Premier League matches, issuing 11 yellow cards but no red cards. We don't want such a thrilling match to lose its suspense so early. However, this scene reminds me of a Serie A match in September, where AC Milan faced newly promoted Livorno. In the 6th minute, AC Milan's goalkeeper Dida committed a foul in the penalty area, resulting in a red card and a penalty! Fortunately, Livorno was weak, and AC Milan barely won 1 point at home. But... today Chelsea faces the powerful Arsenal! Will the referee show mercy?"

On the field, the referee, Jeff Winter, looked serious, sternly dispersing the players who had gathered around, and then walked directly to the Czech goalkeeper Cech, who was sitting on the ground, looking bewildered. He reached into his back pocket, ready to show a card!

Yellow card... or red card?

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