Chapter 484: Chapter 128: A Great Goal! The Tireless Ma’el! A Ghost on the Left Wing! Crossing the Mountains!

"Haha...!"

In the broadcast room, witnessing this scene, Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu couldn’t help but laugh together.

"In this match, Ma’el has shown people what kind of intensity his physical condition can contribute to defense."

Zhang Lu looked at the Manchester United players and smiled, "Manchester United is now in a very awkward position. Originally, they were quite effective against Arsenal, with their strong side attacking Arsenal’s weak defensive side.

"Right? The attacking combo of Evra and Welbeck on the left can’t compare to the right-side combo of Nani and Valencia.

"And they’re facing different opponents, one side against Sagna and Mertesacker, the other against Gibbs and Koscielny.

"If they played by the book, they probably would have already torn apart Arsenal’s right defense, creating absolute scoring opportunities for Rooney and others.

"But Ma’el is a variable. His constant defensive returns have injected new power into Arsenal’s local defense, which makes the recently red-hot Vanase duo feel very stifled."

He couldn’t help but chuckle twice, "The key is, he’s not only contributing well in defense, but he also scored against you, putting you behind."

"What to do now? Before Ma’el runs out of stamina, they should not be able to break through. Should they move Valencia to the center and play four defenders, or switch him to the left side?"

"....."

On the pitch, Arsenal completed a midfield interception, and Ramsey sent a half-high ball to Ma’el on the wing.

"Bang!"

As Ma’el stopped the ball, he saw Giggs charging towards him. Instead of stopping the ball at his feet, he lobbed it over to land behind Giggs.

Giggs couldn’t brake in time, and seeing he was about to be passed, instinctively hooked his foot back.

"Thud!" Ma’el was charging forward and was tripped heavily to the ground again.

"Oww...!" Dissatisfaction echoed throughout the Emirates Stadium, as fans pressured the referee to give Giggs another yellow card and send him off.

Giggs regretted it the moment he hooked his foot. He raised his hands, signaling it was unintentional, and pretended to help Ma’el up friendly from the ground.

"Beep!"

The referee blew the whistle and strolled over, seemingly hesitating.

Giggs was very nervous, clasped his hands together, and pleaded with the referee for leniency.

Perhaps it was because he was an old Premier League veteran, the referee ultimately didn’t take out a second yellow card and called out, "Last warning! Next time, no matter the force of the foul, it’s a direct yellow card!"

"Phew..." Giggs exhaled a long breath, but looking at Ma’el beside him, there was still worry in his eyes.

Having used the last card to escape ejection, from now on, it’s either he completes the interception, or Ma’el breaks into the backline.

"Fack!"

"Hoo, hoo, hoo...!"

"Xuxu~!"

Dissatisfaction brewed in the stands, and Arsenal fans began to "kindly" inquire about the referee’s family.

...

Seconds ticked away, and the Manchester United players gradually became anxious, occasionally sending the ball to the right, trying to mount a numerical advantage in attack.

But disappointingly, Ma’el still managed to return every time, always getting into position. He seemed more like a midfield winger.

What’s more troubling is that he’s not only in place for defense but also ready each time for an attack.

As soon as possession changed, he’d be at the left forward position, pressing Manchester United’s other four defenders, preventing them from moving up to aid the attack.

Counting this way, Manchester United had six players in attack, while Arsenal had 9, except for Van Persie, defending at the back.

Although Walcott sometimes didn’t get into position, Ma’el always reliably occupied his spot, ensuring at least 8 defenders.

The two-person defense advantage gradually made Manchester United’s attacks increasingly difficult, forcing them to threaten the goal with long shots occasionally.

"Bang!"

In the 69th minute, Rooney, under Mertesacker’s close marking, forcefully turned and made a hasty shot.

The shot lacked power and angle, and Szczeny easily caught it, patted it a few times to kill some time, and then placed it at his feet, waiting for the Manchester United players to press.

Rooney’s emotions were on the verge of bursting. Seeing this, his temper flared, and he rushed directly towards Szczeny.

"Bang!"

Szczeny kicked the ball towards Ma’el, but Rooney showed no signs of stopping and barged in with an elbow, knocking him over.

"Oww...!" The Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium erupted again with boos and complaints, many pulling on Arsenal shirts, demanding the referee give Rooney a red card.

At the football’s landing spot, Ma’el also caught the ball in his hands, using the opportunity to pause the attack and apply pressure on the referee.

"Beep!" The referee glanced back and blew the whistle, but he didn’t take out a red card, only giving Rooney a yellow card.

"It’s always like this!"

On the sideline, Wenger threw up his right hand high, complaining, "It’s always like this! Today there should have been at least one red card, but there isn’t. Are you afraid of giving red cards to Manchester United’s stars?"

On the other side, Ferguson heard it clearly, already fuming himself. He couldn’t help but burst out, marching up and shouting, "Are you accusing us of bribing the referee?!"

"I didn’t say that."

Wenger stood firm, standing his ground, waiting for Ferguson, pointing to the pitch and continuing to complain, "Don’t you think that’s a red card action? Retaliatory action after the ball was released!"