Chapter 708 131: Advancement! King of the Gunners! Heroes Shape the Times! European Best Player! The Bloody Massacre at Old Trafford

Goalkeeper: Szczeny;

Defense: Traore, Koscielny, Subotic, and Lichsteiner;

Midfielders: Arteta playing deep, with Matuidi and Aaron Ramsey in front;

Forwards: Hazard, Wang Shuo, and Walcott.

This was already the strongest lineup Wenger could field.

Manchester United's veterans were also plagued by injuries.

Goalkeeper: De Gea;

Defense: Evra, Evans, Phil Jones, and Smalling;

Midfielders: Ashley Jan, Anderson, Cleverly, and Nani;

Forwards: Welbeck and Rooney.

On paper, Arsenal's lineup was by no means inferior to Manchester United's; in fact, they seemed to hold a slight edge. However, Ferguson's ability to discipline his team, along with the Manchester United players' tactical adaptability and on-pitch chemistry, clearly surpassed that of Arsenal. More importantly, Ferguson's tactical prowess could always work miracles.

Facing an Arsenal side that favored passing and cutting combinations, Manchester United didn't fight for possession. Instead, their objective was to disrupt Arsenal's passing game through aggressive running, pressing, and interceptions. Upon winning the ball, they would quickly initiate a counterattack, with the focal point being the left flank, where Traore was positioned. Arsenal was well aware of their defensive weakness on that side and paid close attention to it.

In the first twenty-seven minutes of the match, the two teams went toe-to-toe, engaging in a fiercely entertaining battle. The situation on the pitch was evenly matched. Manchester United tried several times to create danger down Arsenal's left flank, but none of their attempts succeeded.

But in the twenty-seventh minute, while defending against Nani, Traore committed a reckless foul inside the penalty area. This not only gifted Manchester United a penalty but also earned him his second yellow card, resulting in an immediate red card expulsion. Rooney calmly converted the penalty kick. 1-0!

Subsequently, capitalizing on their numerical advantage, Manchester United frequently created threats. However, in the thirty-fifth minute, the Gunners equalized when Wang Shuo assisted Hazard for a goal. But their joy was short-lived; in the forty-first minute, Arteta committed a foul just outside the penalty box, granting Manchester United a direct free-kick. Rooney sent the ball straight into the back of the net. 2-1!

The true turning point of the match came after the sixtieth minute. Playing two matches a week continuously, along with back-to-back grueling battles, had left the entire Arsenal squad utterly exhausted. Although Wenger had rotated the squad, the core players hadn't been able to rest—especially in the Champions League. With Wenger banned for both legs of the tie, the Gunners had no choice but to field their strongest starters, many of whom had to play the full ninety minutes. Under these circumstances, stamina issues began to surface past the hour mark.

In the sixty-third minute, Rooney delivered a through ball, and Nani scored on a one-on-one breakaway. 3-1!

In the sixty-seventh minute, Ashley Jan received the ball on the left, cut inside, and curled a beautiful shot into the far corner. 4-1!

In the seventieth minute, following a neat combination with Ashley Jan, Park Jisung slotted a low shot into the net from inside the penalty area. 5-1!

In less than ten short minutes, Arsenal had astonishingly conceded three consecutive goals.

"The Gunners have collapsed!" Sitting in the home team's dugout, Ferguson chewed his gum, watching the match unfold on the pitch with a calm and composed smile.

By this time, Wenger was already preparing to make a substitution. De Bruyne was going to replace Arteta. The Spanish Midfielder had performed terribly in this match, particularly in protecting the perimeter of the penalty box. Rooney's free-kick had resulted from his foul, and he hadn't been in position to defend Ashley Cole's long-range shot...

"Arteta has never played as a lone defensive midfielder at Everton. Wenger has confused even himself!" Ferguson mused.

The match restarted. Despite leading 5-1, Manchester United showed no signs of holding back and continued to pour everything into their attacks. Compared to Arsenal, who had fought a life-and-death battle against Udinese mid-week, Manchester United had conserved their strength and were lying in wait, fully rested. As bitter rivals, they didn't mind racking up an insane scoreline at home to thoroughly humiliate Arsenal!

Ferguson, meanwhile, noticed the number nine player wearing Arsenal's away kit—Wang Shuo. Having just returned from Monaco after winning the European Best Player award, Wang Shuo was still working incredibly hard. Especially after they went a man down, he seemed to be everywhere, actively tracking back to defend time and time again.

"Regretting it now, Wang?" Ferguson chuckled. "If you had come to Manchester United, you'd be the one holding the butcher's knife right now!

"But you just had to choose Arsenal! You chose to be the meat on the chopping block!

"Then tonight is destined to be your battle of humiliation!"

His words had barely faded when Manchester United once again pushed their attack to the edge of Arsenal's penalty box. As Rooney made a quick forward run to receive the ball, he launched a long-range shot, only for it to be blocked by the body of Wang Shuo, who had desperately tracked back all the way.

But Wang Shuo and Fatty Lu collided solidly into each other. Needless to say, both of them crashed to the ground. Fatty Lu rolled once and immediately got back on his feet. Wang Shuo tumbled a couple of times, ending up covered in mud stains and grass clippings from head to toe. There was also a visible bloody scrape on his left calf.

"What a tenacious kid!" Ferguson's eyes gleamed as he watched. "A player with his fighting spirit should be playing for Manchester United! He was born for our red-blooded passion, but he just had to choose Wenger and that sissy Arsenal!

"Look at the teammates around you, Wang. You should know by now why Arsenal will always be a hopeless case, right?

"A bunch of spineless cowards—how can they crack a tough nut?

"They're already used to being the laughingstock of the whole world!

"Wang, are you regretting it now?"

Wang Shuo still struggled to his feet from the grass. He waved his hand at Weber, signaling that he was fine and that the match could continue.