Chapter 820 Charge! Unstoppable Wang Shuo! The Fastest Hat-Trick in History! De Bruyne’s Lethal Diagonal Pass!

"Never go toe-to-toe offensively against Arsenal. They will drag your defense down to their level and then beat you with their vast experience!"

What did this mean? It meant that when playing against Arsenal, a team’s defensive level would be severely dragged down by them, eventually allowing them to score. It was a helplessly sarcastic remark.

Some media outlets appealed to Wenger, "You should really focus on your defense. You can’t keep playing like this—the older fans’ hearts can’t take it!"

The Times also weighed in: "There’s a popular saying in football: Attack wins you fans, but defense wins you games.

"But if Wenger’s team wants to win more trophies and make a mark in Europe, they must focus on defense.

"A team with a problematic backline, even if they can play some thrillingly brilliant games and win some highly satisfying victories, will find it difficult to maintain their form long-term and win championships.

"Especially in cup competitions!"

The Sun Newspaper was even blunter in pointing out Arsenal’s problem: "Wenger’s team never practices defending, not even set-pieces!"

Regarding The Sun Newspaper’s viewpoint, Wang Shuo had to clarify something. The Gunners *did* practice defending—just a bit less than usual. Set-piece defending was also practiced, though not much either. The team focused more on ball drills like rondos and piggy-in-the-middle. This was tied to Wenger’s philosophy.

However, defensive issues were actually quite complex. The Premier League was like a high-speed train with no stops; it roared forward, leaving absolutely no time to adjust until reaching the final destination.

Still, Wang Shuo could clearly feel that the Gunners were moving toward maturity and stability. This was evident because his Passive Value had been rising very quickly recently.

After the match against Tottenham, he had received 50 Passive Value points for setting a record in the North London Derby. Adding the 50 Passive Value points rewarded for the previous record-breaking 10-0 scoreline, and combined with his recent accumulation, he now had 468 Passive Value points. In the blink of an eye, he was almost at 500 points again.

The top Premier League teams generally performed well in this round. Chelsea defeated Bolton 3-0 at home. Manchester City defeated Blackburn 3-0 at home. Manchester United defeated Norwich 4-1 away. Liverpool, relying on a hat-trick from Gerrard, defeated Everton 3-0 at home, claiming victory in their cross-town derby.

It was also worth mentioning that Liverpool had previously drawn 2-2 with Cardiff after extra time in the League Cup final, but ultimately defeated their opponents in a penalty shootout to take home this season’s League Cup.

Riding the momentum of those two victories—especially their League Cup triumph—Liverpool returned to Anfield Stadium to host Arsenal in the 27th round of the Premier League.

Since the Gunners had to play the second leg of their Champions League tie against AC Milan the following Wednesday, coupled with injuries to players like Ramsey, Wenger made appropriate rotations. But unexpectedly, the team’s backline kept handing out gifts right from the opening whistle.

In the 19th minute, after dribbling past Subotic in the penalty area, Suarez created a one-on-one opportunity and was brought down by the rushing Szczeny. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Gerrard converted the penalty, opening the scoring for Liverpool!

Then, in the 23rd minute, Kuyt broke through Gibbs’s defense on the right flank and sent a low cross into the box. Koscielny attempted to clear it at the near post but accidentally bundled the ball into his own net.

2-0!

However, in the 30th minute, meeting a cross from Gibbs on the left, Wang Shuo leaped high at the far post and headed the ball back to the near post. Pogba followed up with a header of his own, sending the ball into the left side of the net.

2-1!

But in the 53rd minute of the second half, Arteta was forced off with an injury. It was a calf muscle strain—nothing too serious, requiring about two weeks of recovery.

Afterward, Liverpool adopted a defensive counter-attacking strategy. Dalglish didn’t even dare to make any substitutions. Liverpool’s squad was thin this season, and the players on the pitch already represented the strongest lineup he could field.

Wenger, on the other hand, brought on Hazard for Matuidi in the 74th minute, shifting Pogba back to the middle. Just six minutes later, Hazard’s dribbling breakthrough down the left drew the defense’s attention before he laid the ball off to Gibbs.

Gibbs overlapped and delivered a square pass across the face of the goal. Wang Shuo quickly sprinted forward. Caught in a pincer movement by Kalg and Skrtel, and under Reina’s block, he didn’t have much of a shooting angle, so he laid the ball off with a backheel. Hazard followed up with a placed shot, sending the ball into the empty net.

2-2!

Both sides were back on level terms!

"The match is about to end.

"We are now in the second minute of stoppage time.

"The score remains 2-2!

"Looking at the whole match, the Gunners have still been very tenacious, but those two conceded goals in the first half once again exposed Arsenal’s defensive problems.

"Of course, we must also acknowledge that Wang Shuo’s performance has been as stable as ever. Even though he hasn’t scored yet, he has provided two brilliant assists.

"Let’s look at this sequence. They still want to attack down the left.

"Passed to Pogba, then to Hazard.

"But there is no opportunity.

"Skrtel steps in first and clears the ball.

"Liverpool’s defense is incredibly tight right now. Wang Shuo is completely surrounded by players, leaving him with no breathing room whatsoever.

"I have to say, Liverpool’s defense is quite solid."