Manchester City pulled a goal back. Even though Arsenal was still leading by 2: 1, it gave Nottingham Forest a lot of confidence. At this moment, they suddenly felt that all their previous efforts were worth it.
The fans sang songs praising Bendtner and cheered for Manchester City, completely forgetting the previous conflict between the two teams.
The Nottingham Forest players became more active on the pitch. Sunderland had completely lost their will to fight, but the Forest players did not want to let them go. They could not help Manchester City score, so they could only increase their confidence in winning the championship by continuously scoring against Sunderland. If possible, they really wanted to win against Sunderland at home by at least six goals.
Unfortunately, Forest's luck was not as good. Sunderland collectively retreated, and Forest could not score for a while.
3: 0 was enough to guarantee that Forest would win this game. Tang En slowly turned his attention to the match between Arsenal and Manchester City.
This last round was really exciting … As a fan, he loved this kind of excitement. As a manager, he really hated it to the core.
The game entered the 80th minute. There was no more meaningful news from the Emirates Stadium since Bendtner's goal.
After the excitement, the Forest people began to feel uneasy. If Arsenal defeated Manchester City by a score of 2: 1, Forest would still not win the championship.
Everyone hoped that Manchester City could fight harder.
But this was not something that could change their will.
※ ※ ※
Bendtner was heavily marked by Arsenal. If one defender was not enough, then they would send two defenders. They must completely freeze him. Not only that, but he also felt his stamina rapidly deteriorating. Sometimes, he even stood on the spot and did not want to run. He could not even see his figure when he returned to defend.
Even a man made of steel would have a moment of exhaustion after running tirelessly for 80 minutes at 32 degrees Celsius.
But Bendtner did not want to show his fatigue too obviously. He was afraid that McClaren would bring him off.
This game was probably the most tiring he had ever played in his life. Not only did he have to compete with his opponents on the pitch, but he also had to compete with his own manager off the pitch.
He did not work so hard to help Nottingham Forest win the championship. He just did not want his hard work to be insulted. If he was brought off, then everything would be over. His goal would still be meaningless.
In order to cover up his fatigue, he still ran around during the attack, looking for opportunities to score or pull a gap for his teammates to shoot.
Unfortunately, Jack Reed was really disappointing … If it was Robinho, he would have scored two goals. This kid's desire to compete was really high, but his technique, experience, and awareness were too lacking.
Wenger was a little dissatisfied with Arsenal's defense off the field. They focused on marking Bendtner but missed the young player.
While he was throwing a tantrum off the pitch, Senderos was complaining to the captain, Fàbregas, on the pitch. "That kid is not a threat at all … If we let Bendtner escape, I'm afraid it'll be even more serious … Bendtner is the only threat to Manchester City. We just have to defend against him. The rest of Manchester City is not a threat at all. I really don't know what the boss is worried about … Even if Bendtner scores a goal, we will still win this game … "
Fàbregas agreed with him and let him do what he wanted. As for Reed's defense, he could also help. In fact, it was not just Senderos and Fàbregas who thought so. All the Arsenal players on the pitch had the same thought. They had also been running under the hot sun for almost ninety minutes. They would also feel tired and want to rest and relax. Since the entire Manchester City team was not a threat, why would they still fight so hard? They should slow down the pace. They did not need to snatch the ball so fiercely. It did not matter if Manchester City attacked. They just had to mark Bendtner.
Some of the Arsenal players even started to fantasize about winning the championship in advance, just like the fans.
If Bendtner was lucky enough to hear their conversation, he would definitely be disappointed — He had thought that Reed's liveliness could take some of the defensive pressure off him. He did not expect Senderos to be smart and not fall for it.
His long shot had an element of luck in it. Now, Arsenal did not even give him a chance to be lucky again. They were still ten meters away from the penalty area when they came up to defend.
Manchester City's offense basically depended on Bendtner alone. Elano had just been substituted, and now there was no one to organize the offense. Bendtner had no choice but to actively retreat to receive the pass. Otherwise, he would not even be able to receive the ball if he was in front …
This kind of game was basically using one person to go against the entire team.
Wenger looked at the watch on his wrist. There were still ten minutes before the end of the game. As long as he could endure these ten minutes, the championship would be his. However, he felt that these ten minutes felt like years to him …
He kept reminding himself in his heart: As long as we do not make any mistakes, the championship will be ours. Our fate is in our own hands.
※ ※ ※
Bendtner dashed left and right on the pitch, looking for a chance to shoot. But it was useless. There was too little support from the midfield. Even if he ran to his position and a chance appeared for a split second, the ball would not be passed over. All his previous efforts were in vain. His stamina slipped away just like that, and his panting became heavier and heavier.
Looks like I still have to rely on myself …
Bendtner frowned under the scorching sun. The sun was scorching his head, making him dizzy. He suddenly remembered a past. At that time, he was not at Manchester City, and he was still wearing the red Nottingham Forest jersey. His main task when he was on the pitch was to create opportunities for his forward partner, van Nistelrooy, to face the goal, while he himself attracted the opponent's defensive firepower.
How he wished he had a partner who could attract the attention of Arsenal's defense by his side now …
He used to look forward to being a lone hero. He would listen to the cheers of the crowd after every game. He was the number one star in the team, and the media would continuously report on him. He was extremely popular. Only now did he realize that being a lone hero … was not something an ordinary person could do!
So tiring …
Bendtner no longer trusted his teammates. He dribbled the ball himself when he got it, and the result was basically the same — it was intercepted.
Three minutes passed. The entire Manchester City team had recovered from the joy and excitement of scoring a goal. They did not have to fight to the death with Arsenal in the last ten minutes. It was good to be able to equalize the score, but it was not a game where they would die if they lost. Why did they have to fight so hard?
※ ※ ※
On the 83rd minute, Twain looked down at his watch. Kerslake, who was beside him, did not make a sound. It was not known if he was focused on listening to the radio, or if he was depressed that Manchester City did not score again after so long.
Nottingham Forest had just scored their fourth goal of the match, leading Sunderland 4: 0.
Twain decided to make a large number of substitutions, using up all three substitutions in one go.
Nicolás Millán replaced Ibišević, Cohen replaced Fernández, and Tiago replaced Gago. Millán and Tiago did not have many opportunities to play this season. In order to ensure that they had enough appearances to qualify to receive a medal, Twain brought them on. It was just that it was hard to say whether they would be able to receive a medal in the end.
Wenger felt that every second felt like a year, while Twain felt that time was flying by. Before he could hear any new news, the fourth official on the sidelines had already raised the sign for injury stoppage time — three minutes!
Only then did Twain realize that the ninety-minute match time had come to an end.
The singing that had been ringing in the stands for almost the entire match gradually died down. Everyone felt disappointed. It looked like Forest had worked hard until the very last moment, but they were still unable to complete a comeback. The league title was getting further and further away from them.
Twain stood on the sidelines with his lips tightly pursed, his expression ugly.
※ ※ ※
As Arsenal's kick off in the second half was two minutes later than Forest's, it was only the 87th minute of the second half when Twain saw the fourth official raise the sign for injury stoppage time.
In the 87th minute, McClaren also used up his last substitution.
When Ashley Young was called up from the substitutes' bench, he was a little surprised. After a quick warm-up, he ran back and was pushed onto the pitch. His mind was still a little unclear when he was already on the Emirates Stadium's turf.
He saw Bendtner looking at him, sweat trickling down his face like a stream. He suddenly understood why Bendtner was looking at him.
Well, he was the only person in the entire Manchester City team who could help him now …
He crossed the pitch and ran to his position. Bendtner grabbed him halfway, panting and about to open his mouth when he was interrupted by Ashley Young. "I know what to do. I'll pass the ball to you, right?"
Bendtner nodded.
"Go wait at the front." Young patted Bendtner's shoulder and ran away.
Ashley Young had just gotten on the pitch when Bendtner cramped up.
He suddenly fell to the ground during a tackle in the front field, clutching his calf with a pained expression. Ashley Young hurriedly ran over and helped him press his legs.
McClaren was indifferent off the pitch because he had no substitutes left. If Bendtner could not persevere in the match, then Manchester City would have to play with ten players.
Bendtner's cramp was a small episode. He returned to the pitch after two minutes of treatment by the team doctor and his teammates.
But because of this cramp, when the fourth official raised the injury-stoppage sign on the sidelines, it clearly showed the amount of injury stoppage time — five minutes!
The Arsenal fans in the stands at the Emirates Stadium booed in dissatisfaction. To them, they could not wait for the match to end. Five minutes of injury stoppage time was naturally ridiculously long.
Bendtner was still limping when he walked, but the way he ran made it impossible to tell that he was injured. He was still running tirelessly on the pitch, looking for opportunities.
Ashley Young was currently the player with the best stamina in Manchester City. His speed and breakthroughs caused a lot of trouble for Arsenal's defense.
Arsenal's defenders had to split up to defend against him. Bendtner finally felt the pressure on his body lighten.
Perhaps it was because he had just cramped up, but Senderos did not mark him as closely as before.
Ashley Young suddenly passed the ball into the middle!
Bendtner leapt towards the top of the ball, but Almunia attacked in advance and snatched the ball away. He missed and fell to the ground. Almunia hugged the ball and was not in a hurry to kick it away. He looked down at Bendtner, intending to wait for him to run out of the penalty area before kicking the ball away.
Bendtner enjoyed the time lying on the ground because he could get ample rest. But he could not just lie down like that. There was not much time left.
After feeling Almunia's gaze, Bendtner crawled up from the ground and slowly ran out of the penalty area.
The football flew over his head.
※ ※ ※
The last three minutes of the match in the City Ground was abnormally quiet. Whether it was the Sunderland fans or the Nottingham Forest fans, their minds were not on the match in front of them. The Sunderland fans knew that their team had been relegated. One by one, they sat in the stands wiping away their tears sadly, while the Nottingham Forest fans were focused on the latest news on the radio.
It was under such circumstances that when the referee blew the whistle at the end of the match, it was exceptionally clear and ear-piercing.
"The match is over!" The commentator said, "Nottingham Forest defeated Sunderland at home with a score of 4: 0, but it looks like their dream of becoming the Premier League champions is over …"
Once the match ended, the Forest players rushed down to ask for the latest news. When they heard their teammates shake their heads and tell them that it was still 2: 1, they could not hide their disappointment and grief. A group of people just sat by the side of the pitch, waiting for Arsenal's match to end. Now, they could only wait. They could only wait.
Twain could not just sit there like that. He still had to shake hands with the opposing manager.
Nielsen's team had been relegated and he was not in a good mood. The two managers who were not in a good mood huddled together and shook hands briefly before leaving. Nielsen walked up to the pitch to comfort his players, while Twain returned to the technical area and sat in a daze.
The Sunderland fans began to applaud and thank their team. They had tried their best, but unfortunately, they were facing a Nottingham Forest team that was hungry for victory in the last round.
The Nottingham Forest fans did not start to leave the pitch. They continued to stay in the stands and listen to the news on the radio.
The Football Association official in the box stood up and shook hands with the chairman of the Nottingham Forest Football Club, Evan Doughty, "What a pity … It was an exciting match."
Evan did not want to admit defeat in a hurry, "The match over there is not over yet."
Yes, there were still three minutes left in the match at the Emirates Stadium.
But his words made the Football Association official feel a little awkward — there were only three minutes left. Could there be a miracle? Manchester City's goal was already very good. At least it proved that they were not passive in the match. The trophy that was originally brought to Nottingham was a replica. The real one was in London. Could it be that Forest was still dreaming of winning the title at this point in time?
Stop daydreaming!
※ ※ ※
Arsenal's substitutes collectively stood by the side of the pitch, waiting for the match to end before rushing onto the pitch to celebrate the title.
The Arsenal players on the pitch were a little distracted. The sound they wanted to hear the most was the referee's whistle for three victories. The thing they wanted to do the most was hug their teammates off the pitch to celebrate winning the title. How was the match? They did not care. After entering the injury stoppage time, Manchester City's threat to Arsenal was almost zero. Even Bendtner was physically exhausted. He had the will to fight, but not the strength to do so.
Wenger was still a little nervous. He sat on his chair and pinched his chin with his hand, staring intently at the pitch.
Pat Rice, who was beside him, began to high-five the people around him in celebration.
They already knew that Forest's match had just ended. The score was 4: 0, Forest won. But it was meaningless because the title belonged to Arsenal.
Ashley Young switched to the left flank. The Swiss midfielder, Valon Behrami passed the ball to him. He did not continue to pass the ball. Instead, he forcefully broke through the byline.
His pass hit Sagna's body and bounced off the end line. Manchester City was awarded a corner kick.
At this point, the injury stoppage time had already reached three minutes and fifty seconds.
Manchester City's defenders came up. They suddenly became the players that Arsenal needed to focus on.
"Defend this ball!" Almunia roared in front of the goal. He was a little nervous. As the end of the match approached, his heart beat faster and faster. If they lost the ball … it would be over. This thought could not be dispelled from his mind.
Bendtner squeezed into the crowd. He lowered his head and panted heavily. He was so tired that he wanted to lean on the Arsenal defenders.
Ashley Young came to kick this corner kick. He placed the ball very carefully. He could not even get the direction of the Nike logo wrong — — it had to be facing the direction of the goal.
The penalty area was crowded with people, and there was pulling and pulling. Just as the corner kick was about to be kicked out, someone fell to the ground. The referee whistled to pause the match. Loud boos erupted from the stands — — the person who fell to the ground was a Manchester City player. The Arsenal fans thought that they were trying to cheat for a penalty kick.
The referee did not give Manchester City a corner kick, nor did he rule that the Manchester City player had dived. He only called the players from both sides out and gave them a few verbal instructions. He asked them to calm down and try to avoid too much physical contact.
The atmosphere of the match suddenly became tense in the last two minutes of the match.
Wenger simply stood up from his seat and walked to the side of the pitch. He pursed his lips tightly and gritted his teeth as he watched the match.
After the referee made sure that the people in the penalty area were quiet, he stepped back and signaled for Ashley Young to kick the ball.
Ashley Young did not put on an act and raised his hand. He ran up a few steps. The referee on the other side had just gestured for the ball to be kicked off, and he kicked the ball into the penalty area. It was so fast that the Arsenal players could not react in time.
At this moment, they saw a person jump high in the penalty area. While the others were still standing on the ground in a daze, he was already flying in the air.
Straighten his back, exert strength, flick his head, and attack the goal!
The ball flew into the goal. Almunia just waved his hand, as if saying goodbye.
Goodbye, league champion …
The Emirates Stadium was suddenly very quiet.
Only the commentator was shouting desperately, "Arsenal's dream of becoming a champion has been shattered by Bendtner! He scored a brace, a clean header shot into the goal! 2: 2! Arsenal is now one point behind Forest who has already finished the match! This is too dramatic! Even the best screenwriter in Hollywood can't write a league ending like this! This is football! This is the football that so many people are crazy about! "
After the goal, Bendtner ran towards Ashley Young who passed the ball to him. The two of them hugged and rolled on the ground. Their teammates rushed up and pressed them under their bodies. This was originally a match without any suspense, but because of one person, the suspense was left until the end …
※ ※ ※
Tang En stood at the side of the pitch with Kerslake beside him. It had only been less than three minutes since the end of the match, but they felt as if three years had passed. The City Ground was so quiet that it was as if everyone had left.
Everyone was waiting for the latest news. Everyone was hoping for a miracle to happen.
Suddenly, a voice sounded from the stadium's live broadcast.
It was the voice of the commentator in charge of the match between Arsenal and Manchester City. It was hoarse, passionate, and even somewhat incoherent …
"Arsenal's dream of becoming a champion has been shattered by Bendtner! It was a brace, a clean header shot into the goal! 2: 2!! Arsenal is now one point behind Forest who has already finished the match! This is too dramatic! Even the best screenwriter in Hollywood can't write a league ending like this! This is football … "
The City Ground regained its vitality in an instant. Everyone raised their heads and listened in a daze. Soon, they confirmed that the source of the news was correct, because their own radio also had the same voice. Loud cheers erupted.
Kerslake knelt by the side of the pitch, holding the radio in his hand. He could not stop the tears from flowing down his face.
Tang En did not jump up in excitement. He just slowly sat back in the technical area, feeling that his heart could not take it anymore.
The players around him had already begun to scream. The news of the goal at the last minute was too exciting.
The voice from the live broadcast did not stop. It continued. The cheers in the stadium were a little softer, because everyone's attention was once again attracted by the commentator.
"… The referee has signaled Manchester City not to celebrate for too long. Arsenal's players are protesting … The match has restarted … A long shot! A long shot from Fàbregas! "
Hearing the commentator suddenly increase the volume, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
"A beautiful save! Joe Hart! "
The fans in the City Ground chanted, "Long live Hart!"
"A corner kick … This might be Arsenal's last chance to attack. The referee is looking at his watch. Maybe the match will end before the corner kick goes in … "
Everyone's hearts were in their mouths again.
Tang En lowered his head and covered his face with his hands. If he could, he would have plugged his ears … Which bastard came up with this idea? Wasn't this clearly meant to agitate his fragile heart?
"Almunia has rushed up …"
The Forest fans booed from the stands.
"Everyone is crowded in Manchester City's penalty area. Manchester City has just equalized the score with a corner kick. Can Arsenal use another corner kick to seal the victory? "
The boos became louder. This time, it was directed at the commentator. That was such a jinx …
Even in such a noisy environment, Tang En could still hear his heartbeat clearly. He suddenly felt that time had slowed down. Why hasn't the corner kick come out yet? Did it go in or not? Give me a quick answer, buddy …
"Almunia didn't head … Senderos — —!"
The commentator dragged out his voice and roared. Tang En was so shocked that he almost jumped out of his chair. But there were indeed quite a number of people in the stadium who jumped.
"It went high!"
F * ck you …
Tang En really wanted to curse at the commentator. At that moment, his heart had indeed stopped beating. He was quite shocked.
Deafening cheers erupted from the stands. The sound was like rolling thunder, reverberating in everyone's hearts. They were certain that Forest had won the league title. Because after the "it went high", the commentator immediately announced loudly, "The match is over! Nottingham Forest has won the league title! They have successfully defended their title!! "
The Forest players hugged each other tightly. It was not easy for them to become champions. There was even an element of luck involved. It was much harder to win than last season …
※ ※ ※
The referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the match.
The Arsenal players still could not believe it. They were stunned in front of Manchester City's goal.
Fàbregas lowered his head. Van Persie looked up to the sky and sighed. Wilshere was crying his eyes out. They were once so close to the championship title …
Arsène Wenger stood by the side of the pitch and was speechless for a long time. Behind him were the Arsenal fans who could not accept the reality as well. The red Emirates Stadium stands had been erupting like a volcano for 90 minutes. But now, it was extinguished and gradually cooling down.
※ ※ ※
Evan Doughty took the initiative to extend his hand to the Football Association official. He smiled and said, "Get ready to present the award, sir."
"Ah …" The Football Association official's expression was extremely awkward. The league title had really changed hands in just three minutes. "Uh, congratulations on defending your title."
Evan smiled happily. He raised his head and accepted the Football Association's official congratulations.
※ ※ ※
Tang En still wanted to sit on his chair and continue resting. But he was suddenly lifted up by the players, who then carried him around the pitch to receive the cheers of the fans.
Tang En sat on the shoulders of the players and repeatedly waved to the stands. This league title was not easy to come by. It was probably the most unforgettable title in his managerial career.
He smiled happily above the crowd. This made Shania in the private room also heave a sigh of relief.
Fifteen minutes later, the Forest players returned to the changing room and changed into their championship celebration T-shirts. They returned to the pitch to receive the award from the English Football Association.
In the end, Tang En and Wood worked together to raise the English Premier League title high up in the air. Under the cheers of 30,000 fans, the 13-14 English Premier League season came to an end. They bid farewell to the City Ground stadium with the fourth league title in the team's history.
But this was not a farewell to the season. On the contrary, they had just started.
The FA Cup was waiting for them at Wembley Stadium six days later.
The UEFA Champions League was also waiting for them at Bernabéu Stadium 11 days later.
The league title was just the beginning of a great season.
※ ※ ※
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