Chapter 236: Poor Ranieri. (No goal, viewer discretion advised.)

Mustafi excitedly embraced Li Kang and patted his forehead toward the stands.

As a centre-back with strong offensive desires, nothing is more wonderful than getting an assist.

"Li, how was my pass on that ball?"

"Vardy's trash talk never ends, so I came up here!"

"What the hell! Our coach is Wenger, he won't blame me."

Li Kang also felt somewhat surprised by this German teammate's ability to time his forward runs.

His style seems somewhat more unrestrained than the centre-backs he has previously partnered with...

The current Arsenal, if not plagued by injuries, would have an absolutely terrifying overall strength.

Vardy spread his hands.

As a forward, how can you stop the opposing defender from making forward runs?

His story is very inspiring and legendary, but it cannot long maintain a positive image in the public eye.

He has been a problem child fitted with an electronic tracker since childhood.

A year ago he was still suspected of a racial discrimination incident for insulting little Japanese... and was collectively blasted by the Premier League media.

Not to mention the trash talk and petty actions on the field.

Thanks to Ranieri's tactical system, the Leicester City forwards have plenty of time to engage in trash talk.

The morale of Leicester City players has not been affected in any way.

Even after being beaten 3-0 by Van Gaal last season, they had the courage to chase it to 3-5!

Live broadcast room.

-【Arsenal's matches need not worry about lacking goals.】

-【Will Li Kang break Vardy's consecutive 11-match Premier League goal record?】

-【Hard to say, Arsenal is about to fight on multiple fronts, the schedule is packed, and the pressure will be huge!】

-【In the league it's about consistency; the Champions League is a life-or-death battle—just wait for the day after tomorrow's group stage draw ceremony.】

-【What are you guys talking about? How long has this match been going? Arsenal isn't a sure win now.】

-【How come there are still people shorting Li Mingdeng now?】

Pitchside.

Boerde and the coaching staff members exchanged high-fives in celebration.

"Boss, Li is simply the nemesis of low-position defensive tactics!"

"But Mustafi's forward runs are too risky; if the person challenging him for the ball is Huth, we might end up behind."

Wenger loosened his red tie and said, "He can actually lay the ball off to the unmarked Sanchez... huh, this kid has a strong sense of teamwork."

The other side.

Leicester City's assistant coach... has more or less left.

"Detective" Walsh jumped ship to Everton to become sporting director.

Craig jumped ship to the England national team coaching staff.

Only Mc, the goalkeeping coach, remains.

These three were the original members of Leicester City's coaching staff; when Ranieri first took over the team, he did not replace them with his own confidants.

After the whole squad jointly created the Premier League legend last season, the players didn't scatter, and the coaching staff ascended to heaven...

"Boss, my suggestion is..."

BOSS...

Ranieri really likes being called that.

"Stay calm, the match has just begun; we need to observe for a while before making adjustments!"

"Give that kid some tough opposition."

"Tell him this is the Premier League, this is the King Power Stadium..."

The tone started out firm, then gradually grew soft and powerless.

The Leicester City manager is no mediocrity; during the Serie A "Mini World Cup" era, when he coached Fiorentina, he could fully unleash the chemical reaction between Batistuta and Rui Costa.

Naturally, he also clearly sees the team's shortcomings at this point in the new season.

Kante's role cannot be replaced by anyone.

My connection with Leicester City might not last until next spring.

The match resumed.

Vardy kicked off, passing the ball back to Drinkwater.

The latter is affectionately called "Water Brother" by Asian fans,

"Drinkwater is Leicester City's attacking hub."

"Eh? Mendy's trap almost resulted in a mistake!"

"He didn't think along the same lines as his teammates."

"He hastily passed the ball out to the flank."

"Mahrez, his trap is practically criminal! His ball feel is fantastic!"

Under Morata's pressure, Mendy hurriedly passed the ball to the right flank.

The quality of the long pass was poor.

Yet Mahrez lifted his left foot and steadied the ball with a solid thud.

As the 2015-16 Premier League MVP,

he contributed 17 goals and 11 assists last season, with his successful dribbles ranking second in the Premier League.

External media estimated his worth had risen to 60 million euros.

How much did Leicester City originally pay to buy him?

450,000 pounds.

Leicester City's advance down the right flank went very smoothly.

Mahrez encountered no obstruction.

The marking Sanchez did not press alone, but dropped back to a position parallel with Zakaria.

"The two Premier League top wingers didn't engage in a knife fight in the forty-meter zone!"

"Arsenal's three-center-back system was probably a reluctant move; the defending on the flanks... wow!"

The ball reached the thirty-meter zone.

Sanchez and Zakaria simultaneously pressed Mahrez.

King Power Stadium, instantly the Blue Fox fans' cheers erupted: this is the prelude to a classic moment; looking across the Premier League, solely comparing dribbling ability, if Mahrez claims second, only Hazard can claim first!

Mahrez's absolute speed... note, it's 'absolute' speed, not fast enough.

Most of his dribbles during his Leicester City period were completed by having enough counterattacking space.

Not a static stationary dribble.

One cannot simply laterally compare other leagues' 'dribble kings'.

Mahrez's success cannot be separated from Ranieri tailoring a set of counterattacking details for him.

The player's traits and the team's tactical style complement each other.

For example: Hazard is a wild horse untethered, while Mahrez this racehorse has Ranieri as a top rider.

What a pity.

Mahrez had not yet encountered Guardiola at this time.

His step frequency, change of direction, and center-of-gravity gameplay thinking have not yet been fully developed.

This player's early career was very inspiring, but his talent is extraordinarily high, merely not yet fully tapped.

Not waiting for the opponent to speed up.

Sanchez, relying on terrifying explosive power, with his short, sturdy body, forcibly shoved Mahrez out of the ball-touching range.

Zakaria, while cutting off passing lanes, easily intercepted the ball!

"Can't dance on the blade!"

"The traits of the Premier League MVP have been studied thoroughly; it's just to limit your left foot."

"No foul!"

"Zakaria passed the ball to Li Kang…"

"If this continues, Leicester City will struggle to form an effective advance."

The instant Li Kang trapped the ball.

God's perspective noticed two figures rushing over.

Pa!

One touch of the ball, passed to Cazorla.

Vardy hurriedly eased his steps, preparing to turn back and challenge for the ball.

Okazaki Shinji, however, did not hold back, and slammed heavily into Arsenal's number 10.

"Go for the challenge!"

"We must give Li Sang a bit of colour to see, can't let him control the rhythm so comfortably."

"Even if Li Sang is stronger, as long as we catch his supporting foot in his pass and give him a little..."

The Premier League is also studying Li Kang.

This is very consistent with the earlier conclusion of the German team.

The little ones are fearless; if they keep the measure right, they won't get a card.

Peng!

Li Kang landed on his left foot, lifting his right foot.

I don't know if it's from Bale or Monaco's boost, but his control over his body's center of gravity got a slight improvement.

That's enough.

Okazaki Shinji stepped into empty air, and his whole body came down heavily on Li Sang's back.

It felt like he had hit a wall.

Instantly.

He felt dizzy and painful, collapsing onto the grass.

The entire stadium erupted in an uproar.

"The head referee Darren did not blow to stop the match."

"Cazorla got away from Vardy."

"Arsenal's attack!"

The livestream.

Bullet comments flew across the screen.

-【Okazaki Shinji challenging Li Mingdeng? That's not very wise.】

-【Last season, the little ones toppled many burly fellows; their strength was like an ant's, and they could always sneak a move on opponents larger than themselves.】

-【It's pretty normal; when Leicester City plays other powerhouses it's still restrained, but when playing Man United the 'logging' move gets even fiercer.】

-【Anyway, as long as you keep the foul limits in check, you won't get a card.】

Damn it, Leicester City might not be able to touch the ball from now on.

On the sidelines.

Boerde angrily cursed the petty life.

Wenger worried, very concerned about what hidden injury Li Kang's body might have.

It's definitely not because he feels sorry for the two hundred million.

On the other side.

Ranieri made an effort to stay calm.

He didn't seem to care about Okazaki Shinji's injury; instead, he frantically raised his hands, directing the team to quickly fall back and set up defense.

Arsenal's advancing speed was very fast.

The speed of the football's passing was also very fast.

When Li Kang ran into Leicester City's half, into the forty-meter area, he received a pass from Walcott.

Aoerb lidun's sliding tackle came very timely.

Thud!

The close-range audio equipment again emitted a muffled sound.

The ball precisely found Giroud ahead.

Li Kang staggered, steadied his footing, then continued sprinting.

Aoerb laidun painfully covered his calf.

The match continued without pause.

The main referee Darren raised both hands, signaling Arsenal to continue attacking.

Giroud's technique is not bad.

He only occasionally makes mistakes.

This time his pass to Morata was mistaken.

Crack!

Mendy intercepted the ball and cleared it forcefully out of bounds.

Beep!

The main referee finally blew the whistle.

The Leicester City team doctor, who had been on standby, hurried onto the pitch.

The Leicester City players anxiously cared about their teammates' injuries.

Arsenal teammates also weren't idle; they all ran up to pat and rub Li Kang's back and right leg.

At King Power Stadium, boos rose and fell.

Both sets of fans started a heated verbal battle.

Ranieri could no longer keep his composure.

He stood on the touchline, frantically and loudly inquiring about the players' conditions.

Trailing by one goal.

They lost two key players.

Is the Premier League champion going to be knocked back to square one and fall back into the relegation mire?

After a moment, the match resumed.

Leicester City, behind by a goal, won't waste time on friction.

"Unbelievable."

"Orlbroughton couldn't keep playing and was stretchered off."

"The replacement is the club's record signing, Ulya, whom Leicester City brought to the King Power Stadium for €8 million."

"Shinji Okazaki has gotten to his feet; it shouldn't be a serious issue."

"Hey? The referee didn't give a card; the officiating seems a bit too lenient."

Walcott threw the throw-in to Cazorla.

He then launched a long pass to Leicester City's goalkeeper, little Schmeichel.

Regardless of how the play looks.

Players from both sides will still observe the basic etiquette of the football pitch.

Leicester City played the ball out from the back.

They still have to rely on Drinkwater and Mahrez to advance the ball.

Such a one-dimensional attack poses no threat to Arsenal.

"If you let Leicester City play counter‑attack, it's very easy."

"But being a goal down and having to battle Arsenal for midfield control is just too hard."

"The ball is gone again."

"Li Kang's arrival has boosted Arsenal's midfield control by another notch."

"Leicester City needs to stay calm; they're only one goal down and there's plenty of time left."

"Counter‑attacking is what they're best at."

Elderly people shouldn't undergo large emotional swings in a short period.

The 65‑year‑old Ranieri, uncharacteristically, shouted loudly from the technical area.

"Challenge for it!"

"Switch the challenge to other Arsenal players; don't target Li!"

The match gradually became fragmented.

Possession play isn't always effective.

Arsenal's passing in the front was met with Leicester City's stubborn resistance.

If the famed coach Sacchi could see this match, he would certainly be pleased.

Some systems are designed to combine fouls to maximize profit.

In this era, many people think: any team can play possession football; even a northern team in the Chinese Super League can pull off fancy passing.

That viewpoint seems not wrong either.

But it depends on the league's intensity.

Although Leicester City's overall strength is far inferior, if their hardmen go all out in physical challenges and cut off connections, Arsenal's attack wouldn't be so easy either.

Players occasionally go down.

Dead-ball time keeps increasing.

Li Kang also noticed that after the opponent adapted to his passing rhythm, they became even more tenacious—or, put another way, the system known as the "Sacchi Chain" has strong adaptability.

Kanté is gone.

"Substitute" Mendy, in a lax refereeing environment, temporarily boosted his interception ability with violent actions.

Thus making up for the defensive deficiency.

The game gradually returned to the rhythm each side was familiar with.

One side pressing.

The other side waiting for a counterattack.

VIP box.

Leicester City's owner Vichai, together with the senior monks, watched the match.

This Thai billionaire does not involve himself in any club affairs.

"Alright, our lads played really well!"

"The opponent is expensive; they have a 200-million-euro player."

"Win or loss is only temporary."

"Last season we lost twice to Arsenal, yet still won the Premier League title!"

A rather ironic scene.

The broad-minded owner was consoling the club's senior officials.

Time flew by quickly.

The referee's card-wielding frequency kept increasing.

46th minute of the match.

Xhaka's flaw surfaced: when defending he easily loses his cool and can't control his actions.

A thud.

He then slid-tackled Mahrez, who was breaking on the counter, to the ground.

"That tackle will surely earn a card!"

"Whoa!"

"Red card!"

"Xhaka got the red card!"

"How bad is Mahrez's injury? Ah! He looks like he can't continue!"

Xhaka glumly covered his face, regretting leaving the pitch.

A defensive midfielder's sliding tackle is also a technical skill.

Wenger rose from the bench, arms crossed, brow furrowed.

Ranieri seemed to have grasped at a straw.

He quickly substituted Andy King for the injured Mahrez.

In the Premier League's fierce competition, playing a man down greatly affects overall strength.

"Can your 200-million-euro player still take on two opponents?"

"The 'Sacchi Chain' system excels at local numerical superiority!"

Li Kang somewhat envied Leicester City's injury situation.

He couldn't help fantasizing that if he were a Leicester City player, with the "Turn the Tide" module's boost, how much he could improve.

Reality is harsh.

Up front teammates: Sanchez isn't afraid of duels, Giroud is tough, Morata is almost injury-proof, Walcott is good at going to ground...

Arsenal's injury wave may not arrive until next spring.

Dead-ball phase.

"Li, you must not get injured, and neither must the other players."

"Aim to win with minimal cost."

"The upcoming schedule will be brutal."

Wenger, while handing water to his disciples, spoke earnestly.

Li Kang nodded seriously.

He could sense the old man's worry... and confidence.

Win with minimal cost?

Without extraordinary confidence, one couldn't utter that line.

The fragmented match resumed again.

Laisite Cheng's attacking free kick flew off the crossbar.

Tens of thousands of Blue Fox fans sang loudly, seeing hope of equalizing.

This free kick was the starting point of the comeback!

Finally...

The 90-minute match ended.

Laisite Cheng 0:1 Asenna.

Players from both sides were so exhausted they lay on the grass.

Only Li Kang remained standing.

God's perspective frenetically replayed the match's details...

Countless small arrows crossed and overlapped.

That is the precious wealth left to the football world by the renowned coach Saji.

Many later teams imitated it, continually spawning various branches.

Individual modules appeared insignificant within the whole framework.

The creator is far greater than the imitator.

Li Kang felt that he had improved a little bit again.

But he could not clearly pinpoint exactly where he had improved.

Lanieli's face turned ashen.

The result of a narrow one‑goal loss was far greater than the blow of a massacre.

Waerdi didn't even have a chance to dive this time!

The opponent was mostly playing with one man less!

If they don't change their thinking, Laisite Cheng's Champions League journey ahead will be just as arduous.

The temperature difference between day and night at Imperial Power Stadium was large; Wenge hurriedly put a coat on Li Kang.

Asenna's head coach hesitated for a moment, explaining: 'We will face multi‑front combat ahead... no one can get injured again.'

Two days later, the Champions League group stage draw ceremony took place.