From Arsenal to the Ball God

Chapter 218 69: Signing a New Contract! Sky-High Signing Bonus! Premier League Round 2 vs Liverpool! (Part 3)

The Big 6 showdown is coming!

The Liverpool team has arrived at the Emirates Stadium and is warming up where they shot their photos this morning, waiting for this highly anticipated match!

This match is bound to be thrilling and exciting!

Ma'el is very excited; he really wants to go head-to-head with the Premier League's top team's wing-backs and hopes to strike through their goal at home.

This is a great team, arguably the most illustrious team in the history of the England league, having won the top league championship 18 times and the Champions League 5 times, challenging for these honors every year.

The current Liverpool manager Dalglish is one of the team's legendary players, having won the Champions League three times with the team.

Going up against this team and playing in front of their legends... naturally, it's quite an experience.

"Liverpool...! Liverpool...!!"

As the bus slowly approached the vicinity of the Emirates Stadium, Ma'el heard cheers from Liverpool fans outside, with many people crowding around the barriers, raising their hands as a sign of demonstration.

The atmosphere of the match is heating up as Arsenal fans also arrive nearby, gathering for the first bout of off-the-field rivalry with the Liverpool supporters.

Ma'el followed the bus into the underground parking lot, took the elevator up to the stadium, and began warm-up activities.

He saw the opposing lineup featuring veterans like Reina, Kuyt, and new rising stars like Suarez and Henderson.

Seeing them wearing their jerseys... the thought of competing with them energized him, and he began warm-up exercises with a positive demeanor.

......

At the pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Dalglish sat here, accepting interviews from reporters.

"Does the team have confidence in winning?" One reporter started with a simple question.

"Of course."

Dalglish was very confident, nodding, "We are in great form, and we are here to take away a clean and efficient victory, the whole team is confident, Wenger's team is not a match for us."

"The team had a draw with Sunderland in the last game, what do you think of the defensive issues exposed, Mr. Dalglish?"

Dalglish didn't mind, lightly smiling, "That was only the first game, the team hasn't fully gelled yet... we have no problems on defense, Sunderland scored a somewhat lucky goal."

"Wenger's team won their last league game 5-0 against Newcastle United, with young general Ma'el scoring a hat-trick, will they put pressure on you? Especially the latter."

"No."

Dalglish, seasoned and experienced, answered quickly, "They played too easily in the last match, in this match we will make Arsenal feel the pressure, as for Ma'el... he's too young.

"He's an excellent left forward, undeniably, but he lacks experience, especially when facing strong teams."

"But on that note... Ma'el also performed well in a friendly against Bayern Munich."

"That was just a friendly, you mentioned it, didn't you? I don't think he can break through Liverpool's backfield defense, he lacks experience in competing with top defenders, Martin Kelly will keep him in check."

On the other side, in the media room, Wenger and Ma'el sat there, accepting interview questions from journalists together.

"Ma'el, you've renewed your contract, right?" A reporter began with a personal question.

Ma'el nodded with a smile, considering it as an answer.

"Are you an Arsenal fan?"

"You said you wanted to leave some honors for the team, can you be specific?"

"Let's talk about the game." Wenger came to the microphone, afraid that the reporters would drift further away, "About the players, we can talk in private interviews later."

"What is Arsenal's goal? I see the team has replaced Gibbs and Rosicky with Frimpong and Jenkinson in the starting lineup."

"The goal is victory."

Wenger's response was brief and to the point, saying little: "As for the substitutions, it's rotation and also for tactical reasons."

"Ma'el, you scored 3 goals in the last Premier League round, are you confident of scoring at home this game?"

"Yes." Ma'el also learned from Wenger, answering simply, "I'm fully prepared, and hope to bring a wonderful performance to the fans."

"Just got word, on the other side, Dalglish said he doesn't think you can break through Martin Kelly's guarded defense, what's your take on that?"

"Haha..."

Ma'el chuckled twice, then calmly leaned forward and said, "We'll have to try it on the field then."

This press conference quickly ended, and he returned to the dressing room as the match was about to begin.

......

"Hello, audience friends, this is ESPN Sports bringing you the match commentary, and I'm commentator Zhan Jun."

In the broadcast room, Zhan Jun was adjusting his headset ahead of time, full of anticipation for the upcoming game, "As everyone knows, Liverpool is my home team, but Arsenal fans can rest assured that I won't be biased toward either side in my commentary."

"Let's take a look at the starting lineups! Liverpool's goalkeeper is Reina, with a back four of Kagura, Agger, Jose Enrique, and Martin Kelly.

"In midfield, the trio is Tang Ning, Charlie Adam, and Lucas, with team captain Gerrard absent due to injury.

"Up front, Kuyt and Andy Carroll stand on the left and right, with Suarez and Rodriguez waiting on the bench."

"On the Arsenal side..."

In the stadium, fans have already taken their seats, waving flags or banners, or jumping to create a heated atmosphere, with about four thousand Liverpool fans seated in the away fans' section.