"Welcome to Highbury. The Premier League's leading team, Arsenal, is about to face the black cats, Sunderland, at home. Arsenal has a record of 9 wins and 2 draws in the past 11 games and is ranked at the top of the Premier League. However, their London neighbor, Chelsea, is putting a lot of pressure on Arsenal. Chelsea has only lost one game in the past 11 games and has a record of 9 wins and 1 draw in the other games. They are only one point behind Arsenal. It looks like this season will be another battle between the two London giants!
The best news for Arsenal today is that their midfield core, Qin Xiong, has been released from his ban and has returned. With him and without him, Arsenal felt like two different teams. He was the team's offensive guarantee, activating the team's offensive efficiency in all positions. Now that Qin Xiong is back, the Arsenal fans are much more optimistic about the game than before. This was the conclusion of the pre-match street interviews. Haha, this will definitely put a lot of pressure on Qin Xiong. Let's see how he performs in the game.
Arsenal's starting lineup: 451.
Goalkeeper: Lehmann.
Defenders: Lauren, Touré, Senderos, Ashley Cole.
Midfielders: Robin van Persie, Fàbregas, Qin Xiong, Silva, Pires.
Striker: Henry.
Sunderland's starting lineup: 451.
Goalkeeper: Davies.
Defenders: Wright, Breen, Cadwell, Alka.
Midfielders: Witthead, Miller, Noseworth, Robinson, Walsh.
Striker: Gray. "
Ashley Cole's recovery from his injury seemed to be quiet. Eboue was rotated by Wenger. Lauren's recent form seemed to have picked up, but it still needed to be tested in the game. Robin van Persie shouldered a new mission and appeared in the starting lineup as the main force.
Sometimes, Qin Xiong felt that Wenger was having a hard time. Compared to some of the powerhouse teams who were full of "happy worries" when it came to lineups, Wenger sometimes had a real headache and was really troubled.
Sunderland was the same as other teams in the Premier League. They came to Highbury and fought back with peace of mind.
Furthermore, as Arsenal's dominance continued, too many teams who came to Highbury did not expect to win. As long as they could get a draw, it would be a different kind of victory.
They put up a very tight defensive system with four defenders and three defensive midfielders, with two layers of crisscrossing three "defensive iron triangle" defensive system.
The offensive counterattack relied on two wingers and a striker. They didn't even need an attacking midfielder. As long as the offense advanced to the front field, one of the wingers would cut into the middle to play a fast, accurate, and ruthless counterattack efficiency.
It had become a common occurrence for Arsenal to break through the dense defence.
Even so, different competitions would have different difficulties.
Van Persie was very excited. Since the start of the match, he had been constantly running and cutting inside. Most of the time, he had not grasped the timing well, so his positioning was ineffective. He did not achieve the cover and restraint that Wenger had requested.
This made Arsenal's offense unable to produce the expected results. Wenger looked serious on the sidelines. He was not sure if Robin van Persie could shoulder such a mission, or if Arsenal's mid-season adjustments were correct.
Qin Xiong was closely marked in the danger zone in front of the penalty area. His play was restricted.
When he had to make changes, he actively observed Robin van Persie's positioning, trying to execute Wenger's tactical requirements to create a flaw in Sunderland's defensive line.
In the 29th minute of the match, Sunderland's counterattack from the right flank had a very good effect.
Witthead faced Ashley Cole in a one-on-one. Ashley Cole did not choose to break through. Instead, he cooperated with the center forward, Gray, in a two-on-one. It was a very simple and easy to see wall combination. Then, Ashley Cole was easily cut into the penalty area by Witthead.
Witthead passed the ball in front of the end line, and Walsh, who had rushed into the penalty area from the back of the penalty area, almost swept the ball into the goal from the half-empty goal.
"Arsenal lost the ball first again! There's a big problem with Ashley Cole and Lauren's defense! Ashley Cole looked like he was frozen. He was easily penetrated by Witthead and Gray's two-on-one. This is not a reflection of his strength. He should have reacted faster. Perhaps his injury affected his condition. Lauren's defense at the back of the penalty area was also problematic. He did not seem to be in the same rhythm as Walsh. When Walsh sped up to cut into the penalty area, Lauren's movement was obviously too slow. This was probably the most unacceptable change for Wenger this season. When most players were at their peak, Lauren's condition was obviously declining! In any case, Sunderland's counterattack this time was very beautiful. They played with speed and a small area of coordination, as well as a clear thought process in the final attack. They used the least offensive force in exchange for the biggest offensive gain! Sunderland now leads Arsenal 1: 0 in Highbury! "
Ashley Cole and Lauren's expressions were a little unnatural. Lehmann, on the other hand, looked very calm. It was as if he was too lazy to open his mouth and berate the defensive line for their substandard performance.
No, it was not a substandard performance.
It was just that Arsenal's defensive line was sometimes f * * king substandard!
Lauren's condition had deteriorated severely, and Ashley Cole's performance after he recovered from his injury could not be demanded too much. Wenger was naturally unwilling to let Flamini play as a full-back all the time.
After all, Ashley Cole was once an important member of the golden left wing. If he could recover the golden left wing of the past, Wenger would certainly pursue him.
It was just that sometimes, after experimenting, he found that things did not go in the direction he expected. This pain and suffering, as well as the difference between expectations and results, really made the manager suffer.
Arsenal's attacking players could only express their helplessness in this situation.
They could not be angry, they could not lose their minds. At worst, they could just pretend to ignore it.
No matter how many goals the defensive line leaked to the opponent, they could make up for it by scoring a few more goals in the attack.
In a sense, this was another form of the team. Everyone had their own roles and made up for each other.
Qin Xiong temporarily gave up on forming an interaction with Van Persie. It was too late!
In a 0: 0 situation, it was fine to even use 60 minutes to try to make Van Persie a key player in the team. But in a situation where the score was behind, Arsenal now had to score at least two goals. The opponent was also in an iron bucket formation. They had to race against time to create more advantageous opportunities.
Before the restart, he turned back and said a few words to Fàbregas.
"From now on, concentrate on the left wing! No matter what difficulties you encounter, go to the left wing! "
Fàbregas nodded in agreement. He could also see that although Van Persie was active on the right wing, his attacking efficiency was very low. On the other hand, Pires on the left wing was strictly controlled by Wenger this season. His physical condition had declined, but his competitive condition was still very good.
At this time, it was important to trust the players who maintained their competitive standards at a high level, and not to bet on some talented and potential teammates suddenly being enlightened.
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