Breakthrough Moment

"The boy is gone again?!"

Lescott was almost suffering from PTSD from the elusive Louis. This guy was like a fox, always sneaking into the blind spots of your vision.

In this situation, Manchester City's backline had to remain focused to avoid being taken advantage of by Louis. Eventually, Lescott simply marked Louis tightly, regardless of which area he moved to.

This method put a lot of pressure on Louis. He struggled to find space to penetrate, and his weakness in holding the ball at his feet was magnified. Several times, when his teammates passed the ball to him, Lescott intercepted it. Arsenal's players quickly realized that Louis wasn't suitable for having too much ball possession right now, so they resorted to passing from the outside.

As a result, Arsenal's offensive rhythm gradually slowed down, playing into Manchester City's hands. Up by a goal, they could comfortably shrink back and play the counterattack. The slower the game, the better for them. Time ticked away, minute by minute.

Wenger's face grew more solemn. He knew Louis was a player with both obvious strengths and weaknesses. For Louis to achieve a breakthrough, his reading of the game was crucial. Shortcomings weren't the problem—the key was how to leverage his strengths.

At San Siro Stadium, Inzaghi watched the live broadcast on his phone with a serious expression. "You should feel the difference between the professional league and the youth team game," Inzaghi thought.

Inzaghi believed Louis' debut was a success. The first ten minutes revealed his potential, and being restricted later was due to his lack of experience. Overcoming this, Louis could become an excellent professional player.

Louis ran tirelessly through Manchester City's defense like a lone boat being squeezed and collided with. "This is the intensity of the professional arena!!" Louis thought as he got up after being knocked down by Kompany. The initial shock he brought to Manchester City's defense gave way to the shock he felt from the intensity of top-tier competition.

Despite looking a bit disheveled, Louis kept running. "Run! Run! Use your strengths!" Inzaghi's voice echoed in his mind. Running smarter, he kept observing, selecting positions, and pulling defenders.

"The key to getting an opportunity is patience. The more impatient you are, the farther away the opportunity is from you!" Louis felt he could write a book called "Inzaghi Speaks," similar to Confucius' "Analects," guiding forwards without great physical condition on how to play smarter football.

Again, he found an opportunity and thrust forward, but his teammate didn't pass. "Discouragement is the most unacceptable emotion in football!" He repeated this mantra, refusing to get discouraged. Louis moved back into Kompany's defense zone. Kompany, surprised, wondered why Louis was now approaching him, thinking he was afraid of him.

"Don't be afraid of your opponents at any time. Fear will make you lose the space to think." Louis remembered another of Inzaghi's teachings and almost laughed at how his seemingly carefree uncle could offer such profound advice. Moving around Kompany, he waited for an opportunity.

The game reached the 89th minute. Louis had been on the field for almost half an hour. Reflecting on this time, the first ten minutes stunned the field, the middle ten minutes revealed the Premier League's intensity, and the last ten minutes were about adapting, thinking, and making decisions.

Ninety minutes into the game, the fourth official raised the board indicating five minutes of injury time. "The score is still 1-0! Arsenal is likely to face the embarrassment of four games without a win or a goal to start the season!" The commentators began imagining the storm of public opinion Arsenal would face post-game.

"Arsenal continues to attack! Cazorla gets the ball from the wing and crosses directly!!" On the TV screen, Cazorla's left-footed cross flew into the penalty area. At this stage, there was no time for organization—just get the ball in and hope for the best.

Louis, standing tall at 1.91 meters, made a run towards the goal. Kompany, marking him closely, followed his every move.

"You must predict not only the path of the ball but also your opponents and teammates!" Louis watched the football fly into the penalty area. Lescott battled Giroud for the ball while Joe Hart rushed out.

Louis immediately stopped and retreated.

"Cazorla crosses to find Giroud, Joe Hart! Beautiful attack!!" The football flew out, and Louis, who had pressed into the small penalty area, turned back near the larger penalty area line.

The football landed perfectly within his reach.

Kompany, realizing Louis had disappeared from his sight, looked around just in time to see Joe Hart punch the ball clear. Louis controlled the ball, turned, and pushed it through the crowd with his right foot, aiming for the far corner.

Joe Hart, caught off guard, tried to make a hasty save but couldn't reach it. The ball slipped past his fingertips and into the goal.

"Louis!!!" the commentators shouted, echoing the excitement of the fans and signaling a breakthrough moment for the young player.