The Manchester United players had witnessed the sensational moments of the previous match, and each of them was already on high alert, their bodies exceptionally tense and sensitive.
Even a slight breeze behind them would cause them to violently shake their heads; this was Cao Baming's PTSD!
This time, the man controlling the ball in the center was the young player McTominay. Sensing a presence not belonging to this field, he suddenly turned around.
However, this time, it was real!
It wasn't just a breeze. Behind him, Cao Baming was charging like a wild bull, his feet making no sound, only stirring up a gust of wind across the field!
With a sharp gaze fixed solely on the football, Cao Baming had activated the "Flying Bird" skill, and his acceleration was still ongoing.
Although McTominay was prepared, seeing Cao Baming charging at such speed from the front still made him panic, and he kicked the ball directly out of bounds.
Manchester United fans were full of question marks, "What on earth is he doing?"
"He hasn't even come yet, and you're already this flustered?"
"If you can't play midfield, don't play!"
"There's a teammate ready to receive the pass in the middle, he could pass to either side, but he chose the sideline... his brain must have short-circuited."
C Ronaldo, sitting on the sidelines, could only shake his head helplessly.
At this moment, Cao Baming voluntarily stood by the sideline, ready for the throw-in, and a nearby teammate quickly came to receive it.
Cao Baming made a gesture of "three" to him, glancing forward.
The meaning was to perform a wall pass twice and then advance!
The local combination play was very successful, but Luke Shaw seemed to sense something and preemptively blocked the space for a flank breakthrough.
Before Luke Shaw could do anything, just with a slight shift of his eyes, the numbers on Cao Baming's passing line changed drastically!
Suddenly, the success rate of passing to the other side became much higher!
Seeing this situation, he had to adapt and change his plan on the fly, sending a long pass to the left flank...
On the sideline of the football field, Arteta was intently watching the match when he suddenly felt a pat on his back.
Turning around, the assistant coach made a gesture, asking him to come to the rear seating area to chat for a bit.
The assistant coach was also holding a small notebook, on which some strange numbers were scribbled in a draft-like manner.
After glancing towards the back, Arteta returned to his seat.
"Someone suggested that Cao Baming should play in midfield. What do you think? Can we change his position?"
At this moment, Arteta noticed that the management had also taken their seats in the row behind him.
He had been contemplating this question privately for over two months.
"Look at his current position, isn't he in midfield? No, he's in the front."
Arteta pointed to Cao Baming, who was receiving the ball near the edge of the penalty area.
"No, the main point is that we have designated him as a defender, so he will naturally focus more on defense, and his offense will be compromised."
"If we can let him maximize his strengths, score more goals, and then make reinforcements on defense, perhaps that would be good!"
"The current tactics are fine, and he seems to have adapted well."
At this point, the coach next to him glanced at the management behind them and then whispered.
"The bonus for scoring goals is much higher than for defense, and Thierry and Messi's bonuses are a tier higher than Cao Baming's..."
Arteta finally understood; the club was out of money and started to be frugal.
They believed that if Cao Baming could have more direct shooting opportunities, he might reduce his assists. This idea was indeed naive!
In the last match, Cao Baming's five assists had fully fed Henry, and the club directly paid out over a million in bonuses, regretting signing Henry to such an expensive contract.
And now, there was Messi, also the top player in world football, whose price could not be low. They were truly afraid!
Arteta fell into thought.
In the blink of an eye, some changes had occurred on the field, and Arsenal had gained the upper hand away from home.
Thirty minutes of game time had unknowingly passed, and finally, through Odegaard's delicate pass in the front, Henry scored with a header, changing the score!
Arteta enthusiastically applauded from the sidelines!
But the management behind him couldn't be happy at all. It wasn't that they were stingy, but they genuinely had no more money!
The only way out now was to quickly invest funds and organize a large-scale event. With the commercial value of the few "living Buddhas" on the team, they might be able to recoup some losses.
Ten Hag's face was extremely serious.
He had maintained this expression since entering the field, from the 0-0 score to the current 0-2, his facial expression had not changed!
Manchester United was in trouble!
Soon, the first half ended.
The 0-2 scoreline at halftime was enough to silence the Manchester United fans for a while, and the online arguments had slightly subsided.
However, C Ronaldo had not yet come on, and many of his fans still held onto a sliver of hope.
During the midfield break, the atmosphere in Arsenal's dressing room was relaxed and lively, with no need for grand speeches.
Arteta did not do much review; a simple statement that everyone had performed well in the first half was already very useful, bringing the players motivation and strength.
Although this match did not involve the crazy goal-scoring spree of the previous match against West Ham United, other statistics clearly showed that the advantage was more than just a little.
From the 50-50 possession at the start to the 60-40 total possession statistics at the end of the first half, it could be seen that the players had gradually taken control of the rhythm with their superb ball-control skills.
The fans on the sidelines saw it very clearly; Manchester United was essentially being pressured!
It couldn't be said that they were completely defenseless, but there wasn't much resistance.
The data for shots, passing accuracy, offensive performance, and tackles all favored Arsenal.
Arteta did not mention the conversation with the assistant coach at all. Soon, it was time for the second half, and the players walked out with relaxed moods and jokes.
Next door, despite the inspiring pep talk and encouragement before coming out, many Manchester United players still lacked spirit.
This is the difference that a score deficit makes; the losing side always has a psychological disadvantage.
At this moment, the fans were ready, shouting excitedly. Even before the team entered the field, the fans in the stands had already started to stir.
Fans watching the live broadcast on screen also stared intently at the screen with anticipation, waiting for the first player to appear.
Especially the fans from China; it was late at night, but they felt no tiredness at all. Sleep was completely irrelevant to them!
"Welcome back! The second half is about to begin!"
"In the first half, Arsenal scored two goals away from home. The current score is Manchester United 0-2 behind. We look forward to seeing what kind of performance both teams will deliver in the second half!"