Chapter 83

When all the fans in the Highbury Stadium, all the Gunners watching on TV, and the professor Wenger on the coaching bench and the Arsenal players on the field saw Jeff Winter reach into his trouser pocket, they all showed the same expression—eyes shining as if they had seen a mountain of gold!

Because they knew that according to the current habits of referees, yellow cards were usually kept in the shirt pocket for easy access, while red cards were kept in the trouser pocket for occasional use!

Jeff Winter's action was clearly not to take out a yellow card!

On the Chelsea coaching bench, the five coaches all stood nervously at the edge of the field, looking blankly at the game, their faces full of confusion. Jowan Xian also frowned, his expression stern.

"Red card! Indeed, it's a red card! The referee from Sheffield, Jeff Winter, has shown a red card to Cech! The game has only just started for 5 minutes! A penalty and a red card, this match might already be over! Just a moment ago, we were talking about AC Milan's Dida, and now we see the same scene in the Premier League! We have broadcast many Arsenal matches, and from their performance over the past year, we can almost declare that Chelsea's unbeaten myth has come to an end!"

Zhan Jun's voice was a bit hoarse and somewhat dejected: "But we can't say that Jowan Xian has failed because he has already led Chelsea to an unprecedented 16-game winning streak in the league, setting a new consecutive win record in European top-tier leagues! In the 1961-1962 season, Real Madrid, with Di Stefano and Puskas, once won 15 consecutive games, and the previous consecutive win record in the Premier League was 13 games set by Arsenal last season. Therefore, even if Jowan Xian loses this match, he is still successful because he has created a myth in European football, a 16-game winning streak myth!"

Zhan Jun is a true data expert, and Adams is a shameless bragger!

This commentator, who once led Portsmouth to relegation, said without a hint of shame: "Ladies and gentlemen, this match has lost its suspense. It is now 12:11 AM on December 13th. If you are sleepy, I suggest you go to rest. Just wait for tomorrow morning's newspapers to see the result of this match, which will be an Arsenal victory."

For the second consecutive match, Chelsea will face a 10 vs 11 situation!

Compared to the last round of the Champions League group stage, which was insignificant, this league match clearly makes Chelsea fans more anxious! Even Duan Xuan, at this moment, was somewhat incoherent: "Chelsea is facing a very difficult situation. This season, we have gotten used to Cech's high saves for Chelsea. He is off the field, and at this moment, we see his face full of regret, even... it seems there are tears in his eyes! We can't blame this Czech goalkeeper for anything, after all, he is still young, only 21 years old! To be able to stand in a top league at such a young age, we should still applaud him, after all, not every goalkeeper is a Saint Iker!"

Iker Casillas' early success and steady demeanor have become a topic of discussion in world football, but at this moment, a scene suddenly flashed in Jowan Xian's mind: a 2011 La Liga match where Iker Casillas received a lightning red card, being sent off after 90 seconds, while Cech lasted 5 minutes, already outperforming Casillas!

Good intentions turned into a mistake, Cech reluctantly left the field. Jowan Xian sighed and walked to the players' tunnel, looking at the young and regretful Cech, and suddenly smiled: "You little rascal, are you trying to increase the difficulty of my game?"

Cech was taken aback: "Ah?"

Jowan Xian's face was filled with a faint smile as he patted Cech's shoulder: "It's okay, just a mistake. Go to the locker room, take a shower, and watch your teammates' performance."

Cech muttered: "Boss, you... you're not angry with me?"

"Angry? Why would I be angry?" Jowan Xian raised an eyebrow, asked curiously, and then laughed: "No one is a saint. Don't worry, after the suspension is over, you're still my number one goalkeeper!"

Cech pursed his lips and said gratefully: "Thank you, boss!"

Boas saw Jowan Xian's affectionate treatment of Cech, which was completely different from how he treated Gudjohnsen in the previous match, and silently added a rule to his list of managerial principles: "Treat your core players with utmost affection!"

After sending Cech off the field, Jowan Xian's gaze fell on the remaining 10 Chelsea players on the field. Deciding who to substitute off was a difficult problem. Watching the Italian goalkeeper Cudicini hurriedly putting on his match kit, he fell into deep thought.

Should he substitute Gremio to play a midfield meat grinder tactic like in the Porto match? Clearly not. Not to mention that the midfield partnership of Gilberto Silva and Vieira is arguably the best in the world, Makelele and Gremio would not stand a chance; even if they did get the upper hand by luck, Arsenal's wing attacks are equally formidable, far surpassing teams like Porto.

Berg and Pirre are in their prime, along with Henry, who likes to move to the left, and Reyes, who likes to roam the right, plus two attacking full-backs. In terms of wing attacks, Arsenal is definitely stronger than Chelsea.

With one man down, it's impossible to disrupt the defensive lineup. Jowan Xian could only logically focus on the attack.

Substitute Rooney? No, the team still relies on him to score goals;

Substitute Kaka? No, the team still needs his meteoric sprints to counter-attack;

Substitute Lampard? Even more impossible! As a playmaker, Kaka's direction is forward, like a knife charging forward, while Lampard's direction is lateral, coordinating the team's central and wing play. With one man down, he is the organizer. If Lampard is substituted, the attack will surely become chaotic.

Joe Cole? No, his sharp breakthroughs and fluid skills would intimidate Arsenal's defense, especially his presence would greatly curb the forward runs of Arsenal's left-back Ashley Cole.

With no other options, Jowan Xian could only look at the Irish winger Damien Duff, who had been a substitute for several matches and finally got a starting opportunity in this match.

Chelsea made a substitution: No. 23 Cudicini on, No. 11 Damien Duff off!

Duff saw the number 11 on the electronic board, his face fell, and he reluctantly and slowly walked off the field, not even embracing or high-fiving his teammate Cudicini, and without looking at Jowan Xian, he silently returned to the bench.

"Haha, it seems the atmosphere in Chelsea's dressing room is not as good as rumored. I heard that a few days ago, Rooney and Gallas had a big fight on the training ground? Tsk tsk, the coldness of Jow Daopao and Gudjohnsen in the last match, and Duff's anger in this match... Two red cards have shattered the illusion of harmony in Chelsea's dressing room. Jow Daopao's good luck has run out!" Adams gloated, completely disregarding that he was commentating for all London fans, not just Arsenal fans.

After the substitution, the game resumed.

Jowan Xian made a simple adjustment to Chelsea's formation, pulling Rooney back to the left wing as an inside forward. Chelsea played a no-striker formation, or rather, let Kaka take on the role of a shadow striker.

The first thing that happened after the game resumed was that the substitute goalkeeper Cudicini had to face a penalty kick taken by Henry!

For professional players, especially top players, the technique and angle of a penalty kick are secondary; the main factor is the goalkeeper's luck. If the goalkeeper has super good luck, the penalty won't go in; if the goalkeeper has normal luck, the penalty will definitely go in.

The referee blew the whistle, and Henry started his run-up. A simple change of direction with his foot deceived Cudicini's diving direction, and then a light push shot, the ball went into the net, 1-0!

The Highbury Stadium erupted in a roar! Even though almost every Arsenal fan had anticipated this result, they were still extremely excited to see Henry's run-up, knee slide, and slide celebration, and they cheered and clapped with all their might.

The big screen on the field replayed Henry's goal and his spectacular celebration several times, then focused on Chelsea's coaching bench, zooming in on the young man—Jowan Xian.

Jowan Xian's hair was parted 3-7, looking as if it had been greased, shinier than his shoes! He was sitting with his legs crossed, chewing gum, and chatting happily with his assistant Boas!

Seeing this, the fans in the stadium couldn't help but let out a "buzz" of surprise, the effect... even more shocking than Henry's goal!

"Mr. Adams, what do you think of this scene? Just now, Wenger roared at the players on the field due to a defensive mistake, now Chelsea is down one man and trailing by a goal, yet Mr. Jowan Xian is still chatting and laughing. Do you think... this is still a psychological battle?"

Adams thought for a moment and then said with a serious face: "Obviously, Jow Daopao is avoiding the situation! He has already recognized the situation on the field, knowing that winning is hopeless, so he no longer cares about the game, trying to shift his attention to reduce the pain this match brings him. It's undeniable that Jow Daopao's mental victory method is very effective and very deceptive, probably fooling many fans around the world, making them think he is confident."

"Mr. Adams, what if... I mean, what if Chelsea really turns the game around and wins under Mr. Jowan Xian's leadership, how would you see it?"

People fear comparison, and loving one thing and hating another is normal. The commentator was somewhat displeased with Adams, who was using the opportunity to belittle Jowan Xian to elevate Arsenal's status. After all, Jow Daopao has created a legend in English football, with 16 consecutive wins already a European record! He is the pride of London!

Adams hesitated for a moment: "This is absolutely impossible!"

"What if it happens?"

Adams gritted his teeth: "Then I will cross the English Channel like Matthew Webb!"