Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
As the players from both sides walked out of the player tunnel one after another, the second half of the game officially began with Boileau's whistle!
Leeds United did not make any personnel changes, sticking with the same lineup from the first half.
Arsenal used one substitution opportunity.
Flamini suffered a minor injury in a challenge with Adriano in the final moments of the first half. After returning to the locker room, he found that he could not continue. Wenger had no choice but to replace Flamini with Gilberto Silva.
The second half has just begun.
Leeds United displayed a strong attacking desire.
Alves and Torres executed a brilliant one-two pass on the right flank, with Alves delivering a cross after reaching the byline. Adriano, who had been lurking in the penalty area, outjumped Kolo Toure to head the ball into the net.
However, the Brazilian striker's header was blocked by the focused Almunia, and the ball lost its momentum and was pinned down by the on-ground Almunia.
"Brilliant! Almunia's reaction was absolutely divine!" Martin Keown wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "The second half has just begun, and Arsenal is already under heavy attack from Leeds United... Clichy and Senderos made mistakes in their defensive positioning. If it weren't for Almunia, Arsenal might have been in serious trouble!"
But Arsenal quickly retaliated.
Mascherano fouled Fabregas in defense, and referee Boilelo awarded Arsenal a free kick in the attacking third.
After Fabregas lofted the ball into the penalty area, Kolo Toure won the challenge with Kompany and headed the ball back into the middle. Gilberto Silva's follow-up shot was then saved by Neuer and went out for a corner!
"A brilliant shot! Leeds United just threatened Arsenal's goal, and now Arsenal has caused chaos in front of Leeds's net!" Jon, who was neutral today, looked excited. "Although this match will determine who advances to the semi-finals, it seems that the next forty-odd minutes shouldn't be boring..."
Jon was right.
Although Wenger specifically emphasized to his players the need to strengthen their defense in the second half.
But this is Arsenal after all; some things are ingrained in their blood and won't be completely abandoned just because of tactical adjustments.
For the next period of time...
The two teams were evenly matched, exchanging blows and keeping the fans watching the game on the edge of their seats.
Overall, though.
Leeds United's attack was more aggressive, while Arsenal were mostly on the defensive.
Time passed second by second.
When Leeds United are organizing their attacks, Alonso always tries to orchestrate short passing combinations in the middle to get the ball into the penalty area.
Unfortunately, Arsenal's defense was very tight.
Even if a few short passes in the middle managed to break through Gilberto Silva and Diaby, Arsenal's defenders would always be able to cover in time and clear the ball out of danger with a long kick.
The match was nearing its seventy-minute mark.
Li Shiguang was getting restless.
After seeing Leeds United's attack once again thwarted by Gallas and pushed out of bounds.
Li Shiguang rushed to the sidelines, covered his mouth with his hands, and shouted at Alonso, "Xavi, don't play so delicately! Think about that pass in the first half! Try to lob the ball into their penalty area!"
Arsenal are clearly parking the bus and looking for counter-attack opportunities.
Simply loft the ball into the penalty area; if you have enough players, it can at least create chaos in the opponent's box! Even if the opponent wins the first ball, it won't immediately lead to a counter-attack!
Alonso did not hesitate upon hearing Li Shiguang's voice.
They immediately changed their kicking style.
As soon as he receives a pass within about 30 meters of Arsenal's goal, he immediately launches a long pass, specifically targeting the forwards lurking in the penalty area.
This kicking method quickly proved effective.
Sixty-nine minutes.
Kaka dribbled the ball forward on the right flank, forcefully bypassing Gilberto Silva who was defending him, and accelerated towards the edge of the penalty area before being stopped by Senderos and Clichy.
After struggling slightly, it became clear that there wasn't a good position to pass the ball.
Kaka had no choice but to turn around and pass the ball to Alonso, who was following behind him.
Without hesitation, Alonso swung his right leg as the ball rolled toward him, sending a diagonal pass into Arsenal's penalty area as soon as it reached his feet.
The pass was aimed at Adriano, who had already run to the left side of Arsenal's penalty area.
However, Leeds United's obvious attacking intent is not difficult to deal with.
Eboue and Touré quickly moved closer to Adriano.
The two cooperated very well. Eboue was responsible for blocking Adriano, preventing him from jumping comfortably to contest the header, while Toure, just as he jumped, headed Alonso's pass out of the penalty area before Adriano could reach it!
Toure headed the ball with tremendous force.
The football had only just begun to fall after it had flown out of the penalty area.
Because Leeds United temporarily changed their tactics and started to loft the ball into the penalty area in a wide-open style, Arsenal's defensive line actually retreated quite deep in order to better defend.
Therefore, Arsenal's players did not immediately rush to contest the first ball.
By the time everyone notices...
A familiar white figure was already standing in front of the trajectory of the falling football.
Alonso prefers to operate on the right midfield side, and he is also right-footed. To better coordinate with Alonso's long passes, Adriano's area of activity has shifted from the center to the left flank during this period.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
