The fans erupted in cheers.
After the celebration, the match resumed, and time entered the tenth minute.
The score was already leading!
A dream start!
Liverpool intensified their restrictions on Cao Baming, but they had no real way to do it. It was impossible to assign a dedicated man-marker, as he was a defender after all.
After scoring the first goal, Cao Baming obediently retreated to the defensive area.
Facing Liverpool's offense, Cao Baming gradually became a formidable wall, and after intercepting the ball, he could quickly transform into a core for offensive transitions!
Within a mere five minutes, Salah had been dispossessed by Cao Baming twice personally, his third time in this match!
Enwaneli and Gabriel were driven to despair by Salah's dribbles, while Salah was driven to despair by Cao Baming's interceptions!
There's always someone better!
However, even though Cao Baming was personally having a completely smooth game, the front line was still struggling a bit. Perhaps it was due to the lack of an absolute sharp blade like Henry. Although there were relatively more attacks, they were very low in threat.
Liverpool's usual high-pressure tactics also put pressure on the players, making them feel like they could be caught out at any moment.
But every time a crisis arose, Cao Baming happened to be in the right position!
Arteta on the sidelines threw his hands up in astonishment. Was this the same Cao Baming from before? This wasn't just a slight improvement; he had completely transformed!
As time went by, the match had unknowingly reached the fortieth minute. Cao Baming had already taken his second shot, yet Liverpool remained at zero!
Klopp could no longer sit still. The current situation made him so angry he felt like spitting blood.
More importantly, he couldn't quite figure out what the biggest problem was!
The current score was one-nil, possession was fifty-fifty, but the shot count, eleven to zero, was preposterous!
Not only was Liverpool's zero shots outrageous, but Arsenal's one goal from eleven shots was also quite ridiculous.
And the only goal came from Cao Baming himself.
In these forty minutes, Cao Baming's transition from defense to offense had been excellent, but unfortunately, those few players up front kept wasting golden opportunities.
It made one wonder if they were playing just for the sake of it, even spitting out the chances that were served to them.
Looking at the situation, Arteta was even more eager for Henry's return to the team.
In the last minute of the first half, Enwaneli passed the ball, Vieira made two sharp turns to get past his marker, and sent a through ball. Odegaard received it this time.
He finally lived up to expectations, converting the twelfth shot of the match into a goal!
"Great goal!"
"Great goal! Beautiful!"
Amidst a string of exclamations from the commentary booth, this golden opportunity was finally not wasted!
"Arsenal scores again! They finally got it in! Leading Liverpool two-nil!"
Zhan Jun shouted at the top of his lungs, while his heart secretly bled.
As a long-time Liverpool fan, he naturally didn't want his team to lose this match, especially with the prospect of being overtaken by the third-placed team in the standings.
But on the other hand, he was a big fan of Cao Baming. Whichever side won, he would be in a difficult position, but also feel fortunate!
On the field, the Arsenal players ran to celebrate after the goal!
Cao Baming enthusiastically gave a thumbs-up towards the front line!
He had basically no part in this goal; it was a rare goal completed solely by his teammates recently.
The spectators in the stands cheered, their excitement difficult to contain.
Soon, the referee blew his whistle, and the score of the first half was settled at 2:0.
Liverpool's king, Salah, on whom so much hope was placed, walked off the field with his head down in disappointment, his steps heavy.
He was originally predicted by fans to score a hat-trick by halftime, but now, his efforts to even try had resulted in this outcome...
Zero shots in the first half!
He could only blame the fact that every time they approached the penalty area, there was always a figure precisely positioned in his passing lane, as if targeted by a system. This person was Cao Baming!
Cao Baming walked off the field excitedly, high-fiving the head coach.
The system reported his performance for the first half. In just half the game, he had successfully intercepted Salah five times!
"Holy shit, I can't believe it was that many!"
"He must be crying from being dispossessed by now!"
Thinking of this, Cao Baming quickly looked to the side and saw Salah walking off the field with a dark expression.
He didn't even acknowledge the coach.
Cao Baming instantly felt a pang of pity...
"Poor Salah, he's been beaten this badly in just half a game. If it's doubled in the second half, will he go crazy?"
As he thought about it, Cao Baming's pity vanished, and he suddenly felt a little excited, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
Second half, keep up the good work!
What an experience it was to complete this system task and successfully make a "king" doubt himself!
Just then, a teammate pounced from behind, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You're amazing, brother, I'm impressed!"
"Good thing we're teammates!"
...
Back in the locker room, the head coach didn't say much.
He was very satisfied with the situation in the first half. Not only had the tactics been executed, but the results had far exceeded his expectations.
With a two-goal lead now, there were many options for the second half. They still had control of the game, so there was no need to rush to make any changes.
Soon, halftime ended, and both teams returned to the field.
On the sidelines, Klopp made a substitution.
As expected! The old guy wouldn't give up just like that!
He replaced three players at once, making the changes right at the start. He was determined to win the match!
"Does he really think there's still a chance of a comeback?"
The players on the field exchanged quiet words...
As the referee's whistle blew, the players quickly got into the zone.
After the ball was kicked off, a standard Z-shaped pass opened up the formation.
Liverpool charged like a mad bull, but the Arsenal players had clearly gained confidence. Now, facing this level of pressure, they showed no signs of panic.
They kept the ball steady, passed rationally, and organized their thoughts.
Cao Baming moved into an advanced position, and his presence there meant the team might be planning to take the initiative.
Although Klopp had figured this out, he hadn't yet come up with an effective countermeasure.
Soon, Arsenal created a dangerous attack.
Cao Baming initiated the move for the first goal, then personally pushed forward, drawing the two defensive midfielders to run backward to contain him.
However, at the same time, the three forwards in the team ran into a large open space and took a shot directly after receiving the pass!
Unfortunately, despite the high quality of the shot, the goalkeeper still managed to make a save.