Chapter 276: The Butterfly's Probe

Clean and decisive tackle!

Li Kang, who returned to the defensive midfield position, is Europe's top-tier iron gate!

Look at this transition to attack.

The position is still too far back; if he chooses to push forward himself, the rhythm will seem somewhat sluggish... excellent long pass!

He's looking for Zhang Berun!

Zhang Berun is a super monster product of Southampton's youth academy.

His original nickname was... "New Walcott".

He is also a fast horse.

His body and impact are stronger than Walcott's, but his mind isn't as sharp.

Monaco's midfield and forward line have no frantic pressing.

They are not panicked.

All of Europe's coaching staff are studying Arsenal with Li Kang.

They have summarized a lot of experience:

"Li Kang does not participate in transition attacks; Arsenal's attacking ceiling can at most touch Paris Saint-Germain's threshold."

"Li Kang does not participate in positional defense; Arsenal's defensive ceiling is roughly at the level of Guardiola's Manchester City."

Pay attention.

Transition attack.

Positional defense.

Monaco's coaching staff, besides excelling at digging up little monsters, have also made thorough preparations for pre-match deployment when facing strong opponents.

Yarding once eyed the salaries of money football openly, saying: give him a Chinese Super League team, and he could go toe-to-toe with Bundesliga mid-table teams.

Arsenal's advancement faces no pressure.

Zhang Berun keeps charging forward headlong, encountering no interception.

The butterfly 4-4-2, whose gradual elimination has many reasons: the transition phase between attack and defense, formation changes rely too much on players' positional sense.

A player with poor positional sense is not good;

A player with overly strong positional sense is also bad... for example, Mata, who transferred from Chelsea to Manchester United.

Correct.

Players with overly strong positional sense, after 2014, have found it increasingly difficult to fulfill core tasks in elite team lineups; the positional modeling of core players is a tactical revolution trend, and the trend is like a circle, gradually circling back to the starting point of "all-out attack-defense".

Coincidentally.

This group of young talents from Monaco has a very good grasp of positional sense.

Li Kang follows his team's formation movement, jogging forward slowly.

In God's perspective:

No one follows him; instead, they scatter around the frontline teammates, blocking receiving points.

Mendy and Bakayoko go crazy rushing back to their own defensive third.

Fabinho does not stick to the midfield position, but quickly drops back, forming a "three-center-back" with Glik and Jemerson.

In an instant, they stretch the defensive width.

Monaco, not at all panicked.

The unopened-minded youth Zhang Berun still doesn't know what awaits him ahead...

On the sideline.

Yarding dances and gestures in the command area while shouting loudly.

The "butterfly 4-4-2" he has cultivated has endless variations.

But it requires this head coach to timely transmit adjustment information, so that in key matches he appears especially busy.

On the other side.

Boerde also shouts loudly on the sideline.

Wenger adjusted his red tie in front of his chest, expression solemn.

He set up this defense-heavy 4-4-2 before the match; defense is fine, but the numerical disadvantage in attack makes it hard to bear fruit.

"Zhang Berun's little change of direction is too agile!"

"Ah... couldn't get past."

"The football bounced out of bounds!"

"Missed a good attacking opportunity..."

"Can't say it was a good opportunity; Arsenal's forward passing and receiving points were choked off."

"The attacking force committed is too small."

"Monaco players, hurry up and catch your breath!"

Zhang Berun gives a thumbs-up to his teammates with an apologetic face.

He somewhat dislikes his current self.

Welbeck's fellow can still perfectly link up with Li Kang... why can't I put on a dazzling performance.

Bellerin throws the ball out of bounds.

The target is still Li Kang, unmarked in the backfield.

Immediately after.

Arsenal teammates, seeing a few quick-changing hand signals, understood implicitly.

Since the European Cup ended, Li Kang has long not played the withdrawn midfield position.

He had been studying Monaco's tactical framework for the past few days.

He had roughly figured out an initial deconstruction method.

But Fabinho's positional changes could not be simulated in the game.

He still needed to probe.

To probe the evolutionary direction of Jardim's Butterfly 4-4-2.

Without rushing into a quick attack, he began slowly organizing the midfield distribution.

Slow movement and passing.

In his vision, the phantom of the red-and-blue number six gradually emerged.

Harvey.

Not displaying flashy dribbling tricks to relieve pressure.

But conveying the idea of maintaining overall formation structure with slow progression...

Football moved fast and slow beneath the black jersey.

The horizontal and vertical spacing along the central axis alternately shortened and expanded!

"The variation in Arsenal players' running spacing is simple, mainly revolving around the principle of creating local numerical superiority."

"Utilization of depth space is not bad."

"Phew, Fabinho's sliding tackle just in time destroyed Arsenal's threat pass to the flank!"

"But Monaco faces no pressure dealing with this possession system... they defeated Barcelona in the second round of the Champions League group stage."

"Not the same!"

"Li Kang's allocation of passing resources... has already approached the realm of Harvey and Pirlo."

Time passed second by second.

Monaco players gradually felt the pressure.

Jardim also had a slight headache.

Press or retreat?

This is a decision.

Up front, Falcao, Mbappe, and Lemar basically had no chance to touch the ball.

No.

Cannot fall into Li Kang's rhythm!

Stade Louis II.

The Monaco fans' momentum showed no sign of diminishing.

They remembered: not long ago in the Champions League second round, Barcelona was also defeated by Monaco using this tactic.

Breaking possession play—is it difficult?

The royal family members in the VIP box were also enjoying the match with great interest.

"Arsenal's football, no matter how played, is a symbol of art."

"Didn't Rebponoliev say he would invite Mr. Wenger back with an annual salary of 10 million pounds? We can't afford the 200-million-pound man, but we can let Arsenal's head coach return to where his dream began... and fulfill another dream!"

"Don't listen to his nonsense, Jardim is doing well—why replace him? Our team will definitely achieve good results in this season's Champions League!"

Arsenal fans also felt somewhat unaccustomed.

The style displayed on the pitch was not the rhythm they were familiar with.

But no matter what.

Enjoy Li's match to the fullest.

Cherish the beautiful new era of the Arsenal armory.

On the sidelines.

Boerde exclaimed: "Boss, after pushing into Monaco's half, forty-meter zone, their pressing is getting fiercer! We only have Li and Cazorla, no Yinniesita and Busquets—this static possession style can't last long!"

Wenger pressed both hands down, signaling the bald assistant coach to calm down.

"Even if the opponent wins the ball through pressing, it's not so easy to break our formation."

"Mertesacker and Koscieln's positioning is very cautious."

"We must believe in Li."

With Jardim's frantic hand gestures on the sidelines changing.

Monaco increased the number of players pressing.

The positional premise of Bakayoko and Mendy.

Hmm.

That's the Mendy who likes to throw "parties."

The young him still doesn't know his future fate at the Blue Moon.

Sidibe's position moved forward and inward, shifting from full-back to defensive midfielder, to compensate for the thickness ahead of the backline, ultimately aiming to free up Fabinho.

And Fabinho?

This guy displayed unmatched coverage and defensive recovery ability.

He himself came from right-back.

1.88 meters tall, strong physique, anticipatory positioning ability also extremely abnormal... facing his former Real Madrid youth teammate Morata, he was completely unfazed.

"Fabinho's role on the pitch is too obvious!"

"Eh?"

"Li Kang is specifically targeting his backside!"

"This time's lofted pass, again grabbing the area near him to pass!"

Fabinho also seemed a bit gloomy.

Clearly could serve as a flexible, mobile defensive player.

How come he's being targeted by Li? It feels like he's competing against himself.

No way around it.

Arsenal's defensive line, with the overall formation shifting, had already pressed past the midfield circle.

As long as Monaco completes a tackle and launches a successful counterattack.

Lemar and Mbappe will make Li regret it!

Live stream room.

Bullet comments flying everywhere.

-【Fabinho isn't bad, only 23 this year! Has the potential to become a top-three defensive midfielder in the world!】

-【According to The Sun, he's set to join Liverpool next season!】

-【Our army rises!】

-【23 years old, if the news is true, enough for Liverpool to use for ten years!】

20th minute of the match.

Li Kang sent out a lofted long pass.

The football arced beautifully over the Côte d'Azur sky, easily piercing Monaco's right flank.

Fabinho quickly retreated.

But was slightly blocked by Giroud's big butt.

Morata took advantage, surged forward, received the ball, and sprinted wildly, diagonally charging into Monaco's penalty area.

At the top of the arc.

Glik swiftly closed in.

The Spanish striker feinted, created a shooting angle, and unleashed a powerful shot!

Smack!

The football screamed as it slammed into Hotmerçon's butt... flying out of bounds.

32nd minute of the match.

Li Kang sent out another lofted pass.

Still aimed behind Fabinho.

The Brazilian defensive midfielder suffered greatly, turning back to chase again, while simultaneously marking Sanchez's position...

Glik, arriving just in time... eyeing the charging Morata, decisively cleared the ball out of bounds.

38th minute of the match.

Li Kang sent out a lofted pass.

Fabinho turned and chased back...

42nd minute of the match.

Li Kang sent out a lofted pass.

Fabinho turned and chased back...

Jardim was dumbfounded.

The audience was also dumbfounded.

Monaco's butterfly 4-4-2... what a perfect cross-rotating defensive system, yet under Li Kang's ball control, it was repeatedly toyed with.

The once towering, world-class defensive midfielder in my mind—Fabinho—gradually became small and flustered.

Gradually, some discordant sounds flew from the stands.

"Why does Sidibé always abandon the right flank defense, forcing Fabinho to fill the gap?"

"Are Bakayoko and Mendy really needed to join the pressing?"

Poor Monaco players, suffering in silence.

Without a series of pressing, tackling, and defensive rotation shifts... that would let Arsenal players comfortably unleash sharp passing combinations!

First-half injury time.

Li Kang hadn't yet had time to send out a lofted pass.

Beep! Beep-beep~

The main referee blew the whistle for halftime.

"A somewhat dull first half."

"But Li Kang repeatedly displayed exquisite, near-perfect long passes."

"Though somewhat harsh to say, under Arsenal's control of the game, superstars like Lemar, Bernardo Silva, and Mbappe had no chance to showcase their attacking abilities..."

"But Arsenal also didn't get many opportunities, with shot attempts pitifully few!"

"Looking forward to both teams' performances in the second half!"

"Let's take a brief rest, then we'll enter an advertising segment..."

Li Kang and Cazorla felt fine, not too tired.

Including Bellerin, who occasionally pushed forward and stood parallel to the two.

The tired ones were the teammates up front.

Especially Giroud, whose speed hadn't yet been developed at this stage, his large frame constantly shuttling back and forth, sprinting repeatedly, draining his stamina greatly.

"Why do we always attack Monaco's right flank and right half-space? The resulting shot attempts are also too few..."

Don't ask too many questions, just listen to Li.

Morata interrupted his teammate's question, took the dry towel from Boerde's hand, and ran happily toward Li Kang.

Arsenal locker room.

The coaching staff were reviewing the details of the first half.

The freshly baked heat map, a red flush printed on Monaco's half right side, extremely intense.

Everyone gradually noticed a problem: Fabinho's turning speed is so fast, why is he always half a beat slower than Morata... even Giroud?

Damn it, this is why Fabinho couldn't compete with Casemiro in Real Madrid's youth team, the Brazilian national team!

This guy's judgment of landing points... too hesitant!

Such an excellent genius defensive midfielder, how could he have such a stupid bad habit, like a delicious mushroom soup with a fly fallen in!

Unbelievable, didn't Real Madrid's youth academy train against this? No, how come Casemiro doesn't have this flaw?

Fabinho isn't a product of Real Madrid's orthodox youth system... well, now isn't the time to discuss this.

Li is too terrifying, he spent 45 minutes probing Monaco's defensive weakness! Two hundred million spent was totally worth it!

Unfortunately, this weakness temporarily cannot become the key to victory.

It is the key to victory.

While the coaching staff were still arguing endlessly.

Wenger had already pulled Welbeck to the corner, giving him personal instruction.

A moment later.

The silly little black egg, upon learning he could come on as a substitute, excitedly clenched his fists.

"Boss, I remember your arrangement... uh, even if I don't remember, it's fine, I'll run wherever Li passes to!"

Wenger stared, helplessly shook his head, he couldn't find anything to rebut Welbeck with.

Monaco locker room.

Yardley frantically roared.

"The pressing attitude must be more decisive!"

"Hesitating further will only let Li work out passing and running opportunities!"

"Don't expect you to intercept the football from under his feet!"

"My demand is simple: compress his space to handle the ball!"

"Li's gesture is simple, isn't it just raising his hand to let teammates yield the flank or center? I damn well can understand it! His first-half purpose was to find a mismatch opportunity! Form local numerical superiority!"

"Listen up!"

"We just need to be more resolute, do well on defensive details, Arsenal's attack won't pose any threat!"

The players fell silent.

Including Mbappe.

He sullenly scratched the little black egg, feeling his gap with Li Kang had widened a little bit.

Fabinho felt bitter inside.

It's not that his judgment of landing points is problematic, but Li's lofted pass... too tricky.

The fifteen-minute break ended quickly.

French Riviera, night fell.

Li Kang walked out of the tunnel, looked up at the deep blue night sky, felt it extremely similar to his jersey color.

The problems to deal with in the second half are like the stars in the sky.

4-4-2, honed by countless football predecessors, eternal formation, endlessly variable, perhaps not so easily eliminated by the reform wave.

"Good evening, viewers, welcome back."

"Now broadcasting live the Champions League group stage match, Monaco versus Arsenal's second half!"

"The temporary score is 0:0."

"Arsenal has used their first substitution quota!"

"Welbeck substituted Giroud!"

"This is a positional personnel adjustment!"

Bench.

Giroud took a shower, changed clothes, and sat beside Walcott.

He is a diligent old yellow ox, proper competitive attitude, being substituted by midfield won't cause any complaints.

He clearly knows what defensive lines he's suitable to face, what scenarios he's not suitable for.

What is this called?

Tactical awareness of professional players.