Chapter 810 - 10: What, Goal Drought?! Opening Win! Classic Celebration Returns! Major Signing Officially Arrives!

"Once the season starts, no one can stop us...!"

"Everything is in order... Ma’el... Ma’el...!!"

In the grand Emirates Stadium, over fifty thousand Arsenal fans excitedly raise their hands in applause, singing their most familiar tune, "Hot stuff," still mingling players’ names into the song.

Three months later, they’ve finally greeted the first round of the new season’s Premier League!

For them, it’s not just a grand event, but an indispensable part of their lives.

Since they were young, they have been accustomed to using match rounds to record time and using the home team’s record to decide the mood of the week.

Last season, the team hardly ever let them down; the players’ excellent performances on the pitch kept them in a state of joy and passion, always able to soothe and heal life’s discontent and scars.

The new season has begun, marking the start of a new phase in their lives.

Everyone hopes the team can bring them as much inspiration and hope as last season, and even do better than last season, bringing more to the team and themselves!

"Ohhhh.....!"

In front of the player tunnel, Arsenal captain Ma’el and Sunderland’s captain John O’Shea lead their teams out, eliciting a wave of applause and cheers from the fans.

They have bright smiles on their faces, seemingly having waited long for the new season too.

Achievements not completed last year can be pursued this year; heights not reached last year can be sprinted towards with full force this year!

This doesn’t signify a complete reshuffle start, but absolutely symbolizes a brand-new journey.

"Dear viewers, you are now watching the 12-13 season, Premier League round 1 match, Arsenal at home against Sunderland!"

"Wenger is putting out his strongest lineup in this match, aiming for a triumphant start to the new season, also marking the team’s 39th consecutive unbeaten game!"

"..."

The giant screens on either side of the Emirates Stadium are displaying the starting players for both sides.

We can see Arsenal is still using the same 4-4-2 setup as the last match, while Sunderland has chosen 4-5-1. From the formations, we can tell which team is aggressive, which is conservative, who is attacking, who is counter-attacking.

And after the starting lineup display ends, a video plays showing a trophy ceremony.

Not Arsenal’s recent Community Shield Cup ceremony, but the moment when Ma’el led the France team in the European Cup stage’s trophy ceremony, with the word ’Champions’ accompanying the video below.

After the video ends, red text with gold borders fitting the aesthetics of this era flashes across the screen—"Welcome back home.....!

"Welcome back to the Premier League.....!"

In the first round of the new season’s Premier League, in the first official match at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal officially uses this special way to honor the recent European champions.

"Clap clap clap.....!" Many seated fans stand up to applaud, and the sound of clapping resonates again.

Ma’el, beaming with joy, greets them, noticing that all the staff at Emirates Stadium are applauding, as are the players and coaching staff of Sunderland.

Though the European Cup has passed, that honor remains with him, not to be forgotten for a long time... Perhaps this is why people are so obsessed with glory.

"Clap clap.....!"

Ma’el also raises his hands to applaud himself, feeling empowered at this moment, more confident in achieving his own goals and those of the team in the new season.

"Beep!"

"Alright, with Van Persie kicking off for Arsenal, the battle of the Premier League’s first round of the new season is officially underway!

"There’s no doubt Arsenal is the stronger side, but Sunderland clearly also has a chance to score, having achieved good results in several warm-up matches recently.

"And football as a sport inherently contains all possibilities; examples of winning despite a 10x, 100x difference in value have not been uncommon in past years."

"....."

"Ma’el, he’s now the most watched player in the Premier League; people are eager to see what accomplishments he’ll achieve this season.

"Holding the ball ready to break through... Did everyone see the matches in the Emirates Cup and Community Shield Cup this season? We can find that Ma’el’s playing style is a bit different from before.

"Previously, every time he had the ball, he pursued rapid acceleration, putting speed first.

But now, he often prefers to hold the ball underfoot and play slowly.

"This time he still wants to speed up; he’s breaking into Sunderland’s right-back position in the four-man defensive zone!

"Directional breakthrough! Another break! From the broadcast perspective, he looks like a sharp knife, cutting through the meticulously arranged defense of four players, opening one gap after another!

"He’s going past them!

"A crossing ball! Giroud!!..... Mignolet has caught this ball! The Belgian goalie defuses a dangerous situation."

"....."

After the match began, Arsenal firmly controlled the ball possession, their waves of attacks rising higher and higher, quickly making the goal area of Sunderland ominous.

Sunderland initially used an 8-man deep defensive group to block Arsenal’s attacks. Upon feeling the danger, they retracted one winger from the front field, leaving only striker Sessegnon as the counterpoint.

However, even with 9 men, most of the time they could only disrupt and block, struggling to steal the ball into their possession for a valid counterattack.

Within just over 20 minutes, most of their players’ faces showed a lack of enthusiasm.