A Successful Gamble

The fans at Montpellier's home stadium stared blankly at the pitch.

The players from both sides were the first to react.

Walcott rushed forward immediately.

"What the hell are you doing!!" he shouted.

"Don't fight!" Montpellier's players responded, trying to defuse the situation.

Players from both sides quickly got involved, and a conflict seemed inevitable.

Louis got up from the ground and stayed clear of the skirmish.

He knew Mbiwa was in trouble.

"Trying to mess with me? Really overconfident," he thought to himself.

As expected, the referee calmed the conflict and began handing out cards.

Walcott received a yellow card, then the referee approached Louis, also showing a yellow card.

"My yellow card?!" Louis was puzzled.

"You shouldn't provoke your opponent," the referee replied.

"I didn't touch him!" Louis protested.

"I have my own judgment." The referee noted Louis's number and moved toward Mbiwa.

Mbiwa, now calm, realized his fate was sealed. He tried to plead but was met with a red card before he could say anything.

"Red card! Mbiwa is sent off for his aggression against Louis."

Mbiwa shook his head and smiled bitterly. He had intended to intimidate the rookie but ended up being outsmarted.

As Mbiwa left the field with the consolation of his teammates, Montpellier faced a dire situation: one player down and trailing on the scoreboard.

They had no choice but to replace a forward with a defender, focusing solely on defense.

"Mbiwa's lack of composure put Montpellier in a desperate situation. Arsenal is now completely in control," the commentators noted.

During a dead ball phase, the broadcast director replayed the build-up to the conflict between Mbiwa and Louis, showing the provocations that led to the explosion. Although Louis's words weren't captured, it was clear he had outwitted Mbiwa.

As the game resumed, everyone's focus returned to the action.

"Walcott crosses!! Louis heads it!! Oh, just slightly high!"

"Louis with a shot near the arc of the penalty area! Goalkeeper Jourdren makes a fantastic save!!"

"Giroud shoots from a tight angle!! It's too high!"

"Cazorla volleys!! Another great save by Jourdren!!"

During this period, Montpellier's goalkeeper, Jourdren, was the busiest player, making save after save to keep his team in the game. However, a goalkeeper being the center of attention usually signals defensive issues.

In the 86th minute, Cazorla sent a through ball over the top of the penalty area. Louis successfully beat the offside trap and entered the penalty area!

"Louis... one-on-one!!!" the commentators exclaimed, and the crowd's boos grew louder. Louis had become the main target of Montpellier fans' ire since Mbiwa's dismissal.

Montpellier's goalkeeper, Jourdren, lowered his center of gravity and rushed toward Louis, trying to intimidate him. For goalkeepers, winning these duels often hinges on psychological warfare.

Louis, however, wasn't intimidated. He eyed the far corner of the goal, raised his foot slightly, and feigned a shot.

"Louis shoots!!" the commentators shouted.

Jourdren anticipated a shot to the far corner and shifted his weight accordingly. But Louis didn't shoot. Instead, he deftly switched the ball to his right foot and pushed it toward the near corner.

Caught off balance, Jourdren couldn't adjust in time. The ball rolled past him, brushing the near post and settling into the net.

"Louis scores!! Beautiful!!!"

"Ohhhhh! He tricked the goalkeeper with a feint and then calmly slotted it into the near corner! Such composure!!"

"Louis shows a maturity beyond his years! A clinical finish. One to three! Arsenal secures the victory!!"

"Scored twice!! Scored twice in his second consecutive game! Scored twice in his Champions League debut!"

In the commentary box, the commentators were ecstatic.

Montpellier fans sat stunned in the stands as Arsenal players celebrated wildly.

With two goals behind and one player down, Montpellier's hopes were dashed.

The gamble had paid off.