Precision Plays
"What did the old man say?" a teammate called out as Giroud returned from the sidelines.
Giroud looked at Louis, then shouted back, "The old man said, we have to score goals and we have to win!"
Arsenal's morale, already high from their recent goal, surged even higher. As the game resumed, they quickly capitalized on the momentum. Using Giroud's presence as a big center to support the attack, Cazorla and Wilshere began feeding passes to Louis. Schalke 04's defense struggled to cope with this new offensive strategy.
In the 61st minute, Louis received a through ball and poked it into the goal with his toe. However, the whistle had already blown—the linesman had raised his flag for offside.
"Offside!" Andy Gray shouted regretfully. Arsenal fans watching on TV held their heads in frustration, while the Schalke Stadium echoed with relieved gasps.
"Louis sent the ball into the net again, but it was offside! Schalke 04 escaped! Arsenal has found a way to break down Schalke's defense, and Stevens needs to respond quickly," Schmitz, the German Sports Channel commentator, noted with concern.
The camera panned to Schalke 04's coach, Stevens, who was deep in thought. His dilemma was clear: he couldn't afford to pull his central defenders upfield to mark Giroud, as it would leave Louis too much space to exploit. Yet, Giroud's midfield presence was disrupting Schalke's structure.
"Substitute someone," suggested Stevens' aide. Given the limited tactical adjustments possible with the current lineup, Stevens decided to bring on a fresh player. He opted to substitute American midfielder Jermaine Jones with center back Papastathopoulos. Papastathopoulos, known for his versatility and mobility, could switch positions with Matip, allowing Matip to confront Giroud while Papastathopoulos used his speed to shadow Louis.
As Papastathopoulos stood on the sidelines, waiting to come on, Arsenal maintained possession. "Arsenal's midfield is pushing forward again with Louis holding the ball. Schalke 04's defense is trying the offside trap again," the commentator announced.
Louis darted towards the backline, but Schalke's defenders pressed forward simultaneously, catching him offside once more. Undeterred, Louis reset and prepared for the next opportunity. Giroud's presence relieved Louis of much of the physical confrontation, allowing him to focus on finding spaces to exploit.
Cazorla opted not to pass forward this time, recognizing the risk of another offside call. Instead, he passed back to Arteta, who then sent a precise ball to Giroud. With his back to the goal, Giroud initially intended to distribute the ball wide. Then he heard a familiar call.
"Olivier!"
It was Louis. Visualizing Louis's typical movement patterns, Giroud decided to attempt a risky pass. He received Arteta's ball with the instep of his right foot, lifting it over the heads of the onrushing defenders. At the same time, he turned to see Louis sprinting forward.
Realizing he had run too far, Louis adjusted. Facing the ball, he made a slight header to redirect it towards the right side of the penalty area, setting it perfectly for Giroud.
Giroud charged forward, timed his jump perfectly, and with a powerful header, smashed the ball into Schalke 04's goal.