Arsenal maintained the score of 2: 0 until the end of the game with 10 players.
It was a tough battle. Arsenal played against many for a long time and still won the game in the end, which was a reflection of their strength.
But at the same time, some problems were exposed in the game, which made Wenger unhappy. He even made up his mind to never let Fàbregas and Vieira appear on the defensive line at the same time. Today's win could be said to be a fluke. If Newcastle United was determined to only take one point, then it was uncertain whether Arsenal could win with fewer players.
Qin Xiong's return calmed the hearts of the Arsenal fans.
In the subtle change of mentality for the better part of the season, the fans were also used to the fact that Arsenal's strength seemed very stable and strong when Qin Xiong was in the team.
When he was not around, even though Arsenal would not suddenly fall below the level of a level, the fluctuations in the overall strength were still obvious.
Wenger still had a lot of headaches.
Lehmann was suspended, Touré had to participate in the African Cup at the end of the month, Silva was still recovering from his injury, and the next game against Manchester United, Arsenal was missing three main players!
And Chelsea was still on a winning streak!
Mourinho's team seemed to be fulfilling his bold words: they would not give Arsenal any chance!
In the fifth round of the FA Cup, Wenger still sent out a large number of substitutes and young players to play against the backdrop of the lack of players and the need to conserve their energy to prepare for the focal match against Manchester United.
Against a low-level team, Brighton, Arsenal won by a thrilling margin. In the end, in a terrible offensive game, Arsenal narrowly defeated their opponent with 3: 2 and advanced to the next round of the FA Cup.
Qin Xiong was able to keep up with the team's training pace this week. He had completely gotten rid of his injury problems, which gave Wenger, who was in a gloomy mood, some comfort.
Manchester United was at a low point this season. It could be seen that their team's age structure was not as reasonable as Arsenal's.
In Arsenal's main lineup, Qin Xiong was the youngest!
The only veterans over the age of 30 were Pires, Campbell, and goalkeeper Lehmann.
Among them, the 30-year-old Kanber and the veteran Lyman were in a defensive position. Their bodies were at the most reasonable and experienced stage.
Players like Henry, Ljungberg, Vieira, Silva, Ashley Cole, Toure, and Lauren were all at the peak of their physical condition!
The fact that the youngest Qin Xiong could grow so quickly was closely related to the stability of this team.
On the other hand, in Manchester United, Class 92 and captain Keane had all reached the age of 30. Although their competitive state had not declined, their physical state inevitably followed the development of football. Among them, captain Keane's physical state had declined the most, and the role he played was so important.
Then, young players like Ronaldo and Rooney needed to grow. They lacked stability and had a low margin for error.
For other teams, Manchester United's lineup was very powerful. But for the top powerhouses, Manchester United's record and development plan could be said to be at a low point, making the necessary efforts for the next stage of take-off and breakout.
A starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
Even Manchester United at a low point was not that bad. Although Fleet Street did not think that Manchester United still had a chance to win this season's league title, Ferguson always stubbornly believed that Manchester United still had a chance. Their points gap with Arsenal and Chelsea had never been shortened to within 10 points. Now, they were 11 points behind Arsenal and 13 points behind Chelsea!
Ferguson certainly did not want the players to be discouraged. As long as there was a theoretical chance, he wanted to motivate the players to strive to create a miracle. Even if he himself understood that the possibility of this miracle was close to zero, as long as the players worked hard to fight for it, it would make Manchester United stronger in the future.
Before the game, Fleet Street claimed that this was Manchester United's last chance to win the league title!
Only by defeating Arsenal could they keep their hopes of winning the title.
Manchester United wanted to reverse Chelsea and Arsenal. If they did not get rid of one of them in a direct confrontation and suppress the opponent's morale, then how could they achieve a reversal?
Counting on Arsenal and Chelsea to keep making mistakes in the confrontation with other opponents?
That was simply wishful thinking.
Manchester United's last chance was this game!
If they could not take down Arsenal, Ferguson would also shut up and stop saying that Manchester United had a chance to reverse the two London powerhouses and win the title!
February 2nd.
Arsenal and Manchester United were about to start the Premier League's summit battle at Highbury.
No matter how much Manchester United fell behind Arsenal and Chelsea, on the English battlefield, Manchester United was ultimately a member of the top ranks and could not be ignored.
Qin Xiong stood in the players' tunnel early. Captain Vieira walked out of the locker room and went straight to the Manchester United player, Neville, after arriving at the players' tunnel. Qin Xiong could not hear what he was saying. He only saw Vieira's cold expression as he chattered endlessly to Neville. Neville, on the other hand, turned sideways as if he was avoiding and did not dare to talk directly to Vieira.
It was probably because Neville stole the limelight the last time they played against Manchester United in the league. He tortured Reyes to the point that he could not take care of himself. That was why before the game, Vieira seemed to be seeking justice for Reyes, but in fact, he was interfering with Neville's performance on the spot and putting a lot of psychological pressure on the other side.
Qin Xiong watched from the side and, like the other teammates, enjoyed the show.
They were not surprised. To be honest, Vieira was one of the most imposing captains of all the teams that Qin Xiong had ever seen. Many captains of top teams had a strong aura. Maldini was one, Keane was another, Hyypia and Terry were considered to be inferior. As for the former captain of Ajax, Van Der Vaart, ahem. After Qin Xiong came to England, he realized that Van Der Vaart's captaincy was … like a star on a runway show. There was no bravery at all!
After Vieira taught Neville a lesson, he walked forward with satisfaction. When the captain appeared, he would stand at the front. He casually took a few sips of mineral water and chatted with the referee team. His burly body made it impossible for people to ignore his aura.
At this time, Manchester United's captain, Keane, came out of the locker room.
After learning that Neville had been "verbally taught" by Vieira, he immediately flew into a rage and squeezed forward along the players' tunnel.
The referee team saw that something was wrong and immediately someone stepped forward to block Keane.
Keane and Vieira were less than three meters apart, separated by the assistant referee. Keane pointed at Vieira and shouted.
"Who do you think you are to bully him? Come at me if you have the guts! I'll accompany you in whatever you want to do! Don't think that you can do whatever you want in Highbury. Do you really think that no one can teach you a lesson? "
The players of both teams did not participate in the dispute between the two captains. They watched tacitly. They had been warned by the Football Association and did not dare to act rashly.
The infamous "Fast Food War" broke out after the game at Old Trafford in the first half of the league tournament. The Football Association warned both teams before the start of the game that if similar team conflicts broke out again, the consequences would be at their own risk!
Only pure tough guys like Vieira and Keane dared to stir up trouble without fear.
Therefore, it could not be said that Neville was a coward. It was just that before the game started, there was already a conflict in the players' tunnel. Manchester United was at a low point and troubled times. They should focus more on improving the team's strength. If they were as mature as Arsenal, it could be said that their overall strength was at its peak, then they could do whatever they wanted!
Vieira ignored Keane and drank his water in an arrogant manner as he watched Keane shouting. The assistant referee took a long time to calm Keane down.
The players of both teams walked into Highbury Stadium under the guidance of the referee team.
The fans in the stands did not know what happened in the players' tunnel, but they had their own battle to fight. Each of them cheered for their own team in their own way!
"The 25th round of the Premier League's focal battle. The defending champions, Arsenal, are facing Manchester United on their home ground. This game is a must-win for both teams! Chelsea, who took the lead in the game, has already won all three points with a economical 1: 0 on Blake's own, continuing their terrifying momentum! Arsenal has a game in hand and is five points behind Chelsea. Manchester United is 16 points behind Chelsea. In order to shorten the gap with Chelsea, Arsenal must win this game. Manchester United must also win in order to achieve the reversal that Sir Ferguson spoke of. Otherwise, Manchester United will be 15 points or more behind Chelsea and 11 points or more behind Arsenal. With only 13 rounds left in the league, how can they achieve a reversal of the two opponents? "
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