In the stands, Fernando Santos watched this scene with some surprise, feeling deeply moved.
Before the match, he was unaware that Lei Ming had become Arsenal's vice-captain. When he saw Mertesacker put the captain's armband on Lei Ming before he left the field, he was instantly overwhelmed.
I remember this kid just transferred here this summer, how come he's become the team captain in just a few months!
Was Wenger too hasty in his decision regarding this young man, or was it because he hadn't yet discovered the true good qualities in him?
With many questions in mind, Fernando Santos continued to watch the game intently.
The moment Lei Ming received the captain's armband, he immediately felt a sacred responsibility fall on his shoulders.
Mertesacker smiled and patted Lei Ming's strong arm, saying, "Lei, keep it up! I can't go on anymore. The rest of the time is in your hands. I believe you will lead the team to victory."
In this match, Mertesacker did seem a bit quieter than before, mainly because he felt that Thunder was directing the game better than him, so he didn't want to say anything and disrupt the opponent's rhythm.
Although they are still being pressured so far, he felt that as long as they continued, they would definitely defeat their opponents. Because of Lei Ming's command, he felt that their defense was as solid as an impregnable fortress.
At this moment, Lei Ming didn't mince words. Instead, he gave his captain a reassuring look and a manly response: "Don't worry, Captain. You get some rest. We'll celebrate together after the game."
"Hehe, I'll be waiting."
After watching the captain leave the field and Koscielny take his place, Lei Ming clapped his hands vigorously to signal everyone to cheer up.
Soon after Arsenal's attack failed, Manchester City's attack surged forward again like a tidal wave.
As the saying goes, once is enough, twice is possible, but not three times. When Sterling single-handedly tore apart Arsenal's solid defense, everyone at the Etihad Stadium thought that Manchester City might be about to change the score.
But to everyone's surprise, when Sané received a pass from Sterling and volleyed the ball, the Arsenal goalkeeper caught it firmly in his hand.
This left Sane stunned for a long time.
Was his shot straight? Not really. The ball went straight into the top corner. If it had continued flying, it would have almost skimmed the crossbar and gone into the goal. But even this kind of shot couldn't escape those magnetic hands.
But the next moment, the goalkeeper didn't even give him time to reflect, and directly used a powerful and accurate throw to find Sanchez in the attacking third.
One aspect of Arsenal's fast counter-attacks is that whenever the opponent has a threatening shot, the forwards must be ready to counter-attack at any time. Even if the team might concede a goal as a result, the forwards must never drop too far back.
This time, Sanchez finally got his chance.
Because Manchester City pushed too far forward in their attack, their backline was left completely exposed. After he used his speed to get past the combined defense of Stones and Otamendi, he was met with a wide-open Manchester City backline.
Having found himself in a one-on-one situation, Sanchez calmly made a small feint, successfully deceiving Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson's center of gravity. He then unleashed a rapid and powerful shot into the far corner, the ball obediently bypassing Ederson's outstretched right leg and nestling into the net.
“Goooooooooooooooooooal”
"Goal! The game has reached the 79th minute, and just when everyone thought Manchester City would crush the opposition, a miracle happened! We witnessed Arsenal's rock-solid, impregnable defense! It's like an insurmountable wall!"
"Now let's give a shout-out to this brilliant goal! With his amazing speed and agility, Sanchez easily broke through the opponent's defense and completed a textbook counter-attack."
"Then, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner of the goal! Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!"
At that moment, the entire Etihad Stadium fell silent, while the cheers of the Arsenal fans who had traveled from afar sounded jarring.
At this crucial moment, Sanchez once again stepped up and delivered the decisive blow to Manchester City, which is sure to excite Arsenal fans!
What excited them even more was that it was an assist from their new captain.
Arsenal's counter-attacks, from the backfield to the frontfield, involved only two passes, but the efficiency they achieved was astonishing.
Guardiola appeared quite agitated after conceding the goal, touching his scalp and looking extremely frustrated.
He had warned them before the match to be wary of the Gunners' quick counter-attacks. He might not know about others, but he knew Ray's characteristics all too well, because he had watched not just a few of their matches, but twenty or thirty.
It's fair to say that about half of Arsenal's goals this season were orchestrated by this goalkeeper. He doesn't deny that Arsenal's attacking players like Lacazette, Sanchez, and Wilshere are indeed good, but he believes that without Reming's solid defense, they would never have achieved their current success.
However, the players completely let themselves go during this attack, throwing all factors to the back of their minds, which led to the opponent seizing the opportunity.
......
Meanwhile, in many families in far-off Eastern countries, many fathers were seen celebrating alone, their faces flushed.
"Holy crap, our factory is about to rise to prominence!"
"Lei is awesome! He just became captain and already assisted Sanchez with such a brilliant goal. He's amazing!"
"Come on, Arsenal! Fire away at the Etihad Stadium!"
At this very moment, countless live streams were also dancing for Arsenal's brilliant goal, and Lao Jiu was one of the most enthusiastic dancers among them.
Surprisingly, many viewers in the live stream seemed immune to Lao Jiu's greasy demeanor, and some even sent him small gifts to dance for him.
Old Nine said happily, "Brothers, do you remember what I said before the game? As long as I, Lei, am on the field, Arsenal, you can just charge forward without thinking. Look at their performance in this game. So what if they are the top team in the Premier League, Manchester City? They still have to collectively shut down in front of me, Lei!"
"I don't think 0-1 is enough. Manchester City will get even more anxious, and our chances will only increase. Just wait and see!"
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