Chapter 259: Poor Eindhoven (Everyday Transition)

The nights in Āiyīnhuòwēn are a bit cold.

Head Coach-Kēkù wears a black windbreaker, occasionally tossing his hair.

When he was young, he could play every position except goalkeeper, and all at top level for that era.

In the 1998 World Cup, the Dutch team's main players were injured in rotation, and Kokü completed switches among positions such as right wing, defensive midfielder, forward, right back, etc., throughout the tournament.

In his first season after joining Barcelona, as a defensive midfielder, his goal tally actually surpassed several of the team's main attacking players... including Figo.

Defense?

Attack is the best defense.

The Eindhoven players on the pitch firmly carried out his football philosophy.

There was no such thing as deliberately defending narrowly to minimize goal difference in order to eliminate Barcelona just to qualify.

Eindhoven's qualification prospects are much stronger than Barcelona's.

At least they haven't conceded six net negative goals.

Eindhoven launched a fierce attack on the right flank right from the kickoff.

Not a mindless push forward.

Kokü is no washout; he is, after all, a faithful follower of La Masia football philosophy.

He is better at planning the team's overall attacking direction.

This attacking direction often has nothing to do with the opponent's weak side, nor with the players' attacking traits.

What is the ultimate intention behind this planning?

It is how to toy with the opponent's defensive resources!

In the Champions League opener, Monaco was thus hindered in midfield buildup by Eindhoven; the match ended in a draw.

"Smooth!"

"In sync!"

"A right-flank push forward with momentum like a rainbow!"

"Luuk de Jong!"

"The frustrated Dutch talent, who rediscovered his killer instinct last season!"

"Although he's a forward! But we see him liking to drop back and build close links with midfielders!"

"Can Eindhoven recreate the suppression it once had over Arsenal?"

"A beautiful series of one-two passes."

"Even when facing the Arsenal at its peak, the Dutch top league's dominant side feels no fear..."

The commentator hadn't finished speaking.

Li Kang, who had swapped over to right central midfield... easily intercepted the ball.

Eindhoven's formation stalled, quickly organizing a counter-press!

Counter-pressing also has its nuances.

The world is also studying Arsenal's number 10:

If he appears in the right half-field, how to counter-press?

It's simple.

Even if he has a golden left foot, his optimal solution for distributing the ball in the right half-field... still requires completing a back-to or side-on motion before he can directly use his left foot to create danger and launch a counterattack.

What if he uses his right foot?

A left-footed player... using his right foot in the right half-field, his passing tendency is too one-sided.

This is a problem many midfielders cannot avoid.

A right-footed player receives the ball in the left half-field.

A left-footed player receives the ball in the right half-field.

The two biggest influences are ball distribution speed and counter-pressing.

Cazorla can, because he has the most balanced two feet.

Modrić can, because he has an unparalleled outside-of-the-foot technique.

The Eindhoven players were preparing to seize the gap when Li Kang made a back-to or side-on motion.

Not dirty at all.

The true old giants of the Dutch top league are Ajax and Feyenoord; if Eindhoven, sitting third and looking third, wants to catch up, it must not only be reflected in honors but also in playing style.

Pa.

Li Kang's right foot struck the bottom of the ball.

Right foot?

Kokü isn't the least bit flustered; everything is under his control.

Eindhoven's midfield and forward players instinctively moved into the pressing zone.

Yet they found the ball's trajectory in midfield was a bit off.

"A wide-angle diagonal pass!"

"Li Kang's right foot... his ball distribution speed is actually that terrifying!"

"Which foot is his dominant one, exactly?"

"A wide-angle diagonal pass!"

"It directly created an attack!"

Eindhoven's defensive line was pressed very deep.

Sánchez received the pass and surged forward with effort.

How could two Eredivisie centre-backs stop him?

At Philips Stadium, boos rang out.

Eindhoven fans could only watch helplessly as those thick, dark thighs trampled over their own empty half.

Zweert rushed out.

The young Dutch goalkeeper believed he would surely become famous worldwide.

Perhaps it would happen tonight.

Smack!

Sánchez didn't give him a chance.

He lightly lifted the ball with his instep.

The ball traced an arc in midair, flying over Zweert's head and lightly dropping toward Eindhoven's goal!

The Dutch goalkeeper hurriedly turned, crawling and rolling toward the goal line, but couldn't stop the goal.

0:1!

!

"Eindhoven paid a heavy price for its impulsiveness!"

"Li Kang's performance made Arsenal's qualification outlook all but certain."

"Facing multiple defenders, he again launched a pinpoint long pass with one foot, creating a deadly threat!"

"Sánchez didn't waste this golden chance!"

Sánchez kicked the corner flag in excitement, tore off his jersey and furiously beat his chest.

His increasingly darkening champion's malady, which many renowned psychologists couldn't cure, was 'treated' by Li Kang this season.

Arsenal's last Premier League title came in 2004.

What about the Champions League title?

Not even once.

On the sidelines.

Koku looked puzzled.

A forward who can shoot with both feet isn't all that uncommon.

But a midfielder capable of sending such a long-range, precise pass with his weaker foot is extremely rare.

"Boss, our attack and defense are fine; we just need to step up our pressing."

The assistant coach beside him looked a little anxious.

He was scared.

If this match turns into a slaughter, then the hope of playing in the Europa League will also fade.

"Calm down."

"Let's take another look."

Koku returned to the coaching bench, grabbed paper and pen… scribbling, he fell into contemplation.

On the other flank.

The bench players jumped to their feet, punching the air in celebration.

Boerde shouted, "Li is still improving? I thought he had already reached his peak!"

"His right foot is fine too; it's just that his left‑foot passing and control are even more exquisite."

"Goodness, how far could he develop in a few years?"

"Boss, I suggest we also boost spending in the winter transfer window!"

Wenger smiled and nodded: "I never expected the goal to be so simple."

The match went smoothly.

Eindhoven's detailed attacking plans came to naught.

After Koku's painstaking reflection, he had no time to work out a response.

He had too few cards to play, leaving little room for adjustment.

Eindhoven lacks the galaxy of superstars that Monaco boasts.

They can only clash with Arsenal head‑on.

His coat snapped in the breeze as he waved his hand and barked the simplest command: attack!

The attack wouldn't get going.

Li Kang kept steady control of the game's rhythm, gradually helping Arsenal gain the upper hand.

The sharp edge over the blunt edge gradually faded.

Eindhoven was shoved into the penalty area and rubbed frantically.

How could they even think of attacking?

The counter‑attack opportunity was also hard to grasp.

The Eredivisie champions aren't adept at deep defending, let alone against Arsenal's counter‑attacks.

"This Arsenal's dominance is terrifying!"

"Li Kang's existence has resolved many of the team's tactical issues."

"Free‑spending Wenger beamed on the touchline."

"The tulip champions might now know how the lower‑ranked Eredivisie sides feel."

"That's the Champions League for you: even if you rule your own turf, you still have to weather the style of other league powerhouses."

Match minute 42.

Li Kang shook off the defender and delivered a precise lofted pass from the left side.

Giroud's burly frame shuddered.

Like a great pillar, he forced open Eindhoven's tender penalty area central channel!

He firmly held off the young Dutch central defender.

He fiercely threw his head forward.

Eindhoven's goal was blasted open without a doubt!

0:2

!

Giroud patted his forehead, excitedly ran back to Li Kang, and they high-fived and embraced.

"The French striker finally scored! He used this fierce header to announce to the crowd that he's not a fluke!"

"Arsenal's night of revenge!"

"Will it turn into a massacre?"

By the pitch.

Wenger's heart surged.

He instinctively fiddled with his jacket's zipper.

Zaka looked anxious, quickly rushed out from the bench to help the head coach zip up his jacket.

Boerde excitedly said: "Boss, I suggest taking Li off..."

Wenger hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "The match intensity isn't high; Li is playing easily, and the opponent's defensive moves aren't big either."

He felt torn inside.

Afraid Li might get injured, yet wanting Li to pad his stats...

Padding stats in a low-intensity match isn't a bad thing.

It helps with the commercial packaging of both the player and the club.

Many famous coaches are also adept at this.

The coaching staff members did not join in the goal celebration.

They gathered together, constantly discussing in low voices, sketching on a small tactics board, quietly preparing the technical and tactical analysis for the weekend Premier League match.

On the other side.

Koku's hair was disheveled, and he frantically gestured to the players on the pitch.

He wished he were ten years younger so he could suit up himself.

Eindhoven's head coach is very image-conscious; he disdains any 'logging' tactics, resulting in the club's overall style being very clean.

This cleanliness didn't earn them a Champions League placing.

58th minute of the match!

Eindhoven finally got a chance to counterattack.

After Zuote defused the danger, he quickly lofted the ball forward.

Van Ginkel sprinted ahead, beating Maguire to the ball and gaining control.

He's no nobody.

At 17, he was the Eredivisie's best new talent and a highly touted midfield prodigy eyed by European giants.

Unfortunately, his career has been too tumultuous.

Back when he joined Chelsea, he was dubbed 'Lampard's successor'; at the start of the new season, he suffered a torn left knee ACL, recovered after nine months, but his strength was far from what it once was.

Afterward, he was loaned out to several giants, but never got many chances to shine.

Life won't always be so unlucky.

After joining Eindhoven in the winter transfer window last season, he scored 10 goals in 16 matches, ultimately helping the team overtake Ajax in the final league round to lift the Eredivisie trophy.

Van Ginkel really wanted to prove himself on the Champions League stage.

One explosive burst...

But it didn't take off.

The tall and formidable Maguire domineeringly intercepted the ball.

Eindhoven's counterattack formation... suddenly stalled.

Bang!

The ball left the right foot of Arsenal's central defender.

Spinning, it flew toward the front!

Walcott, who had been lying in wait, suddenly burst into action!

The Premier League's fastest man.

Unfortunately, Maguire's long pass lacked consistency... the ball ultimately flew out of bounds.

The second round of the Champions League completely lost its suspense.

Arsenal's both attack and defense completely overwhelmed Eindhoven.

No need to consider shifts in defensive focus due to formation.

Purely a suppressive siege.

Rubbing the tulip champion's face into the ground.

94th minute of the match, injury time.

Li Kang surged forward to the top of the penalty area arc... Cazorla set up the cannon.

Bang!

A curling world-wave with one foot!

Again and again, it blasted open Eindhoven's gate!

0:4!

!

"Beautiful!"

"The ball went in!"

"A one-foot world-wave."

"The referee then blew the whistle signalling the end of the match!"

"Congratulations, Arsenal!"

"Continuing the winning streak in multi-front warfare!"

"We seemed to have seen that invincible arsenal of the early 21st century!"

"The qualification outlook is very clear!"

"Eindhoven need not be sad; they are not the bottom club of the group!"

"How far can Arsenal's Champions League journey go this season? Let's wait and see!"

Live broadcast room.

Bullet comments flying thick and fast.

-【Is Arsenal deliberately holding back? Not even giving Barcelona a chance in the Europa League?】

-【It's not possible to fix the match; Eindhoven is just more tenacious, they are not good at low-block defense, the reason is poor transition from attack to defense, which does not mean their defense is a funnel.】

-【This score also reflects Arsenal's overall good condition.】

-【Enough said, Arsenal's Champions League group stage each season is as fierce as a tiger... but once they reach the round of 16...】

-【If Li Mingdeng and Arsenal don't win the Champions League this season, I'll eat shit!】

-【Normal, Arsenal hasn't yet met a truly evenly matched opponent; not mentioning the Champions League knockout stage, the remaining strong teams in the Premier League: Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City... they haven't faced each other yet.】

-【This weekend we're playing against the Hammers, we must give Arsenal a beating... Next week's London derby will be against the arch-rival Tottenham!】

-【These next two matches are enough to provoke, they're all tough battles, Arsenal's starting lineup will inevitably suffer injuries.】

Philips Stadium.

Security personnel were evacuating the spectators from all sides of the stands.

The city of Eindhoven is gentle and tranquil.

The fans here are not to be trifled with; the residents of South Holland are famously combative.

Various scattered items were thrown onto the pitch.

Boos filled the air.

Koku, looking helpless, picked up a banana from the ground, peeling it as he walked into the player tunnel.

Li Kang and the referee formed a silhouette, then were taken back to the locker room by the team doctor and assistant coach.

Post-match press conference.

Media reporters eagerly asked questions.

Wenger looked in a good mood, not mentioning past grudges, after all victory can wash away all negative emotions.

"There's no secret to winning."

"Tactical change?"

"Arsenal's tactics haven't changed at all; it's Li who raised the team's ceiling."

On the other side.

Koku talked at length, trying to explain the reasons for this match's loss:

"The players' performance is fine; it's my and the coaching staff's responsibility."

"Tonight is a Champions League match day, not an Eredivisie match."

"Eindhoven is in the group of death; every opponent is strong."

"Especially facing Arsenal, our situation is much better than Barcelona's; Manchester United wasn't also slaughtered a few days ago, right?"

"Eindhoven never gave up attacking until the very last moment of the match."

"No regrets about attacking."

"Eindhoven can be defeated, but will not be knocked down."

"We will reap a victory at Camp Nou!"

The whole stadium rang with thunderous applause!

"Which media doesn't like this kind of losing game and then likes to benchmark other teams' coaches?"

"A sensational headline was thought up in the blink of an eye."

"Barcelona legend: We will blood-wash Camp Nou."