First Goal at Emirates Stadium! Victory over Udinese! News of Endorsement!
After trailing zero to one, Udinese took the initiative, frequently shifting from their initial 5-4-1 formation to a 3-4-3.
Their two full-backs often pushed up to midfield to assist the attack, while the side midfielders frequently positioned themselves as wingers.
Many Serie A teams are like this; they prefer a solid 1-0 victory and will opt for a conservative defensive counter-attack strategy at the start, only launching a full-scale attack when behind.
In the 30th minute, the Udinese coach substituted a midfielder for a full-back, officially adjusting the formation to a 4-3-3 all-out attack.
They weren't seeking a win on the road, just an away goal to ensure a greater chance of turning the tables when they returned home.
No one wants to miss out on the Champions League proper, as it represents substantial Champions League dividends and bonuses, as well as various boosts to influence!
"Bang, bang, bang!"
In the 37th minute, Udinese launched a series of attacks.
They massed a large number of attacking players in the forward positions, pressing against the Arsenal penalty area.
First, Asamoah unleashed a long shot, which was blocked by Koscielny, and the ball fell to Pablo, who passed it to the wing. Badu then sent in a cross.
"Bang!"
In the center, their main center-forward Di Natale unleashed a header. Szczęsny parried the ball, which fell back in front of the six-yard box.
Vermaelen and another Udinese midfielder, Pinzi, fought for it. Pinzi reached the ball first and fired a volley from an extremely dangerous position.
"Whoosh!" The ball whistled over the crossbar, almost finding its way into the goal.
Not in!
A wasted golden opportunity!
"." The Udinese fans looked disappointed, unable to even voice their regret. They had been suppressed by Arsenal the whole time, and finally had a chance for a sustained attack, but failed to score.
"Ah, Pinzi!"
The English commentator in the live broadcast booth also expressed his regret, shaking his head and saying, "He's a defensive midfielder with average footwork, but he should have scored that.
"Arsenal may not give Udinese a similar opportunity again. They are very aggressive today, constantly suppressing Udinese, wanting to pursue a big win like they had against Newcastle last round.
"Their desire for the Champions League is obvious, so let's see if Wenger's team can score again."
The commentator looked towards the Arsenal bench and saw Walcott already warming up, likely to come on in the second half.
This is going to be two-pronged attack on the wings!
In the following minutes, Udinese became sluggish again, as if missing that golden opportunity had hit them hard, sapping their energy.
Arsenal began to speed up and press, pushing them back into their own half and preventing them from launching any more attacks.
This kind of situation is very common on the field, like two armies facing each other, emphasizing momentum.
Momentum rises and falls. When your opponent senses your weakness, they will gain confidence and suppress you with a frenzied assault.
"Bang, bang...!"
Arsenal firmly controlled ball control, shifting the ball from side to side, tearing apart Udinese's defense, looking for opportunities.
Maël tried to cross from various positions during this process, and also unleashed two long shots, both of good quality, but unfortunately failed to break the deadlock again.
Serie A teams are good at defending aerial balls and long shots. This should be the norm in Serie A matches, and their defenders and goalkeepers have some experience with it.
However, he understood that as long as he tried frequently, with his level of ability, he would eventually get the ball into the opponent's goal!
"Clap, clap, clap!" Arsenal fans often applauded him, and many people stood up and clenched their fists at him, cheering him on.
They were also looking forward to Maël's goal, looking forward to Maël making a dashing celebration at the Emirates Stadium!
The Champions League play-offs are important matches, but they don't really attract that much attention from fans.
The fact that the Emirates Stadium is full today is definitely partly due to Maël... Just like the banner held by a fan in the West Stand says - Our hearts beat to your rhythm! We are ready to cheer for you!
"Beep! Beep—!"
After the half-time whistle sounded, Maël stretched his leg muscles and quickly walked into the locker room.
Rest well, and in the second half, try to satisfy the fans at the Emirates Stadium!
"How do you feel?"
Alexandre Song entered the tunnel with him. He was a talkative person and asked curiously, "This is your first time playing against a foreign team in a competitive match, right?"
"It's novel." Maël nodded in response, expressing his true feelings: "Actually, when I played against Bayern, I didn't feel much. The level of top teams is top-notch, and there isn't much difference in style between top teams.
"And the pace of the Bundesliga itself is very fast, very close to the Premier League.
"But Serie A teams are different. They have their own football philosophy, giving people a completely different feeling. I'm a little unaccustomed to it."
"Wait for my pass." Alexandre Song pursed his lips and patted his chest, his mind jumping ahead, already imagining himself sending a wonderful assist to Maël, helping the young player adapt to Serie A-style teams.
He felt he should be considered a good person, a warm-hearted person.
"Alright," Maël chuckled twice. Alexandre Song was still quite endearing, occasionally catching people off guard with his humor.
Thinking of his hundreds of vampire relatives in Africa, he hesitated, but still hinted along the lines of the topic: "But Alexandre Song, sometimes you have to think more about yourself."
Alexandre Song understood Maël's meaning, his eyelids drooping. This matter wasn't exactly a secret within the team.
Maël patted him on the shoulder, not saying much more. He knew it was impossible to change someone with just a few words.
It required gradual, subtle influence... He hoped that in this lifetime, he could see a lively and cheerful Alexandre Song.
"Arsenal! Arsenal!!"
Fifteen minutes later, amidst the fervent atmosphere of the Emirates Stadium, the Arsenal players burst out of the dugout, ready for the second half.
Maël felt the vibration of the Emirates Stadium and suddenly had the urge to liven things up.
He remembered Bellingham, and after a few steps, he suddenly kicked off from the sideline, stretching his neck and jumping vertically.
"Oh!"
Upon landing, he felt a burst of refreshment. The eyes of the entire stadium seemed to be focused on him, and there was a faint cheer.
The team's first assistant coach, Philip, had just walked out of the tunnel and caught his eye, assuming he was adjusting his condition, waving his hand and exclaiming, "Vamos!!"
"Haha." Maël smiled and bumped fists with him, feeling slightly embarrassed.
It was better in this era... Later on, streaming media became too developed, and players' every move was easily amplified and turned into memes.
"Beep!"
The referee then blew the whistle to start the second half.
In the 53rd minute, Walcott appeared on the sidelines, ready to enter the game.
Gervinho glanced towards the sidelines, thinking he was about to be substituted, but the fourth official raised the number 10, Van Persie's number.
General Van Persie was taken off for a rest, Walcott came on, and stood in the center forward position.
"Bang!"
One minute later, Rosický played an overhead ball from the center, heading straight behind the opponent's defense.
Walcott caught up at high speed, and before the Udinese goalkeeper could come out, he flicked the ball up and poked it into the goal! Two to zero! Arsenal extended their lead! "Oh!" The Emirates Stadium erupted, and the fans, seeing their beloved Walcott score immediately after coming on, had some expectations for his performance this season.
"Nice goal!"
Maël exclaimed, feeling the pressure on his body lighten. Winning should be no problem.
Next, it was time to wholeheartedly strive for his own home goal! He ran towards Walcott to celebrate, and after high-fiving him, he heard him say with a smile, "We rarely talk, I thought our relationship was supposed to be cold, but I didn't expect you to take the initiative to celebrate."
"How could it be?" Maël shook his head, hugged him, and said happily, "We have the same goal, it definitely won't be cold.
"And listen to the cheers of the Emirates Stadium, look at the atmosphere here, no one can be cold at this time."
"You also have to work harder to seek goals." Walcott encouraged, sincerely hoping that Maël could also score in this game.
The two of them established a good foundation for their relationship on the field. In the future, they would have a long time to cooperate.
The game time passed minute by minute, and Arsenal completely controlled the game. Udinese could only fall into positional defense.
Their change of formation was useless. In the most exaggerated moments, even the two midfielders returned to the vicinity of the penalty area, playing with six defenders.
Mainly, losing two goals away from home would not erase their hopes of advancing... Realizing Arsenal's strength at the Emirates Stadium, they set their sights on the second leg.
Try to concede as few goals as possible, and then seek a comeback after returning to their home stadium.
"Should we increase our attacking power again?"
On the Arsenal coaching bench, Philip sat next to Wenger and asked, "I think we can continue to pursue and try to end the first leg with a lead of 3 goals or more.
"The second leg of the play-offs is sandwiched between the Premier League matches against Liverpool and Manchester United. We can rotate well in that round of matches."
"No changes for now." Wenger's eyes were sharp as he watched the team's attack on the field intently, answering, "The impact of the attacking line is very strong, but Udinese's bus is parked very well.
"Let's look forward to the performance of the attacking players, they will always seize the opportunity."
Just then, he saw Maël suddenly cut inside, enter the center, and then unleash a smooth curved shot from his most familiar position.
Wenger and Philip quickly rose from the coaching bench, their eyes following the trajectory of the ball, a hint of an impulse to celebrate in their gestures.
"Clang!" The ball struck the outside of the post and bounced towards the baseline.
So close! "Ooh!!" A collective gasp arose from the stadium, many Arsenal fans having stood up just moments before, now clapping in encouragement with a touch of regret.
Wenger and Philip sat back down on the coaching bench, slapping their hands in frustration, so close to a three-nil lead.
Philip smiled at Wenger and asked, "Do you think he'll score today?"
"I don't know."
Wenger shook his head, not daring to be too confident. "The hope is there. Udinese is parking the bus, their formation is very compact, his long shots and cut insides have a good chance to be effective."
"Come on." Philip turned his gaze to the field, clenching his hands expectantly.
In the 73rd minute, Wenger substituted Wilshere for Ramsey, making his second substitution.
Maël and the Little Prince raised their eyebrows at each other, and after seeing the other couldn't help but smile, they laughed together. This was their first time fighting side by side.
Refocusing his attention on the field, he began to move towards the center, seeking an opportunity to take a long shot.
Cutting inside and running to the byline were too physically demanding. If he ran for a few more minutes, he couldn't be sure if he would have the stamina to continue sprinting.
"Bang!"
Arsenal's back line took a free kick, and the ball was headed away by an Udinese defender, landing at Wilshere's feet.
Unexpectedly, his desire to score was also strong. He took a shot at the goal, the ball flying quickly towards the net, but it went higher and higher, eventually flying into the stands.
"Not good."
Wilshere smiled and shook his head, gesturing apologetically to his teammates who were waiting for a pass, and then said to Maël, "It's up to you. You have a better chance of scoring."
"It'll come."
Maël smiled and waved his hand, signaling him to be patient. "Get ready for a long shot show."
"Haha..." Wilshere laughed a few times, and the two of them started running together, waiting for an opportunity near the edge of the penalty area.
Time continued to pass, gradually crossing the 80th and 85th minute marks.
"Hold on!"
The Udinese coach kept looking at his watch, reminding his players of the time, hoping they could defend their goal in the final minutes.
The players did seem to be defending better and better. After adapting to Arsenal's rhythm, they were able to carry out their dense defense with ease, blocking all the open spaces.
"Bang."
In the 88th minute, Alexandre Song passed the ball to Maël, who was positioned between the opponent's defensive and midfield lines. It was a seemingly ordinary pass, even a bit casual.
Maël stood in place, looked around, and raised his right foot as if to pass the ball back with one touch.
"Snap." He suddenly twisted his waist and turned, facing the opponent's goal, and charged towards the goal with the ball.
"Close in!"
"Pull back!"
The Udinese defense finally took him seriously, and people rushed towards him from all directions, most of the defenders' faces showing tension.
"Bang." Maël pushed the ball two steps to the right, glanced at the goalkeeper's position, took a deep breath, and followed up.
Continuing to dribble forward was risky, so why not... try a direct shot from here! "He's coming!"
On the sidelines, Wenger and Philip rose from the coaching bench again, looking towards Maël.
"Come on!" Wilshere stood beside Maël, watching the ball at his feet with anticipation, and then looked at the goal.
"Threatening pass +1." Alexandre Song muttered, calculating his stats, his thought process different from everyone else.
"OhAaahh" At the Emirates Stadium, the fans behind the goal stood up, their eyes filled with fervor, hoping that this ball would go in.
Under everyone's expectations, Maël focused his gaze intently on the ball at his feet. As he ran, he swung his left arm and tensed the instep of his right foot, pouring all his strength into a powerful shot.
"Bang!!"
As a cloud of grass and dirt scattered, the ball, like a cannonball, carried an unstoppable momentum, smashing towards the Udinese goal.
The goalkeeper dove to the side, his body stretched out beautifully, but his face was filled with astonishment and panic.
"Swish!" The sound of the net rippling quickly followed. Maël stood where he had shot, watching the football smash into the net, and seeing the fans behind the goal immediately raise their arms in excitement.
Three to zero! The first goal at the Emirates Stadium!
"Yeahhh!!!" A thunderous roar erupted as over fifty thousand Arsenal fans finally witnessed the moment they had been eagerly anticipating, unleashing a deafening shout.
"It's here! It's really here!"
On the sidelines, Wenger and Philip simultaneously raised their hands and jumped, then turned and embraced each other in excitement.
Champions League qualification secured! The game is basically over!
"Oh!" Maël roared as he charged towards the fans near the sideline. The joy of scoring and the atmosphere inside the stadium instantly made his blood surge, his whole body filled with excitement.
His 4th goal! Even if it wasn't a Champions League group stage goal and wouldn't be counted among his Champions League goals, it was still his first goal at the Emirates Stadium, hearing the fans cheer!
"Beautiful!!"
"Wonderful goal!"
"Ah, Maël!"
"Amazing!!"
Watching the vibrant faces in the stadium light up with excitement for him, countless arms waving for him, he couldn't help but brace his hands on the ground and do a side flip again, followed by a stylish somersault.
This time, he didn't raise his arms and shout. Instead, he spread his hands, faced the fans in the stands, closed his eyes, and raised his head.
He savored the cheers echoing through the stadium for him at this moment, enjoying the heated atmosphere! "Ruling the world!"
The commentator's voice trembled as he excitedly delivered his commentary: "Maël surveys his followers like a monarch. In this moment, he can truly be considered the king, the hero of the Emirates Stadium! What a fantastic performance! After scoring a hat-trick in the previous match, he announces his arrival at the Emirates Stadium with a world wave! The Udinese players are crouching on the ground, heads in their hands. Their coach is pounding on the dugout. They probably know that even if they return to their home stadium for the second leg, they may not be able to turn things around! Arsenal will advance to this year's Champions League, a new stage that will belong to Maël!"
Near the corner flag, photographers frantically snapped close-ups and full-body shots of Maël. Some sprinted to the side to capture the fans directly in front of Maël in the frame as well.
The Arsenal players arrived soon after. They were naturally delighted that Maël had managed to score a goal at the Emirates Stadium in the final moments!
"It has to be you!" Wilshere patted Maël on the shoulder, and looking at the excited fans on the sidelines, he couldn't help but raise his arms and cheer, celebrating with them.
"You did it!"
Walcott came forward with a smile and hugged Maël tightly. "I knew you could do it. This will be a perfect day. The Emirates Stadium fans will be with you for a long time!"
"I know." Maël turned to look at the fans, throwing a few more punches in their direction, fully enjoying the feeling.
"Haha!" Alexandre Song was the third to arrive. This time, he didn't just mutter to himself: "Assist +1! The easiest assist ever!"
Maël hugged them one by one. After the celebration, he faced the fans again, took a deep breath, and raised his head, closing his eyes and spreading his arms.
I have to say, this celebration move is pretty good. With his eyes closed, even the air he breathed in felt sweeter, intoxicating and unforgettable.
Keep chasing the footsteps of goals! He wants to celebrate 10 times, 100 times at the Emirates Stadium, until he's done all the celebration moves! The match ultimately ended with a score of three to zero. Arsenal won a great victory at home, and the Emirates Stadium fans applauded wildly, very satisfied with the team's appearance in the new season.
They eagerly anticipate that in May next year, the team will end the season with honor and glory! At nine o'clock in the evening, Maël was at home, placing a new Best Player trophy on the display stand. This was the first trophy from a Champions League match.
Davis had already ordered a new trophy cabinet for him, which should arrive next month.
By then, everything would seem more formal and grand.
"Ding-dong...!" The doorbell rang. It should be Mr. Mendes. He had just called to say that he had arrived in London.
Maël opened the door and saw Mendes, his face beaming with pride, opening his arms to him. "4 goals in 2 games, you're simply amazing."
"How did you get here so quickly?" Maël exclaimed, smiling as he hugged him.
"Wasn't I looking forward to seeing our Premier League star sooner?"
Mendes joked as he walked into Maël's villa, sitting down on the sofa and saying, "Nice house. Your performance proves that you have the confidence and ability to afford this house."
"More than ten million pounds."
Maël shook his head, thinking of the price. "I'll definitely have to save for a long time. There's no rush."
"What if you had endorsements?"
Mendes picked up the dried fruit on the table and started eating, chewing as he said, "Recently, there have been many businesses inquiring about you for endorsements every day. I'm already helping you choose."
"What about the prices?" Maël's eyes flickered as he sat down next to him.
He still remembered how he had easily earned hundreds of thousands of pounds from endorsements in a single day last time. Endorsements were, in his mind, the easiest and fastest way to make money, besides waiting for Instagram to be acquired.
"I'll set it at £800,000 a year."
Mendes stated a price, explaining, "This is in line with your current worth and various values. Too high, and it will scare away all businesses.
"Of course, this is our minimum offer. Depending on the brand and endorsement requirements of the other party, this price may fluctuate at any time."
Maël didn't think it was too little, and he nodded in satisfaction, "£800,000 is very good."
The two chatted for a while, shifting the topic to the upcoming contract negotiation, confirming their opinions.
"This time, Arsenal may raise the salary by a certain amount again and offer a signing fee that is hard to refuse, adding another 1-2 years to your contract. What do you think?"
Mendes was very experienced. After explaining to Maël, he also shared his own thoughts, "I think it's worth considering. Arsenal is a very influential club, and the development prospects here are good."
Maël got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the scenery of London outside, and after considering for a while, he confirmed, "This place is indeed good. If Arsenal brings it up, then let's sign it."
He had fallen in love with this city and enjoyed the feeling of playing at the Emirates Stadium, so there was no hesitation.
ps: There are still 2 chapters of 6k words, the weather is cold and I caught a cold, I got up late, please understand everyone.
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