"Yellow card! The referee has shown Petit a yellow card for that sliding tackle!" Andy Gray called out with some excitement. This had clearly become the most interesting episode in an otherwise dull match.
"Looking at the slow-motion replay, Petit's tackle clearly carried malicious intent, especially since it happened right after Vieira was nearly tripped. That makes people wonder whether Petit was retaliating on behalf of his teammate."
Martin Tyler, sitting beside him, nodded and said, "Petit's playing style has never exactly been clean. Previously, in a match against West Ham United, Vieira spat at the opposing player Ruddock and was suspended for 6 matches and fined 45,000 pounds by the FA. Since then, Petit has repeatedly protested the decision, claiming that the FA handled it unfairly and was biased against French players. It even caused a stir about him wanting to leave England. If Arsenal hadn't stepped in, I'm afraid the FA might have punished Petit as well."
"That was truly unnecessary. The referee is the authority on the pitch. Even if he makes a wrong call, players must respect and accept it. A veteran like Petit, who has seen it all, really shouldn't be so hot-headed," Andy Gray said with some regret.
By picking up a yellow card in a moment of retaliation, he had essentially planted a landmine under himself, and no one knew when it might explode.
"Judging by the flow of this match, New Manchester United clearly intended to provoke their opponents. Poulsen has clashed with Vieira several times, but I didn't expect Vieira to keep his cool while Petit was the one who got riled up," Martin Tyler laughed.
After that brief episode, the match continued.
Although Wenger kept signalling from the sidelines for his players to stay calm, slow the tempo, and give New Manchester United space to come out and attack, the state of the game made it difficult for the Arsenal players to drop back. New Manchester United kept their lines compact and stayed deep in their own half. Regardless of whether Arsenal attacked or not, they simply refused to come out.
It was precisely through this tactic, which left Arsenal with no clear way through, that the final ten minutes of the first half were ground away.
"The referee has blown the whistle for half-time. Both sides go into the break goalless. This match is completely different from Arsenal's usual style of play. It has been very dull and unappealing. If the second half continues in the same way as the first, I'm afraid the two sides will have to wait until next week's replay to decide the winner!"
Beside him, Martin Tyler shook his head in disagreement.
"I don't think so. Arsenal don't have that much time. I believe they would prefer to settle this in one go. I'm confident Wenger will make the right adjustments in the second half, perhaps by tweaking the flanks to revive one of their most active tactics this season: attacks from both wings."
"What about New Manchester United? Do you think they can still hold on once Arsenal get both flanks going?"
"It will be very difficult, but Bruce has certainly worked on this. He must have a way to cope."
"So, you believe that for New Manchester United, the second half is the most critical 45 minutes of this match?"
"Exactly. The match is only really beginning now!" Martin Tyler nodded.
"Lads, the match is only really beginning now!" In the New Manchester United dressing room, Bruce shared the same thought as Martin Tyler.
The players were all panting heavily. Although New Manchester United had been pinned in their own half defending throughout the first half, all the players had been required to stay highly focused, constantly pressing and defending for their lives, which consumed a huge amount of energy.
"Arsenal will definitely make adjustments in the second half. They will try every possible way to open up the flanks, especially their right-sided attack. So, Ivica, Patrice, your tasks in the second half will be even heavier than in the first."
"Don't worry, Boss. We won't give the Arsenal players a chance!" Evra gritted his teeth and said.
"That's right, Boss!" Olić clenched his fist as well. As he spoke, his tongue kept darting in and out, a habit of his breathing. It was said that people with this trait were particularly good runners.
"Ribeiro, Michael, while you cover the left flank in the second half, you also need to keep an eye on the right. So your tasks are just as heavy!"
Juninho immediately nodded in agreement. Essien, however, hesitated and seemed to have something on his mind, but he quickly agreed as well.
"Lads, we performed excellently in the first half. We successfully froze the attack of Premier League giants Arsenal, but that is far from enough. What we need to do is freeze them completely for 90 minutes and give them no chances. So we must continue to work hard in the second half. Believe me, lads, as long as we withstand their attacks, we will have a chance to win!"
"Before the second half begins, let's take a look at the first-half statistics. Arsenal had 19 shots, but 14 of them were long-range efforts from outside the box, while New Manchester United didn't have a single shot. The possession ratio was 25% to 75%, which objectively reflects the gap in strength between the two sides in the first half!"
"But the score is still 0-0!" Martin Tyler laughed.
Andy Gray also gave a wry smile. "Exactly. New Manchester United's defensive wall has completely neutralised Arsenal. But as you just said, Wenger will definitely make adjustments to this situation. Next, let's take a look at the distance covered by the New Manchester United players."
"Ah, Martin, take a guess. Who are the top three New Manchester United players in terms of total distance covered?" Andy Gray asked, sounding surprised.
"To be honest, I'm not very familiar with this team. But based on the data I have, I'd guess Essien, Poulsen, and Olić. These three players are the best runners in the New Manchester United team. In addition, Evra is also a great runner, but in this match, he has basically been tucked in around his own penalty area, so he hasn't covered too much distance."
"You guessed two of them correctly, Martin," Andy Gray said, keeping the suspense.
"Which two?" Martin Tyler asked, his interest piqued.
"Essien and Olić. They are indeed in the top three for distance covered on the pitch. Olić is first, and Essien is third."
"Then who is second?"
Andy Gray chuckled and said, "I was also surprised. The second-highest distance covered is actually the Brazilian midfielder, Juninho."
"Him?" Martin Tyler was surprised.
"Yes. Besides that, he also contributed 4 tackles and completed 28 of his 34 passes. Although he didn't create any threats, he performed well. At the very least, you can tell he is working extremely hard."
"But in my impression, he doesn't seem like such a strong runner," Martin Tyler said with a wry smile.
"I think so too," Andy Gray nodded. Just then, a highlight replay showed a clip of Juninho tackling Vieira. "Tsk, tsk. Is this still that Brazilian midfielder who was considered frail?"
"But this makes me even more convinced that New Manchester United intend to defend to the end!"
Even Juninho, who usually did not run much, had covered the second-most distance on the team. What about the others?
"Alright, Martin, the second half is about to begin. The players from both sides have returned to the pitch one after another. We can see that Arsenal have indeed made a change. Parlour is off, and the Swedish speedster Ljungberg has come on."
Upon hearing this, Martin Tyler immediately chimed in, "This is a tactical substitution from Wenger to strengthen the right-sided attack. Ljungberg can create breakthroughs on the flank and complement Henry on the left. In this way, it is bound to reduce the defensive pressure on Henry. And once that pressure is reduced, given the individual ability of Henry and Ljungberg, New Manchester United will likely find it very difficult to contain these two players."
"Things are looking a bit ominous, Ethan!" Beckham, in the stands, clearly shared Martin Tyler's view.
Ethan also furrowed his brows. After all, he had been a club owner for over a year and had watched football for many years. He could still see the effect of such an obvious substitution.
This was exactly the kind of change that could bring new life to a game.
"Is this Ljungberg very good?" Eva asked, feeling a little strange when she saw Ethan's expression.
Beckham shook his head with a wry smile. "Things on the football pitch aren't that simple. Bringing on a player like Ljungberg could very well change the entire situation. It's not just the right flank. The left and the centre could also be completely liberated!"
Yes, Steve, do you have a way to deal with this?
Ethan looked down at Bruce, who was standing outside the technical area. Wenger, meanwhile, was sitting in the dugout, clearly very confident in his substitution.
And in fact, Martin Tyler, Beckham, and Wenger were all correct. As soon as Ljungberg came on, he immediately activated Arsenal's right-sided attack.
Ljungberg was different from Parlour. Parlour could run, but his dribbling speed and crossing ability on the flank were not especially good. Ljungberg, however, was a true wide player and a very well-rounded one. After receiving the ball, he could either cross from the byline or cut inside to shoot, and both were his specialties.
With Ljungberg on the right flank drawing defensive attention, Henry on the left also felt a sense of relief and became more active. Behind him was Ashley Cole, who was equally quick and eager to get forward.
At the start of the second half, Arsenal launched several threatening attacks from the right flank. Ljungberg, having just come on, was full of energy and performed very actively, immediately launching fierce raids against New Manchester United's left-side defence.
Although Evra's speed was not inferior to Ljungberg's, he was clearly lacking in experience, making it very difficult for him to cope. Fortunately, Olić and Essien frequently dropped back to the left to help defend, just barely managing to block Arsenal's right-sided attacks.
But Vieira and Petit, who controlled the rhythm of Arsenal's attacks, were very smart. Just when everyone thought Arsenal were going to focus on the right flank, they switched the ball after Ljungberg's back pass to the left, handing it to the overlapping Ashley Cole.
After receiving the ball, Ashley Cole dribbled into New Manchester United's half. Henry cut into the heart of the defence, and after a clever one-two with Ashley Cole, Cole reached the byline.
Kanu and Bergkamp, supporting in the centre, sprinted desperately toward the penalty area. Abidal and Distin marked them tightly, while right-back Stenson stood in front of Ashley Cole, holding his position to prevent him from entering the box.
But just when everyone thought Ashley Cole was going to cross, he unexpectedly passed the ball back to Henry on the edge of the penalty area.
Poulsen moved up to close him down, but Henry cleverly created space and gently nudged the ball aside. A dark figure came whistling in from the side, and with a swing of his leg, unleashed a long-range shot!
(To be continued.)