Chapter 337: Fierce Battle (Daily Transition)

Italian football has a tradition: the left full-back pushes forward to join the attack, while the right full-back stays back to defend.

The most well-known saying is: "Great Italian left-back Grosso has made his mark..."

Conti, deeply influenced by Sacchi's school, also cannot escape this tradition.

Why does Italian football's attack lean left? Or is it because they need to accommodate the preferred feet of other forwards up front?

Over time.

The right-backs, too, have been worn down into practicing a divine skill of sitting back.

In the 2006 World Cup, the only person who could break through Italy's goalkeeper Buffon in open play... was Italy's right-back Zakardo, and it was an own goal.

After the match resumed.

Conti regained his passion in the technical area.

He raised his hand to signal Marcos on the left to push forward boldly, while telling Moses on the right to focus on protecting the back line.

Someone said: give Conti a young version of Carlos and Cafu, and he could dominate European football like Guardiola did in the Dream Three era.

Judging by his on-field performance, Hazard is a very "laid-back" player.

People have constantly compared him to Neymar: who is the world's third-best player after Messi and Ronaldo?

But he himself seems not to care much about this.

No matter who Chelsea's coach is, they will give Hazard full freedom to shoot.

He himself always sees himself as a spark, not the finisher, so you rarely see him taking wasteful shots in matches.

From the 08-09 season to the current 16-17 season, Hazard's appearance rate has been unbeaten in Europe, earning him the nickname "little iron man"; even if he suffers many fouls in the Premier League, he seems to have an injury-proof constitution, always recovering quickly.

"Hazard received Moses's pass."

"Move toward the center!"

"I can't get past, Xhaka and Cazorla have blocked the way forward... wow! I got past!"

"Super thruster!"

"King of dribbling in the top five leagues!"

In the era when Yinniesita is retiring and Messi is dropping back to organize.

Hazard is the new generation's king of dribbling, with Neymar ranked second.

Cazorla and Xhaka keep chasing, but they just can't deal with his huge butt.

His extraordinarily gifted buttocks seem able to block any opponent's tackle, combined with unmatched lower body stability, outstanding explosive power, and delicate footwork... even if Xhaka pulls him, he can't be knocked down!

Hazard dribbled past the thirty-meter zone.

Three Arsenal players followed behind his butt.

Arsenal fans couldn't help but feel a secret dread: aside from Chelsea, among the Premier League's Big Five, only Arsenal had not been broken down by a solo Hazard run!

Mustafi and Koscielny dare not easily lose their positions to challenge.

Chelsea's front-line attacking points are many: Marcos, Bashiruin, William, Kanté, Fabregas...

At this moment it resembled a "concave" shape, tightly encircling Arsenal's penalty area.

In this era, Conti demands high tactical execution from his attackers; they must follow his set plays.

If any player acts out, even if he scores, Conti will lose his temper.

Other faction coaches' demands are not so strict.

Wenger and Ancelotti's attitude is: after completing the pre-arranged buildup, attacking players can freely express themselves.

Guardiola's attitude is: besides Messi, no one is allowed to freestyle; otherwise they'd be benched for a few weeks.

At the top of the penalty arc.

Hazard, surrounded, did not continue dribbling forward.

He couldn't break through.

According to Conti's plan:

Either create an angle and try a shot,

or pass the ball.

Hazard chose to pass.

Pa.

Under Xhaka and Cazorla's interference, Chelsea's star pushed with his right foot diagonally forward.

The ball skimmed the grass, slicing through Arsenal's defense like a blade.

Pass to a point, not a person.

On the left side of the penalty area, Marcos rushed over.

Perhaps tempered by the incident in his youth when drunk driving caused his girlfriend's death, the left-back produced by Real Madrid's youth academy is very calm.

In the short two seconds he took to receive and adjust the ball, most of Arsenal's defensive strength had already shifted to the left.

This is the moment.

Pa!

Marcos did not shoot!

but swept the ball toward the right side of the penalty area!

"Danger!"

"We've got this ball!"

"Asipiliquita!"

I didn't expect that.

Again, it's the blue team's center-back who pushed forward to join the attack!

Arsenal's coaching staff never anticipated this point in their pre-match deployment!

Cech and Chelsea's old teammates seemed telepathic; before Marcos's pass, his body instinctively leaned toward the right side of the goal.

Azpilicueta was born in the Pamplona region of Spain.

Before the age of 18, he played as a forward.

After joining the first team, he switched to playing right-back.

He doesn't like sitting back to defend.

After joining Chelsea, he earned the nickname: "Crossing Maniac".

Conte struggled for a long time; the Italian head coach couldn't find a guide for attacking right-backs, so he molded him into the wing‑center‑back in a three‑center‑back system.

In front of Arsenal's goal, the wind sounded tense.

Thud!

Azpilicueta swung his big foot.

The ball howled as it smashed toward the near corner.

Cech quickly dove to the ground, his platinum gloves firmly clutching the ball.

The spectators in the stands behind couldn't help but exclaim.

Conte jumped up in anxiety.

"Beautiful! Cech!"

"He denied his old team's entry."

"Stamford Bridge offered warm applause for this brilliant save."

Cech had deep feelings for Chelsea; he truly didn't want to leave at first.

But now is not the time to enjoy applause and reminisce about the past.

He saw his forward teammate raise his hand.

What needs to be done next is simple.

Throw the ball to Li!

Moses wanted to block Cech's quick kick with his body.

But he collided with the two‑meter‑tall giant Mertesacker.

By the time he came to, he saw the ball already floating in mid‑air.

"Cech's powerful hand throw!"

"The hand works better than the foot!"

"Chelsea's players can't get back... they've committed too many men forward."

Actually, it's not that many.

Chelsea's high defensive line still had three players: Marcos, Terry, and Cahill.

If we ignore speed, Terry and Cahill's central‑defender partnership is undoubtedly the T0 defensive line of today's football.

These two don't seem very famous; people only remember Terry for getting a teammate's girlfriend pregnant.

Perhaps because his career was too long, he left no regrets, and the club's honors are close to a grand slam.

From 2005 to 2009, Terry made the UEFA Team of the Year every season despite lacking collective honors; in the squad, peak Puyol and others were squeezed into full‑back positions.

Cahill is the player who completed Chelsea's honor grand slam in the shortest time in Premier League history.

Morata chose to seek opportunity in the weakest spot.

He didn't think much, just leaned toward Moses's defensive zone, ready to spring.

Near the center circle.

Li Kang, with his back to the goal, stopped Cech's pass.

Terry and Cahill didn't immediately press forward; one quickly dropped back while the other kept distance to interfere with Li Kang's pass.

Morata made lateral runs, trying to create the best receiving opportunity for himself.

"Two up front against three!"

"See how Li Kang handles this ball!"

"Beautiful! A back‑heel long pass!"

Ignoring the phantom roar of the red Torres.

No matter how fast a person is, they can't outrun the ball.

At the moment he turned, Li Kang struck the bottom of the ball hard with his left foot.

In God's perspective, he had already grasped all of the opponent's defensive movements.

Above Chelsea's half, a rainbow seemed to appear.

At the same time.

Morata also shook off Moses and sprinted wildly toward the ball's landing point.

"Classic connection!"

"No offside!"

"Perfect timing!"

"One‑on‑one!"

"Terry and Cahill are too slow; they can't catch up!"

Chelsea's backfield was empty,

Morata received Li Kang's long pass.

His whole body boiled with hot blood.

The archer gene in the primal instinct was awakened.

It was my moment to hunt.

Bang!

Arsenal's divine forward fired a powerful shot!

The ball screamed as it thundered toward Chelsea's goal.

Immense power and momentum!

Wenger and Boerde excitedly clenched their fists.

Arsenal fans were thrilled.

The emotions ready to be vented were suddenly blocked by a slick green glove.

Courtois leapt and blocked Morata's shot!

No chance for a rebound; after landing, the Chelsea goalkeeper followed through and caught the loose ball.

The Arsenal fans couldn't help but sigh.

Morata spat, turned, and gave Li Kang a thumbs-up.