Chapter 773: Cruyff Turn! The Emperor's New Clothes! Grueling Christmas Schedule! Respect Isn't Earned by Begging on Your Knees

Chapter 773: Chapter 141: Cruyff Turn! The Emperor’s New Clothes! Grueling Christmas Schedule! Respect Isn’t Earned by Begging on Your Knees

As the league progressed to the final match before Christmas, the overall situation had become quite clear. The distinction between the strong and the weak, the stable and the chaotic, was now fully on display.

Take the 17th round of the Premier League, for instance.

While Liverpool missed a penalty away from home to draw 0-0 with Wigan Athletic, and Chelsea was held to a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United crushed Fulham 5-0 on the road. Meanwhile, Manchester City defeated Stoke City 3-0 at home.

The Manchester duo remained the most competitive teams in the Premier League this season.

Red Devils Manchester United’s greatest reliance was on Ferguson. No one knew what kind of Magic he used. Regardless, he consistently managed to make Manchester United play at a tactical and technical level far beyond what their seemingly unimpressive lineup suggested. Perhaps it was due to a goal within the first five minutes, or perhaps it was something else entirely. No one knew for sure.

Manchester City’s greatest asset was their peerless, star-studded squad. Even with two matches a week, some argued that if you split Manchester City’s roster into two separate teams, both would still have the strength to push for a top-four finish in the Premier League—or even the title.

Armed with their core strengths, the Manchester duo pulled off massive, decisive victories while other teams stumbled and dropped points, leaving the rest of the pack in the dust.

So, what about Arsenal?

The bizarre Arsenal mirrored this bizarre Premier League season! It was still that same bizarre away form, that same bizarre left flank!

In this round, the Gunners were playing away against Aston Villa. Unexpectedly, just 5 minutes and 53 seconds into the match, Arsenal’s left-side defense faltered.

After Enzobia forced a Breakthrough past Gibbs, he sent a cross to the far post. Striker Agbonlahor quickly made a Breakthrough to the near post and delivered a header, aiming straight for the near corner. Szczeny failed to pull off a miraculous save, and the ball found the back of the net. 1-0!

Conceding a goal right at the start—and from the left flank, no less—was a hellish beginning for the Gunners. In the past, such a disastrous start would have left countless Arsenal fans weeping in despair, or even dropping dead on the spot from the sheer shock. The reason was simple: the Gunners had a notoriously weak ability to play from behind.

But what about this season?

Despite being down 1-0, the Arsenal fans who traveled to Villa Park Stadium, the viewers watching on television, and even the Sky Sports commentators didn’t take it to heart at all.

“Well, as expected, Arsenal’s defensive issues still lie on the left flank.

“This problem has cropped up multiple times this season. Wenger has stated that there are no suitable left-backs available in the current transfer market, and moreover, young Gibbs is a key player the team is focusing on developing.

“Fans know that defenders are generally forged through being battered on the pitch.

“In this regard, Wenger’s attitude toward Gibbs is exactly the same as Ferguson’s attitude toward players like Phil Jones, Smalling, and Evans. He hopes to see them get roughed up, gradually accumulate experience, and eventually reach their expected level of play.”

Everyone’s mindset remained completely stable. They weren’t anxious in the slightest. They had long since grown accustomed to this!

Even after securing a dream start, Aston Villa continued to ramp up their offensive pressure, hoping to topple the Armory in one fell swoop. However, Arsenal’s players on the pitch remained steady and composed. Unhurried, they patiently controlled possession and dictated the tempo.

It wasn’t until the 11th minute that Aston Villa created another dangerous opportunity. Once again, it was Enzobia attacking the Gunners’ left flank, and once again, he achieved a Breakthrough past Gibbs.

This time, however, Vermaelen stepped in just in time to mark Agbonlahor, forcing the Villa striker’s Shooting to veer so wide it practically flew from Birmingham all the way to London, posing absolutely no threat to Szczeny’s goal.

“The Gunners organized their defense quite well this time.

“After the chaos of conceding an early goal, I believe Arsenal is beginning to stabilize and find their rhythm.

“Now, it should be Arsenal’s turn to exert their strength.”

Everyone believed that Arsenal would never just roll over and surrender. Just as they had in their dozen or so previous matches this season, the Gunners were bound to turn the tide.

Not only did the fans in the stands, the viewers at home, and the Sky Sports commentators think this way, but the Arsenal players on the pitch shared the exact same sentiment. Because they knew that Arsenal’s greatest trump card never disappointed.

And then, in the 16th minute, Hazard created a Throw-In opportunity while making a dribbling Breakthrough down the left flank.

Gibbs stepped up, preparing to take a quick Throw-In, but Aston Villa pressed so tightly that he simply couldn’t find an open teammate to receive it. Just as Gibbs was feeling somewhat stumped, he saw Wang Shuo—who had originally been waiting near the left corner of the penalty area—suddenly yell, “Kieran!” while pointing toward the byline on the left side of the box.

Gibbs immediately spotted the opening. Without hesitation, he threw the ball with both hands toward the intersection of the penalty area line and the byline.

In reality, the ball was only halfway there when Wang Shuo sprinted out of the penalty box. Beating everyone to the spot, he expertly controlled the ball with the inside of his right foot. With his back facing the goal, he leaned his weight against Aston Villa’s center-back from Spain, Carlos Cuellar.

The 1.9-meter-tall Cuellar found himself blocked behind Wang Shuo. The two engaged in a physical tussle, but the defender failed to gain any advantage. Taking advantage of the momentum to push the ball one step forward, Wang Shuo suddenly executed a Cruyff Turn, nimbly flicking the ball toward the byline.

Spinning around, Wang Shuo launched himself forward like a released spring, instantly breaking past Cuellar’s defense. Reaching the byline, he drove the ball laterally straight into the penalty area.