Dear Gua
Chapter 300 Don't You Have Your Own Li?
"Now broadcasting live for you is the Premier League's marquee match of the 2016/17 season!"
"Manchester City versus Arsenal!"
"A clash between two teams known for their technical prowess."
"Wenger changed the Premier League, and Guardiola is in the process of changing it."
"The invincible Gunners."
"The blue moon hanging high in the night sky."
"What sparks will fly when these two collide? Let's wait and see!"
"I am Duan Xuan, your commentator for this match!"
"And I am He Wei!"
...
The dazzling light show at the Etihad Stadium suddenly ceased.
The players from both sides emerged from the tunnel, and the stands erupted in a frenzy.
Columns of fire burst forth on either side of the tunnel.
Morata walked along, playfully slapping the behinds of Manchester City's two mascots, "Moonchester" and "Moonbeam."
As he passed the Etihad Airways flight attendants, he nearly lost control.
The scarves, curved and round, fluttered in the wind.
The instant Li Kang stepped onto the pitch, a system notification quietly chimed.
[Ding, Task Triggered: Conquer the Etihad Stadium.]
[Task Briefing: The blue moon hangs in the sky, as the Gunners, weary from their travels, bask in its clear light... This will be a difficult match. Guardiola's team, after half a season of integration, has begun to display terrifying strength. Well... that is, if he doesn't experiment.]
[Task Reward: David Silva - Spatial Magician Module!]
No need to open a treasure chest?
Is this match that difficult?
The Blue Moon Magician's spatial module? It should be a breakthrough skill for static situations.
Over this period.
Li Kang had become increasingly proficient with Baggio's "Precise Footwork" permanent passive module.
Although "Messi's Lingbo Microstep" (ethereal micro-steps) didn't quite suit his physical structure, it gave him a deeper understanding of the rhythm of shaking off defenders in close quarters.
He no longer relied solely on physical dominance to complete breakthroughs.
Li Kang felt his style of play... was becoming more and more like Arsenal's.
.....
"Now we will introduce the starting lineups for both sides."
"Manchester City is fielding a 4-1-4-1 formation!"
"Goalkeeper: Bravo."
"Defenders: Kolarov, Kompany, Stones, Zabaleta."
"Defensive Midfielder: Yaya Touré."
"Central Midfielders: Sané, David Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling."
"Forward: Agüero!"
In the live broadcast room.
The screen was filled with comments.
-[Manchester City's starting lineup today is so solid! The strongest wings of the younger generation, Sané and Sterling, are the Robben and Ribéry of the Premier League.]
-[Kompany, Zabaleta, and Kolarov still have gas in the tank? Didn't *The Sun* say they wouldn't be on the roster next season?]
-[Guardiola finally isn't playing any tricks with the lineup! He didn't make David Silva play forward, and he didn't make him play defensive midfielder.]
-[Isn't this a 4-3-3 with extra tackling power?]
-[Yaya Touré starting, I'm touched!]
-[Is the best defensive midfielder in the world Busquets or Yaya Touré?]
-[Let me give you an example. Busquets is a hero with a lot of connections and a halo, providing strong buffs to his teammates in the defense and midfield; Yaya Touré is someone with explosive individual stats, as long as he doesn't get a head rush and surge forward...]
-[Are you guys talking about the best defensive midfielder in the world... isn't that Li?]
-[Kanté wants to say something, but quietly hides in the corner without making a sound.]
...
"Arsenal's recent injury crisis has eased significantly! Almost everyone has recovered!"
"Wenger is fielding a 4-2-1-3 formation."
"Goalkeeper: Čech."
"Defenders: Monreal, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Bellerín."
"Defensive Midfielders: Xhaka, Schweinsteiger."
"Central Attacking Midfielder: Li Kang."
"Forwards: Sánchez, Giroud, Morata."
In the live broadcast room.
-[See, Wenger often doesn't let Li play defensive midfielder at all.]
-[After all, they spent two hundred million, so they have to cultivate him as a quasi-ball king.]
-[Wenger's arrangement is very targeted. The two defensive midfielders have strong ball-playing abilities. The disadvantage of slow speed is acceptable. David Silva himself also leans towards static attacks. Manchester City is also capable of explosive attacks on both flanks, mainly targeting Arsenal's side ribs.]
-[Wenger's purpose is to forcibly force Manchester City to focus their attacks on De Bruyne and Sterling's side.]
-[Stop hyping it up. I'm betting on Manchester City in this match. Arsenal can't keep winning forever. Brothers, hurry and follow me, double down all the way! Let's break the long streak with me!]
...
The referee blew the whistle.
The match officially began.
Manchester City had possession.
Agüero glanced at Li Kang and passed the ball back to Yaya Touré.
The Blue Moon's super striker was Messi's good buddy after all.
"A showdown between powerhouses."
"The fans from both sides in the stands are also engaging in a battle of voices."
"Manchester City's passing routes are so beautiful, they can always find gaps in Arsenal's pressing web."
"Beautiful."
"Goalkeeper Bravo's ground-skimming long pass tears through the opponent's high press!"
"The Blue Moon is launching a fierce offensive from the start!"
Leaving aside their record.
Guardiola's Manchester City has an average ball possession rate of 65% and a passing accuracy rate of 90% this season... there's no need to worry about the problem of progressing the ball forward.
...
Thunderous applause.
The Blue Moon players were actually able to maintain the integrity of their formation structure under the premise of rapid diagonal movement of the ball.
The ultimate in collective passing and running has long been abandoned by Camp Nou and now favors the Etihad.
Fortunately.
Although Xhaka and Schweinsteiger are slow, their characteristics complement each other, and their defensive partnership is very powerful.
As a result, Monreal and Bellerín's assistance is becoming easier and easier.
And there's the conscientious Giroud, who, when he retreats to the backcourt, gives Arsenal a firm grasp of the aerial defense advantage.
Time passed.
Arsenal's midfield and defense used slowness to counter speed, stifling several of Guardiola's Manchester City's raids.
"Wenger's arrangement is so magical."
"Manchester City's attack combines the wings and the center."
"Arsenal's defense also combines the wings and the center."
...
15 minutes into the match.
Sané broke into the Arsenal penalty area, receiving a lofted pass from De Bruyne.
Before he could accelerate again.
He was surrounded by Xhaka, Monreal, and Mertesacker.
Bang!
The ball soared high into the air, cleared to near the center circle.
Goalkeeper - Bravo.
The guy didn't know when he had moved away from his own penalty area.
Thwack!
Another ground-skimming medium-long pass found De Bruyne.
The latter raised his foot smoothly.
A rainbow appeared at the Etihad Stadium!
"A no-look adjustment, a beautiful arcing diagonal pass, De Bruyne!"
"His feet can paint rainbows."
...
Live broadcast room.
Comments flew.
-[De Bruyne is awesome!]
-[So cool!]
-[Don't you have your own De Bruyne?]
-[The Blue Moon's core.]
...
The graceful and agile arc ignited the passion in the hearts of the Blue Moon fans.
In the shot.
A figure showed off a magical running posture.
"Found Sterling, who is cutting into the middle!"
"The rhythm is starting to change!"
"Speeding up!"
"The explosive point. If the explosive point of Guardiola's Barça was Messi, then the explosive point of Guardiola's Manchester City in its exploration phase is Sterling!"
...
Sterling's running posture is often imitated by fans.
Head up and chest out, bending over and sticking out his butt, it's called "duck running."
When he was 11 years old, his talent was spotted by Wenger, and he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night, but his mother opposed it.
'If you go to Arsenal, there are fifty kids just as good as you there.'
'Do you think you're Fabregas?'
'Go to Queens Park Rangers, there are more opportunities there.'
Sterling listens to his mother.
Including his running posture, which he imitated from his mother since he was a child.
Sounds very heartwarming.
But this guy is not some well-behaved little black egg.
...
On the sidelines.
Guardiola's expression was serious, his hands furiously making "hand seals."
Players who are a little slow to react or a little dull-witted would find it difficult to understand his intentions instantly.
Fortunately.
Manchester City has a lot of smart players.
During the attack, everyone except Sané rotated positions frantically in the frontcourt.
Arteta, with his chin in his hand, didn't know what he was thinking.
On the other side.
Wenger frowned.
His targeted arrangement was disrupted by Guardiola's "rotational shifting."
Xhaka and Schweinsteiger, two midfielders who are a bit slow, found it difficult to stop Manchester City's shifting attack formations...
What could he do to stop them from advancing to the thirty-meter zone?
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by cheers behind him.
Bould stammered, "Li is dealing with Sterling... like picking up a little duck..."
...
Thirty-meter zone.
Sterling, who tried to pull the ball and break through, suddenly lost his footing.
He was knocked to the ground.
Li Kang easily won the ball.
"Handsome Sterling..."
"Doesn't last more than three seconds."
"Manchester City's high press on the spot!"
"The defensive framework that has been integrated into the Premier League's blood... wow!"
David Silva in the distance immediately called for his teammates to retreat... his thinking was very clear: can't stop Li! Have to play low-block defense!
Unfortunately.
His voice was quickly drowned out by the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators.
Sterling quickly got up and chased back.
De Bruyne double-teamed.
Kolarov, advancing into the middle, launched a fierce tackle.
Three against one.
A combined interception of strength and skill.
...
God's perspective had long since taken control of everything.
The "electricity"-filled brain shadow spread wildly.
On the system panel, all attribute values showed small green upward arrows.
A dashing pull with his left foot.
The ball drew a "u" shaped trajectory around his back.
De Bruyne stepped into empty air.
His cheek felt the blowing of the wind.
His expression was slightly shocked.
He didn't see the movement of the ball clearly, he only remembered the elegant footsteps of Arsenal's number 10...
Sterling crashed heavily into the sprinting Kolarov.
Two Manchester City teammates fell to the ground in pain.
"Ah!"
"U-turn pull!"
"Dashing footsteps, terrifying foot speed."
"Three Manchester City defenders couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes."
"Li Kang chose the most elegant way to disrupt Manchester City's explosive attacking point!"
"The data shows... that he has a particularly high win rate against teams with a passing-control style."
...
In God's perspective.
Morata seemed to be telepathically connected with him.
The instant Arsenal regained possession.
The guy started sprinting madly... burrowing into the sensitive zone between Stones and Kompany.
His terrifying acceleration ability scared Manchester City's goalkeeper - Bravo to quickly retreat to his own penalty area.
"Arsenal counterattack!"
"There are a few attacking players."
"Giroud and Sánchez, who participated in the defense, can't come back for a while."
"Can Li Kang and Morata break through Manchester City's defense?"
"They can't!"
"Huh?"
...
Li Kang raised his hand and pointed forward while running.
With a snap.
The ball was passed horizontally to the wing.
It wasn't a pass to the animated characters on the advertising boards.
It was a pass to Bellerín!
This guy's explosive speed, when he's in good shape, can squeeze into the top five in Europe!
At the same time.
Li Kang, no longer in possession of the ball, stomped on the grass and launched a sprint towards Manchester City's half.
"Bellerín understood Li Kang's gesture."
"He's going to pass it forward, looking for Morata."
"The adjustment time is a bit redundant."
"Too slow!"
"If they wait any longer, the Manchester City players will be in position."
"Beautiful!"
"The passing from La Masia's youth training will never disappoint the audience's expectations."
...
Bellerín didn't want to be slow either.
He had always thought he was the fastest man in the Premier League.
But there was no way.
He had to wait.
Wait for Morata to run into open space.
The waiting process was agonizing.
Bang!
The ball rose off the ground.
Fluttering but without losing too much precision.
It fell straight into the thirty-meter zone of Manchester City's half.
There.
Morata's thick hair gel reflected the light of the Etihad.
...
On the sidelines.
Guardiola's hands drooped down, his expression puzzled.
He felt that Li Kang's way of distributing the ball, signaling his teammates to directly pass it long, and then sprinting to the frontcourt himself... was a bit redundant.
Why do that?
With Li's passing skills, it would be easy to directly help Morata create an attacking threat.
The Manchester City manager wanted to take out a pen and paper from his suit pocket.
But his gaze couldn't be moved away from Arsenal's number 10 sprinting in the wind on the green field.
...
"Beautiful!"
"Morata's judgment of the landing point is too accurate!"
"Oh! Kompany and Stones also anticipated this!"
"One old and one young, the defensive thinking of the two top center backs is very unified!"
"Double team!"
"Closing the door!"
"The Blue Moon's heritage!"
"The invincible bullets cannot reach the moon!"
Kompany looks very old.
In fact, he is only 30 years old.
He is burly and has explosive combat power.
Although he doesn't look smart enough, his reading of the game and tactical understanding are far higher than ordinary players.
What about Stones?
Is he only 21 years old this year? His defensive style is different from traditional English center backs.
If Maguire is a heavy armored soldier, he is a lightly armed ranger.
Defenders.
Can also be very agile.
...
The audience at the Etihad scene were about to run out of breath.
All eyes were focused on Manchester City's empty half.
The drawbacks of the high defensive line.
But Guardiola has the ability to solve this problem.
Morata cannot shake off two top center backs, and even less can he control the ball steadily.
Something unexpected happened.
The instant the ball hit the ground.
The Arsenal striker leaped high, his handsome face... looking back at the moon!
Stones and Kompany relaxed slightly.
Forcing Morata to head the ball back, it can also be considered a successful defense by the Blue Moon.
Don't panic.
There's also Yaya Touré!
...
The camera zoomed out.
All viewers' eyes unconsciously moved with the trajectory of the ball to the second landing point.
Two rapidly moving figures occupied the view.
Li Kang and Yaya Touré.
Mr. Two Hundred Million and the "world's best defensive midfielder" with the strongest individual combat capabilities.
While running.
Shoulders collided.
The close-range audio equipment transmitted continuous sounds of hand-to-hand combat.
The speed of the two did not slow down by half.
As if two beasts were fighting for food, shaking the entire Etihad Stadium slightly.
"A blood-pumping confrontation!"
"Yaya Touré is faster!"
"Occupying the position."
"The big black leg is raised high!"
"The Manchester City beastly midfielder wants to prove to the fans, to Guardiola... that he is still the strongest defensive midfielder in Europe!"
"No problem... ah!"
...
The instant Yaya Touré's right foot left the ground.
He felt the power radiating from Li Kang's body explode.
Miscalculated.
This kid was just waiting for him to stand on one leg...
With this level of explosive start... did he think he was Torres?
It doesn't matter.
There's still time.
Clearance!
There's still time to clear!
Too late.
The Blue Moon beast staggered, and his right foot, raised high, failed to touch the ball.
Li Kang regained his position.
After taking the ball, he started sprinting wildly.
"Too domineering!"
"Even Yaya Touré can't stop him!"
"A one-on-one!"
"Even through the screen, we can feel the fear of Manchester City fans!"
"The defending players don't have time to get into position."
"The result is still full of suspense."
"Li Kang has to face... the true god outside the twelve-yard box, Bravo!"
...
Bravo last faced Li Kang when he represented Barça.
In this historical period, he was known as the King of the Copa América, the nemesis of South American shooters.
His footwork could connect with any passing-control system.
His one-on-one blocking ability was top-notch.
His penalty-saving attribute was off the charts.
His strong physical flexibility allowed him to make unbelievable saves.
As long as he doesn't play tricks.
He is the most suitable goalkeeper for the Manchester City system.
The spotlights at the Etihad Stadium seemed to only shine on two people.
"Bravo's timing to attack is perfect!"
"Li Kang should be under a lot of psychological pressure at this time, all the shooting angles have been sealed off."
"In a showdown between powerhouses... it's not easy to break through the opponent's goal."
"Wow!"
....
The instant they were close.
The Manchester City goalkeeper's pupils constricted slightly.
The Arsenal number 10 in front of him... had extremely strange footwork in his slowed-down state.
His right shoulder sank.
His center of gravity shifted to the left.
He stepped out with his right foot.
The body's center of gravity changed again.
The Etihad Stadium collectively suffocated at this moment!
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Unfamiliar body feints.
But the footsteps were getting denser and denser.
A quasi-ball king's style of play?
This is the supremely domineering ball king's style of play!
Bravo was dumbfounded, and in his panic, he could no longer maintain his center of gravity.
He was lost... he couldn't figure out the change in Li Kang's stride frequency at all.
The instant he was faked out and fell, he could only pray that Arsenal's number 10 was possessed by Torres.
...
Of course, he was not possessed by Torres.
Li Kang strolled leisurely.
Facing the empty goal, he pushed it in gently.
The ball stuck to the grass and rolled straight into Manchester City's net.
0:1!!!
Guardiola held his head in his hands, his face full of disbelief.