novelraw Chapter 573 - 392: The Decisive Kill to Win the Trophy! Leaping lightly over the heads of four people, finally bringing the ball into the goal!
Chapter 573 - 392: The Decisive Kill to Win the Trophy! Leaping lightly over the heads of four people, finally bringing the ball into the goal!
Just when the Manchester City players were preparing to launch a furious attack in the final 10 minutes, to kick Arsenal into the abyss, a wave of intense fatigue suddenly washed over everyone.
On the flank, Sterling’s forward runs began to slow down, and after a sprint, he couldn’t help but bend over, resting his hands on his knees, panting for breath.
Toure’s stamina had reached its limit.
His focus was somewhat blurred, and in a simple aerial duel, he even completely missed the ball!
Kolarov on the left flank was clearly worn out.
In the 83rd minute, after Tang Long delivered a through pass, Kolarov, unmarked on the flank, sent a cross flying into the stands, drawing jeers from the Arsenal fans in the stands.
And Tang Long was feeling the fatigue as well!
His heart was pounding intensely, even standing still he could clearly feel the pounding sound in his chest.
This was the effect of a bad night’s sleep.
Last night, enthusiastic Arsenal fans kept Manchester City players awake by setting off fireworks and triggering the smoke alarms with off-the-field antics.
Although at the start, the entire Manchester City team was united, determined to defeat their opponents and render these off-the-field strategies null;
Yet as the match approached the 80th minute, the off-the-field antics began to show their effects.
Even Tang Long himself made two passing errors, failing to connect with the newly substituted Agüero.
Agüero, although not well-rested from the previous night, had just come onto the field and had no stamina issues, causing him to jump in frustration.
"Tang, what’s going on? This isn’t your usual standard!"
Tang Long had dedicated the most energetic first 10 minutes to center forward Bony, but unfortunately, the Ivorian star wasn’t up to par; although he scored a goal from Tang Long’s assist, he squandered at least three sure-goal opportunities.
In such a high-stakes match against a strong team, Bony’s temperament was still not as good as Agüero’s. After all, the latter had experienced the miracle of 9320 and possessed a more resilient heart.
But this mismatch of stamina meant that the opportunities available to Agüero after he came on were actually fewer than those Bony had before being substituted.
Beads of sweat dripped from Tang Long’s forehead.
The sweat trickled down his cheeks into his eyes, and the saltiness even caused a slight stinging sensation.
He gritted his teeth, wiping the sweat off his face with one hand.
But at that moment, a sentence from his agent, the famous player Ronaldo, echoed in his mind—
The outcome of the match is decided in the last 10 minutes!
He could grit his teeth and, with lead-heavy legs, muster the strength to charge forward again...
"Stick to them, they’re running out of steam!"
On the sidelines, Arsenal substitute Podolski shouted from the edge of the field.
Having fought in countless battles and made more than 100 appearances for the German national team, although his physical condition declined with age, his rich experience allowed him to keenly observe the comparative states of the players on both sides of the pitch.
Realizing that the stamina of the Manchester City players was reaching its critical point, Podolski believed the opportunity had come!
He immediately requested to be brought on from Arsenal’s coach Wenger.
The opinions of the mentor and student were in complete agreement.
Finally, reaching the critical point of the opponent’s stamina, Professor Wenger decided to make a tactical adjustment, substituting Cazorla off and putting Podolski on.
"Since Pellegrini has deciphered my set-piece tactics, keeping Cazorla on the pitch is useless. Substituting Podolski to push the counterattack might have a magical effect!"
In the 85th minute, Podolski came on as a substitute.
He ran onto the field full of enthusiasm and excitement, forming a stark contrast to his former teammate Tang Long, who was visibly exhausted with his entire jersey soaked through.
"Podolski is on the field!"
"Just now he brushed past his former Inter Milan teammate Tang Long, without any verbal exchange between the two."
"Podolski definitely has no stamina issues, which is an advantage for him being on the pitch."
"It seems Wenger had held onto the last substitution card until the 85th minute, leaving a strategic reserve!"
"Will Podolski change the game? Let’s wait and see!"
Seeing his team unable to break through, Pellegrini was getting a bit restless.
Especially since Toure’s stamina had reached its limit.
Normally, he would bring on Fernando;
However, due to issues with Tang Long, this player was sidelined by the team. Pellegrini looked once more at Delph on the bench but still felt uneasy, opting to leave Toure on the pitch, hoping he could grit through these last few minutes.
Soon, Pellegrini made his final substitution adjustment.
An exhausted Sterling was substituted off for Iheanacho.
Switching from a single forward to a double forward formation.
Among them, Iheanacho, taller and stronger, stood as the center forward;
While the shorter, more agile, and faster Agüero moved around Iheanacho.
At the same time, Pellegrini instructed Tang Long to get as close as possible to the three of them, forming a triangular position, demanding a chemical reaction between them.
Evidently, the Chilean was also pressing Arsenal hard, aiming to finish the match within the 90 minutes without going into overtime!
This adjustment revitalized Manchester City’s attacking line!
The two newly substituted forward players, full of energy and actively moving, brought Manchester City’s attacking prowess roaring back.