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Chapter 285: The Strongest Arsenal

"Hey, Andy, it looks like the defending champions are in deep trouble, don't you think?"

"Maybe so. They lost to Manchester United and now find themselves six points adrift. With the scandal brewing, Hall has already punished those responsible, showing no mercy. Three rising English stars won't be on the top stage for at least a month. Perhaps it's a good time for them to reflect."

"I think Hall's arrangements are reasonable. Firstly, it's about protecting the players. To put them on the field now would expose them to public ridicule and condemnation. Secondly, it's about disciplinary action. Lampard, Ferdinand, Mills These players are the main players of the U21 team - if things go well, the U21 team may become the mainstay of the adult team in the future, depending on whether the coach is strict with players like them; "I hope they will not hold a grudge against the coach. "

"From what I hear, that shouldn't be the case. The three players are training with the reserves, and they had a solid match earlier against Arsenal's youth team, helping Millwall's reserves to a resounding victory. I just wonder if such a win can bring good fortune to the first team."

"Since that dismal defeat at the Lions' Den at the start of the season, Wenger has quickly adjusted the team, avoiding the overly aggressive use of young players. After a period of adaptation, Arsenal's performance has improved. Although they're still ten points behind the league leaders Manchester United, they're only four points away from Millwall, and they've distanced themselves from other strong contenders like Liverpool, Chelsea, and Leeds. This gives Arsenal a real shot at claiming second place and potentially a spot in next season's Champions League."

"Exactly. Especially considering Millwall's tough schedule in the coming months. One disadvantage for them is their thin squad. Honestly, their summer signings aimed for the long term and can't guarantee results now. Plus, in the latter half of the season, they'll have to play more matches than Arsenal. Aside from the FA Cup, they have two League Cup semi-finals coming up next month. If they reach the final, that's yet another game they'll have to manage. Before the Champions League knockout stage begins, they'll also play two matches against Dortmund in the European Super Cup. The further they go in the Champions League, the tougher their end-of-season run will be."

Aldrich exchanged a few words with Wenger on the sidelines. Wenger hadn't anticipated that Millwall would find themselves in such a mess right now. With Arsenal in peak form, today's match was undoubtedly more favorable for them.

Aldrich didn't delve into the party incident, and they quickly resumed their positions, waiting for the match to kick off.

Millwall would field a weakened side. Originally, Schneider would have been rested, but with Mills out with the reserves, Schneider had no choice but to push through his fatigue.

Larsson and Nedved are expected to rejoin the team after this game. Aldridge doesn't like to keep players' schedules too tight. With both players due to take part in the Ballon d'Or and the Christmas holidays approaching, he decided to give them a break to recover for the second half of the season. Continuous travel and rushed training could affect their performance, especially with Larsson having an excellent attendance record this season and constantly fighting on the front line. It is time for him to get some much-needed rest. Nedved needs similar treatment.

Ballack, in mediocre form, took over for the starting Lampard. At 21, Ballack's skills had started to solidify; all he needed was to accumulate experience, enhance his physicality, and improve his state of adjustment. A while back, he had hit a low form, and Aldrich had given him a break. Although he wasn't yet at his best, today he had to step up.

"Today's Millwall is clearly not at full strength."

Starting goalkeeper: Butt.

Defenders: Schneider, Elgerra, Southgate, Capdevila.

Midfielders: Makelele, Pirlo, Ballack.

Forwards: Gudjohnsen, Trezeguet, Shevchenko.

On Arsenal's side, there was just one change compared to their last meeting.

Goalkeeper: Seaman.

Defenders: Dixon, Adams, Keown, Winterburn.

Midfielders: Overmars, Vieira, Petit, Pires.

Forwards: Wright, Bergkamp.

The referee blew the whistle, and Arsenal kicked off.

As the match began, Aldrich noted that Arsenal players quickly found their rhythm, showcasing clear movement patterns and an exceptionally high rate of passing success, switching between offense and defense with remarkable speed...

Wenger had completely transformed the Arsenal of old, making it impossible to associate this team with Graham's era.

A few months ago, the main issue with Arsenal was the lack of synergy between their double pivot midfielders. Their transition from defense to attack would reveal vulnerabilities against top teams, and their control of rhythm was lacking, with attacking players failing to achieve a cohesive level of play.

But now, a few months later, this Arsenal side looked impeccable—a top-tier defense, in attack not only did they have an individual talent like Overmars, they also had a cohesive force in Bergkamp, and the partnership between Vieira and Petit was reaching its zenith. The energy from this starting eleven could rival any team in the Premier League.

It's no wonder that several contemporary stars from Manchester United later reflected that the 97-98 Arsenal was the strongest, rather than the 03-04 team!

Overmars received the ball on the right wing, turned, and surged forward. Capdevila tried to mark him, but Overmars easily executed a feint to accelerate past him.

Successfully reaching the byline, the little flying man delivered a perfect cross, timed just right—a stark contrast to his previous performances where he seemed divorced from Arsenal's tactical system.

Ian Wright quickly arrived from the centre for the header, but Butt made a spectacular save, tipping the ball over the bar.

Aldrich grimaced at this moment, massaging the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Capdevila had been beaten twice in a row by Overmars, and it appeared his defense was utterly ineffective.

The Spanish player had returned from injury sooner than expected, but Aldrich had planned for him to return in January. However, no one anticipated that Zambrotta would get injured in the last match at Old Trafford, forcing Capdevila into action prematurely, and his form was indeed concerning.

Damn the Christmas rush! Many foreign players tend to struggle during this period, especially since other leagues have their winter breaks. In the last three years, Millwall's performance has fluctuated significantly during January.

While some of the older players have learned to cope with this challenge, the younger ones still seem to struggle and fall into a slump as soon as Christmas hits...

Arsenal persisted in applying pressure down both flanks, transitioning swiftly from defense to attack. Their moves were quick and fluid, almost every counterattack reaching Millwall's goal, leaving the Lions' penalty area in turmoil.

Thirty minutes into the first half, it was evident Capdevila was struggling immensely. Overmars had thoroughly outplayed him and toyed with him.

Jensen suggested substituting Neil for Capdevila, fearing that the Spanish player's confidence might take a significant hit in this match.

Aldrich shot down the proposal. A player returning from injury needed game time to regain form. If Capdevila was substituted today, it would weigh heavily on his confidence.

He needed to find his rhythm and improve his play on the pitch.

It was simply a matter of bad luck; his first match back coincided with one against a flying Overmars.

Aldridge kept urging Gudjohnsen to drop back and help ease the load on Capdevila. However, the Iceland forward struggled with double marking on that side, forcing Aldridge to switch positions between Shevchenko and Gudjohnsen, allowing Shevchenko to help defend the left wing.

This greatly reduces the threat of Overmars, because Shevchenko's deeper position may block Overmars's path to cut inside, allowing Capdevila to focus more on blocking the opponent's runs on the sideline. move.

However, this adjustment rendered Millwall's offense almost paralyzed.

Arsenal tightened their defense further, learning from their previous humiliating defeat. Relying solely on six or seven defenders wasn't enough to stifle Millwall's overall advance; even Bergkamp dropped back into his half to disrupt Pirlo's organization, leading to a significant number of uncharacteristic errors in Millwall's forward play.

The entire first half felt overwhelmingly passive; fans in the stands could see it clearly—Arsenal could reach Millwall's box and create threatening chances, but Millwall found it impossible to progress past the opponent's penalty area.

The Arsenal fans witnessing this scene have seen their previous criticisms of Wenger start to fade, and it's not without reason.

Being able to dominate Millwall at home isn't just sheer luck; it's a testament to Wenger's skills. His strategies show that he's got a clear direction for the team, and the players reflect that with their passion and style on the field.

At half-time, the score remained 0:0.

Aldrich walked back to the locker room with a poker face and quickly adjusted the team's tactical approach.

The fluid attacking play they used to boast had disappeared completely today!

Beyond the fact that Arsenal possessed a world-class defense with diligent defensive midfielders and forwards coming back to help, Millwall was also struggling with a plethora of issues.

Gudjohnsen, while talented, lacked chemistry with his teammates, causing an array of dazzling offensive combinations to fizzle without the right fit, significantly lowering the threat level. Coupled with Ballack's unimpressive showing, Capdevila's struggles to push forward, and Schneider's fitness concerns, Millwall faced challenges that went far deeper than what appeared on the surface.

Aldrich couldn't let his team chase any more ornate combinations; a simple pass, teammates moving into space, and quick combinations were needed to break through the opponent's defenses. What looked easy required immense foundation.

Millwall had to play with more straightforward, no-frills tactics in the second half, at the very least to pose a threat to the opponent's goal and avoid being caught in counterattacks while stuck just outside the box!

As both teams returned for the second half, following Aldrich's adjustments, the team formation shifted from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1.

This change yielded immediate results!