While Chen Jian was still in the Netherlands arguing with his agent about what to do in the future, Nottingham Forest was facing their penultimate opponent in the league, Newcastle United.
The game was played at the same time as Arsenal's away game against Tottenham.
The north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur was probably the toughest match for Arsenal in the final eight rounds of the league tournament. Because this is not an ordinary league game, this is a derby.
Tang En was also paying close attention to this match. Kerslake wore his headphones to listen to the latest match information coming from the radio. If there were any new developments, he would immediately inform Tang En, who was beside him.
The Nottingham Forest players also understood what this round of the league tournament meant to them and were equally concerned about Arsenal's game. It could be said that the entire team was half-hearted.
This situation was not what Tang En wanted to see. As a result, he had no choice but to constantly remind his players to focus before the match.
The match had entered the second half and the score between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United was still 0: 0. On the other side, Arsenal led Tottenham Hotspur 1: 0.
These two scores were a little depressing.
Tang En also felt that it was not good to be caught up in how others treated him. So, he got up from his seat and did not listen to Kerslake's "verbal broadcast." Instead, he yelled at the field to get the players to perk up and score a goal.
At the same time, on the other side, at Tottenham Hotspur's home stadium, White Hart Lane, even though the team was leading 1: 0, Wenger did not feel good.
Sometimes the scoreline is not a true reflection of a game, especially in a derby.
Even though Arsenal was leading by one goal, they were being pressured by Tottenham Hotspur.
The Tottenham Hotspur fans also knew the importance of the game. Some people even put up signs of encouragement in the stands to Nottingham Forest, who were fighting in the north: "Give the Premier League to Forest, give us the FA Cup."
As Arsenal's arch-enemy, they did not mind pulling Arsenal down from their pedestal, nor did they mind watching Arsenal lose the title. Their opponent's pain was their greatest joy and happiness.
Wenger stood anxiously on the sidelines, constantly reminding the team to be aware of the counterattack. His brows were furrowed and his expression was serious.
On the other side, Tang En gritted his teeth and glared at the arena. He clenched his fists and tensed up his body.
As head coaches, the pressure on both of them was not light.
If Arsenal still won this game, then they would basically be considered to have won the title in advance. There was only a theoretical possibility for Nottingham Forest — the probability of counting on Arsenal to lose 0: 8 in the final round and the Forest team to win 6: 0 was too small …
Twain looked at his watch. There were still 27 minutes before the end of the match. In other words, there were only 27 minutes left until the end of the season.
Carl Spicer personally came to St James' Park. He wanted to witness Tang En's failure with his own eyes.
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Tang En was hesitating on whether to change players. Newcastle United were determined not to let the Forest team take away three points on their home ground. They basically did not care about attacking and defended to the death, so Bentley's passes could not be passed in at all. Should Bentley be replaced in this situation?
After another two minutes, the Forest team besieged Newcastle's goal, but it was all bark and no bite. Twain gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He sent Kerslake to fetch Mocky, who was warming up.
Newcastle United were clearly concentrating on defending against crosses from the flanks, so it was time to give them something different.
Mocky ran to Tang En's side and called out, "Boss."
Tang En, who was paying attention to the situation on the field, turned his head and glanced at Mocky. Then, he pulled him over and pointed to the field, saying, "I need you to go on and use your breakthroughs to create some trouble for Newcastle United's defense. Do you understand? "
Mocky nodded, "I know what to do, Boss."
"Remember, you must make their defense chaotic."
"Yes, Boss."
"Go!" Tang En slapped Mocky on the back.
The fourth official raised the substitution sign on the sidelines. Nottingham Forest requested for a substitution. Number 7 Bentley off, number 17 Mocky on.
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At White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur also made a substitution. The 34-year-old veteran, Michael Owen, came on and replaced the Croatian defender, Kolluka.
When they saw the 34-year-old Owen come on the field, some of the visiting Arsenal fans burst into laughter.
Could it be that Tottenham Hotspur had no more players to use? They actually sent such a person who couldn't even run to come up here.
The commentator also could not figure out what Harry Redknapp meant by this substitution.
Owen was already 34 years old. He had suffered frequent injuries this season and had not played many matches for the team. What was the use of replacing a player whose stamina and condition could not be guaranteed?
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"Hey, Tony, there's a substitution over there," Kerslake said to Tang En as he pressed on his earphones.
"Hmm?" Tang En was not concerned about the substitution at White Hart Lane. He was paying attention to Mocky's performance. He had just made another breakthrough but brought the ball to a dead end. This made him, the manager, stamp his feet anxiously off the field.
"Tottenham has made a substitution. Owen is up."
The name sounded familiar to Tang En. He was stunned for a while before he reacted. "Owen? Michael Owen? The one who played for Liverpool and Newcastle in the past? "
Kerslake nodded.
Tang En rolled his eyes. "He hasn't retired yet? I thought he had already retired. I haven't seen him this season. "
"He has suffered frequent injuries. He hasn't played a complete match this season," Kerslake explained.
"What's old Harry thinking? Forget it … "He sighed and pointed to the mini radio in Kerslake's arms." Turn off that stupid thing of yours. There's no need to think about others. Let's just play our own matches … and we'll have no regrets. "
When he heard that Owen was going to play, Tang En even had the thought that Harry Redknapp was planning to give the championship title to Arsenal. So, he had already decided to take revenge on Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup final. Not only would he win, but he would also beat Tottenham Hotspur until they could not retaliate and make them lose face.
Kerslake wriggled his lips and reached his hand in, but he did not turn off the radio. In the depths of his heart, he was still hoping for a miracle to happen …
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On the 14th of December last year, Michael Owen spent his 34th birthday in the hospital bed. At that time, he had just suffered a relatively serious injury during training. Everyone was certain that he would retire. In the end, he did not announce his retirement. Instead, he said that he would actively recover and prepare to return to the field. At that time, many people took it as a joke.
But now, he was indeed back on the field, even though there was still one game and twenty-one minutes left before the end of the season.
Arsenal's goal was just below the visiting fans' stand. He could clearly hear the sneers coming from the stands.
"Hey, old man! Why haven't you retired yet? "
"Can you still run, Michael?"
"Be careful not to get hurt again! If you're going to fall, remember not to fall in our penalty area! "
He turned a deaf ear.
He had experienced highs and lows in his career. He had seen all kinds of storms. This kind of provocation could no longer shake his fighting spirit.
"This is really an old forward combination …" The commentator saw this scene and shook his head vigorously. "Thirty-two-year-old Pavlyuchenko, thirty-four-year-old Michael Owen. Could it be that Harry Redknapp plans to use this forward combination to break through Arsenal's defense? "
Wenger turned his head and glanced at Tottenham Hotspur's manager, Redknapp, who was also standing on the sidelines. The old man's face was expressionless and very calm.
He was the one who was behind, but he seemed to be more composed than Wenger who was in the lead.
Many Tottenham Hotspur fans could not understand Michael Owen's appearance. They thought that Redknapp had given up on the game. Otherwise, why would he bring on such an old man? There were boos directed at Owen from the stands.
To Owen, this was simply deserting him … Even his own people were booing him.
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Moke successfully broke through the Spanish left back, José Enrique, who was defending him. He did not have the intention to pass the ball. Instead, he continued to rush inside. This caused Newcastle's defense to become chaotic.
The Argentine center back, Coloccini, dropped Ibišević to come forward to defend. Moke quickly pedaled the ball and poked the ball towards the end line. Coloccini did not fall for it. He just stuck close to him and did not let him cut inside.
Moke, who had his back to Coloccini, suddenly used his heel to knock the ball between the Argentine's legs. Then, with Coloccini as the axis, he turned 180 degrees and slipped in from near the end line!
Coloccini subconsciously stretched out his leg to hook the ball. But right in front of him, he saw the ball being kicked away by Moke, and his leg hooked onto Moke's leg …
He could imagine what would happen next even with his knees.
Coloccini's heart sank.
Moke screamed and fell to the ground.
The goalkeeper, Tim Krul, hugged the ball. He also heard the referee's whistle.
"Penalty kick!" The commentator shouted excitedly. Nottingham Forest, who had not scored after being besieged for more than 70 minutes, made use of a breakthrough to get a chance to score.
The Forest players on the pitch were equally excited. They rushed up to hug Moke, patted his head and hammered his chest. Clearly, these people did not know that Arsenal was still in the lead on the other side.
In comparison, Nottingham Forest's coaches were much calmer. These coaches knew what happened at White Hart Lane. Even if they scored a penalty kick, as long as Arsenal maintained this score until the end of the game, Forest would still not be able to win the title.
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"Forest has been awarded a penalty kick." Wenger's assistant leaned over and said to him.
Wenger grinned.
Even if Forest won with a penalty kick, it would be meaningless. As long as they won the game here, the title would almost certainly be Arsenal's. He did not want to evaluate his opponent, especially one that was already doomed.
He remembered something. Tang En once said that a one-goal lead was the most dangerous score in the world. Arsenal was only leading by 1: 0, which was a little dangerous. He should remind his players to step up their offense and strive to score another goal. That way, they could celebrate the league title in their arch-rival's stadium. There was nothing else in the world that could be more satisfying than this.
He got up from his seat. He did not care if Forest's penalty kick was scored.
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"Ibišević's penalty kick! It's in!! "
The commentator shouted excitedly, but Forest's celebration in the technical area was very limited. They only stood up and clapped. They did not even hug each other.
On the other hand, Forest's players on the pitch were very excited. They hugged each other one by one. They were just short of forming a human pyramid.
Tang En turned his head to look at Kerslake when he saw the players like that.
Kerslake knew what he meant and hurriedly replied, "It's still 1: 0 over there."
Tang En thought about it and said, "Don't tell them the truth."
"If they ask us …"
"Just say that Tottenham equalized!" Tang En gritted his teeth.
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After scoring the goal, Ibišević broke free from his teammates' embrace and ran to the sidelines. He wanted to ask about the situation over there.
"It's a draw! It's a draw! "Kerslake waved his hands. "Tottenham equalized!"
Ibišević looked at Tang En suspiciously because he did not see much excitement on his boss's face.
"Go back to the field and continue the match! Why do you care about what others think? "Tang En had no choice but to berate him loudly. "Play well for your own match first!"
Ibišević and the players turned and ran back to the field. Only Wood looked at Tang En and did not take action immediately.
Although they were told from the technical area that Tottenham had equalized, the people around them did not look happy. The Forest fans in the stands did not do anything special to remind them. This "truth" was really suspicious.
"I think our acting was very clumsy …" Kerslake complained as he walked back to the technical area.
Tang En stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed over his chest, ignoring his complaints.
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"Strengthen the offense. Press forward! Press forward! " Wenger gestured to his players on the sidelines. "Owen and that Russian are not fast strikers. Don't be afraid of their counterattacks!"
Arsenal's defensive line pressed higher and higher. They even forgot that this was a derby.
Wilshere's pass was intercepted. Arsenal's defenders still did not return to defend. They were waiting for their midfielders to intercept the ball before continuing to attack.
Tottenham passed the ball. Modrić directly passed a long pass from the backfield. A white figure swept past Arsenal's defensive line and caught up with the pass that fell from the sky!
"Michael Owen?"
Even the commentator was surprised. He used a questioning tone.
Owen looked back at the Arsenal defender behind him and then turned to look at the assistant referee. He had to confirm if he was offside. The assistant referee did not say anything. He just followed him to the end line.
Owen cast his gaze forward again. Almunia was hesitating whether to attack or retreat.
He did not hesitate. He retracted his gaze and kicked the ball forward!
Huge cheers erupted in the stands. At this moment, everyone was cheering for Owen. The Tottenham fans prayed that he could be ten years younger and become that "young man chasing the wind." The Arsenal fans were cursing him to fall to the ground immediately.
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"Michael Owen …" Kerslake, who was halfway through, suddenly stopped in his tracks. He listened attentively and murmured.
"What?" Twain frowned.
"He's dribbling the ball … not offside … single-handedly …" Kerslake muttered intermittently.
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"He's dribbling the ball! He's very fast and not offside! Not offside at all! What is Senderos doing? Why is he raising his hand? Go back to defend! This is single-handedly! "The commentator could not help but complain. "This is not the sprinting speed that a 34-year-old veteran should have! Michael Owen! He seems to have gone back 16 years in an instant … "
Owen's speed was indeed fast. It was so fast that Wenger was shocked.
Almunia decided to attack because Owen was about to enter the penalty area.
He had just rushed out when he saw Owen, who was running, gently move his right foot …
The football passed over his head and fell into the goal behind him.
At that moment, there was not even a sound in the White Hart Lane stadium.
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"Single-handedly … Almunia attacks … Lob shot … The ball's in!! The ball's in!! "Kerslake suddenly roared crazily and jumped up from the ground. "The ball's in! Tony!! Tony! The ball's in!! Tottenham has equalized! They've really equalized this time!! "
He turned around and pointed at the radio in his hand as he roared at Twain.
Twain did not ask, "Really?" Instead, he grabbed the earphones and stuffed them in his ears.
"… Michael Owen's beautiful lob shot! Almunia has no reaction at all! How pitiful. The entire Arsenal team did not expect Owen to have such sprinting speed! Their defensive line's negligence gave Owen this opportunity. He dribbled the ball for 30 meters and used a beautiful lob shot to tie the score at 1: 1!! I heard that Nottingham Forest had just relied on a penalty kick to lead Newcastle. Now Tony Twain's team has come back to life!! "
At the same time, there was a sudden burst of cheers in the away team's stands. The Forest fans who were closer to the stadium waved their mobile phones and radios in their hands and shouted into the stadium.
"They've scored! They've scored!! Tottenham, it's Tottenham who scored! "
"Tony!" Kerslake clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he looked at Twain. "A miracle has happened!!"
Twain did not smile. He was even a little dazed. Did it really happen? Did Arsenal really equalize? Could there have been a delay and Arsenal scored again immediately after? He looked around aimlessly and stuffed the earphones into Kerslake's arms. "The match is not over yet. It's too early to be happy."
He turned around and roared at the field.
"Score another goal! Score another goal! Lock in the victory for me! Be careful of their counterattack … Keep your spirits up!! "
This time, the Forest players believed that Tottenham had really equalized the score. The team's morale was boosted. For a moment, they managed to pin the entire Newcastle United team into their defensive zone three.
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"Owen! Owen! Owen! "A voice rang through the sky from the White Hart Lane stands.
The veteran, Owen, ran on the field with his arms wide open. He had not enjoyed such cheers and feelings for a long time. The cool wind blew on his face. He felt as if he had grown wings and was flying freely between heaven and earth.
When he was seriously injured this season, some people advised him to retire so that he could have a decent ending. But he said, "My injury is like my wife. I've long gotten used to spending time with it. I won't retire because I want to continue playing football. I think I can still play football. "
At that time, everyone laughed at him for being stubborn and bragging.
Now, all those who mocked and ridiculed him back then had shut up. There was surprise, embarrassment, shame, and respect on their faces.
In an instant, even his injuries were defeated by this resolute veteran. He gave a hard slap to those who were surprised to see him on the field and wondered, "This old guy hasn't retired yet?" What a satisfying slap …
Wenger lowered his head. No one could see what expression he had on his face at that moment. Frustration? Anger? Unwillingness? Doubt? Helplessness?
None of that mattered.
Wenger had always believed that a professional player's career and competitive state would start to decline once he was over 30 years old. Therefore, he had always spared no effort to purge the "old players" in the team who were over 30 years old in order to provide space for the young talents he had groomed to develop. There was nothing wrong with that. Arsenal recognized his view of the club's development.
But today's scene was a little ironic. He had been defeated by a veteran that he had never valued. He had nothing to say and could not even find an excuse …
What could he say? What kind of expression should he make in front of the cameras?
He could only hang his head in silence.
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The next day, when Nottingham Forest regained their hopes of competing for the league title and the news of Arsenal being forced to a draw by the veteran, Owen's goal appeared in the newspapers, Owen took out a postcard from his mailbox.
It read:
Your goal saved a man's life. Thank you, Michael.
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