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Live Stream Chat.
"Playing Lacazette as an attacking midfielder? What kind of new tactic is this?"
"You can always trust Professor Wenger—he'll definitely lead us to victory over Liverpool!"
"Let's win the Premier League again! The finances are finally stabilizing, it's time for another title!"
"We Arsenal are unbeatable~"
Arsenal fans in the live chat were brimming with confidence. Three straight wins to start the season had showcased the team's explosive attacking power and beautiful collective play.
Hosting Liverpool at home, Arsenal were clearly looking to take full advantage of the time, place, and momentum on their side.
At this moment, Leo Lin stood waiting in the players' tunnel, following behind the starting lineup. Beside him was Alexis Sánchez, Arsenal's current talisman.
Sánchez took the initiative and extended his hand toward Leo Lin.
"Play well."
Leo Lin returned the gesture with a thumbs-up. He smiled on the surface, but inwardly sneered, Just wait, kid. I'll show you exactly how I deal with you.
Although Sánchez was primarily a wide player, he frequently drifted into the attacking midfield area, excelling at controlling the tempo and opening up attacking lanes for his team.
With Henderson sitting deep as the lone holding midfielder, it was impossible for him to cover Sánchez alone. At key moments, Leo Lin would also have to track back and defend.
Both teams took the field. Leo Lin walked step by step out of the Arsenal players' tunnel, feeling the solid concrete beneath his feet give way to soft grass.
Blinding floodlights poured down from above. The Emirates Stadium was deafening, with Arsenal fans in home colors waving flags wildly and roaring their support for their team.
Jon Champion's familiar voice rang out through the broadcast.
"This match is being played at the Emirates Stadium, which replaced Arsenal's former home, Highbury."
"That's why Henry was once known as the 'King of Highbury.'"
"Since 2006, Arsenal have used the Emirates Stadium, which can hold just over 60,000 spectators and is one of England's top-tier venues."
"Here, Arsenal supporters can generate an incredibly intense match atmosphere for their team."
Leo Lin could genuinely feel the immense psychological pressure. The roar of sixty thousand fans was overwhelming.
In an environment like this, simply performing at your normal level was already an achievement.
Referee Oliver raised his hand to signal both teams were ready, then blew the whistle to start the match.
"Beep!!!"
"The match is underway!"
"Arsenal kick off!"
"Back to Xhaka, who organizes play in midfield."
"Xhaka is a real bad boy—experienced on the pitch, skilled at provoking opponents with little tricks, and completely unafraid of physical confrontations."
"Liverpool's high press is very aggressive, Emre Can steps up to apply pressure on Xhaka."
"A sideways pass, now to Ramsey. He controls the ball in place and, under pressure, calmly plays it back to Koscielny."
Jon Champion nodded as he spoke.
"This is classic Arsenal. They have the ability to suddenly raise the tempo of a match and break through defenses with quick one-touch combinations."
"When they decide to attack, every pass goes forward. They never drag out the rhythm."
Liverpool were well aware of Arsenal's style and played cautiously, keeping their shape compact at all times.
Even when executing a high press, their front, midfield, and defense moved as one.
"Liverpool are using a high-pressure defensive system right now. It's relatively rare in football and one of the hardest defensive tactics to execute."
"This system demands that the front, middle, and back lines maintain precise distances, leaving no room for opponents to carry the ball into counterattacks. But when it works, the results are excellent."
"Usually, only top teams dare to use this kind of tactic."
Arsenal remained patient, first securing possession and waiting for openings to appear.
Up front, Sánchez used relentless off-the-ball movement to disrupt Liverpool's defensive structure.
13th minute!
"A straight pass through the middle! Henderson fails to intercept—it falls to Sánchez!"
"He takes it wide and keeps driving, cutting inside!"
"Sánchez's dribbling is textbook, and Leo Lin is closing him down!"
Leo Lin sprinted back to defend, cutting off Sánchez's forward momentum.
Despite his strength, Leo Lin felt the pressure when facing the extremely agile Sánchez, whose center of gravity shifted in an instant.
All he could do was constantly reach out—tugging, jostling, and subtly disrupting Sánchez's balance. It was a common sight in the Premier League.
Though he couldn't win the ball cleanly, Leo Lin kept his body planted firmly in front of Sánchez, denying him any space to shoot or pass.
After twisting and turning, Sánchez had no choice but to play the ball backward. By then, all Liverpool players had dropped back into position, re-forming a complete defensive chain.
"A wonderful piece of cover defending. Leo Lin has been excellent."
"Arsenal's passing is very aggressive. Every Liverpool player has to be ready to increase their running and provide cover at any moment."
Arsenal began increasing the frequency of their direct passes, trying to rip through Liverpool's horizontal defensive structure with vertical penetration.
Two completely different tactical approaches collided on the pitch. The tempo gradually increased, and the physical battles became more intense.
30th minute!
Arsenal looked to launch another attack straight from midfield. Ramsey carried the ball forward.
Under pressure from Henderson, he chose a lateral pass to Xhaka. Xhaka took one touch and immediately chipped a through ball over the top.
Sánchez timed his run perfectly, beat the offside trap, surged forward to collect the ball, and burst into the penalty area.
Just as he tried to cushion the ball and turn, Lovren arrived in time with a sliding tackle to block him!
The ball stayed with Arsenal, and every eye in the stadium was locked onto Sánchez.
After the block, Sánchez took two quick steps to regain control, then played it back toward Xhaka.
Xhaka received it and lifted his leg, ready to shoot!
At that instant, Leo Lin stretched out a leg and poked the ball away.
Xhaka immediately tried to win it back, but Leo Lin used his powerful body to shield the ball completely!
No matter how hard Xhaka barged into him from behind, Leo Lin stood firm, unmoved!
The referee blew his whistle for a foul.
Humiliated and furious, Xhaka shoved Leo Lin hard after the whistle.
Leo Lin felt a surge of anger rise from deep in his core.
He turned his head. He said nothing. His expression didn't change. He simply stared calmly at Xhaka.
That calm, expressionless gaze felt like the ultimate insult.
Xhaka instantly went into a red-hot rage, roaring as he charged toward Leo Lin. Arsenal players rushed in immediately to hold him back.
Only then did Leo Lin show an expression.
He smiled.
A mocking, contemptuous smile.
His eyes stayed locked on the raging Xhaka, burning with fury yet unable to do anything. Leo Lin laughed openly, without restraint.
Once play resumed, Leo Lin made up his mind—he was going after Xhaka.
This so-called bad boy was about to learn what a true young tough guy looked like.
"Xhaka on the ball—he looks like he's got a personal grudge against Leo Lin!"
"He tries to force his way forward, but gets shoved aside by Leo Lin again on the right!"
"Leo Lin really reminds me of how he handled Matic before. Against the Premier League's bad boy, he's showing absolutely no fear," Jon Champion said with a laugh.
"It's like he's pointing at Xhaka's nose and saying: 'Kid, watch how I deal with you.'"
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(60 Chapters Ahead)
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