Chapter 78
Before that crucial qualifier, Endrit will face another test: on the 17th, Chelsea will go to the Emirates Stadium to compete with Arsenal.
Compared to Chelsea, which has only re-emerged in the public eye in recent years, Arsenal is undoubtedly a traditional Premier League powerhouse. Although judging from the past ten matches between the two sides, the home team Arsenal is completely at a disadvantage, with five draws in ten games and the remaining five losses to Chelsea, but -
"We lost to Chelsea last season, and the season before that, their team had a reasonable lineup and very high player configuration. But what about this season? Chelsea has no one available on the front line. In the last game against Valencia, Chelsea had as many as 20 shots but didn't score a single goal in the end. What does this mean? Chelsea can't win the game just relying on the goalkeeper!"
"Even if they had the best goalkeeper in the world, they wouldn't have been able to take the three points away from the Emirates Stadium."
"They seem to be winning all the time, but their victories are completely in vain. As long as Chelsea doesn't play a tactical system that truly belongs to them one day, the fire will definitely burn them."
The calculating Wenger has his own algorithm for the game. He does not blindly promote those already famous stars (although this may be because he does not have much money in his pocket for transfers). Instead, he prefers to cultivate a little beet himself.
When Wenger discovered that Chelsea, which paid no attention to player training and often spent a lot of money to buy players, had produced a good seedling in its own youth training, he became jealous.
After English Prime Minister Brown recently proposed to localize football, Wenger took the lead in criticizing it. He first pointed out that high-quality overseas players are the key factor in maintaining the high level of English football in recent years, and finally pointed the finger at Chelsea: "Not deliberately cultivating local players is nothing. The method of Chelsea only buying the best players from other teams is harmful to the English league. The more critical problem is that Chelsea is very hypocritical. He likes to spend money to buy the best players from other teams, but he refuses to sell the team's best goalkeeper to other teams. Chelsea only imports but does not sell out. This is completely a disaster for the friendly and fair competitive environment of the Premier League!"
The referee Willy blew the whistle to start the game, and the commentator began to explain this game that many people were watching.
"Drogba missed the game due to injury, Arsenal manager Wenger must have breathed a sigh of relief."
"Yes, that's right. In the past seven games, Drogba has scored five goals. Wenger once said that Drogba is a real fighter who fights until the last second in every game. For Wenger and Arsenal, the chances of winning the game will be greater if they don't face such a terrible opponent."
"But in my opinion, it is still difficult for Arsenal to win this game. Compared with Chelsea, they have Endrit. No matter how well Arsenal plays, they can only draw with Chelsea at best."
"It is said that when Endrit first became famous, Wenger contacted Chelsea and wanted to bring Endrit to the Emirates Stadium, but was rejected by Chelsea."
The two commentators looked at each other and laughed knowingly.
People are always happy to say a few nice things about those who can never get what they want and who pose no threat to them: Drogba is praised so much because Wenger knows that Arsenal does not have the money to buy him, and Ranieri, the former head coach of Arsenal, is praised so much because the opponent no longer poses any threat to him.
But before Chelsea refused to put Endrit on the transfer market, Wenger had never praised Endrit in public, let alone praised Mourinho. It was not until Chelsea officially "exposed" the news that Wenger gave up and today he praised Endrit lavishly before the game started, saying that Endrit was England's only chance to qualify for the European Cup qualifiers.
Why do this? Since it is destined that they will not be able to buy anyone, they might as well hype up Endrit a little more so that other rich and powerful teams will take a fancy to Endrit and then snatch him away from Chelsea - Wenger can't help laughing whenever he thinks of that scene.
"This game was a very difficult one for Chelsea. Ghanaian Essien missed the game due to yellow card suspension. Chelsea's midfield lacked a point who could dribble the ball. With only Lampard in the midfield, it was difficult for Chelsea to connect their offense."
"Arsenal's passing and receiving are among the best in the entire Premier League. Chelsea may find it difficult to break through the goal defended by Arsenal goalkeeper Almunia."
The commentator's words came true. Without their main players Drogba and Essien, and with the Arsenal players' well-coordinated passing of the ball, Arsenal completely suppressed Chelsea.
In the sixth minute of the game, Arsenal midfielder Flamini broke into the right side of the penalty area and shot directly under the pressure of Mikel, but Endrit jumped up and caught the ball.
In the 9th minute of the game, Lampard tackled the opposing defender Eboue from behind in front of the penalty area and was given a verbal warning by the referee Willy.
After the restart, Lampard headed home Fabregas's free-kick.
In the 12th minute of the game, Arsenal player Flamini passed the ball, Adebayor made a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area on the left, and Endrit jumped high and kicked the ball towards Alex.
In the 14th minute of the game, Sheva, who started the game, passed the ball to Wright-Phillips, who received the ball and shot from outside the penalty area, but his shot was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper Almunia.
In the 25th minute, Toure's long-range free kick outside the penalty area was blocked by Endrit.
In the 30th minute of the game, Makelele fouled Fabregas in front of the penalty area. Terry's follow-up action caused a dispute between the players of both sides. Endrit hesitated in front of the goal for a few seconds, but still raised his foot towards the place where the accident happened.
Referee Willy quickly ran over blew the whistle and after communicating with the linesman, both Terry and Lampard were given yellow card warnings. Arsenal also got a direct free kick opportunity.
Endrit, who had just walked over and heard the referee announce the news, paused for a moment, glanced at Makelele, Terry and Lampard, closed his eyes, and squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth: "It's okay, it's just a free kick, right? Please believe me, I won't let the other side score."
Hearing this, Fabregas couldn't help but cast an envious look at the three people who were standing still: Shit, your Chelsea goalkeeper has a really good temper. If it was Almunia, he would have kicked him now.
Fabregas, who took the free kick, did not score and was in a bad mood - but this bad mood was already very good compared to Makelele and the other two. The three of them are regretting it now, very regretful.
They would rather have Endrit scold them than have such a "kind, generous and understanding" Endrit!
Three minutes later, Cole passed the ball to Sheva, whose shot from 25 yards was saved by Almunia. Sheva broke into the left side of the penalty area in advance to prepare for a follow-up shot, but was cleared by the opposing defender Sagna in time.
In the 35th minute of the game, Eboue was given a yellow card by the referee for stepping on John Terry. The first thing the latter did when he got up from the grass was to turn his head and look at Endritt with a very aggrieved expression on his face.
Endrit: ? ? ? ?
Brother, what are you doing? ! The other side has started to attack again, okay? !
Two minutes later, Arsenal striker Adebayor passed the ball to the left, and left midfielder Rosicky cut inside and volleyed the ball from outside the penalty area.
After running a few quick steps, Endrit stopped and watched the football go wide of the near corner.
In the 39th minute of the game, Mourinho replaced Terry with Ben Haim.
In the 40th minute, Adebayo passed the ball again and Eboue shot from 25 yards, but the ball went wide again.
The 45-minute first half was over quickly, but the referee did not blow the whistle to end the game because too many people received yellow cards in the first half, which delayed the game for a long time, so there was a two-minute injury time period.
Arsenal had the ball and Fabregas took a corner kick from the left. Endrit took the initiative and jumped up to save the ball, but Fabregas actually passed the ball to his teammate Gallas, who quickly rushed into the penalty area, jumped over Ben Haim, and headed the ball towards the goal.
Endrit, who missed the ball, jumped up immediately after landing on the grass. Without holding back, he stretched out his hand and slapped the ball, sending the ball directly out of the penalty area.
Gala stared with wide eyes at the football hitting the grass and then bouncing up to fly out of the baseline. His heart was pounding: Is Endrit's hand strength so strong?
Two minutes passed quickly and the first half of the game officially ended. Thinking it was a pity that he didn't score a goal, Gallas looked at his coach who was so angry because he missed the last goal, and was very confused: Isn't there still a second half? Why is the coach so anxious? We still have a chance to win!
"We need to strengthen our defense in the second half." Wenger's face no longer had much joy. When Fabrahimovic and Gallas cooperated to dribble past Endrit but failed to score, Wenger knew that the Gunners had no chance of beating Chelsea in today's game.
After the second half of the game started, although it was somewhat expected, but seeing that Endritt's waiting time for each save in the second half became longer and longer, and he reacted quickly to confiscate the ball when it was about to reach the goal, he closed his eyes unable to bear it and watched.
When his players saw Endrit save like this, they would definitely be happy that their chances of scoring increased, but Wenger knew that Endrit, who saved like this, had never made a mistake, at least so far, since the youth team games - Endrit had this characteristic when he was still in the youth team. He had watched those games, and Wenger had noticed Endrit before Mourinho paid attention to Endrit, and he quickly extended an olive branch to buy him.
Chelsea's attitude was ambiguous, but Wenger knew he had a chance to bring someone to the Emirates Stadium.
But those damn, unethical fans actually came up with the title of "Iron-faced Superman", which made Endrit very angry, and Chelsea's attitude suddenly became unclear. When Endrit became Iron Man, Wenger extended an olive branch again, but the club had already made it clear that "Endrit is not for sale".
In the second half of the game, which was later described by the media as a "yellow card battle", Flamini was given a yellow card for fouling Cole at the 63rd minute. Four minutes later, Cole was fouled after being tackled by Eboue in the frontcourt. Eboue was carried out on a stretcher and Cole himself received a yellow card.
In the 74th minute, Ben Haim fouled Fabregas and received the seventh yellow card of the game. Ten minutes later, Mikel fouled Flamini in the penalty area and was given a yellow card by the referee.
In the 88th minute of the game, Arsenal made the second most threatening shot of the game. Adebayor made a cross from the left side of the penalty area. Van Persie and Fabregas, who had just replaced Eboue, shot in succession, but were all saved by Endrit.
The commentator said it was a pity, and a moment later he said it was a pity again because Sheva missed the free kick.
No goal was scored throughout the game, but there were many fouls. In the last six minutes of injury time, Fabregas' shot was blocked by Alex, and then he hooked Alex from behind and was given a yellow card by the referee.
No goal was scored and there were nine yellow cards. This game was destined to leave a deep mark in the football world. But before history judges this match, Endrit also suffered a fatal blow.
"Terry's old injury has recurred and he probably won't be in the national team's roster for the European Cup qualifiers in four days."
"Cole is also injured and should be able to be a substitute at that time, but he can't play for too long."
"As for Wright-Phillips," the team doctor paused, "if he starts and plays the full game, he will probably miss the next dozen games for Chelsea."
Mourinho's face darkened, and he directly refused after hearing this, "Why go to the national team? All three of them should stay in the team to recuperate."
Endrit, who was standing by and watching, couldn't stand watching any longer. He turned around and looked at Mourinho with a hurt expression, "Coach?!"
Mourinho paused for a moment, turned his head to look at Endrit who looked hurt, opened his mouth but could not utter a word.
What can he do? What is he going to say?
"How about, how about..." Mourinho stammered, "How about you not go? So many people are injured in this game. It would be reasonable for you not to be able to attend the European qualifiers. It should be more reasonable..."
Mourinho became less and less confident as he spoke. Finally, he sighed and slapped his forehead in annoyance. "So why do you have the nickname Iron Man? Damn Iron Man, even if you say you are injured now, they won't believe it..."
Endrit almost subconsciously retorted, "Iron Man shouldn't have died. What does this have to do with Iron Man? Iron Man is a good guy. I'm just taking advantage of him..."
Mourinho's eyes widened in shock. "It's already this time and you're still struggling with this kind of issue!"
Endrit shut up silently, lowered his head and said nothing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
