Football’s First Defender

Liverpool's offense mainly relies on Coutinho and Suarez in the frontcourt.

Use the excellent personal abilities of the two to try to find a way to tear apart the defense line Arsenal put up.

Let Liverpool's offense penetrate and create a certain threat.

Especially Coutinho, not only has personal breakthrough ability, but also can use his long-range shooting ability to make the opponent's defense line have to be afraid of Coutinho's performance. Can advance the line of defense further.

Coutinho's personal threat has been transformed into an offensive opportunity for the Liverpool team. However, although Liverpool's offensive position has begun to improve and the ball can continue to pass into Arsenal's dangerous area, but for Liverpool , and then create a goal, but it is not that simple.

In Professor Wenger's game today, although most of them emphasized Arsenal's own offensive tactics.

But for this top game, in the previous few days of training, Wenger did not practice Arsenal's defense less.

Especially for Liverpool's lack of offensive firepower at the full-back position, and for Liverpool's possible offensive strategy, Wenger focused the team's defense mainly in the middle.

Not only Ramsey and Arteta, who are in charge of defense, but other offensive players in the frontcourt have also been given more defensive tasks.

Even Ozil, who is not very active in running, was required by Wenger's tactics to defend for at least ten minutes. As for Ozil's physical problems after that, it doesn't matter.

At that time, Wenger will make substitutions and adjustments as appropriate based on Ozil's running situation.

Except for Giroud, who stayed in Liverpool's backcourt and made some passes to harass the opponent, Arsenal will extremely shrink the defensive lineup, give priority to the defense of the central area, create layers of defense lines, and ensure that the central area will not be used by Liverpool players. Personal ability, or simply passing through to complete the penetration.

As for the wing defense, Wenger also tried his best to ask for two full-backs. In this game, those who are capable will work harder. Although it may not be possible to limit the impact of Liverpool's wide players at this time, as long as they can complete in a 1v1 situation, General defensive task, control a certain defensive area, even if Liverpool players pass the ball from the wing, since Arsenal has an absolute advantage in the center, it will not give Liverpool players a good chance to grab points in the center .

Coutinho's personal performance is indeed outstanding, but in the case of Arsenal players with sufficient defensive preparations, Coutinho can break through one or two Arsenal players with the ball, but he cannot break through the third by himself. Three, breaking through the fourth.

One line of defense after another, one defense after another, for Arsenal's defense, when the team is leading, the enthusiasm of each of the Arsenal players in the final stage of the game is quite high.

Because if this game can finally win, Arsenal will directly overtake Liverpool by 2 points and occupy the top spot in the Premier League.

For the Arsenal players, the temptation is too great.

Coutinho faced a wall that could be dismantled at any time.

One brick after another will always add bricks and tiles when Coutinho is about to cross the "wall", and will always wipe out the offensive opportunities that Coutinho finally created.

In the end, Coutinho was alone, except for the occasional opportunity to make a direct threat with a sophisticated long-range shot, more often, Coutinho could only complete the pass under the defense, and could not be alone. People, really entered the restricted area.

Coutinho's own ability to play the ball is still quite good, but in time Coutinho can find an opportunity to complete the ball during the march, but for Arsenal's defense, there is still enough defensive power left, To complete the restrictions on Coutinho's passing points.

Suarez and Sturridge will still be the focus of Arsenal when Coutinho takes the ball to attack. Coutinho can pass the ball, but Suarez and Sturridge are not. Must be able to catch the ball.

And even in Arsenal's hinterland, occasional chances to get the ball can't be turned into quite threatening shooting opportunities.

In this game, in terms of defensive status, Koscielny and Mertesacker both quieted their game status and adjusted to the best before the game.

The two central defenders, in the first half of the game, when Arsenal was leading the attack, they still had to face the "3s" counterattack. At that time, for the two of them, guarding such a large space in the backcourt, In the game, he was still more battered by Liverpool's counterattack.

Fortunately, the two used excellent position selection and today's extremely good defensive state. During the game, they completed many interceptions against Liverpool's counterattack.

And when Arsenal started to defend in positional battles, in the game, the defensive characteristics of the two actually had more room to play.

The two can use the man-to-man defense to keep Suarez and Sturridge firmly in check.

Even in terms of flexibility, neither of them may be as fast as their opponents, but after all, it is Arsenal's defensive area. When Arsenal's numbers are directly superior, other Arsenal's defensive players will appropriately help them. Assist in defense, and do a good job of completely restraining Liverpool's strikers from lying.

Coutinho's pass is not easy to come by, even if there are occasional fish that slip through the net, other Arsenal players will always jump in the direction of the ball at the first time and complete the block. Suarez and Stuart Even if Ricky completed the shot immediately, he couldn't create a way to get rid of the dense defensive crowd in front of the goal.

There are certain offensive opportunities, but it is impossible to create the final shot in the game.

Liverpool has a certain advantage on the field, but like Arsenal in the first half of the year, it has some meaning of gaining power and not scoring.

Rogers looked a little anxious from the sidelines.

In particular, Coutinho had a wonderful pass, and the ball was passed to the feet of Suarez who penetrated Arsenal's right rib.

Suarez has not made many adjustments, and made the kicking and swinging movements as fast as possible, but the final result is that the ball shot by Suarez has not yet flown to the distance from the goal. Mertesacker, who was rushed over to defend, intercepted the ball with a sliding tackle.

There is really no chance. For Rogers, watching the team create a certain threat again and again, but there is no way to really create a chance to have the final word. Rogers looks at his watch, estimates the time, and decides Let's see what kind of tactics Liverpool will use in the final moments of the game to complete the final counterattack.

There is only one last substitution left in Rogers' hands. When watching the game approaching 80 minutes, Rogers still decided to play the last card in his hand and give the last moment of the game to his own players. to decide.

With Joe Allen, who has a stronger offensive ability, replace the team's defensive midfielder Lucas.

Rodgers further strengthened the midfielder's ability to dispatch the ball, and also specially called Flanagan who was close to his side, and instilled some chicken soup for his soul on the spot, so that Flanagan knew that his strength was not bad. It doesn't matter if he doesn't perform well, he can play out at the last moment. Flanagan, a young man, can also become an excellent left back.

The reason why Rogers gave Flanagan so many generals is mainly because Rogers believed that the team had to give up their lives at the last moment.

It is a bit unrealistic for Skrtel to assist for a long time on this side. After all, Skrtel is from Chong Wei and cannot pass the ball as a normal right back.

Therefore, for the strengthening of the wing at this time, it is best to only allow Flanagan's side to participate in the offense forward.

As for the not-so-good defense, I can only choose to believe in Flanagan's active defensive attitude, let him run back and forth more tiringly, complete his subsequent defensive tasks, and let Yang Feng or Kolo Toure, Pay more experience on this side and do a good job in assisting them in defense.

When Liverpool finally took out the lineup that will determine the final outcome of the game, Arsenal also made some appropriate substitutions and adjustments.

Ozil and Giroud both went off to rest at the last moment.

Ozil is physically exhausted. After spending a period of time on the defensive end, it is quite difficult for Ozil to persist until 80 minutes.

Giroud, as the team's high center forward, although his header ability is quite good, is suitable for the team's current high-altitude ball defense.

But what I have to say is that in sports warfare, Giroud's height and speed are a considerable disadvantage.

Giroud, who is too "cumbersome", does not have that good flexibility. When defending on the perimeter, Liverpool players can use a few passes to pass easily.

And sometimes, when entering the penalty area, although Giroud defends a large area alone, facing Liverpool's penetration in his area, and then the ball holder directly plugs in to find a space in advance .

Giroud always suffers and is beaten by Liverpool on this side.

After Suarez missed a shot in Giroud's defensive area, Wenger still had to replace this striker with super emptying ability.

What Wenger strengthened was Arsenal's already strong central defense.

With the physical support of more abundant defensive players, Arsenal's slightly weakened defensive strength has been improved again.

Liverpool's central attack, even with Joe Allen at the back, who was going through the needle with Gerrard, still couldn't create further dangerous opportunities for the frontcourt players in the game.

Fortunately, in the final stage of the game, when the team fell behind, Flanagan finally forgot that this was a big matchup, forgot that this was a top game, and forgot that this was a fierce Premier League game .

Just remember yourself, you must play your role in the game and do your best.

I forgot the unfavorable factors of the previous defense, and also ignored the embarrassment that my several forward attacks failed to achieve results.

In the last ten minutes of the game, Flanagan just needs to be himself, just need to show all his strengths, just like he did in the youth team and the reserve team, and give full play to his own characteristics. .

Flanagan decisively chose to go forward and participate in the offense.

As a result, Liverpool's offense, when the offensive and defensive line in the middle, stagnated, suddenly there was an extra point on the side.

When Gerrard chose to pass the ball to Flanagan, facing the defense of the Arsenal defenders, this time Flanagan did not do nothing like before, but just played the position of the receiving point. , When encountering defense, pass the ball immediately.

This time, Flanagan did not hand over the ball, but taking advantage of the fact that the opponent did not exert greater defensive pressure, Flanagan directly stepped forward with the ball, picked up the speed directly, and passed the defense in one step. Arsenal player.

It is true that Flanagan himself was too weak before, as soon as he encountered defensive pressure, he would immediately hand over the ball.

This also made Cazorla, who stepped forward to defend Flanagan this time, have a certain inertia of thinking.

It's not that Cazorla doesn't defend, but that Cazorla is just acting defensively. He still pays attention to other aspects and is ready to make up defenses at any time.

It's just that he didn't expect that this time, Flanagan would suddenly choose to step forward with the ball and complete the attack by himself.

The variable Flanagan finally created a certain threat at the last moment of the game.

Flanagan, throwing off Cazorla's body position, this also makes it possible for Cazorla to be able to restrict Flanagan from breaking into the penalty area because he occupies the inside position when he chases back.

But if Flanagan wants to pass the ball while traveling from the wing, for Cazorla, it is completely impossible to interfere.

Flanagan, on the left side, quickly accelerated down to the bottom, speeding up with one vote, while watching the position of his teammates in the penalty area.

Just before the bottom line, Flanagan made a cross and kicked the ball directly into Arsenal's penalty area.

The ball is fast and goes straight to the back point of the small penalty area.

Players from both teams are scrambling to run to the landing area.

Suarez and his opponent took off at the same time at the front point, trying to see if he could complete the air interception, but Suarez and Koscielny both fell in the middle position.

After that, the arc of the ball’s fall accelerated somewhat. Sturridge, who was closer to the back point, was under the marking of two Arsenal players, and his take-off was affected and he did not touch the landing point.

However, the two Arsenal defensive players were also affected by Sturridge and did not touch the ball.

The ball landed directly in the penalty area and rebounded.

And a figure in white appeared near the ball, shot a volley and bounced the ball to the ground.

Goalkeeper Szczesny responded with a save, but faced with a bouncing ball, Szczesny still did not block the ball from flying past the goal.

Liverpool equalized the score 2-2!

And the one who scored the equalizing goal was Henderson, who has been working hard!