Chapter 693 - 129: A Flying Start! Super Scorer! Arsenal’s Number 1 Tough Guy

And just four minutes later, the team strung together another series of passes.

After receiving the ball on the left side, just outside the penalty area, Wang Shuo exchanged a knowing glance with Hazard. He passed the ball and immediately turned to run, drawing the defenders’ attention.

Hazard passed it back toward Wang Shuo but, inside the box, Wang Shuo suddenly turned his back to the goal and, without stopping the ball, laid it off with a first-time touch.

The two technically gifted players exchanged a series of one-touch passes around the edge of the box.

The Boca Juniors defenders couldn’t keep up with their rhythm at all and were forced to foul Hazard.

The Belgian lay on the grass with a frustrated look, full of grievance as he watched Wang Shuo walk over.

"Don’t worry, I’ll get revenge for you!"

Immediately after, Wang Shuo blasted a direct free kick past the Boca Juniors’ goal.

"A brace!"

"That’s the ability of the world’s best super scorer!"

"Give him a chance, and he’ll score!"

"He just keeps scoring!"

Soon after, Wang Shuo once again drew a collective gasp from the entire stadium.

This time, it came from Subotic.

An errant pass in Arsenal’s midfield was intercepted. Boca Juniors attempted a through ball to get behind the defensive line, but Subotic, having anticipated the play and positioned himself perfectly, won the ball back.

After winning the ball, Subotic took a step forward and seized the opportunity, hitting a low, direct long pass that threaded perfectly between the two center-backs to Wang Shuo’s feet.

Wang Shuo was already picking up speed. He took a touch to push the ball forward and was about to burst past them.

At that critical moment, a Boca Juniors center-back pulled him down from the side.

But that pass drew a collective gasp from the 60,000 Arsenal fans in the stadium.

’That’s what you call chemistry!’

’Wang Shuo was very much looking forward to the day when this group of Arsenal players was fully integrated and had built up enough chemistry. They would surely play some exhilarating, attacking football then!’

’When that happens, I’ll definitely be able to score goal after goal!’

Then, in the 28th minute of the first half, with Boca Juniors yet to even take a single shot, Arsenal won the ball just outside their own penalty area and launched a long pass forward.

Wang Shuo controlled the ball and laid it off to Wilshere before immediately turning and making a run.

Wilshere, reading his mind, sent a long ball over the top, delivering it behind the defensive line.

Wang Shuo sprinted forward at top speed, breaking through the defensive line. After controlling the ball with his chest, he drew the goalkeeper out, and despite being in a perfect position to shoot himself, he passed it horizontally to an unmarked Hazard.

The Belgian followed up with a simple side-footed shot into the net.

3-0!

After scoring, an excited Hazard charged straight for Wang Shuo.

The other Arsenal players all chased after them, celebrating the goal together by the sideline.

In the 40th minute of the first half, Boca Juniors’ first shot on goal resulted in a corner kick.

But when the corner was taken, Subotic headed the ball clear.

Arsenal launched a fast counter-attack.

Wilshere charged through the middle with the ball and passed it to Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo then split the defense with a pass to the right for Walcott to chase.

’Little Tiger’s speed is seriously fast!’

’Especially without the ball.’

By the time Walcott caught up to Wang Shuo’s pass, he carried it into the right side of the penalty area for a one-on-one and calmly slotted it home.

4-0!

No one had expected Arsenal to be so unstoppable.

A four-goal lead in the first half!

Since there was another match the next day, Wenger substituted Wang Shuo off early.

In the end, Arsenal defeated Boca Juniors 4-1.

But with two goals and two assists in just the first half of the new season’s first home game, Wang Shuo’s performance still astounded the Arsenal fans.

After the match, he won unanimous praise from the British media.

The Daily Mail commented that Arsenal’s new attacking lineup for the season, led by Wang Shuo, would become the most-watched and also the most lethal attacking combination in the Premier League.

What?

Arsenal’s starting lineup wasn’t set yet?

Who cares!

As long as they have Wang Shuo, they’ll be the strongest!

Two goals and two assists in one half against Boca Juniors... even if it was a friendly, what more could you ask for?

...

After Arsenal defeated Boca Juniors 4-1, in the other match between Paris Saint-Germain and the New York Red Bulls, no one expected the New York Red Bulls to pull off an upset, defeating the Ligue 1 team 1-0.

On the second day of the Emirates Cup, Arsenal secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, defeated Boca Juniors 3-0.

With two wins from two matches, scoring six goals and conceding only one, Arsenal won this season’s Emirates Cup.

After the Emirates Cup, Arsenal held another week of closed-door training at the Colney Training Base.

The main focus was on adjusting the team’s tactics and addressing some of the problems exposed during the matches.

Some issues were caused by a lack of chemistry between the players.

There was really no quick fix for this; it could only be improved slowly over time.

Other problems stemmed from players not understanding the tactics or failing to execute them properly.

This was where the culture of sharing and communication in the locker room, which Wang Shuo advocated for, played a crucial role.

When players encountered a problem, they would bring it up directly during their locker room discussions, and others would voice their opinions and share their perspectives.

It wasn’t always a guaranteed solution, but it was still a form of help for the players facing difficulties.

A week later, the team traveled to Portugal and drew 2-2 away against Benfica.

Wenger still used two different lineups for the first and second halves.

Both of their goals came in the second half.

After the match against Benfica, the team returned to London.

The first round of the new season was just around the corner, and Arsenal’s starting lineup was more or less set.