But he was even more glad that he had chosen Lei Ming as the captain!
Despite his young age, Lei Ming exudes a composure beyond his years, a calmness and serenity that seems innate.
It is precisely this composure that makes the team's defense as solid as a rock and as impregnable as a fortress.
He is like a natural-born football field conductor, able to discern the opponent's attacking intentions with just a glance and then quickly formulate a countermeasure.
Sometimes, Wenger even felt that if he didn't put Reming in the important role of goalkeeper, but instead placed him in the center-back or defensive midfield position, it might have yielded unexpected and wonderful results.
After all, with Lei Ming's talent and ability, he would definitely shine no matter what position he plays and become a mainstay of the team.
Not far away, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino kicked a nearby water bottle in frustration. The bottle, as if imbued with immense force, flew towards the substitutes' bench at astonishing speed.
However, fate is always full of drama, and this seemingly casual kick flew with incredible precision towards Winks, who was sitting on the bench!
In the blink of an eye, Winks reacted with lightning speed.
Just as the water bottle was about to hit him, he turned his head in time, relying on his keen intuition and physical instinct.
This thrilling scene left everyone breathless. If he hadn't reacted so quickly, he probably would have had to say goodbye to his teammates in the hospital after the game.
At this moment, Winks was filled with relief and lingering fear.
He was secretly relieved that his quick reflexes had saved his life, but at the same time he felt quite helpless about Pochettino's kick.
Pochettino realized he had gone too far, and he looked at Winks awkwardly with a hint of apology. However, the game continued, and they had to refocus on the field as soon as possible.
The goal celebrations didn't last long before the game resumed.
Despite being down by one goal, Tottenham did not back down or change their tactics.
Conversely, after the opening whistle, Tottenham displayed unwavering determination and courage, fearlessly continuing their fierce attacking battle against Arsenal.
The players seemed to take that goal as an inspiration, which fueled their fighting spirit and motivated them to do everything in their power to equalize.
They quickly organized an attack, running and switching positions aggressively, trying to find weaknesses in the opponent's defense and create more scoring opportunities.
As the first half drew to a close, the atmosphere between the two teams became increasingly tense, and the tension on the field grew stronger.
Just as the game reached its 44th minute, Xhaka watched helplessly as Tottenham's Son Heung-min showed off his skills and deliberately provoked him, and his anger was instantly ignited.
In a moment of rage, he lost his composure and, without hesitation, slammed the opponent, ball and all, down outside the penalty area. This sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
At this moment, the referee made his decision without hesitation: a free kick and a yellow card! This decision seemed reasonable, and it really was reasonable. Even Lei Ming did not intend to argue with him.
Arsenal fans, however, were very dissatisfied with the referee's decision.
Boos and complaints erupted from the stands, with fans feeling the penalty was too harsh and Xhaka didn't deserve a yellow card. However, the referee's decision was final, and the game had to continue.
After all, in the first half alone, Arsenal had already had three different players receive yellow cards, while Tottenham's players were also behaving badly, but they only had one. Comparing the two, the outcome of this match was really hard to predict in the later stages.
If Tottenham specifically targets these three players in the second half, Arsenal may have to play with one less player at home.
The referee was well aware of the consequences, but he still resolutely made his decision. This decision not only stopped the increasingly heated exchanges between the two sides, but also made the game suspenseful again, which was undoubtedly the result they wanted to see.
It was clear that this was the last free kick of the first half, and the player standing in front of the ball had changed to Son Heung-min.
Originally, according to the rules, even though Son Heung-min earned the penalty through his own skill, he still signaled for Kane to take it. However, after the previous penalty loss, Kane clearly had a psychological aversion to Reymin and voluntarily gave up possession, indicating that Son Heung-min should take it himself.
This was a free kick in a fairly good position. According to the habits of some free kick masters, almost everyone would choose to shoot directly. Although Son Heung-min is not yet a master, he was also determined to shoot directly.
After the Arsenal players took their positions under the goalkeeper's instructions, Son Heung-min took a run-up and shot when he heard the referee's whistle!
As you can see, the football, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, flew with an amazing arc over the wall of players and sped toward the right corner of Arsenal's goal.
As it was about to fly into the goal and become the key to deciding the outcome of the game, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
However, at this critical moment, a giant hand suddenly appeared, like an indestructible barrier, forcefully blocking the football!
The owner of this hand is none other than Arsenal's goalkeeper, Lei Ming, who, with astonishing reaction speed and accurate judgment, successfully prevented this seemingly certain goal.
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