Okay, larry is right, let's return to this match.
Arsenal fielded their familiar 442 formation.
Goalkeeper: Szczęsny.
Defenders: Sagna, Varane, Koscielny, Clichy.
Midfielders: Alexandre Song, Wilshere, Fabregas, Rosicky.
Forwards: Fly, Van Persie.
Everton, on the other hand, fielded a 631 formation.
Goalkeeper: Howard.
Defenders: Rodwell, Coleman, Phil Neville, Distin, Heitinga, Baines.
Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta.
Louis Saha.
We can see that Everton has directly deployed an ultimate defensive formation for this match, six defenders, it's simply outrageous...
It seems Moyes is aiming to end Arsenal's winning streak in this match...
Larry, on the side, clicked his tongue, shook his head, and said helplessly:
This makes things difficult...
A mid-table Premier League team, determined to park the bus, even the strongest team might not be able to break through their goal.
This match is a major test of Arsenal's ability to break down a compact defense!
Of course, I believe Fly will achieve a breakthrough for the team in this difficult situation; this is the responsibility and ability of a superstar.
james nodded upon hearing this, noncommittal about Larry's statement.
He had always felt that Larry was simply flattering Fly too much.
Even if Fly is truly strong, facing a six-defender lineup would make his scalp tingle...
Alright, the match has started, let's get into the game...
Accompanied by the Main Referee's whistle, this match, which held significant record-breaking meaning for both Arsenal and Fly, kicked off.
The moment Fly saw Everton's lineup, he also felt a bit uneasy.
After all, facing a team determined to force a draw against Arsenal, even with a cheat, it was hard for Fly to guarantee he could score.
He didn't have conceptual cheats like 'Guaranteed Long Shot Goal Card' or 'Guaranteed Goal from Inside the Small Box'.
Even the 'Black Whistle Buster' had prerequisites...
If the Main Referee didn't blow a black whistle, this skill of his couldn't be used.
Furthermore, Fly wouldn't use valuable items in a League match like this, which wouldn't actually have much impact on the final outcome.
Ultimately, this match was primarily very meaningful for Arsenal...
Because if Arsenal won this match, they could break Inter Milan's 17-game winning streak and stand alone at the top.
If they really missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it would be uncertain if such an opportunity would arise again in the future...
As for Fly's personal goal record, this match didn't really make a difference.
If he could score, that would naturally be best.
If he couldn't, it would just mean waiting for one more match...
Fly wasn't in a hurry; the ones truly anxious were the media reporters from Fleet Street.
They desperately wanted Fly to break the single-season goal record in the European top 5 leagues soon, so they would have something to write about.
Phew... relax, let nature take its course, don't put pressure on yourself, there's no need, this is just an ordinary League match...
After comforting himself internally, Fly slowed his heartbeat and gradually immersed himself in the match.
The 5th minute of the match.
In a challenge, Wilshere knocked down Fellaini and was immediately shown a yellow card by the Main Referee.
This decision was immediately met with boos from the fans in the stadium; clearly, Arsenal fans felt the action didn't warrant a yellow card.
Especially showing a card right at the start of the match, this was simply deliberately targeting Arsenal!
Seeing this scene, Fly couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Oh ho... the Main Referee is preparing to exert influence in this match?
He really found a good opportunity!
After complaining inwardly about the little schemes of the Football Association and the Premier League, Fly continued to focus on the match.
He knew very well that the more this was the case, the less he could afford to rush...
Due to the special nature of this match, Arsenal's players would more or less be anxious, wanting to score early and finish the game.
As long as they had this thought, the impatient emotions would inevitably spread to the players' actions, allowing the Main Referee to make targeted calls at just the right time.
With this sequence of events, it would basically be a pipe dream for Arsenal to win this match...
The 14th minute of the match.
Through repeated movements in the midfield and attack, Arsenal finally delivered a low through ball from Fabregas that pierced Everton's defense, and Fly initiated a lightning-fast run, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Everton.
At the critical moment, Everton defender Distin directly fouled Fly, killing this fatal threat.
The Main Referee did not turn a blind eye to the foul on Fly but decisively showed Distin a yellow card.
The latter shrugged indifferently, clearly feeling that this foul was well worth it...
Finally, Distin even provoked the getting-up Fly, saying, 'Kid, don't even think about scoring in this match, I'm telling you!'
Fly glanced at this nobody and retorted directly,'Sorry, I don't understand what dogs are saying; after all, I'm a human. Please speak human language from now on, thank you...'
'You damn American, despicable...'
Seeing that Fly and Distin were on the verge of a conflict, the Main Referee immediately stepped forward to warn them, preventing a potential clash.
Fabregas took the ball, made a slight adjustment, and took a curved free-kick, but unfortunately, the ball didn't clear the wall, and Arsenal missed a free-kick scoring opportunity.
The 24th minute of the match.
The thing Arsenal players worried about the most happened.
Everton midfielder Fellaini intercepted the ball from Alexandre Song in Arsenal's midfield and immediately launched a counter-attack.
Varane and Koscielny made a marking error at a crucial moment, allowing Everton forward Louis Saha an unchallenged one-on-one opportunity.
Facing the rushing Szczęsny, Saha showed no hesitation, like an assassin delivering a fatal blow, calmly pushing the ball towards the far post, sending it into Arsenal's goal.
Everton took the lead at Emirates Stadium, temporarily leading Arsenal 1-0.
GOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!
Number 8, Louis Saha!!!
Oh my god, unbelievable, who would have thought that the team with a six-defender formation, Everton, would score first.
Now, Arsenal is in big trouble... If they want to win this match, they must score 2 goals in the next 70 minutes and not concede any more.
Otherwise, their Premier League winning streak will stop at 17 consecutive wins, missing out on breaking the record.
I believe Arsenal's players must be unwilling to give up; they have come this far with great difficulty, so how could they just let such a precious opportunity slip away?
Arsenal's players need to find a way; Fly, it's time for you to step up...
Seeing the Everton players celebrating wildly at Emirates Stadium, Fly's face turned somewhat gloomy.
Damn it, the defense is truly messed up!
They inexplicably let someone through again.
Shaking his head, Fly cast aside the negative emotions in his heart, then called out to his teammates, telling them to cheer up and prepare for a comeback.
'Heh, Fly, we have six defenders in this match, how are you going to make a comeback?'
Distin, who had just clashed with Fly, couldn't help but mock him upon hearing what Fly said while encouraging his teammates.
In his opinion, as long as Everton solidified their defense and parked the bus for the next 70 minutes, they would win this match.
No matter how strong Arsenal's firepower was, they couldn't possibly score two goals against them!
Moreover, parking the bus didn't mean Everton had completely given up on attacking.
Perhaps when Arsenal pushed forward entirely, Everton could still find one or two opportunities to counter-attack.
At that time, with their defense exposed, what would Arsenal use to defend against Everton's counter-attack?
Fly couldn't be bothered to pay attention to such a clown, simply turning his back on him and letting him figure it out himself.
'Damn it, arrogant American, what's so great about you...'
For the remainder of the time, the match between the two sides completely turned into a half-field attack-defense drill.
Everton directly placed 7 to 8 players in the penalty area; this tortoise-shell-like defense completely stumped Arsenal's players...
It was also Fly's first time encountering such an extreme parked bus, and he was at a loss for a moment.
The 45th minute of the match.
Rosicky stepped on the future Arsenal manager Arteta during a challenge and was shown a yellow card by the Main Referee.
Subsequently, the Main Referee blew the whistle for halftime, with Everton temporarily leading Arsenal 1-0.
After returning to the locker room, Fly was very dissatisfied with his performance and directly said to Wilshere and Fabregas:
'Guys, after the 60th minute of the second half, just pass the ball to me, and I'll take care of the match!'
Hearing this, Wilshere and Fabregas nodded in agreement.
Because they knew that Fly seemed to have a knack for scoring between the 60th and 70th minute of the match, basically scoring in this timeframe in almost every game.
Not only did they realize this, but Wenger also discovered this through big data analysis.
So now Arsène Wenger wasn't anxious at all, because although the score seemed to be 0-1 down, it was actually a 1-1 draw.
After all, Fly had a built-in one-goal attribute; if he really needed to make adjustments, he would only wait until after the 70th minute.
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