After the contest of the first half, both sides had a general understanding of each other's capabilities and techniques, as well as a grasp of their tactics. During the halftime break, the head coaches delivered lectures to the players on both sides.
However, on the Arsenal side, Arteta employed a completely laissez-faire approach. Despite the external praise for his new era and revamped tactical system, it was surprisingly easy for him to implement.
The essence could be summarized in a few words: let the players play as they please!
Especially for players like Cao Baiming, even if he wanted to control them, he couldn't. This guy simply wasn't someone who listened.
Soon, the referee blew the whistle, and Arsenal had the first possession in the second half.
Due to the pre-match lineup arrangement, Cao Baiming was still positioned in the backline, but his gaze swept across the entire field.
With a bang, Henry cleanly kicked off and passed the ball to Martin on the left. Immediately, Arsenal launched a series of short triangular passes.
Martinelli merely glanced behind him, and Cao Baiming's position sent a shiver down the spines of the Manchester United players.
The super-lightning goal that took only 12 seconds in the first half still instilled fear in them, leaving them unable to relax.
"Brothers, don't be dishonorable!" was the true sentiment of the Manchester United players at that moment.
Among the Manchester United fans on the sidelines, only the absolute die-hard supporters remained, still believing their team had a chance to turn the tide in the second half.
This confidence was fueled by the man sitting on the bench, whose deep and resolute gaze inspired them.
For the viewers in front of the screens, it was more like watching a TV drama. The director's camera frequently cut to close-ups of the faces of the two top superstars, Messi and Ronaldo.
Their expressions suggested they were itching to play, just waiting for the coach to give them the opportunity.
Seven minutes into the second half, Cao Baiming brought the ball to midfield alone, a move that effectively signaled his emergence.
Those familiar with Arsenal's system, and especially Cao Baiming's playing style, knew what this meant.
It meant that from this point on, he would dominate the midfield's strategic formation, orchestrating tactical transitions and offensive plays.
Ten Hag on the sidelines broke out in a cold sweat. When this guy organized the attack, the opponent's offensive threat would increase by at least a notch.
How should he respond now? The dilemma now fell squarely on the shoulders of Manchester United's coach, Ten Hag.
He clasped his hands tightly, his eyes carrying a hint of depth as if he were pondering something. External pressure continued to mount. Following Manchester United's consistently poor performance and results last season, even Ronaldo couldn't deliver a convincing display. Ten Hag had repeatedly been pushed to the brink by the fans.
Chants of "get him sacked" were constant, and he had never truly been out of danger.
By now, the game had reached the 60-minute mark. Although Arsenal had been dominating the game for the first fifteen minutes of the second half, they still hadn't scored.
At this moment, Cao Baiming was starting to get anxious.
Why hadn't the score been changed yet?
He sent out one threatening pass after another, only for them to be intercepted. The final step in passing the ball forward was consistently failing. This pattern of failure was becoming increasingly evident.
Cao Baiming's hand was still tightly gripping the ultimate treasure, the "Supreme Treasure." As soon as he used it, he would instantly gain a guaranteed goal that would change the score!
Once they broke the deadlock with a goal, the rest of the match would become much easier to play than it was now.
However, the consumption of 5,000 points was indeed something to consider carefully!
After several seconds of deep thought and internal struggle, Cao Baiming finally calmed down and chose not to use it immediately.
He carefully observed the field, scanning all around. Currently, the ball was under the control of an opposing player, and to win it back, a specific opportunity was needed, which had not yet arisen.
Although there was no obvious offensive opportunity, a noticeable characteristic of the second half was that both teams were playing too conservatively. The ball was merely passed back and forth in midfield, with players even switching positions, but no threatening attacks were formed.
It was already the 62nd minute. Cao Baiming couldn't afford to wait any longer and charged into the penalty box alone, signaling to his teammates.
Only three defenders remained in the backline, one of whom was Neville, who could also play as a center-back.
Arteta suddenly looked bewildered. Cao Baiming's move from behind him genuinely startled him. Although they held absolute dominance on the field, him rushing into the penalty box while off the ball was incomprehensible. He shouldn't be so reckless even if he wanted to be.
However, Cao Baiming's actions had their own rationale.
His new talent provided a 70% bonus within the penalty area, meaning even a great player like Henry, in terms of shooting, couldn't compare to a fully boosted Cao Baiming. Therefore, he was the most threatening finisher.
At this moment, the midfielders continued to run, the possession of the ball being exchanged repeatedly, but everything unfolded as Cao Baiming had predicted. The ball couldn't get past the second defensive line, and even the defenders had few opportunities to touch the ball.
Soon, after a successful tackle by his most trusted teammate, Vieira, he didn't control the ball for long but sent a long pass into the penalty area!
Seeing Cao Baiming already positioned near the penalty box, there was no need for fancy play. The ball was simply passed to him!
In fact, he understood Cao Baiming the best among the entire team!
Upon seeing this默契 (mòqì - unspoken understanding) pass, Cao Baiming naturally wouldn't waste the opportunity. With a nimble movement, even before receiving the ball, he had successfully shaken off one of the center-backs marking him.
Henry on the left was also not to be trifled with. His off-the-ball movement was enough to draw the attention of two defenders. At this moment, only one person was left to mark Cao Baiming.
As the ball slowly descended towards the grass, Ten Hag on the sidelines helplessly turned away, no longer able to bear watching what was about to happen.
Upon seeing the figure in the penalty box and recognizing who it was, he knew the goal was lost.