Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

But the referee shook his head.

Sorry, I really can't see it.

And... are you sure you didn't do anything with your hands?

The referee ruled it was a normal contest, and Campbell lost because he couldn't keep up with the speed and was outmatched in skill.

Campbell was exceptionally wronged.

After that goal, Manchester City immediately made substitutions.

Some people don't actually understand this approach.

Since you scored a goal, it means your current setup is fine.

So why change the player?

Manchester City quickly showed everyone why through their actions.

Lahm replaced Ashley Young.

Maicon replaced Sun Jihai.

Yaya Touré replaced David Silva.

Brothers!

Go to the toilet!

Manchester City fans were visibly excited upon seeing these three players.

Although Manchester City claims to have twenty key players.

But everyone knows that the starting lineup Manchester City uses in the league and the UEFA Cup is their true main force.

These three players are from the main team.

In fact, Manchester City has always said that they want to entrust most of the EFL Cup and even the FA Cup to this young reserve team.

But they still had extra preparations for this crucial battle.

Today, five key players were sitting on their bench.

Their arrival was clearly not just for show.

Manchester City has long been prepared for a potential merger with Arsenal.

Moreover... Manchester City's next offensive move is already a possibility.

This season, there are two pairs of full-backs in the Premier League that are feared by all.

One is the Arsenal winger pairing of Ashley Cole and Wu Xudong.

Another one is the Manchester City winger pairing of Lahm and Maicon!

These are the two most potent attacking wingers in the Premier League.

And now, they're going to start flying against each other!

In midfield, Yaya Touré made his debut.

With Sun Jihai's departure, the Chinese derby came to an end.

But the Toure brothers' derby has begun again.

If the defensive midfield duo of Vieira and Gilbert Silva is considered exceptional in terms of defense...

The trio of Mascherano, Yaya Touré, and Fabregas were dominant on both offense and defense.

In particular, Yaya Touré is widely regarded by European media as being able to be traded one-for-one for any midfielder in the world, except for Duncan.

It doesn't matter if you're Deco, Ronaldinho, or Kaká; it doesn't matter if you're Lampard, Gerrard, or Vieira.

Those who are better at attack than Toure are basically not as good as Toure in everything else except for their offense.

Those who are better at defense than Toure are basically not as good as Toure in everything else except defense.

Those who are better organized than Toure are basically inferior to Toure in every other aspect except for their organization.

This is a super hexagonal midfield!

After two or three years of honing his skills, Toure is becoming a top star this season alongside the unbeaten Manchester City!

Seventy-seventh minute.

Touré clashed with Vieira in the middle of the field.

Two incredibly tough and muscular men clashed, delivering a brutal and realistic punch.

Finally, Deng Kai rushed over and snatched the football away.

Gilbert Silva chased after Deng Kai and started biting him.

Deng Kai dribbled laterally, dodging pursuit, and brought the ball all the way to the wing.

Pires came over to surround and tackle.

As a result, Deng Kai took advantage of Pires's pressing and dribbled the ball directly towards Pires, then went at full speed and shook off Pires in one smooth move.

Pires was shocked.

Can Deng Kai really have that kind of speed?

Could it be that this same yellow skin isn't actually Wu Xudong possessing him?

This is the drawback of encirclement.

In a one-on-one situation, Gilbert Silva actually had a chance to stick to Duncan.

When Pires comes to surround them, Gilbert Silva has to give Pires a defensive zone.

Pires himself is not a strong defender.

Deng Kai found it much easier to break through Pires's side.

And he shook off two people in one go.

Arsenal's defense was thus put to the test.

Ashley Cole and Duncan have gone head-to-head.

Deng Kai's bicycle kept moving forward.

boom!

As Maicon looped past Deng Kai, Deng Kai completed a through pass.

The football and Maicon together pierced through Ashley Cole.

Despite Ashley Cole's agility, he immediately turned to chase Maicon.

But Maicon is not Sun Jihai; he is also a top-tier speed player.

Ashley Cole couldn't catch up at all in a short time.

Maicon was about to lift his foot and cross the ball.

Ashley Cole's gamble-like diving save.

However, Maicon's right foot did touch the ball, but the ball did not fly.

This was not a cross.

Instead, it was a triangular pass.

He perfectly evaded Ashley Cole's defense.

Deng Kai, who had just delivered the through ball, then ran to the right side of the penalty area.

As soon as the player arrived, Maicon's cutback pass followed.

Deng Kai swung his leg in place.

It completely fooled all of Arsenal's defenders.

boom!

Deng Kai dribbled the ball forward a step, then unleashed a powerful cross with his right foot.

The ball passed in front of Campbell, hit Kolo Toure's foot, and bounced into the Arsenal goal.

Own goal!

"Wow! Three to three!"

"Deng Kai's cross forced Kolo Toure to score an own goal!"

"That cross was so powerful! So fast! Campbell didn't even have a chance to kick it, and Kolo Toure had no chance to dodge!"

"I seriously doubt this was an own goal! I'd believe you if you told me it was orchestrated by Deng Kai!"

"I strongly suggest the organizers credit Deng Kai for this assist; it was absolutely brilliant!"

too fast!

Deng Kai is too fast!

Maicon was too fast!

Deng Kai's pass was quick too!

Arsenal were completely stunned by that goal.

After nearly eighty minutes of play, the score was tied at three to three, and both sides acted as if nothing had happened.

But some people already had cold sweat on their foreheads.

Arsenal were clearly struggling to keep up.

Because although their left and right wingers Pires and Ljungberg, and even their striker Reyes, are not slow.

But this is different from Deng Kai having speed.

When Deng Kai loses his speed, he becomes almost impossible to defend against.

Once he has speed, he can really do whatever he wants on the offensive end.

To counter Duncan, Arsenal's two wingers had to come back to help the team.

Only with a sufficient number of players can Arsenal feel a sense of security at this point.

But when your defense requires numbers to create a sense of security, it means that your defense has lost its protective function.

Eighty-third minute.

Lahm dribbled down the left flank and then passed the ball to Duncan.

Deng Kai's feint after receiving the ball almost knocked Ljungberg down.

As a result, Deng Kai didn't move and passed the ball to Fabregas, who had made a run forward.

Fabregas delivered a 45-degree cross to Torres.

Kolo Toure cleared the ball off Torres and didn't make any further mistakes.

Manchester City were awarded a corner kick.

Deng Kai then took a corner kick.

Thiago Silva's header hit the crossbar.

They missed an opportunity to give their team the lead.

End of this chapter

I like playing football on the ground: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him.