Chapter 214: The Start of the Match Part 1
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Although Nottingham Forest was just a newly promoted team, and their opponent, Arsenal, was the defending champion, it was no exaggeration to say that this was the most high-profile match in the Premier League.
Sky TV had chosen this game to be broadcasted live to all of England. It was believed that on top of the benefits for the Arsenal fans, there would be a lot of interest in whether the 25-year unbeaten record could be broken.
“Forty-three, this is a captivating figure. As long as Wenger’s team does not lose to Nottingham Forest here, they will set a new record. But Arsenal has to be careful, since at the same time, this can also be a pitfall.” Martin Taylor sat in the press box and began to speak, giving the audience his analysis of the game through the microphone. “I don’t think Tony Twain will let his opponent get three points on the Forest team’s home ground.”
Next to him, Andy Gray added. “Yes, that’s right, he’s like a bulldog.”
“That’s an accurate description.”
The pair of partners laughed.
The two commentators had time to joke, but the players on the field did not even have time to catch their breath. From the moment the whistle blew, they had to be in the zone.
The result of the coin toss was that Arsenal got the right to kick off. But less than a minute after shooting out the ball, they lost control of it. But the Forest team did not get it either.
Because he was the replacement for Patrick Vieira’s position, young Cesc Fàbregas had to take on the responsibility of organizing the offense, and most of Arsenal’s balls had to be delivered to his feet; even more so for the kick offs.
But just when Fàbregas had stopped the ball, he saw the number 13, George Wood, charging up from the other side.
For this game, the task Twain had given to Wood was to mark Fàbregas. And if he had any energy left, he could help Albertini. Even though Fàbregas was still young, and perhaps it might seem incomprehensible that Twain was so worried about the kid, Tang En knew his energy. If he left him be, he would have suffered the consequences sooner or later.
Albertini’s mission was also focused on defense because in this game, the Forest team was up against the formidable Arsenal. After only two rounds of the tournament, Arsenal had already scored nine goals: a 4:1 victory over Everton and a 5:3 victory over Middlesbrough.
Arsenal’s starting line-up in this game was not too different from what it had been in the first two rounds. There was the German goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann, and the the right back, Lauren. Then, because Sol Campbell had not recovered from his injury, Pascal Cygan and Yaya Touré were partners for the center back positions, and the left back was Ashley Cole. The four players Arsenal placed in the midfield were Jermaine Pennant, Gilberto Silva, Cesc Fàbregas and Robert Pirès. And up on the frontline were the two partners, their team captain, Thierry Henry, and the veteran, Dennis Bergkamp.
Their lineup was dynamic and experienced. When comparing the strength of the two teams, Wenger did not believe that the Forest team was even close to being the more powerful team. What made him feel a little uneasy was that Arsenal was playing against the Forest team on their home turf, and according to rumors, Tony Twain was a man who placed great importance on home games.
Additionally, looking at a series of performances from Twain before this match, Wenger did not think that the Forest team would let Arsenal easily create a new record on their home ground.
In this game, he wanted his team to channel momentum into their control right at the start of the game. If they did that, the next step would be easy. His Arsenal players were always skilled at controlling situations, and directing the momentum of the game to move according to Arsenal’s rhythm.
However, Twain was well aware of it too. It was clear from the beginning that he had no intention of handing over the rhythm of the game so readily. Arsenal likes to control the field, doesn’t it? And it likes to emphasize playing beautiful football, doesn’t it? Well, my team may not have those skills, but we’re superb at wreaking havoc!
George Wood had good stamina and a remarkable physique, so he was given the responsibility of causing destruction and marking Fàbregas closely, just like he had done to him in that youth team game.
From the opening seconds of the game, Wood was doing very well.
The young Spaniard had just stopped the football, and Wood had already rushed up to him. He nimbly dodged the tackle with the intention of flashing past his charging opponent. But Wood’s left foot dragged behind and hooked Fàbregas’ foot. The football was derailed but they remained on the same spot. The referee’s whistle was well-timed. The applause from the stands was not for the referee, but for George Wood.
Who would not like a player who was groomed from their own youth team and ended up in a main position on the First Team?
When he saw Fàbregas tripped by George Wood, Wenger shot a glance at Tony Twain from the technical area and wondered if this would be the Forest team’s tactical tone in this game.
He decided to observe for another ten minutes.
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Within those ten minutes, the Forest team thoroughly carried out Twain’s destructive tactics. He never tried to overwhelm Arsenal on offense, or compete with Arsenal on which team had a higher rate of ball possession or had more passes. But if Arsenal wanted to play with ease, the Forest team would not let them.
Besides the goalkeeper, Twain wanted the team to proactively intercept the ball and fortify their defense from the front field to all other sections. They must not allow Arsenal to do passes, control the ball, or dribble it. Otherwise, the Forest team would only end up chasing the ball on their opponent’s tail.
This was only the way for the current Forest team to compete with Arsenal.
In the previous day’s tactical preparation session, Twain had drawn a red line just in front of the arc in the opponent’s penalty area on the tactical board. He told the players that this was the first line of defense for the Forest team. “Our defense starts from our opponent’s penalty area.” Since he had said so, that was what the players did.
After a full ten minutes, when the score was displayed at the bottom of the screen, it was still 0:0. Arsenal slightly predominated in the possession rate, with 54% versus Forest’s 46%. Arsenal had two shots on goal, and the Forest team had one. The number of fouls that the Forest team had was four, and Arsenal did not even have one.
The simple data statistics were already enough to summarize what had happened on the field in the last ten minutes.
In front of the televisions, the Arsenal admirers did not see the robust victory that they anticipated or the typical Arsenal style of play. They saw mistakes, fouls, whistles that interrupted the game from time to time, and the Forest fans singing in the stands.
What else was there? The King of Highbury, Henry, breaking through on the left wing and then crossing inside to shoot at the goal? Pirès’ skillful running passes and coordination with Henry on the left wing? Pennant’s sharp breakthrough from the side? Dennis Bergkamp’s amazing technique? Ashley Cole plugging in from the rear to assist in the attack?
No, there was nothing.
Apart from Wenger, Tang En might have been the only person in the world who understood Wenger’s trust in and high regard for Fàbregas. He knew that Vieira’s injury might be considered bad news in the minds of Arsenal fans, but for Arsène Wenger, it was a chance for Cesc Fàbregas to properly establish his position.
Arsenal’s offense must be launched by Fàbregas. During an offense, all the balls would be given to him first, and then he must decide on the direction and manner of the offense. Whether it would be a long pass behind, or a short pass to infiltrate and drive forward layer by layer; whether they would seize the opportunity to quickly counterattack or stabilize first and wait for teammates to come up and support… All of those decisions were handed over to the 17-year-old Francesc Fàbregas.
That heavy responsibility was not given to any other players, even considering his young age. Since he was taking Vieira’s place, he must be able to realize Vieira’s responsibility.
In Arsenal’s first two victorious rounds, Fàbregas did not manage to score a goal, but the role that he played on the field spoke for itself. The media had already eagerly begun to bestow the Spanish lad with the title of “Vieira’s successor.”
Twain had appointed George Wood to carry out man-on-man marking defense against Fàbregas. No matter where Fàbregas was, as long as he received the ball, Wood must immediately close in on him without any fear of losing his defensive position. When Wood was putting pressure on Fàbregas, Ribéry would cover the center.
First of all, they had to prevent Arsenal from entering their familiar rhythm. Then, the Forest team must find opportunities to counterattack in the chaos. It all depended on Albertini’s performance. Tang En believed in the Italian, just like he trusted George Wood. The Forest team’s first shot to the goal, within ten minutes of the start of the match, came from a long pass by Albertini after he intercepted the ball in the backfield.
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Seeing how the game had developed, Wenger was certain of what Tony Twain had in mind. But he did not get up and walk to the sidelines to make any adjustments. Instead, he turned to his assistant manager, Pat Rice, who was sitting beside him, and asked, “What do you think, Pat?”
“I think Twain is no different from most other opponents when it comes to dealing with our tactics,” Rice said.
“But if the game only lasted for ten minutes, he would have done better than the other opponents.”
“Are we going to change anything, Arsène?”
“No…” Wenger rested his chin on his palm and shook his head. “No, it’s too early. Their tactics are flawed too. Every time number 13 presses forward to defend against Fàbregas, there’s a gap behind him. We’ll continue to observe; if Cesc can’t handle it alone, let Dennis help him.”
Pat Rice nodded and jotted down Wenger’s remark in the little notebook that he carried.
