On September 21st, under a bright sun and gentle breeze, Arsenal embarked on their away journey to Doncaster Rovers, a team from the English Football League One. Logically, facing such a relatively weak opponent, Arsenal should have been able to handle the match with ease. However, the outcome of the game surprised many and sparked dissatisfaction.
Before the match, fans were full of anticipation. After all, Arsenal, as a traditional powerhouse, had no doubt about their strength. Doncaster, although playing in a lower league, were also eager to cause trouble for their strong opponents at home. When the players from both teams stepped onto the pitch, the atmosphere instantly ignited, with the audience cheering enthusiastically for their home team.
Ultimately, when the final whistle blew, the score was an embarrassing 1-2.
This result was undoubtedly hard for Arsenal fans to accept. They had expected to see a resounding victory, but they never expected that their team would struggle so much against a relatively unknown small team.
Is this the same magical Gunners who beat Liverpool so badly in the previous few matches?
In the aftermath of the match, social media was flooded with criticism and questioning of Arsenal's performance, putting the manager and players under immense pressure.
Facing a team in a league two levels below them, Arsenal only managed two goals, which is simply unacceptable. If this match were graded, fans would only give them a score of 60 at most, barely passing.
And to concede a goal against a team like this, no one would believe Arsenal is without problems.
On the 29th, Arsenal faced their second opponent in the Europa League, BATE Borisov, a team from Belarus. Wenger knew that this opponent was not to be underestimated, so he made sure all the players were mentally prepared before the match.
After all, in European competitions, even in the second-tier Europa League, you can't be careless, because any team could potentially eliminate you; there are just too many unpredictable factors on the field.
Unsurprisingly, Lei Ming was once again left out of the squad, but this time was different. Wenger brought him to the away game and let him sit quietly on the bench to watch the game.
Although Wenger did not explain why he did this, Thunder would naturally obey unconditionally whenever he needed him.
After a somewhat poor performance in the previous match, the entire Arsenal team was determined to put on a good show in this game. However, to their surprise, the BATE Borisov players didn't compete with Arsenal's players in terms of skill. Instead, they used all sorts of dirty tricks to make things very difficult for Arsenal's players. Furthermore, they made good use of their height advantage and at one point in the game, they made Arsenal feel completely lost.
At the end of the first half, the score remained an embarrassing 0-0.
The entire stadium was filled with a depressing atmosphere that made Arsenal feel even more pressured; the away game here was proving to be more difficult than they had anticipated.
The poor, vegetable-field-like playing conditions, the robust physical attributes, and the aggressive playing style all felt very unfamiliar to them, but that's what makes European matches so exciting.
Different leagues always produce different match effects, giving the audience a feast for the eyes.
Fortunately, the situation finally began to change after the start of the second half, when Arsenal's current captain, Mertesacker, stepped onto the pitch.
This experienced player, with his outstanding leadership and superb technical skills, successfully broke the deadlock on the field and led the team to gradually find their rhythm.
In the following matches, Arsenal seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, demonstrating powerful attacking capabilities and tight teamwork.
They relentlessly attacked the opponent's goal, creating one threatening opportunity after another. And just as the game entered its final crucial ten minutes, fortune seemed to finally be on Arsenal's side.
With two pinpoint passes from Ramsey, Lacazette lived up to expectations, holding his nerve under pressure at crucial moments and scoring his second away goal.
This allowed the striker, who came from Ligue 1, to breathe a sigh of relief, finally realizing he hadn't let the team and the coach down.
During those thrilling ten minutes, the Arsenal fans who had traveled with the team to watch the game in the away stadium were fully aroused, with cheers and shouts rising and falling. However, since this was an away game in a foreign country, their cheers, though loud, could not compete with those of the home team.
Watching his team successfully win the game, Lei Ming breathed a sigh of relief behind the bench.
This is the last match of my suspension. If nothing unexpected happens, I believe I will soon be back on the pitch. After all, the professor must have had this intention in bringing me out for this match: to familiarize myself with the field and the opponent's style, so I can get back on track next time.
Regarding the Europa League group stage, Wenger asked the players to ideally qualify for the round of 32 as group winners, as this is a source of pride for them as Arsenal players. Although a fallen giant may be bullied by dogs, their dignity as a top club must be upheld no matter what.
Despite the team's victory in this match, fans remain dissatisfied with their performance.
As the saying goes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. In the first few games of the league, they were surprised to see the team's absolute dominance suddenly disappear in these games, which was unacceptable to them.
...
"Ray, do you have anything to say about the club's punishment of you?"
"Without a coach, I will unconditionally comply with the club's requirements."
"That's good. Sign here. When you get back, you must reflect on yourself and never be so impulsive again. After all, you can't always be so lucky. We are professional players and should focus on the football field."
"Yes, Coach, I understand."
After the head coach gave the order to leave, Lei Ming walked out of the other party's office with a list in his hand.
With this coach's guidance, he felt more confident and thought he had overcome this hurdle.
Sure enough, when the team scrimmage started the next day, Lei Ming's position had changed. He returned to the starting goalkeeper position, while Cech moved to the substitutes' side to continue his role.
Cech had no complaints about the coach's arrangement. He knew that he hadn't performed well in the two games, but he had really tried his best.
Perhaps it really is time for me to retire from the top league stage.
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