Chapter 8: The Match Arrives!

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The next day, Arsenal's Colney Training Ground.

On the U17 Training Field, cameras on the elevated platform were set up early to prepare for the recording of the match.

A fierce competition among young players was about to ignite here!

At 3:00 PM, the Arsenal U17 players appeared on the field, starting their warm-up training.

Shortly after, Liverpool's young players arrived by bus, walking into the stadium and immediately starting to change and warm up.

In the well-developed European football youth training system, it's not uncommon for youth teams to travel to away venues for friendly matches.

The club spares no expense in investing in the youth team, striving to create a better environment for the young players' growth.

Because just one good prospect can bring thousands of times the return!

More than ten minutes later, some Arsenal fans who had heard the news began to gather around the field.

Most of them were holding popcorn and beer, fully prepared to watch the match comfortably.

"Go, boys!"

"You can win! Whether you're trialists or contracted players!"

"Beat Liverpool!"

"..."

The Arsenal fans shouted loudly. Those who came to watch the youth team matches were mostly die-hard fans of the club.

They were willing to support the team with everything they had and pay attention to its future.

What was different today was that the number of people who came to the stadium was unusually high, with about three hundred in total.

It seemed they had heard that Mr. Wenger would be present and were eager to get a close-up view of the first-team manager.

"Oh... here he comes! He really came!"

They didn't have to wait long. A tall figure suddenly appeared at the stadium entrance, walking briskly to the team's coaching bench, ready to sit with the coach who would be directing the match.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap..." The crowd applauded, showing their love and support for Wenger.

Wenger, hearing the applause for him, turned back to wave at the fans in the stands, causing another stir.

However, a few people in the corner of the fan area, with calm expressions, caught his attention.

They were middle-aged men in their forties, dressed very formally, holding notebooks and pens.

Scouts?

Wenger gave them a deep look before turning away.

If they were here to discuss loans, he would welcome their presence and be happy to accommodate them.

But if they were here to poach a few players for their own club, he wouldn't give them a good face.

"He just saw us."

In the stands, a scout from Leeds United smiled and reminded the person next to him, "Should we tell him we want their U17 captain, Gilbert?"

"Don't cause trouble. Don't you know Mr. Wenger hates that?" A Sheffield United scout frowned at him. "Besides, I think Gilbert will be in the first team in the next year or two. He won't be joining us, only a loan is possible."

"Not necessarily."

A Burnley scout joined the conversation, speaking confidently, "If you can offer a high price, given Arsenal's financial situation and principles, they probably won't refuse."

"Then why don't you try to buy first-team players like Fabregas or Wilshere?" The Sheffield United scout retorted, rolling his eyes.

"I can't do that, but getting a few youth team players is easy."

The Burnley scout smiled, "Alright, the match is about to start. Let's focus and see what we can find. Each scout has their own way of spotting talent."

The others turned their attention to the field, hoping to discover a few good prospects through this match.

...

At 3:30 PM, the players from both sides lined up on the field.

Maël stood on the left side of Arsenal's formation, playing as a winger. He quickly observed Liverpool's formation, which was a traditional 4-2-3-1.

This was likely a continuation of their first-team manager Benitez's tactics, involving high pressing in the attacking third to force Arsenal's backline to struggle with ball distribution.

"There will be a lot of high balls, but heading isn't my strong suit. I need to pay attention to the second balls after the headers."

Maël made his judgment, eagerly waiting to get the ball and take a shot at Liverpool's goal.

He glanced at the opposing goalkeeper and smiled slightly, feeling a bit of anticipation.

"Beep!!"

Soon, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.

Liverpool U17 had the kick-off in the first half, and their black striker kicked the ball back.

"Press! Push up to the midfield, but don't go too high!"

Arsenal's captain, Gilbert, waved to his teammates, leading the players from all three lines to run forward and apply pressure.

However, they didn't use a high-pressing strategy.

Liverpool's style of play was always simple and direct. If they pressed too high, the backline would face significant pressure from through balls.

"Bang! Bang!"

After a couple of simple passes in their own half, Liverpool launched a long ball towards Arsenal's right flank, attempting to advance their attack.

The ball was headed out of bounds by Arsenal's right-back, posing no threat.

But Liverpool's tactical objective was achieved. All their players had compressed towards Arsenal's right flank, ready to pounce on any opportunity.

Maël, being the farthest from his team's right flank, didn't focus much on the defense. Instead, he kept a close eye on the Liverpool defender marking him.

He was waiting for a chance to receive the ball.

"Bang!"

Liverpool's attack ended with a poor cross, which was easily caught by Arsenal's goalkeeper, Hopkins.

Hopkins quickly assessed the situation. Seeing a large number of Liverpool players in his half, he decided against a short pass.

He threw the ball up with one hand and, turning his body, kicked it towards the midfield, looking for Gilbert in the center.

Despite wearing the number 10, Gilbert was 187 cm tall and had decent heading ability.

"Swish!" After jumping, Gilbert flicked the ball backward, trying to catch Liverpool's defense off guard.

Such a backheel pass is rare to execute accurately, but it could create a through ball if the defense was caught unawares.

Landing on the ground, Gilbert quickly turned to observe the situation in the attacking third.

He saw the ball land on the left flank, where Maël was racing against the opposing defender.

"My ball!"

The Liverpool defender was clearly faster, reaching the ball first and preparing to pass it back to the goalkeeper.

But Maël reacted quickly. Realizing he couldn't catch up, he abandoned the chase and charged into the defender with full force.

The Liverpool defender was a slender, agile full-back, seemingly lacking in physical strength.

"Bang!"

The sound of the collision echoed, and the Liverpool defender fell to the ground like a broken kite, waving at the referee in frustration, "Hey! No foul?"

The referee shook his head, indicating there was no foul and told him to get up.

The defender hurriedly tried to get up, but Maël had already dribbled the ball past him and cut into the center.

"Bang!!"

Seeing the opportunity, Maël didn't hesitate. He took a quick shot, launching the first shot of the match.

Compared to before, his adjustment was much faster, and the shot was of high quality.

The ball grazed the crossbar and flew over, and from the bewildered expression of the Liverpool goalkeeper, it was clear that if the shot had been on target, a goal would have been likely.

"Keep it up!"

Maël, having taken a shot, felt his confidence soar, and his desire for the ball increased even more.

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