Chapter 328: Against Arsenal, Chelsea Never Needs to Hide Their Tactics
Honestly, helping a club recruit players isn't exactly the easiest job.
With Li Ang's temperament, managing to drop a subtle hint to Suárez once over the course of a season would already be quite a stretch.
And yet, this was now the third time he had extended a direct invitation to Suárez on Chelsea's behalf.
If Suárez still ended up being poached by Barcelona, and the media caught wind that Li Ang had "struck out" three times, he really would be seen as a clown.
Forget just the fans and pundits mocking him—it would also risk offending Liverpool, turning a well-intentioned effort into a thankless endeavor.
But what choice did he have? Midway through the season, Ibrahimović had already spoken with him and Mourinho, making it clear that he would not renew his contract with Chelsea once the season ended.
His reasoning was straightforward, so much so that both Li Ang and Mourinho dropped any hope of convincing him to stay in the Premier League.
"I'm turning 34 this year. If we were still using the same tactics we did when I first arrived, I might be able to keep going for another season. But that's not happening.
We're playing really well right now, and the system demands younger players in every position. I just can't keep up with the running required. Besides, I've reached the stage of my career where it's time to think about retirement…"
A few years ago, Li Ang would never have imagined hearing those words come out of Ibra's mouth.
But this was reality—even the greatest footballers couldn't escape the effects of time.
Ibrahimović truly was struggling. Chelsea's current system placed high physical demands on every player on the pitch.
Factor in the Premier League's already intense level of physicality, its breakneck pace, and relentless schedule—it simply wasn't the right environment for aging stars.
Sure, if Ibra were willing to take a bench role moving forward, many of those problems would disappear.
But that's the one thing he couldn't accept—spending the last two seasons warming the bench.
While his stamina had clearly declined, he had successfully reinvented his playing style, carving out a new niche for himself at center-forward.
It was just that Chelsea's tactical setup didn't suit him anymore.
But if he returned to PSG, or back to Serie A, he was confident he could still be a central figure and focal point in any team's attack.
In the face of aging, Ibrahimović had finally let go of his pride and begun to think rationally about his next contract.
If he could end his time at Chelsea with a Champions League title and possibly even an unprecedented domestic quadruple, he would have no professional regrets.
Leaving the Premier League for a slower-paced league seemed inevitable.
As a brother, Li Ang understood where Ibra was coming from—and he couldn't bring himself to keep pushing the man to stay.
It was easy to say all the right things, but if Ibra did stay and ended up suffering a serious injury in England, Li Ang would never forgive himself.
Mourinho also respected Ibrahimović's decision. And to be fair, Ibra had already made huge sacrifices to adapt to Chelsea's tactics over the last two seasons.
Now that the idea of leaving had taken root, Mourinho had no intention—public or private—of making the transfer process difficult for him.
With the worst-case scenario accounted for, the challenge now facing Mourinho and Chelsea as a whole was clear: they needed to find a top-tier striker who fit the system.
Li Ang's attempts to court Suárez had shifted from optional to essential.
Suárez wasn't a towering target man or a rugged powerhouse, but he could still be a focal point in attack. His instinct in the box and technical ability were among the best in world football.
More importantly, he himself wanted to join a team capable of competing for titles.
Last season, he had nearly agreed to let his agent negotiate a move to Arsenal—only for Gerrard to talk him out of it at the last moment.
This season, he had dragged Liverpool into the top six by sheer force of will. There was nothing more he could give.
Suárez wasn't young anymore. If he didn't seize this window to chase silverware, the odds would only grow slimmer with each passing year.
Chelsea had the financial power to afford him, and they weren't a direct title rival to Liverpool—after all, Liverpool's best-case scenario over the next few seasons would be scrapping for fourth place. A title run was simply out of reach.
When it came to transfers, Mourinho had confidence in the club's negotiation department. So having Li Ang build rapport on the player level was the logical next step.
Ideally, it would play out like last summer's pursuit of Kroos.
The club showed sincerity and paid the full transfer fee. Li Ang stepped in to arrange a direct meeting with Kroos.
A one-two punch—sealing the contract early before other clubs could swoop in.
Because at the end of the day, elite midfielders and strikers were rare commodities in European football. If you didn't move fast, you'd risk losing them to a bigger name, and then all you could do was cry in the corner.
Until Chelsea won the Champions League, they didn't have the pull to act like one of the traditional superclubs.
So when Mourinho saw Li Ang chatting and laughing with Suárez on the pitch, he finally felt at ease.
He made up his mind: as soon as the transfer window opened this summer, Chelsea would initiate formal talks with Liverpool.
He wasn't going on vacation until Suárez's signing was complete.
Li Ang, of course, had no idea Mourinho had just added another task to his "mission list."
He was simply doing his job.
Seeing the flicker of interest in Suárez's eyes, he cheerfully invited him to visit London after the season ended—maybe check out some neighborhoods, maybe look at a few schools…
Messi might be able to call Suárez and make a pitch over the phone. But Li Ang took a more hands-on approach—if once wasn't enough, he'd ask three times in person!
He just didn't believe that with all that effort, Suárez could still be lured away to Barcelona.
Sure, Barcelona was a beautiful, livable city. But London had its own allure—who's to say Suárez's wife wouldn't be tempted by the idea of settling down in the British capital?
After completing his mission, Li Ang openly hugged Suárez on the pitch. Under Gerrard's watchful eye, he swaggered off to join his teammates for the post-match salute.
Naturally, the ever-curious reporters swarmed around him, eager to know what he and Suárez had discussed.
"I was just comforting Luis. They've had a rough season. Honestly, it's a shame that a club with Liverpool's tradition won't be playing Champions League football next year.
Transfer rumors? Oh no, I'm not involved in any of that. You know how it is—transfer gossip comes up every year, doesn't it?
Luis is still 100% a Liverpool player, and he told me he's very happy there. I just gave him a bit of encouragement, that's all…"
There wasn't a single flaw to be found in Li Ang's statement.
But that night, the transfer rumors linking Suárez to Chelsea exploded across the media once again.
Only this time, unlike earlier in the season, the speculation didn't die down quickly.
Liverpool's PR department scrambled to put out fires, issuing denials left and right. Chelsea, meanwhile, remained completely silent.
Don't ask. Ask and the answer was: Chelsea were focused on preparing for the upcoming FA Cup final against Arsenal and had no time for outside distractions.
It was a perfectly reasonable explanation—but they still didn't deny the transfer rumors.
In truth, this was the club's unofficial way of testing the waters.
Arsenal had done the exact same thing last season. Before submitting an official bid, rumors of Suárez to Arsenal had flooded the media.
By comparison, Chelsea's approach was practically subtle.
If Liverpool's management had any sense, they were already bracing themselves for Suárez's likely departure this summer.
After all, when Suárez agreed to renew his contract with Liverpool last year, he had been adamant about only signing on for two more years.
Now, there's only one year left on that deal.
So Liverpool has two options: part on good terms and cash in on a major transfer fee to reinvest in the squad, or keep him for one last season and risk letting another club snatch him up for free.
The gains and losses—well, that's up to Liverpool's executives to weigh…
Meanwhile, most of Chelsea's regular starters were once again given a break. Even with a rescheduled league match against Arsenal coming up, Mourinho had no hesitation in allowing his main players to rest.
The media had hyped this makeup fixture as hugely important.
But in terms of the league standings, it meant nothing—both Chelsea and Arsenal were locked into their final positions.
Still, with the FA Cup final just around the corner, this game could easily be seen as a tactical dress rehearsal between the two sides.
Arsenal, for their part, were taking it very seriously.
They had been thoroughly stifled by Chelsea's tactics in previous encounters, and if they wanted to change the narrative, experimenting during this match might be their best shot.
On the afternoon of May 20th, Mourinho led his team across the city to the Emirates Stadium.
At the pre-match press conference the day before, he'd done something rare—he publicly announced the 18-man squad list a full day in advance.
Of those eighteen, only six were first-team regulars. The rest were backups or academy players.
This was largely expected by the media.
But when Chelsea's starting eleven was revealed just before kickoff, journalists across the board were stunned.
Of the six regulars named in the squad, only Li Ang was in the starting lineup!
The other five were benched—meaning Arsenal would be facing what was essentially Chelsea's second team.
Was this a sign of disrespect? Or was Mourinho hiding something?
Reporters in the press box were all thinking the same thing.
Even Arsène Wenger, upon seeing the lineup, was thrown off balance.
With kickoff imminent, there wasn't time for major tactical changes. Wenger had no choice but to tell his players to adjust on the fly.
If they couldn't crack Chelsea's system, at least they could try to break Chelsea's undefeated league record.
If they could manage that, Wenger felt it would still be worth it.
At 3:00 p.m., the whistle blew and the match kicked off at the Emirates.
Chelsea immediately dropped deep into a defensive posture.
But Arsenal, having suffered enough from Chelsea's deadly counterattacks in the past, didn't overcommit this time. They pressed forward cautiously.
Li Ang chuckled to himself watching Arsenal's midfielders "battle it out with air."
He remained deep, in a holding position, not bothering to instruct his teammates to press.
Ten minutes passed without incident. Arsenal, seeing no early counterattacks from Chelsea, began pushing up more aggressively.
With their spot in the top four already secure, Arsenal's attacking had become more sluggish in recent weeks. Cavani's goal-scoring rate had plummeted.
As of now, he was still two goals behind Li Ang's 27 in the Premier League. Without a breakthrough in this match, his chances of catching up with a hat-trick in the final round were slim to none.
So from the opening whistle, Cavani positioned himself high and constantly signaled for the ball.
But just like when Chelsea players had force-fed passes to Li Ang only for him to underperform, Cavani's desperation made Chelsea's job even easier.
The more he pushed for chances, the tighter Chelsea's defenders marked him.
Everyone could see Arsenal's entire attack revolved around feeding Cavani, so Chelsea simply concentrated their defensive efforts on him.
Soon, both teams settled into a tactical back-and-forth in Chelsea's half.
But Arsenal's attacks lacked variety—it was all bark and no bite.
In the first 30 minutes, Cavani forced six shots, but only two were on target. His efficiency was abysmal.
Chelsea's defenders had no trouble dealing with that kind of predictable offense.
Wenger noticed, and called Cazorla over on the sideline. No one knew what he said.
During a stoppage, Cazorla whispered a few words to Cavani.
In the final minutes of the half, Cavani finally calmed down. He stopped rushing shots and started fulfilling his role as a proper center-forward.
But it was too late. Arsenal's offense only began to show signs of life when the halftime whistle blew.
After a short 15-minute break, Arsenal tried to resume their siege—but Chelsea had changed gears completely.
They shifted from passive defending to high pressing and quick counters!
Chelsea rolled out their signature all-out pressing, frantically raising the tempo. Arsenal's defenders were left spinning!
Even without their usual attacking trio, the combination of Lukaku and Salah on the flanks packed plenty of punch.
With Drogba acting as the central pivot and Li Ang surging forward from midfield, Chelsea's counterattacks were lethal!
And Wenger failed to respond in time.
Arsenal's back line grew increasingly shaky. Their midfielders didn't track back quickly enough, leaving their defenders to fend for themselves.
Under heavy pressure, young right-back Bellerín made a costly mistake. When Lukaku received the ball and drove into the box, Bellerín instinctively bodied up hard.
Now, Lukaku wasn't as skilled at drawing fouls in the box as Hazard or Salah.
But Bellerín practically gift-wrapped the opportunity. The two tangled and fell—Bellerín threw up his hands in protest, but the referee pointed straight to the spot.
Wenger froze. Cavani looked absolutely distraught.
Li Ang hadn't expected such a gift. Laughing, he patted Lukaku's big bald head and praised him over and over.
After the referee separated the arguing players, Li Ang calmly walked into the box with the ball in his hands and stared down Arsenal's backup keeper, Ospina.
The Colombian was a solid shot-stopper, but his 1.83m height was a limiting factor.
Li Ang paused briefly, then made his decision.
When the whistle blew, he sprinted up and smashed the ball toward the top left corner!
No disguise, no mind games—just raw power!
Ospina dove valiantly, but his arm was just a fraction too short.
Back in Madrid, Iker Casillas had taught Li Ang this very penalty technique—powerful, pinpoint strikes that goalkeepers hate the most.
Ospina, though similar in size to Casillas, lacked the same reflexes and explosiveness.
No surprise—the ball flew into the top corner!
Li Ang had just scored his 28th Premier League goal of the season.
At the Emirates, he roared and celebrated with his teammates!
Now that Cavani and Suárez were still stuck at 25 and 26 goals respectively, catching up to Li Ang was practically impossible!
From the touchline, Mourinho stood and applauded with a confident smile.
Hide tactics?
Maybe against other clubs, Mourinho might consider that.
But against Arsenal?
Chelsea never hides their tactics.
Never.
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