Chapter 483: Chapter 128: A Great Goal! The Tireless Ma’el! A Ghost on the Left Wing!

At that moment, the feint would turn into a fierce attack, and the defense on this side would break down directly.

After Ma’el ran back, he quickly engaged in pressing, forcing Manchester United to constantly pass back, pushing the ball to the backfield.

"Gelling!"

On the sidelines, Wenger admired Ma’el’s effort but was somewhat worried.

He turned to an assistant coach holding a laptop, "How many meters has Ma’el run?"

Gelling, the team’s data analyst, constantly calculates various data using software. After glancing at the computer, he said, "A total of 7,284 meters, high-intensity running 940 meters."

This means Ma’el’s running distance before halftime might exceed 7,500 meters, and high-intensity running could surpass 1,000 meters.

Wenger turned his head, a bit worried. He could only glance at Henry, hoping that if Ma’el runs out of energy, Henry can step up.

"Beep! Beep—!"

Soon after, the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the first half.

"Oh.....!" Cheers erupted at the Emirates Stadium as fans celebrated the unexpected ’one-nil’ lead.

They immediately began singing, encouraging the players while teasing the opposing fans, "One-nil... one-nil...! We will continue to remain unbeaten, Manchester United can only watch as we pull further away.....!"

...

Manchester United locker room.

"Ma’el ran 7,561 meters in the first half, high-intensity running 1,042."

Ferguson stood in front of the players, stating sternly: "The total distance and high-intensity running distance are very close to Premier League averages. In the second half, keep attacking this side to make him exhaust his energy as soon as possible.

"Don’t underestimate him, this season’s high-intensity running record in the five major leagues is held by him, and his physical ability is much superior to the average.

"Only through relentless assault, with everyone running a little more on this side, can we prevent him from stopping, gradually depleting his physical ability."

Valencia, Giggs, and Nani listened intently; the problems Ma’el caused them in the first half were indeed significant.

Not only did he score a goal, but he also contributed a lot defensively.

If the match ended now, Ma’el’s performance rating would likely be around 9.5, such was his contribution to Arsenal.

However, people can’t run like that indefinitely, otherwise, why wouldn’t other top wingers help their teams defensively? Is it because they don’t want to win?

In the second half, Ma’el will definitely slowly fade away until he completely vanishes!

By then, regardless of attacking the left or right side, they would leverage one additional attacking player!

In a high-stakes matchup, if neither side makes mistakes, it boils down to which side can have a numerical advantage in attack and defense, and top players can maximize this advantage.

"Of course, we aren’t strictly waiting for his physical ability to run out to attack; there will be some minor adjustments in the second half."

Ferguson pulled open the tactics board, "First is....."

...

"Well done!"

"If we take down Manchester United and conclude January perfectly, I believe everything that follows will go much smoother!"

"Ma’el, good play!"

"How’s your body?"

The atmosphere in the Arsenal locker room was cheerful; many came up to Ma’el, the goal hero, and hugged him, though some were concerned about him.

"No problem."

Ma’el waved his hands at them and patted his thigh muscles; his heart rate had settled significantly, and the muscle fatigue had lessened considerably.

The physical ability required in soccer is definitely not like marathon-type long-distance steady aerobic running endurance.

On the field, they don’t run at a constant pace; sometimes jogging, sometimes at medium speed, sometimes sprinting, sometimes just standing still.

At this time, one must develop the habit of letting the body adapt to the ever-changing rhythm of running, improving anaerobic running capabilities, and maximizing muscle endurance potential, allowing for good recovery ability.

Level 4 physical ability undoubtedly equips him with these abilities, allowing him to recover with just a little rest, his body highly resilient.

Today, he didn’t have many attacking opportunities, as whenever he got the ball, he was either double-teamed by Manchester United players or stopped by tactical fouls.

So he concentrated on defense, after all, that free-kick had already put the team ahead, not overly afraid of Manchester United sneaking a goal at the last minute.

"How many minutes can you play?"

Wenger also came over at this time, standing beside him and asking, "If it doesn’t work, just signal to me, and I’ll sub you out immediately. Exhaustion can lead to injuries."

"I don’t know either." Ma’el shook his head, then nodded, "I understand, Mr. Wenger, don’t worry."

There was a hint of concern in Wenger’s eyes; he wanted to say something but ultimately didn’t, turning around to discuss tactics.

He didn’t say too much, mainly encouraging, as more than half a season in, the team had already formed a system, relying more on the players’ performance.

"Beep Beep!"

The referee’s entry whistle sounded outside the locker room door, urging everyone to take the field.

Ma’el stood up, placing a hand on Van Persie’s shoulder. The two didn’t say anything, but both understood that the real battle was about to begin.

...

"Boom Boom...!"

In the 49th minute of the second half, Manchester United attempted to launch a fast attack on the right flank; this time, no one was waiting for Ma’el, they just wanted to quickly push and break through the opponent’s goal.

"Swoosh!"

But just as Valencia took a few steps forward dribbling the ball, a pair of feet suddenly slid in from behind, sweeping the ball from his feet out of bounds.

Valencia wiped his face in frustration, looking at Ma’el, who was moving like a pesky fly, unable to believe this was the Premier League’s most efficient striker now.

He stomped in impatience, spreading his hands in complaint as he held the ball for a throw-in, seeing none of his teammates ready to receive it.