Jagged Wings

Chapter 52 Defend Highbury!
"Go to hell! You bunch of maroon bastards!"

A Tottenham fan in a white jersey stood in the stands at Highbury, leaned down, and yelled at the Arsenal players on the pitch with their middle finger up.

Such scolding resounded through the sky, even covering the voices of the home fans at Highbury Stadium.

In the background of their shouts and curses is the electronic scoreboard of the stadium, which shows the score: 0:2.According to international practice, the home team is at the front and the visiting team is at the back.

"This is the North London Derby!" The commentator roared excitedly, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the North London Derby! Everyone thought before the game that Arsenal would win the game, but now they are 0: 2 points behind visitors Tottenham! A Lennon cross from the wing and Robbie Keane's deft tackle gave them a second goal at Highbury."

Tottenham striker Robbie Keane is surrounded by his team-mates as they celebrate a goal.

Giving them background are dejected Arsenal players.

In the 10 minutes of the first half, Arsenal failed to score a goal, but Tottenham, which they looked down upon before the game, scored two goals.

This frustrates Arsenal from top to bottom.

Wenger on the sidelines frowned tightly, looking very unhappy.He has reason to be unhappy, because he repeatedly exhorted before the game, don't underestimate the enemy, don't underestimate the enemy... the result!

These self-righteous little bastards!
"In the first half of this game, Arsenal's players performed very badly, especially their defense, allowing the opponent to break through and score this goal so easily!"

"Arsenal didn't take off on both wings in the first half. Neither Reyes nor Ljungberg performed very well. Reyes, who was in good form before, also had problems on the left. Column Lennon's breakthrough was his and Kerr's untimely marking."

"This season is the last season for Arsenal to use the Highbury Stadium. In the previous games, they have won six consecutive home games in the new season. Is this game coming to an end?"

Reyes frowned, watching the celebrating Tottenham players.

"Since the start of the new season, Arsenal have performed very well. It can be said that the journey has been smooth, but for young them, this has been too smooth... Now they have to pay the price for their youth!"

Arsenal did not score a goal until the end of the first half.

Everyone walked back to the locker room with their heads down, knowing that what awaited them during the intermission was not the smile and praise from the head coach, but a storm!
They guessed wrong.

Wenger did not express his dissatisfaction with the team's performance during the intermission. Instead, he touched the wall of the dressing room at Highbury Stadium with some emotion and told the story.

"This is my ninth season at Arsenal and I've been working in this stadium for nine years. I've seen big wins and big losses here, I've seen teams win titles and I've seen The opponent is crowned here. There are too many memories here. It can be said that it has witnessed the rise of Arsenal again." Speaking of this, Wenger changed the subject, "However, the stadium at Highbury is still too small!"

Having said that, Wenger turned around and glanced at the players. Everyone was a little curious and didn't know what the head coach was going to say.

"I believe everyone knows that this is the last season of Highbury Stadium, the new stadium has been completed, and we will move to the new stadium next season. This Highbury Stadium has passed 92 years, it Just like an old man, after witnessing the ups and downs of the team, it is time to retire now. This season is his last shift."

"Since the player has retired, the stadium has also retired! I have always had an idea in my mind. I want to let him retire with dignity this year when he retires at Highbury Stadium. This is what he deserves! If you still have the heart, don't let him retire. This stadium couldn't be more disappointing! Not for the fans, not for the club, just for this stadium! Thinking about your half-time performance, the last home at Highbury Stadium, don't you feel ashamed? You are disdainful!"

After speaking, Wenger turned and left the locker room.At this time, only 10 minutes have passed since the intermission, and there is still another half before the start of the second half.Usually at this time, Wenger affirms the team's performance in the first half, and then talks about what the team will do in the second half...

But this time Wenger didn't say anything, and walked out just like that.

**************
Towards the start of the second half, Tottenham's players returned to the field from the dressing room, everyone with obvious joy on their faces.

At half-time, they were praised by head coach Joel.

Before the game, the old hatred was added to the old hatred. Joel could be said to be full of anger towards Arsenal, but he was smart and did not let the team attack at Highbury simply and rudely.Joel told the players that the entire Arsenal team looked down on them, because Arsenal performed so badly last season and were able to double-kill them. This season they will definitely take the double-kill for granted.

He successfully aroused the fighting spirit of the Tottenham players. In the first half, he gave Arsenal a fierce attack, killing Arsenal by surprise!
That's why the Tottenham players are so happy.

When they came on, none of the Arsenal players had turned up.The Tottenham players thought to themselves, the Arsenal players must have been scolded by the head coach for 10 minutes, and now they are hurrying to arrange tactics and how to beat us in the second half... What a pity!
Huh?
The proud Tottenham players suddenly discovered that Arsenal's head coach Arsene Wenger and other members of the coaching staff were sitting on the coach's bench.

The head coach is not in the locker room?So what are the Arsenal players doing?

Joel followed the players to the sidelines. He also saw Arsenal's head coach Arsene Wenger. He was a little surprised.

He thought Wenger would be nervously arranging second-half tactics in the locker room, trying to counterattack in the second half.

But looking at this posture, Wenger doesn't seem to take the situation of being two goals behind at all?
Not right!

Why was he not in the dressing room at half-time but on the dugout?

Joel, like his players, was puzzled by Wenger's approach.

*******
In the Arsenal locker room, the head coach has left, but the intermission is not over yet, so what will you do next?

A group of people were silent and didn't know what they were thinking. Wenger's words were very touching and made them ashamed.

At this time Henry stood up.He is the captain. Although he is introverted, it doesn't mean he has no thoughts in his heart.

"I apologize to everyone!" Henry's first sentence was like this, he waved his arm, "We really underestimated the enemy in this game, including me, we didn't take our opponent seriously. Everyone Playing at Highbury Stadium for as many as a year or as little as a year, I believe everyone will be familiar with this stadium. The coach is right, we can’t let them play wild at Highbury! So in the second half of the game, I hope everyone can play with me Get up. There are still 45 minutes in the game, and there is still a lot of time. Although we are two goals behind, I believe this is not a problem at all!"

"Everyone listen to me, I have an idea." Reyes stood up and said to everyone: "Highbury Stadium is about to retire, I want to give him a gift-all home games at Highbury Stadium this year , we want to achieve an undefeated record!"

"Undefeated?"

"Isn't it too difficult?"

The players began to whisper, this season plus various cups and league games, Highbury has a total of close to 30 games, how difficult is it to be unbeaten in so many games?And there is no shortage of strong teams like Chelsea and Manchester United in the league.

"Are you afraid? Some people think they are not good enough?" Reyes' words were full of contempt.

"I'm afraid! If you don't lose, you won't lose!" Cole jumped out: "We were unbeaten in 49 games last season, just 30 games unbeaten."

"That's it!"

"agree!"

After all, young people make up the majority of Arsenal, and Reyes, a fierce player, has aroused their blood.

"Now let's discuss how to play in the second half..." Henry continued.

***********
The Tottenham fans waiting on the pitch were a little reluctant. They thought Arsenal were scared.

Arsenal cowards!

So as soon as the Arsenal players entered the field in the second half of the game, the shouts of Tottenham fans rang again. They shouted at the Arsenal players: "You are a bunch of cowards! You just stay in the locker room forever Don't come out!"

The shout was so loud that even those fans who did not go to the scene could hear it clearly through the TV broadcast.

But they didn't shout for long, because they were soon forced to shut up.

(End of this chapter)