At 2:10 PM, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense as both head coaches entered the press conference room for pre-match interviews.
They sat side by side, avoiding eye contact, fully aware that the first round of this derby battle would unfold right here.
Some pre-match press conferences gather the head coaches of both teams together, a tactic used to heighten anticipation and create conflict.
As a match already brimming with immense hype and intrigue, the North London derby naturally prompted media reporters to add fuel to the fire in this manner.
Even the two clubs themselves tacitly approved or endorsed this approach.
They were acutely aware that some matches simply couldn't be cooled down, and they had to embrace the intensity, fully immerse themselves, and strive to savor the sweet taste of victory after a fierce contest.
"Our performance at the start of the season was indeed questioned, but we won't hold back in the derby," Tottenham manager Redknapp said from his seat, taking the lead in answering questions from the media. "Arsenal has been playing well this season, but it ends here. We will end their unbeaten run at White Hart Lane.
"What wasn't achieved in the 03-04 season will be settled in the 11-12 season. We will have our revenge."
"..."
"I'm sorry, I only want to talk about the game. I don't want to discuss individual players. Please stop asking me about Van Persie and Maël. We are not afraid of them.
"But since you asked, I must say that we have defensive strategies in place for Van Persie, and also for Maël.
"Kyle Walker is in great form. He has become a top Premier League full-back. His qualities are no less than Maël's, and he can defend him successfully."
"..."
"Wenger's investment in the youth academy? I don't think it has achieved anything. In fact, Maël is not an Arsenal youth product. He just happened to join the team and went to Sheffield United after a trial.
"If you're talking about Gilbert from the last game, I would agree that he is a fruitful result of Arsenal's youth academy, but Maël is not. His arrival was just Arsenal being lucky.
"He doesn't have Arsenal blood. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he joins Tottenham in the future, haha..."
After that question, the reporters turned their attention to Wenger on the other side, asking him about his confidence in the match.
Wenger didn't rush to answer, but instead sternly retorted to Redknapp, who had undoubtedly stepped into his minefield.
"I think the Tottenham manager should show respect to old rivals, whether it's to the club, to me, or to the club's players.
"As the manager of a high-profile Premier League team, you have to allocate at least 20% of your time and energy to dealing with the media and public opinion. You can't talk like that at this time.
"Maybe he wants to get more attention? Too focused on off-field matters? I can only say that I don't recommend learning from Mourinho on this point."
He used a former old rival as an example, and speaking of which, he actually missed him a bit, having heard rumors of a possible second stint at Chelsea.
"Wait," Redknapp interrupted before Wenger could continue. "I'm not learning from anyone. That's just your opinion. I suggest you focus on the game."
"I'm not focused enough on the game?" Wenger didn't turn his head, but looked straight ahead and said, "I don't know who started this, but I naturally won't talk about these boring topics."
Redknapp opened his mouth to retort, but this time it was Wenger's turn to interrupt him, pointing to a reporter and saying, "It's your turn to ask a question."
"Does Maël represent the club's future? What does he represent?"
Wenger's expression didn't change, and he blurted out without thinking, "Everything."
"Dear viewers, you are now watching the highlight match of the 7th round of the Premier League!"
In the broadcast room, Zhan Jun sat here as always. This kind of eye-catching battle is usually commentated by him. "White Hart Lane is already filled with a deafening roar! The players from both sides are about to enter the field!
"This is ESPN Sports platform, I am the commentator Zhan Jun, and my partner is Zhang Lu."
"Hello everyone." Zhang Lu's highly recognizable voice sounded, containing a hint of a smile, "Hehe... The importance of the derby is self-evident. I hope both sides will bring a wonderful match."
Zhan Jun nodded with a smile, picked up the list and said, "Let's take a look at the starting lineups of both sides.
"For the home team Tottenham, they are fielding a 4-3-3 formation. The goalkeeper is Friedel, and the defenders from left to right are Assou-Ekotto, Ledley King, Kaboul, and Kyle Walker.
"The three midfielders behind are the defensive powerhouse Scott Parker, in front of him are Dutch star Van der Vaart and Croatian star Modrić.
"In the attack, Adebayor is at center forward, he used to play for Arsenal, Bale is on the left, and Defoe is on the right."
After speaking, Zhang Lu gave a summary: "This is a very luxurious lineup. Tottenham intends to compete for a Champions League spot this season. Playing against Arsenal at home, they will definitely go all out to win.
"The competition between Bale and Maël, two explosive wingers, is a major highlight. His matchup with former Sheffield United teammate Kyle Walker is also worth looking forward to."
His words had barely faded when Zhan Jun chimed in, "Arsenal is lining up in a 3-4-3 formation. Due to Koscielny's injury, coupled with the positive performance of the three-at-the-back formation in the last Champions League match, Wenger is continuing with this tactical system."
"Goalkeeper..."
...
White Hart Lane stadium, a dense crowd filled the seats, making it difficult to spot an empty space even with a magnifying glass. The atmosphere inside was already electric.
"Ooh! Boom boom!"
In the stands of the die-hard fans on both sides, the two teams roared out their team anthems, drumming and amplifying their momentum while linking arms and jumping, turning the entire venue into a rolling wave of heat.
"Three-nil! Three-nil!"
"Five-nil! Five-nil!!"
They then chanted shutout scores, using this method to provoke and insult the opposing fans.
At the corner of the stands, where the two fan zones met, countless people leaned over the railings, cursing angrily at the opposite side. They had been hurling insults from outside the stadium all the way inside.
"Ptooey!"
"Whoosh!"
This war of words eventually turned into a war of saliva... a real war of saliva, with both sides attacking their opponents, who were only two or three meters away, with spit.
"That's too much!"
"Get him!"
Gradually, some fans climbed over the railings and engaged in a full-on brawl with the opposing fans at the intersection.
"Ouch!"
The security guards inside the venue quickly stepped in, separated them, and stood their ground, not daring to leave that area unguarded again.
They then raised their hands to shield their faces, as the constant stream of saliva flying from both sides sometimes accidentally hit them.
...
In the front section of the die-hard fan stand, Chloe clapped her hands expectantly, waiting for the start of the match.
Since season tickets were so scarce, it was impossible to get consecutive seats. The fans who had participated in the charity event were all seated separately.
"That deaf-mute fan?"
At this moment, several Arsenal fans sitting higher up noticed her, looking at her with slight surprise. "Why is she sitting here? Isn't this the season ticket area?"
"Don't tease her. She comes every time and loves the team. We're a family."
"Did she bribe someone inside Arsenal?"
"How would she bribe?"
"Hehe..."
"Isn't that a bit much? Let's go up."
They chattered as they walked upwards, not noticing that Chloe could understand what they were saying. She was already secretly biting her lip and clenching her fists.
After climbing to the bottom of the upper level and arriving behind Chloe, they saw the few lines of words on Chloe's back, pointed out by other fans.
"Maël?"
--"I am honored to play every week under the eyes of such loyal and passionate Arsenal fans. You are all angels. Chloe, I admire everything you do for Arsenal. You motivate me even more."
"What does this mean?"
"The signature should be real, but this line... well, the handwriting does look similar."
Someone frowned slightly. "How would she have any interaction with Maël? Did she write it herself?"
Chloe listened to these words, unmoved, not turning her head to look at any of them, only looking ahead and waiting for the players to come out.
"What if it's real?"
Someone was still staring at the words on her back, a hint of guilt appearing in their expression. Sometimes, people's emotions need to be triggered by others, need to be touched to be awakened.
"Let's go."
"I told you not to tease her. Are you even Arsenal fans?"
A faint smile appeared on the corner of Chloe's mouth. She straightened her back, as if simply wearing this jersey was a great honor.
Inside the pure white players' tunnel, Maël waited with a child, observing the Tottenham starting lineup and noticing many familiar faces.
First and foremost was Modrić, the future Ballon d'Or winner, a Croatian shepherd boy forged in the fires of battle.
He was a very likable player, not physically imposing, yet seemingly capable of unleashing endless Strength and tenacity, as if nothing could defeat him.
Modrić turned, saw him looking, smiled, and extended his palm. "Cheer up, good luck."
Maël gave him a high-five, surprised that he could display such composure before a heated derby.
He must be 26 this year... A top player, but not yet a superstar.
Who would have thought he'd join Real Madrid close to 30 and win six Champions League trophies?
"An unconventional genius."
He sighed inwardly, shifting his gaze elsewhere, spotting Bale, another speedster with a somewhat similar playing style.
His Speed should be slightly faster than Bale's right now, but according to the proficiency panel's rating, Bale definitely possesses lv4 Speed and a physical Strength level between lv3 and lv4.
His Long Shot and Cross abilities, at their peak, should also be close to or directly at lv4.
He was a formidable opponent, though his time at Real Madrid wasn't particularly happy. His moment of glory was the stunning bicycle kick in the Champions League final, schooling Karius.
Bale glanced back at him, saying nothing, but his eyes revealed a desire to compete.
At this time, Bale hadn't grown his hair long yet, and his overall appearance was closer to Sun Wukong from Journey to the West. The title of "Great Sage" likely originated in these years.
"Maël."
A voice called from behind. Kyle Walker approached, smiling and extending his right hand. "Long time no see. I didn't expect you to become a superstar in the Premier League."
They had played together for a while at Sheffield United, and now they met in the North London derby, a meeting at the summit after their respective climbs.
Maël bumped fists with him, looking at him with a touch of emotion. "You're doing great too. Playing as a starter for a strong team at such a young age."
"I saw you have 2 goals and 1 assist as a full-back, and your value broke 25 million euros in the last round's update."
Kyle Walker frowned, shaking his head in frustration. "After seeing you, I understand that's nothing. Besides, I'm three years older than you."
"Good luck today."
Maël gave him a light hug, glancing at White Hart Lane outside. "Once we're on the field, I won't go easy on you."
"Let me see how much you've improved." Kyle Walker smiled one last time before walking towards the team's starting lineup, his smile fading and his expression turning serious.
Maël slowly retracted his smile as well, focusing on the match.
He and his opponent had a relatively friendly exchange... but that didn't mean the match would be friendly.
He could feel the tension and animosity in the tunnel. Both sides would do everything in their power to destroy the other.
"Beep!"
The referee blew the whistle for the players to enter, and the players from both sides encouraged each other as they walked onto the field.
"Let's go! Kill them!"
Tottenham's center forward Adebayor waved his fist, shouting excitedly, "Let them fall at White Hart Lane! Let them never raise their heads again!"
He was a former Arsenal player, having made a name for himself there, but later transferred to Manchester City due to conflicts with the club. This season, he was on loan at Tottenham.
Now, wearing a Tottenham jersey and facing his old club in the derby, he naturally had different thoughts... His main hope was definitely to slap Arsenal in the face with a goal.
The Arsenal players stared at him with disgust. He was definitely their primary target today.
"Beep!"
At 3:30 PM, with the referee's whistle, the match kicked off at White Hart Lane.
"Bang!"
Bale pulled the ball back from the center circle, and former Arsenal player Adebayor quickly dribbled backward, not rushing to pass the ball immediately, seemingly wanting to provoke the Arsenal players and fans.
"Boo!" A chorus of boos erupted, and many Arsenal fans stood up from their seats, pointing at his back and cursing loudly.
Maël had intended to run towards Kyle Walker's defensive zone, but seeing Adebayor's behavior, he changed direction and sprinted towards him at full Speed.
Adebayor saw him coming and, with a mocking expression, passed the ball to Modrić in the midfield, preparing to say something as he turned back.
"Bang!"
But Maël didn't humor him, still crashing straight into him, sending him tumbling sideways.
"Ah!" A miserable cry rang out as Adebayor lay on the ground in pain, one hand clutching his lower back.
Maël immediately spread his hands with an innocent look, indicating that he really couldn't stop in time.
"Beep!" The referee blew his whistle for a foul, hesitated after seeing Maël's expression, and ultimately resisted the urge to pull out a yellow card at the start of the game.
Tottenham got a free kick, and Modrić quickly passed it to Kyle Walker on the wing.
"Clap clap clap!"
"Haha! Well done!"
Arsenal fans in the stadium immediately applauded and laughed, encouraging Maël's action and mocking Adebayor.
After getting up, Adebayor's eyes showed some resentment. He glanced at Maël and ran towards the front.
"Thump!"
Dutch midfielder Van der Vaart then launched a long pass to Bale on the left wing, a very brilliant cross-field transfer.
"Great vision!"
In the broadcast booth, Zhan Jun followed the camera and provided commentary, "Bale is now in possession. The Welsh forward has already scored 4 goals and 3 assists this season, performing excellently."
"Bale! Wants to go straight past Sagna! He's speeding up!"
"Sagna's sliding tackle! Beautiful! He successfully intercepted the attack, stopping the threat for Arsenal."
Young Bale didn't show much disappointment. He grabbed the ball from the sideline and prepared to throw it in. He started as a full-back.
But seeing no good opportunity, he threw the ball to the team's regular left-back, Ekotto.
The fact that he can play as a left winger is partly due to Ekotto, who performed so well in previous years that he kept him firmly on the bench, forcing him to seek change.
Maël came to Kyle Walker's side. Neither of them was in the mood to chat anymore, and their expressions were very serious. They were now opponents.
"Here!"
In the 3rd minute of the game, Maël saw his team win the ball and sprinted back to receive it.
Kyle Walker quickly followed, sticking close behind him, and bumped into him before he could stop.
Unfortunately, Tottenham quickly won the ball back, preventing it from being sent to the front. Tottenham was playing very fast today, intentionally speeding up the pace, putting a lot of pressure on Arsenal's defense from the start.
Maël wasn't too discouraged. He turned his head and glanced at Kyle Walker, who was preparing to run back.
It was clear that the toughness of his body when stretching, the strength of his leg muscles... Even during his time at Tottenham, he already had super speed and tackling ability.
"Speed lv4, physique close to lv4."
Maël rated him in a familiar way. He wasn't afraid of players whose physical strength was close to his, because he had other means.
Two minutes later, Arsenal finally managed to get the ball to the left wing, developing towards his side.
"Thump!"
Arteta, who started the game, passed a ground ball. Maël looked back to observe Walker's position, preparing to use a one-touch pass to get past him.
But Walker didn't seem to want to give him this chance, immediately grabbing his waist and applying strong pressure.
Maël stepped on the ball to protect it, his toes on the ground, and leaned back to exert force on Walker.
Walker gradually felt like he couldn't hold on. When he felt Maël was about to turn around, he used both hands to pull Maël to the ground.
"Beep!" The referee called a foul. Walker helped Maël up and ran to the back.
Maël stood up, having gained the upper hand in the first confrontation.
He hoped to receive a faster pass so that he could have some space when receiving the ball to display his one-touch skills.
That would be a blow that Kyle Walker wouldn't expect. He hoped to help the team get a chance before the opponent realized the improvement in his ball control! "The pace of attack and defense is very fast! Possession has changed hands several times in the middle! Adebayor swung his leg! Luckily, he dodged it. That was a dangerous move."
"Bale gets the ball and takes it to the right! Gibbs is a bit overwhelmed, he needs support... Bale doesn't want to give him the chance, changing direction and dribbling directly past him!"
On the field, as Bale burst into speed, Gibbs' face immediately showed difficulty.
"Ugh!" He reached out to grab Bale's arm, but unfortunately, he couldn't withstand Bale's impact and was brushed aside.
After breaking through Gibbs, Bale had no other Arsenal defenders around him.
The 3-4-3 formation was somewhat lacking in wing strength, with the central players all marking other Tottenham players.
Seeing this, Bale didn't choose to pass the ball immediately but instead tried to dribble it into the penalty area, which created chaos in Arsenal's box.
When someone came to cover him, he had already obtained a very good shooting position.
"Bang!!"
A powerful long shot was unleashed, smashing towards Arsenal's goal. In an instant, the ball passed Szczęsny's hands and slammed into the net with a 'whoosh'.
"The goal is in! In the 15th minute of the match, Bale took the lead for Tottenham!!
"This is a display of individual ability! Gibbs had no way to stop his breakthrough. After other Tottenham players helped him draw away the defense, he finished with a powerful shot! One-nil! In the derby, Tottenham, playing at home, took the lead!"
In the stands, Tottenham fans wearing white erupted into a frenzy, jumping up from their seats and raising their hands, "Yeah!"
"Ah-ooh!!" Bale roared as he rushed to the edge of the field, his bloodthirsty mouth seemingly wanting to devour someone, his veins bulging.
Scoring the first goal in the home derby, scoring a goal in front of another young explosive player... This feeling was extremely satisfying! He ran all the way to the Tottenham fan section, jumping up and waving his arms in celebration.
Maël ran towards his own half, his mentality unchanged. He had known this would be a difficult match and had already prepared himself.
"Boo-hoo-hoo!"
"Shush~ Shush~!"
Suddenly, boos and jeers rang out from the Arsenal fan section, the commotion instantly mixing with cheers.
Maël looked over there. Usually, after the opponent scores, as long as there's no provocation, such sounds are relatively rare.
Sure enough, he saw someone running towards the Arsenal fan section to celebrate, and it was Adebayor, who had once gained the trust of Arsenal fans.
The opponent didn't follow Bale but instead sprinted along the Arsenal fan section behind the goal, placing his left hand next to his ear, as if saying, 'The sound isn't loud enough.'
"Damn it! Son of a bitch!"
Goalkeeper Szczęsny quickly rushed out of the goal, along with several defenders, and ran towards Adebayor, the field becoming chaotic.
Maël also ran towards Adebayor, and in the fiery atmosphere of the derby, it was difficult for him to stay in place and watch Adebayor run like that.
Adebayor noticed the anger of the Arsenal players and didn't linger, running towards the area where Bale and others were after mocking them, creating distance.
"Beep beep beep!"
The referee blew his whistle, stepping in between the two sides, afraid that a large-scale conflict would break out.
The Arsenal players chased for more than ten steps and then stopped. After all, this was a football field, not a boxing ring... The scene was a bit comical, with several people suddenly chasing after someone, only to end up getting nothing.
"Adebayor!"
Center-back Mertesacker had recently made great progress in English. He pointed at Adebayor and sneered, "I guarantee you'll pay the price! Come at me if you have the guts!"
Adebayor glanced back indifferently, frowned, and then turned back with a mocking smile.
Looking at his appearance, Maël liked this derby even more. He liked people who trash-talked before the game was over.
Without such people, how boring would the football field be?
ps: Still very tired, adjusting today, 3 updates of 6k, starting tomorrow 3 updates of 7k+, guaranteeing a little over 22,000 words every day.
The update time will also gradually stabilize, and there should be nothing to do by the end of the year.
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