Jagged Wings

Chapter 152 Manchester United
The grievances between Arsenal and Manchester United can be said to have lasted for more than ten years and are too numerous to write.The history since the establishment of the Premier League can be easily attributed to the entangled history of Arsenal and Manchester United. The two teams are mutually dependent and interdependent.Even in the last two seasons when Mourinho was in the limelight, the collision between the two teams was still full of sparks!
Mourinho's Chelsea won two consecutive Premier League titles in the last two seasons. It stands to reason that Chelsea should still be the focus of news in the new season.However, the old Red Devils, who only bought a Carrick and let go of the king of the small penalty area, rejuvenated in the new season under unfavorable circumstances. They won four games in four games and ranked first in the standings!Manchester United scored a total of 11 goals in the four games. Players such as Giggs, Saha, and Ronaldo are hot!

In the second round of the Chelsea League, they were defeated by Middlesbrough for the second consecutive year, and they got off to a bad start!

In the just-concluded first round of the UEFA Champions League group stage, Manchester United defeated the Celtics, a powerhouse in the Soviet Super League, with a soul-stirring reversal. It can be said that the morale is high!
From the perspective of the right time, place and people, Manchester United, who are playing at home, must have the factor of "geographical advantage"; from the perspective of this season's record, Arsenal, which has lost one game in the league, does not occupy the "time"; and what?
Manchester United sent Ruud Van Nistelrooy away, which solved a big cancer in the locker room; Arsenal sent away Ashley Cole, but Ashley, who had left, bit back and slandered his old club.

On the second day after the transfer, Cole couldn't wait to publish his autobiography "My Defense", the most of which was to slander his old club Arsenal.

"I felt betrayed and abandoned by a club that I played for with all my heart. For me it was a time to test my loyalty and it was the final straw! But I got a club that threw my loyalty back in my face. Vice-Chairman and Board of Directors... my love for Arsenal is rotten." Ashley Cole played a wronged child, complaining that Arsenal had abandoned his allegiance.

"Huh? Did he really say that?" Reyes looked at the words in the newspaper and laughed.

That Ashley Cole quote is really funny!

loyalty?Does he have it?Wasn't he behind Arsenal's back to meet the head coach and CEO of the rival club, trying to transfer to Stamford Bridge?

Arsenal betrayed you?Every time you make a fool of yourself and open your mouth, which time didn't Wenger wipe your ass?Now that the transfer is over, forget all about it?
Reyes clearly remembers Wenger's tolerance for Ashley Cole: making unwarranted comments on the team's transfer policy, meeting with Chelsea privately, and pointing fingers at the team... If this kind of thing was in Manchester United, it would have long been known. Ferguson has blocked [-] times.To be honest, Wenger is also used to why Arsenal always produce strange things...

Purely from the technical and tactical level of the field, Reyes does not deny that Cole is a good wing partner. Cole's main left back of the England national team is well-deserved in terms of ability. Reyes' cooperation on the wing is also full of tacit understanding.In the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the league last season, Reyes and Cole teamed up to set Manchester United up. Now that I think about it, what a painful memory it was...

In terms of character, Cole is much worse...

"He farts!" Reyes' words made the papers the next day.

Even at the pre-match press conference against Manchester United, a reporter also used this as an argument: "Cole said that you forced him to leave Arsenal. How do you plan to refute it?"

Wenger's face was normal, and he said three words to the reporter: "I didn't force it!"

Cole's incident is just a seasoning for Arsenal. It is an exaggeration to say that it affects the morale of the team.At best, it's like eating a fly - it's just disgusting.

Years of psychological warfare have also made the "psychological warfare antibodies" of both sides very strong, and because the time is too short, the psychological warfare between Wenger and Ferguson is not as hot as in previous seasons.

Everything, let the game decide!

Old Trafford dressing room.

"Hey, guys, are you afraid of hearing the singing outside?" Wenger looked at his lineup and smiled.

"No!" Everyone said.

"I feel so excited, I really want to fight!" Torres showed off his muscles!
"It's boring to listen to at least 90 minutes every season!" Reyes joked.

The crowd laughed.

"It seems that you are in a good mood!" Wenger was also very happy: "Confidence is a good thing, but we are facing the leaders who have won four games in the first four games. Don't underestimate them! Their points are in the Oh, ahead of us!"

"If we beat them, we are number one!" Adebayor said, he regarded this game as a simple arithmetic problem.

"We missed a game, but even if we beat them, we're still three points behind!" Hleb snorted, "Are you taught math by a physical education teacher?"

"Don't insult Adebayor's physical education teacher, okay?" Toure stood up and complained for his black brother: "That was obviously taught by the janitor at the Kearney training ground!"

"Okay, you won!" Wenger said helplessly. He originally wanted to encourage the team, but he didn't expect the team to be joking before such an important game.

Young man, you are indeed very courageous!
After a while, the staff knocked on the door of the locker room to remind them that it was time to play.

"It's time, guys, let's go!" Wenger signaled the players to come out.

Before this game, the starting lineups of both sides have been announced.

For Manchester United, Wayne Rooney lifted the ban and ushered in the 100th start in the Premier League. C-Ronaldo, who made his 100th appearance, and Kuzzak, who played for the first time, replaced the injured Giggs and Van der Sar who had a stomachache. O'Shea was substituted into the bench.The back line is Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Sylvester; the midfield four, C-Ronaldo, Scholes, O'Shea, Fletcher; the forward line is Rooney and Saha partner, super Substitute Solskjaer is on standby!

This lineup has not changed much from the two teams' two confrontations last season, only the goalkeeper butter hand Carroll and striker Ruud van Nistelrooy are gone.

Arsenal's lineup is a bit unexpected. Wenger removed a striker and added a midfielder. The team changed to 451. The goalkeeper is Lehmann, and the back line is Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Garcia. Las; midfielder Gilberto Silva and Cesc Fabregas play the double defensive midfielder, the forward line Reyes, Rosicky and Hleb are lined up, and Torres, who scored four goals in six starts this season, is the single player. arrow.

When Henry was absent due to injury, the newly joined Torres showed his ability to adapt to Arsenal's terror and firmly occupied a starting position in the striker. Van Persie and Adebayor could only compete for the starting position of another striker.Originally, Van Persie was injured and Adebayor should be shot today, but today Wenger sent five midfielders just to be on the safe side, so he had to sacrifice the Togo little monster!
After playing, the captains of the two sides, Gilberto and Neville, exchanged team flags and guessed coins.The players on both sides returned to their respective positions, stood still and waited for the kick-off.

Arsenal chairman Hill Wood in the box also shook hands with Manchester United's American owner Joey Glazer with a smile, and exchanged some rambling topics.

On the court, after checking the time with the fourth official off the court, the referee blew the whistle to start the game.

In front of the TV, the voice of Martin Taylor said: "Good evening, audience friends, welcome to watch the live broadcast of the 2006-2007 English Premier League. This is the focus of the fifth round of the league. Arsenal challenged Manchester United in an away game. I don’t need to repeat the grievances between the two teams. I believe everyone knows better than me, right? Now the game has begun! Wearing the yellow jersey of the away game and attacking from left to right is Arsenal. Red jersey, Manchester United is attacking from right to left. This is the first confrontation between the two sides this season, and Manchester United is now ranked first in the standings..."

"Arsenal, the visiting team, got the kick-off. Torres knocked the ball to Rosicky, Rosicky passed it to Fabregas behind! Fabregas took the ball, took a look at the situation, turned and passed the ball to the back line! It can now be seen that Cesc Fabregas is Arsenal's offensive and defensive hub, and the entire Arsenal's offensive organization is completed by this 19-year-old boy!"

And everyone also trusts Cesc Fabregas, leaving the ball to him to take charge and dispatch!
After the start of the game, Manchester United relied on home court advantage to launch the "opening three tricks".They still maintained a record of victory this season, their morale was high, and they beat Arsenal hard in the first 5 minutes.Their best chance came in the 2nd minute of the game, when Sylvester from the left back made a cross from the side. Rooney and Sahara opened up Arsenal's defense, but Fletcher's left-footed shot from 13 yards in front of the goal was blocked. The brave Gallas blocked it!

Next, whether it was Scholes' long-range shot, Ronaldo's small-angle shot or Rooney's goal in front of the goal, they all missed the goal.The fans at Old Trafford at home cheered for their team again and again, and finally turned into huge sighs, resounding over Manchester!
After withstood Manchester United's opening three tricks, starting from the 8th [-]th minute, Arsenal's midfield advantage began to show, their ball possession rate gradually increased, and took over the game!

In the 13th minute, Cesc Fabregas received the ball and turned around to take it forward.He made a two-over and one-hit-the-wall cooperation with forward Rosicky, who retreated to meet him.He passed the football to Rosicky and continued to run forward. Rosicky didn't turn around and knocked the ball directly with the outside of his foot.Cesc Fabregas received the ball and just met Scholes, Manchester United's midfielder.The two have played against each other seven or eight times, so it can be said that they know each other well.Scholes can feel his progress every time he confronts Cesc Fabregas; but every time Scholes can fight Fabregas evenly!

Fabregas protects the ball and prevents Scholes from having a chance.Seeing that his teammates couldn't break the ball from Fabregas, O'Shea on one side rushed forward, planning to complete the double-team with Scholes!At this moment, Fabregas passed the ball, and the goal was Reyes!

Reyes took the ball, and this time Manchester United's right-wing midfielder was Fletcher. Like Wenger, Ferguson also likes to use a player in different positions.Fletcher, who had been serving as a midfielder before, switched to the right to defend Reyes this time.

Seeing Fletcher rushing up, Reyes first made a gesture to pass the football to the right. When Fletcher's center of gravity moved slightly in that direction, he suddenly stepped on the football with his left foot and pulled the ball away. Back, Fletcher made an empty shot, and Reyes calmly pushed the football forward with his left foot, then started it, and passed the opponent.

Reyes, who passed Tinga, did not pass the ball, but strode the ball directly to Manchester United's bottom line!
The face in front of him is very familiar-Gary Neville. After O'Shea and Brown couldn't defend Reyes last season, Ferguson turned to captain Gary Neville to defend Reyes.

But in the several matches between last season and last season, Neville was already blown away by Reyes, and there was nothing left!Facing Reyes again, he, who has always been brave, didn't even dare to jump out to defend, but just stood there obediently, waiting for Reyes to hit him!
Hey, why didn't this old boy come up to defend me?Reyes, who was dribbling the ball, looked at Neville strangely, but found that as soon as Neville touched his eyes, he suddenly turned his eyes to other places...

Hehe, he is afraid of me!

But Reyes didn't go to Neville, but made a sudden turn and ran to the middle!

Seeing that Reyes didn't come up, Neville was relieved first, and then immediately realized "bad", and hurried to catch up!Both Scholes and O'Shea in the midfield had gone to defend Fabregas, but now that Reyes walks in the middle, he directly faces the central defender!

"Don't let him pass easily!" Ferdinand greeted Neville, wanting the two to block Reyes' running route together.However, just when Neville and Ferdinand were focusing on him, Reyes suddenly made a through pass from the outside, and the football rolled past Neville's outside and entered the penalty area.Neville and Ferdinand turned around at the same time and saw that Hleb, who was still in the front and center of the penalty area just now, had received the ball!
A beautiful straight pass diagonally!

"This is Arsenal's chance!" exclaimed the commentator.

"Look at the ball... beautiful pass!"

When Hleb received the ball, his back was facing the goal. Brown, another Manchester United central defender, rushed over quickly, intending to get stuck and prevent the opponent from turning around.Unexpectedly, when he just started, he saw Hleb turn around and sweep with his right foot...a low-level pass!
Neither goalkeeper Kuzzak nor central defender Brown could react, watching the football pass by them and roll to the goal.

And what Torres had to do while waiting there was very simple. With a light touch of his ankle, he blocked the football into the goal...

"goooooooooooooooooal!! Torres! Torres! This is his third goal in four league games this season! The Golden Boot striker in the World Cup has been in good form since he came to Arsenal, scoring goals again and again!"

"Oh... beautiful! Beautiful! Torres scored again! Arsenal lead 1-0 at home!"

This goal happened in the 14th minute of the first half!

Fantastic start!

(End of this chapter)