When the final whistle blew, all the Arsenal players breathed a sigh of relief; at least in their first Europa League match, they had played quite well.
The final score was 3-0.
Arsenal delivered a perfect performance in their first Europa League match.
And Thunder finally made their first home debut at the Emirates Stadium.
However, for Lei Ming, who strives for perfection, this match left him with a slight sense of regret.
Because it was clear that there was a significant gap between the two teams. At the very least, after Cologne launched a relatively threatening attack in the 9th minute, they were basically under pressure for the rest of the time.
Arsenal's 82% possession rate after the match vividly illustrated the gap between the two teams.
When Lacazette came on in the second half, he became the final straw that broke the back of Cologne's defense.
Although Lacazette only came on in the second half, he easily scored twice in the match, while Giroud scored the other goal. Overall, Arsenal's attacking line performed quite well.
Arsenal's performance has made Chelsea, who will face them tomorrow, feel somewhat troubled.
When then-Chelsea manager Antonio Conte watched the replay of the match, his brow never relaxed.
Originally, as the previous season's Premier League champion, he had every right to look down on Arsenal, but when he saw Arsenal's performance in the new season, he suddenly lost confidence, especially after their away game against Liverpool.
Although Arsenal's player structure is not much different from last season, these two transfers this summer have unexpectedly revitalized the stagnant Arsenal.
Upon seeing this, even Conte had to marvel at Professor Wenger's magic; he always managed to accomplish incredible feats with minimal investment!
Admittedly, £65 million for a goalkeeper may be expensive, but when he saw the player's performance at Liverpool, he finally understood why the professor was so determined in the first place. Such a player for only £65 million, Arsenal really got a great deal!
Let's look at another transfer, Lacazette for 45 million. His finishing ability is truly outstanding. In the first half of the new season, he has already scored nearly 7 goals in 4 games. Calling him the efficiency king is no exaggeration.
However, the opponent is not only strong in the final shot. With him, Arsenal's connection between the front and midfield has improved significantly, as can be seen from Arsenal's recent performances.
The two blockbuster transfers totaled a mere 110 million euros, only half the investment of Neymar. Yet, Arsenal used this money to achieve a transformative result. Conte has truly learned what it means to spend money wisely. The professor's move is truly legendary, leaving Conte with no choice but to admire him.
During this time, Conte suddenly saw a report about the Cologne striker breaking down in tears.
Facing the media, Cologne's star striker Johan Cordoba complained to the camera, "Honestly, I've never met a goalkeeper like this before. He's like a mind reader. He knows everything about me, even when I'm about to fart. You can't imagine what it's like when a goalkeeper knows what you're thinking!"
"This experience is absolutely terrible. I seriously suspect that this goalkeeper knows astrology. Otherwise, how can I explain that he can read all my intentions? Anyway, guys, you better watch out and wish each other good luck."
This was supposed to be just a post-match anecdote, but the perceptive Totti noticed something was off, because just a few days earlier, he seemed to have seen three Liverpool forwards making similar comments.
Therefore, he specifically searched for the footage he had seen at the time, and after comparing the two, he came to a result that gave him a headache: "This goalkeeper has top-notch predictive ability."
With Liverpool players Salah, Firmino, and Mane preceding him, and now Cologne player John Cordoba complaining one after another, he simply doesn't believe it's a coincidence.
As a former professional football player, he is well aware that there are indeed all sorts of talented players in the football world.
Therefore, he had no choice but to call over several of the team's key offensive players; he needed to give them a heads-up.
......
After the match against Cologne, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger did not give himself any rest. He poured himself a cup of ginseng tea before continuing to watch the recent form of Chelsea.
As he looked at the number 4 in blue running on the green field, an unstoppable flood of memories washed over him.
"Sesk, keep it up! You're awesome! Believe in yourself!"
"I believe, and I'm certain, that you will become the best midfielder on the planet!"
"Your talent is amazing; you can lead the Gunners to another level."
"No, Professor, although I am grateful for your guidance, I know that my heart belongs to Barça. I have dreamed of wearing Barça's jersey and fighting for them since I was a child."
That same year, Arsenal fans felt a sense of betrayal and humiliation as their beloved captain, number 4 Cesc Fàbregas, was willing to pay out of his own pocket to join Barcelona.
Although many years have passed, Wenger still feels resentful whenever he thinks about it.
He may always say that he doesn't care about this, but in fact, he cares about it more than anyone else. Who would have thought that the person he had the highest hopes for would betray him like this?
Memories flooded back, making Wenger feel a little breathless. He opened his office window to take a breath of fresh air and stared blankly at the scene outside.
In the training field, Giroud was doing extra training with Lei Ming. Watching Lei Ming make every desperate save, Wenger's mood, which had been somewhat gloomy, suddenly improved a lot.
His ball-saving skills look very solid, but even so, he still practices tirelessly.
Yes, out with the old, in with the new. How can we know the beauty of the present if we haven't experienced it?
He may have once been immersed in the pain of losing Fabregas, but now he no longer cares who the other person is. He has made a new decision regarding Chelsea.
"Hey, you two brats, stop practicing and go back to rest. You have a competition tomorrow!"
Wenger opened the window and yelled at the outside, startling the two players on the training field who quickly grabbed the ball and left the field.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
