"This was absolutely a spectacular attacking battle. We saw that after Arsenal equalized, their morale soared, and they frequently created opportunities through short passes in the middle, launching a fierce attack on Leeds United's goal. However, after a short period of adjustment, Leeds United stabilized the situation and showed no intention of giving Arsenal any leeway. As soon as they gained possession, they immediately pressed forward, creating several threatening attacks. I noticed something interesting: Arsenal's two full-backs crossed the halfway line very few times in the second half, indicating that Leeds United also put a lot of pressure on their defense!"
During this period, the two sides played back and forth, especially after Arsenal shifted their tactical focus to the middle, Cole and Eboue gradually attacked less frequently.
Seeing this, Li Shiguang instructed Ribery and Milner to move further centrally in defense, minimizing space in the flanks and preventing Henry and Van Persie from having opportunities to get going. On the offensive end, since Arsenal only had Gilberto Silva as a defensive midfielder, Li Shiguang instructed Deisler to make more one-on-one runs after receiving the ball. A successful breakthrough would draw the opposing center-backs to cover, allowing for easy passing opportunities. This also enabled Falcao and Ribery to create several threatening shots near the penalty area.
This situation continued until the 70th minute, and Wenger had not made a second substitution. Seeing that the situation was stable and Wenger did not make any new moves, Li Shiguang also did not make any substitutions.
His thinking was simple: my players are younger than yours, and with both sides attacking and defending, there's no reason for me to make the first move, right?
But at that very moment, that man, Arsenal's eternal king, Thierry Henry, with a performance of great individual heroism, turned the tide for Leeds United and forced Lee to make personnel changes.
In the 76th minute, Henry dribbled down the right flank, where he was being marked by Maicon!
In fact, throughout the first half, Maicon was directly facing Pires and Eboue, while Henry was mostly active in the middle. However, after Adebayor came on in the second half, Henry's position was adjusted to the right wing, and Maicon became the one marking him.
Arsenal's attack in this round started after Deisler was dispossessed by Silva and Fabregas. After the interception, Fabregas passed the ball to Henry and then ran from the middle towards Leeds United's penalty area. This move attracted Mascherano's attention. However, having been tricked before, Modric did not press forward this time, but instead stayed close to Ljungberg.
For a short time, only Maicon was left to face Henry's advance on the right side of the pitch.
Staring at the leisurely Frenchman in front of him, Maicon dared not be careless in the slightest. This was the player that Wenger relied on most in the entire Arsenal team. Just talking about the striker position, Henry was also one of those who stood at the top and looked down on everyone else.
However, when facing such a world-class star, Maicon, who had not yet reached his peak, was still lacking in skill no matter how focused he was.
As Maicon slowly retreated, following Henry's rhythm, he looked for an opportunity to make a tackle. Suddenly, he noticed that Henry's touch seemed a little too heavy. Maicon instinctively felt this was an excellent opportunity to intercept the ball, so without hesitation, he took a step and tried to clear the ball out of bounds.
But the instant he kicked the ball, Henry changed his running rhythm and poked the ball faster than Maicon, overtaking Maicon with the ball and running quickly towards the Leeds United penalty area.
If it's purely a speed contest, Maicon isn't afraid, but after being beaten by Henry, Maicon needs to turn around before he can pick up speed again. In just 2 or 3 seconds, Henry has already pulled away by more than half a body length and entered the penalty area.
Seeing that he was about to lose, as if it were something ingrained in the bones of most South American players, Maicon suddenly had something supernatural about him and, as if possessed, reached out his right hand and grabbed Henry's jersey. The experienced Henry, upon feeling his jersey being pulled, immediately leaned back and fell into the penalty area.
Since the ball had created a one-on-one situation for Henry, with only Schmeichel in front of him, Maicon's obvious foul resulted in a penalty and a red card for Leeds United.
"FxxK!" The moment the referee pulled out the red card, Li Shiguang couldn't hold back his anger and cursed loudly!
Now they've lost both their wife and their army. Putting aside whether Arsenal can convert their penalty, with stoppage time, there are still about 17 or 18 minutes left in the game, and they'll be down to 10 men. The situation is not optimistic!
Henry converted the penalty he had earned into the Leeds United goal.
Watching the Arsenal players celebrating wildly, Li Shiguang's mind started racing. He had to make adjustments, but not only were they down by one goal, they were also down to ten men. How to make those adjustments was the biggest challenge for him!
On the other side of the ocean, as Henry broke into the penalty area, Su Tao's voice reached the ears of the fans watching the game broadcast.
"Henry!! What a beautiful breakthrough! Maicon was completely fooled by him. Now he only has Schmeichel in front of him... Ah! Henry is down on the ground. This is definitely a penalty. I don't even need to watch the replay. Maicon's pulling action was too clear. It's a penalty without a doubt. He should be worried about what color card the referee will give him!"
"That's right, it's a common problem for South American players. Undeniably, they're incredibly talented on the field, but in this aspect... well, I don't even know how to describe it."
"The referee is coming over, red card!!! Leeds United are in trouble now. They're down to ten men and face a penalty. If they score, their chances of winning the game are slim! And even if they miss, there are still more than ten minutes left in the game. Leeds United are also in danger against Arsenal's offensive."
"Henry took the penalty himself, run-up...shot! It was a clean and decisive shot, 3-2! After being overtaken by Leeds United in the first half, Arsenal have taken the lead again in the second half!"
The scene returns to Elland Road Stadium, where Eddie Gray's voice is echoing throughout the stadium. Even though he is extremely reluctant, as a professional commentator, he has to announce the away team's goal over the loudspeaker.
"3-2! Thierry Henry converts the penalty he won, Arsenal are back in the lead! Let's see how Leeds United handle this situation; Lee needs to make some adjustments!"
As soon as Eddie Gray finished speaking, the fourth official walked to the side of the field with an LED sign.
Leeds United are making a player change!
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