Chapter 230: Playing Football with the Boss 3

The young Arnold came on as a substitute, replacing Moreno, who was slightly off form today.

He had been well known in Merseyside since childhood, and at 17 years and 10 months he finally made his Premier League debut!

The Liverpool fans on site gave him a warm round of applause.

To them, the club's youth academy youngster... is just like their own child.

In recent years, many homegrown talents have emerged on the Premier League pitch.

Tottenham's Alli.

Manchester United's Lingard and Rashford.

Aston Villa's Grealish.

Southampton's...

All England fans are full of confidence in the national team's future.

The match resumed.

Firmino kicked off, laying the ball off to Coutinho.

He then passed it back to Henderson with one touch.

The players weren't disheartened by being two goals down; they kept running wildly on the pitch.

Klopp waved his fists and kept shouting.

The formation steadily progressed past the midfield line, and the ball eventually rolled to young Arnold's feet.

The black surge once again invaded the Gunners' half.

"As soon as Arnold gets the ball, he feels much stronger than Moreno and Klein."

"His grandmother was Ferguson's first love in his youth."

"His uncle is Manchester United's secretary."

"Look at this ball!"

Arsenal's coaching staff doesn't know enough about Arnold.

No one expected Klopp to let a youth-team youngster appear.

Facing the oncoming Sanchez.

Arnold gently pushed with his right foot.

The ball actually went through the Arsenal winger's shorts!

The Liverpool fans instantly forgot their misery of being two goals behind and erupted in hysterical cheers!

"Wow!"

"A 17-year-old youngster humiliating a top Premier League winger with a nutmeg!"

"Smooth!"

Sanchez was both embarrassed and angry, unaware at the time that soon the entire Premier League's stars would all be nutmegged by this Liverpool youngster.

Arnold displayed composure beyond his years, along with an incredibly smooth dribble.

He is not the traditional, clumsy full-back type seen in the Premier League.

Nor is he the flamboyant skillster type common in South America, La Liga, or the Primeira Liga.

His technique is simple.

His positioning is sensible.

He and Coutinho were playing the simplest passing game,

gradually.

After Arsenal's defensive line suffered a few times from losing position when pressing high, they were forced to drop back and condense, opening up space on the right.

He was a bit tired.

While defending the right flank, he also had to keep an eye on Mané's movements on the left.

It's not that Koscielny and Mertesacker are bad... rather, Klopp truly has a knack for coaching the team's attack.

After all.

If their attacking system could have its shortcomings fully addressed over the past two years, it very well might have reached Champions League semifinal level.

The Premier League's Big Six—none of them are pushovers.

Time ticked by, and we arrived at the injury‑time period of the first half.

Wijnaldum also stopped marking Li Kang.

He raised his hand to signal Arnold to be more aggressive, while he himself protected the space left behind the youngster.

"Klopp's substitution was very effective."

"In the past five or six minutes, Liverpool have repeatedly threatened Arsenal's box."

Smack!

The ball left Arnold's right foot and was slipped forward to Firmino.

The holding striker's pivot role was obvious—holding off Cazorla's interference with his back to goal, he could still steadily lay the ball off to Coutinho diagonally ahead!

"Another arrow‑like shot coming up?"

"Koscielny's timely pressing block prevented the opponent from creating a shooting chance like Giroud would!"

"Arnold is quick and has also made a supporting run!"

"A lofted pass to the ribs!"

"There are several tall targets inside Arsenal's box!"

"So he was actually looking for Mané on the left!"

Arnold's gaze was fixed on the center of the opponent's penalty area.

The pass sent out, however, drifted to the left!

Li Kang?

He had already joined the defense early.

In his view, Nesta's phantom raised a hand, pointing to the top of the penalty arc.

The unity of man and phantom had never been so complete: Liverpool's attack posed no threat, they were preparing for the second ball.

Result

Something unexpected happened.

The diminutive Mane, astonishingly, used his terrifying explosiveness to push aside the burly Mertesacker!

Unbelievable.

You know, the German defender is 23 centimeters taller than him!

Their weights aren't even in the same league.

Visually, it's akin to a grade-schooler pushing aside a high-schooler.

"Mane received Arnold's pass!"

"Arsenal is very dangerous!"

Monreal and Walcott quickly shifted to cover and block.

Mane repeatedly changed direction, dodging the two and creating an angle for a shot.

Thud!

His pitch-black right foot suddenly exerted force.

He unleashed a low-driven shot!

Cech timed his ground save perfectly, and his prediction of the ball's trajectory was also accurate.

Smack!

His pale yellow glove touched something, but couldn't change the outcome.

The ball bounced off the post and fell into the net.

2-1!

!

Emirates Stadium erupted instantly.

Islington fans' expressions were torn.

Liverpool fans frantically waved their scarves and team flags, hysterical cheering.

"Mane!"

"The left winger who had just joined Liverpool from Southampton contributed an exhilarating goal performance."

"He helped the Reds pull one back!"

"Arnold's long pass from the flank assisted."

"Klopp's substitutions are like changing blades!"

"Will Liverpool's comeback story be any less?"

"The referee just blew the whistle for halftime! We look forward to the exciting moments to come."

Livestream room.

-【Arnold has a future! Mane is not bad either—two top-tier European prospects.】

-【Klopp has honed Liverpool's attacking system to perfection; now they just lack a right inside forward—where to find one?】

-【Even a two-goal lead isn't safe.】

-【Premier League BIG6, aside from Chelsea, no one can guarantee a 100% win over their opponent!】

-【Try leading Liverpool by three goals?】

-【Wenger's pre-match deployment was good, but he didn't expect Klopp to still have Arnold up his sleeve; if Arsenal doesn't change in the second half, they'll be in trouble.】

Mane did not celebrate.

Instead, he turned with remorse to check on Mertesacker's injury.

Even during his Southampton days, he was mocked as a "dirty honest guy."

He is not dirty, and his temper is also good.

But in actual confrontations, some instinctive moves tend to be large.

Just now, his elbow accidentally struck the German defender's abdomen heavily.

Monreal angrily shouted two sentences at the Liverpool winger.

Mane hesitated, stepped back two steps, and spread his arms to indicate it wasn't intentional.

Arnold had already rushed with his teammates to the corner flag area to celebrate.

Referee Oliver gave no indication, judging it a normal, fair challenge.

The halftime whistle had already blown.

What are a bunch of people doing crowded in here?

God's perspective replayed the opponent's entire attacking process.

Even if Li Kang had watched all of Liverpool's footage, he could hardly contain their attack.

Klopp brought on Arnold, making the team's attacking variations much richer.

Nesta's phantom looked a bit annoyed; he also judged it a mistake...

This is the confrontation among the Premier League BIG6.

Being able to become the league with the highest broadcast revenue share globally is not only thanks to its blood-pumping fast pace, but also to the tactical surge leading European football...

The dense small arrows of God's perspective stopped stretching and shrinking.

Li Kang noticed the gap in Liverpool's attacking formation.

It's not that difficult.

Klopp still needs to find a few more pieces for his dream Red Army lineup.

Moments later.

Both teams' players returned to the locker room.

Li Kang watched the lively Mertesacker... inexplicably feeling a bit disappointed.

How could there be a thought of hoping a teammate gets injured?

He decisively killed off those chaotic thoughts.

【Ding, no teammate injured, unable to trigger the "Turn the Tide" module!】

Morata got along well with his teammates, and many of the substitute youngsters were teased by him until their faces turned red.

Gradually.

Everyone soon forgot the unpleasantness of conceding a goal.

As long as we focus on Li Kang's attack, it'll be fine.

After Boerde briefly reviewed the details of the first half, he urged the players to quiet down and make the most of their rest time.

The bottle on the table held a bunch of flowers.

The petals corresponded to Liverpool's colors.

Wenger stared at the tactical board, lost in thought.

A few minutes later, he self-mockingly chuckled, then immediately called Li Kang over to the side.

Liverpool locker room.

The wooden cabinet trembled slightly from the sound.

After Klopp finished his verbal dodge, he thumped Arnold's chest.

"Well done."

"If we play just like in training, we'll definitely turn it around!"

"Remember, don't get provoked so easily."

Liverpool's head coach well knew: this disciple had everything going for him, his only flaw being a hot temper.

After all the players finished their 'chicken soup', their confidence surged.

Only two people remained unmoved.

Coutinho was smiling, fantasizing about wearing the Barcelona red and blue jersey.

Karius's expression was somewhat bitter, seeming out of place in the locker room atmosphere.

Wanting to overturn the team Li Kang is on, is it really that simple?

The fifteen-minute break ended quickly.

Both teams' players returned to the pitch.

"Good afternoon, friends, welcome back."

"We are now live broadcasting the opening match of the 2016-17 Premier League season."

"Arsenal hosts Liverpool at home."

"In the first half, both sides traded attacks, and the score is currently 2-1!"

"Arsenal made the first substitution adjustment!"

"Xhaka replaced Walcott!"

"A young player from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga."

"This is a signal to strengthen midfield control!"

Xhaka excitedly patted Li Kang's butt... this is the customary greeting in the Bundesliga.

"Li, I never dreamed I could team up with you so quickly."

"Rest assured, I've got your back!"

Li Kang smiled, inevitably recalling the match against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The Bundesliga compatriot's traits are distinct: slow to turn, slow to pass, afraid of confrontation, yet still the midfielder with the most goals conceded in the five major leagues, defensive interceptions also prone to losing composure... but the body is durable, almost immune to injury.

Suddenly.

A tender whinny.

The phantom of a young colt suddenly appeared, happily circling Arsenal's number 10.

【Detected a famous star from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the lineup, Bei lai yin Phantom Beast's duration increased by 20%!】

Beep!

Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The second half officially began.

Liverpool possession.

Without too many frills, Klopp continued to direct the team to advance from the right flank!

"Arsenal's formation has changed to 4-4-2!"

"Cazorla and Xhaka partnered as the double pivot."

"Li Kang's position leans more toward the left flank."

"Sanchez switched to the right flank."

"No, it's 4-5-1! Morata dropped back!"

Arsenal did not retreat all the way back this time.

Midfield numbers are no longer inferior.

The players deployed their most familiar interception tactic: cutting off the opponent's front field.

Arnold is somewhat unaccustomed.

He can still dribble past an opponent.

But the passing lanes were also shut down by the two new midfielders on the other side.

What about Wijnaldum?

His task is heavy: he has to mark Li Kang on one side, and on the other he keeps thinking about protecting the defensive gap left behind by the young full-back.

"During this period, Liverpool's advance hasn't been very smooth."

"One important reason is the change in Arsenal's midfield numbers."

"Li Kang's positioning is sensible, directing Xhaka and Morata to cut off the opponent's passing links."

"Even if Liverpool lets Firmino drop back to receive the ball, it's still hard to copy the quick advance from the first half."

"The advantage of all that running isn't obvious either."

Minute 52 of the match.

The 40-meter area.

Arnold encountered Xhaka.

A simple feint.

He didn't get past the feint.

Why isn't he biting on the fake?

Xhaka's reaction isn't that quick...

He stiffly extended his foot and made the tackle.

"Excellent!"

"What a perfectly timed tackle!"

"Bang!"

Xhaka passed the ball to the advancing Cazorla.

Even a fool knows how to pass on the upcoming advance.

Because Li Kang dragged Wijnaldum away.

The gap left behind by Arnold opened up.

Morata miraculously appeared in the most reasonable position.

Pitch side.

Wenger sat on the bench, smiling broadly.

"If Li retires and becomes a coach, he'll definitely be better than me."

Boerde was at a loss for words.

He always felt the head coach's statement was off, but couldn't figure out why.

The other side.

Klopp's hair was tousled.

He shouted loudly on the touchline, urging Henderson to hurry and cover.

Henderson couldn't make it in time.

Cazorla's pass was perfect, Morata's run was perfect.

In an instant.

Their combination tore through Liverpool's left flank!

"If Arnold pushes forward and his midfield teammates don't support him, the defense on that side becomes dangerously exposed!"

"Henderson can't catch up!"

"Morata's burst speed is too fast!"

In the shot.

Morata charged all the way.

Lovren and Klavan frantically fell back.

Such a big gap—how can we fill it?

What a vast expanse of grass!

Amidst the cheers of the whole crowd.

Morata surged to the edge of the penalty area.

He was calm, observing his teammate's run.

"Nice chance!"

"He can cut inside and shoot!"

"Choosing to pass is also reasonable!"

With a bang.

The ball lifted off the ground.

It shifted to the other side.

Sanchez's thigh, lying in wait.

The instant the ball hit the ground.

Kaliwusi was hit and staggered backward, watching helplessly as a sturdy figure rolled the ball and swept it into the penalty area!

Karolus's positioning was perfect!

Kelawan's reaction was very quick!

Jilu was also blocked in position by Luofun.

Should Sangqiesi take a shot?

The Chilean winger did not take a shot.

He saw Jilu's finger signal.

He chose to pass back!

The camera moved quickly following the ball's trajectory.

At the top of the penalty area arc!

A figure came rushing in!

It's Arsenal's number 10 again!

The tactical system for playing ball with the leader!

Thud!

Li Kang scored with one kick!

He pushed the shot into the empty net!

The ball was like a sharp blade, sharply piercing the open area.

3:1!

!

Hat-trick!

The 200-million-pound man's Premier League debut lived up to his price tag!

His grasp of the timing of forward runs is perfectly proficient!

Arsenal's lead advantage was once again expanded!

Karolus stared blankly, sitting slumped on the ground.

Weinaedumu was panting, bending over with his hands on his knees, feeling puzzled: 'How come after that kid Zakaria came on, Li Kang's speed seems to have gotten even faster?'