Chapter 250: Gunners vs Red Devils (Everyday Transition)

The grudge between Arsenal and Manchester United?

The 2016/17 season was far from being as bad as before.

The conflict mainly centered on the era of Wenger and Ferguson's 'Premier League duo,' when they were title rivals around the turn of the millennium.

The two powerhouses vied for supremacy.

The English derby.

Many stories unfolded between the two teams.

The Flying Boot Gate.

The Pizza Gate.

Arsenal's 49-match unbeaten streak was ended by Manchester United...

Wenger and Ferguson had a profound impact on the Premier League, and their achievements deserve to be remembered by fans.

Who broke their dominance?

It was Chelsea.

It was Abramovich.

It was Mourinho.

It was 'thespee'.

The later story is too long.

Wenger encountered his nemesis in the Premier League; by 2016, he had faced Mourinho 16 times, winning only once, a dismal record.

The question arises.

Now that Arsenal faces Manchester United under Mourinho, can they break the curse of not winning?

Carrington Training Ground.

Pogba drove to the entrance, where several media reporters waved excitedly.

"Paul, how are you going to greet Li at Old Trafford?"

"How do you view the external comparisons of your goal tally with Li's?"

"Where do you think the difference between you and Li lies? Well... aside from transfer fee."

Several blatant provocative questions failed to anger Manchester United's £100 million man.

Pogba dismissed them, saying:

"Don't fucking expect me to spit out any irrational nonsense."

"Only those who don't understand football would question my valuation."

"Aside from goals, my and Li's stats this season are very close."

"Football is a team sport; Arsenal's coaching staff and other players are inferior to Manchester United's!"

"Li will taste bitterness at Old Trafford."

Pogba adjusted his hair in the rearview mirror, then stepped on the accelerator and left the scene.

He's not stupid; his pursuit of the spiritual world is also very dedicated.

Every day he calls his wizard friend to discuss the Quran together.

Fans are optimistic about Manchester United's prospects.

They firmly believe Mourinho can lead the club out of the slump and back to the peak.

The players' belief is equally unprecedentedly steadfast.

No one doubts the magic of 'Mourinho in one year.'

Only De Gea is the exception.

He thinks United's defense is definitely much more solid than last season, but saying it can withstand Arsenal led by Li... is hard.

In the end, he still silently bears everything.

At this moment on the training ground.

Yin Bu was giving hands-on guidance to Rashford, Lingard, Martial, Luke Shaw, and others.

The 35-year-old Swede scored four goals in the first three Premier League matches.

"Don't copy me; my shot conversion rate is too low!"

"United has the most shots in the Premier League, yet the lowest conversion rate!"

"Learn to observe! Even as a forward, you must watch the opposing defenders and teammates' positions, don't just focus on shooting; our attacking ideas must be unified!"

"Don't think about imitating MSN, Trezeguet, Inzaghi..."

"The theory of dividing the attacking third into three zones is outdated by years; did Van Gaal teach you this stuff? Now it's the era of dividing the attacking third into nine zones. If Arsenal loses possession in attack, they will immediately drop back to defend rather than counterpress, and our attacking direction must be locked onto the right flank... where their defensive recovery speed is the slowest!"

"As a forward, you should minimize ineffective runs; if you want to create space for teammates, you must make Arsenal's defenders see through your off-the-ball intent and be dragged along... yes, their main defenders are smart."

"Alright, let's begin!"

The training match gradually turned into a lesson.

Yin Bu, while passing and running on the field, incessantly guided the youngsters.

The Carrington pitch soon rang with crisp sounds of ball contact.

De Gea continually made high saves and diving side blocks... repeatedly defusing danger.

He was a bit distracted, and Yin Bu's roar echoed in his ears again.

"Well done, little guys!"

"If it were a slightly incompetent goalkeeper, we'd have shot him full of holes by now!"

The youngsters flocked to the towering, mighty Swedish striker, their eyes full of admiration.

The situation inside Manchester United's locker room is complex: players like Rashford, Lingard, and Luke Shaw, this group of youngsters, follow Yin Bu for meals, showers, and even go to the toilet together.

Yin Bu liked to talk about classic past matches when he had nothing to do, describing how perverted his idol Da Luo was.

Carrington Training Base turned into a kindergarten.

North London.

Li Kang returned home at three in the afternoon.

He was about to start his homework again.

The Premier League also placed great importance on players' cultural studies.

According to the outline of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP): cultural literacy is the foundation of understanding tactics and technique.

Even if you were Balotelli, you still had to honestly attend cultural classes and do homework.

That kind of beautiful time of becoming famous with a single goal and living lavishly could not be replicated, so young players had to set aside time each day to study.

Especially England national team manager Hodgson, who would arrange cultural exams during each training camp, spot-checking players' academic performance.

After the placement test, Arsenal's cultural studies teacher advised Li Kang to retake the "Advanced Level Course of the England General Certificate of Secondary Education" and also study three subjects.

It wasn't that his grades in Germany were poor; it was just that the knowledge structures of the two countries differed.

Considering Li Kang's current fame, he couldn't choose to attend the school nearest the club, so he also had to hire a tutor.

The football world is full of many "high-achievers".

Havertz and Pirlo.

Chiellini, Lemar, Inzaghi.

Alonso, Robben, Kimmich.

Lukaku.

Redondo, Socrates... and countless others.

Even in the last century, there was a player who won a Nobel Prize.

Arsenal manager Wenger was also a football world academic star: a bachelor's in electronic engineering from the University of Strasbourg, a master's in economics, and a doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire... and fluent in six languages.

The slanting sunlight filtered through the lush foliage, casting mottled shadows on the desk.

"Li, it's fine if you don't take exams; reading more does no harm. Even if you don't play football, you won't need to look for a job. If we ever run out of money, we can auction off the trophies and the balls used in hat-trick contests."

The little assistant comforted him with a few words, then closed the room's door.

Li Kang felt his words made sense, so he casually picked up the phone on the desk, swiped the screen, and the notification bar was full of dense messages...

A moment later.

He decided to read instead.

He needed to be self-disciplined.

In his spare time, he couldn't frequently interact with girls.

He still hadn't won the Champions League title.

The days just passed like that.

The matchday for the fourth round of the Premier League finally arrived.

Li Kang and his teammates arrived at one of England's eight major core cities, Manchester.

This city is the economic engine of northern Britain, the most prosperous area outside London.

The red-and-white bus slowly drove toward Old Trafford Stadium.

Xhaka poked his head out the window and exclaimed, "I said the relationship between Manchester United and Arsenal is fine; look, there's still a statue of the chief standing outside the stadium!"

"A statue of Wenger at Old Trafford?"

Everyone burst out laughing.

"What kind of look? That's a statue of Sir Babylon!"

"Wrong, it's Sir Babis!"

Half an hour later.

Press conference.

Mourinho took the initiative to shake hands with Wenger.

The last time they met, they had even gotten into a fight.

The reporters all felt surprised: the madman manager seemed to have become much more restrained.

After the two sat down.

The Manchester United manager wore a stern face; the sharp aura that hit them made the reporters eager to give it a try.

Manchester United is synonymous with Premier League traffic.

Including a few youngsters in the squad, they gradually became internet celebrities on social media.

Especially Pogba... sometimes godlike, sometimes disastrous, still not fully showing the worth of a hundred-million-pound player.

"I'm not a barber; I don't have time to worry about Pogba's hairstyle."

"Arsenal's strength is not weak."

"No matter which team I coach, Wenger cannot easily defeat me, and even the two-hundred-million-pound man cannot break the jinx between us."

"Liverpool's rebuild takes time, Manchester City's rebuild takes time—these are just excuses they make for losing! Even while rebuilding, Manchester United remains a strong contender for the title."

"I came to Manchester United just to win games."

Draw fire, draw hatred.

He couldn't be bothered to explain the mistakes made by Manchester United players in the previous few wins.

On the other side.

Wenger smiled gently and answered the reporters' questions in a soft voice.

Confident.

Victory seemed already in hand, and he no longer cared about the old rival's endless provocations.

Player tunnel.

Historically, this place has seen multiple outbreaks of intense conflict between the Gunners and the Red Devils.

Back then, Fabregas threw a pizza at Ferguson's face...

Times have changed.

De Gea no longer cared about any past club grudges, excitedly grabbing Li Kang's shoulder in a fervent embrace.

"Li, I dream every day of reuniting with you on the national team."

As soon as those words were spoken,

Cech nodded to show understanding.

The Manchester United players' expressions stiffened.

Pogba even sneered, twitching the corner of his mouth.

Yunbu said: "You're not dreaming now, but this match isn't England versus Spain! There are also Swedes, Germans, Montenegrins..."

Everyone burst out laughing.

The previously solemn atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed.

"CTV5! CTV5! Good evening, viewers."

"Welcome to the broadcast of the fourth round of the 2016/17 Premier League season's marquee matchup!"

"Manchester United host Arsenal at home!"

"Just the names of the two head coaches together make for the most eye-catching matchup."

"Mourinho has arrived at Old Trafford to face a stern test."

"Can Wenger break the curse of being tormented by the madman?"

"Red Devils versus Gunners—what sparks will fly this time? Let's wait and see!"

"The camera cuts to Sir Ferguson in the stands, his familiar cane, his familiar chewing gum."

"Old Trafford has become a sea of red; the Red Devils' fans' momentum is overwhelming!"

"I am the commentator for this match, He Hui!"

ESPN broadcast studio.

The danmaku gradually flooded the screen.

-【Both teams have won three consecutive matches since the start of this Premier League season.】

-【Their tactical styles are also different from before, the lineups have no obvious weaknesses, ever-changing, and I'm more optimistic that Li Mingdeng will break the deadlock.】

-【At present, this truly is a clash of the strong.】

-【Guardiola's side, Manchester City, lost again—how terrible! They might even be knocked out of the Champions League! Will Manchester's sky not be red this year?】

-【Great Yunbu is amazing—still playing in the Premier League at 35; who knows how many more years he can keep going.】

-【Pogba's hairstyle... looks no different from the village barber shop kid's.】

-【The happiest thing on weekends: watching a bunch of billionaires put on a show for us.】

Old Trafford Stadium.

The referee crew led both teams out of the tunnel.

Tens of thousands of Red Devils fans instantly erupted with a momentum like mountains and seas overturning!

The distance between the stands and the pitch is very close.

The huge banners and posters swayed with the sound waves, like flames surging in a sea of fire.

"Ued!"

"GlloryManUnited!"

Li Kang couldn't help but recall the fragment of his first arrival at Old Trafford back then.

It felt as if he stood beneath the feet of a red giant beast, his tiny figure about to be devoured by its crimson maw.

The system notification sounded softly.

【Ding, mission triggered: Conquer the Dream Theater.】

【Mission introduction: Van Gaal left, Mourinho arrived, the Red Devils no longer stagger... they seem to be on the right path? Enjoy this match well, Old Trafford never spares flowers and applause!】

【Mission reward:???】

"Next, let me introduce both teams' starting lineups."

"Manchester United lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation."

"Goalkeeper: De Gea!"

"Defenders: Luke Shaw, Bailly, Smalling, Blind."

"Double pivot: Herrera, Carrick."

"Central midfielders: Lingard, Pogba, Martial!"

"Forward: Yunbu Rashichovich!"

"Arsenal's formation here is 4-3-3!"

"Goalkeeper:..."

"The lineup hasn't changed much from the previous round against Hull City."

"The new signings Mustafi and Maguire form a new central defensive partnership."

-【Manchester United just bought a midfield axis in the summer window... how come their overall strength seems to have increased so much.】

-【Carrick is already old, still having to play as a double pivot? Matic, don't just sit in the car—come save Mourinho quickly!】

-【Why not play Rooney?】

-【On the bench there's also Mkhitaryan; now the use of Pogba has become a big problem; Mourinho let him play as a defensive midfielder in the previous two matches, and the effect was very poor.】

-【I heard that Everton's Lukaku might join Manchester United in the winter transfer window!】

-【Is Arsenal's new central defense pairing reliable? It feels a bit like a trap.】

Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The match officially began.

Arsenal in possession.

Giroud kicked off and passed the ball back to Li Kang.

They were not faced with high-intensity pressing.

The Gunners players passed the ball around the pitch calmly.

"The advancing speed is a bit slow."

"Manchester United's formation structure has formed three defensive lines, with a strong sense of defensive depth."

"It has a hint of the Mourinho II era Chelsea's imprint."

Li Kang wanted to try to speed up, but the timing of his pass changed instantly as the Manchester United players' defensive spacing shifted.

Pogba was pumped up, actively running and intercepting... something unimaginable in the past.

The French black player's ability to read the game is equally strong; every time he provides defensive support and makes his runs, it's very reasonable.

Of course, this guy is just a minor factor, not constituting the main offensive threat.

Li Kang felt as if he were once again experiencing the dilemma he encountered against Chelsea in last season's Champions League.

In God's perspective.

But the Red Devils' overall structure, the details of their zonal defense, are completely different from the Blue Army...

Seems a bit difficult.

Mourinho is not Hiddink; the shadow he left behind made my Leverkusen-era self taste bitterness.