Chapter 831 - 14: Battle at Anfield Against Liverpool! The Strongest ’Goal Achievement’ in History! Wenger’s Bold Declaration!

On September 2nd, the 3rd round of the Premier League kicked off, with Arsenal traveling to Anfield Stadium to face their old rivals Liverpool, who had just changed managers for the new season.

As a traditional powerhouse and one of the most successful clubs in England’s history, Liverpool’s results over the past few seasons have clearly not been good enough for their fans.

When last season ended, they were only in 8th place on the table, and the club legend Dalglish was consequently sacked... coming in full of hope, leaving full of disappointment.

After that, they hired the young manager Rodgers, who had done very well with Swansea in recent years, hoping he could be that savior to lead the team out of trouble.

The wheel of time just keeps grinding generations of legends beneath it, while sending in wave after wave of newcomers riding the wind, people who want to write a new epic.

Some of them, thanks to their individual ability and a bit of luck, can enjoy the scenery at the summit for a few more years and leave something behind; some are merely passers-by, quickly knocked off by the ruthless turning of the wheel.

"You’ll Never Walk Alone... You’ll Nev.....!!"

Inside the famed Anfield Stadium, both teams’ players walk out onto the pitch to the singing of the fans, the compulsory overture before every kickoff here.

The sun is shining today, the breeze is gentle; whether playing or watching, everyone can feel an extraordinary sense of comfort... days like this are naturally perfect for football.

"We can see Ma’el, who has just won the UEFA Best Player award, leading his Arsenal teammates, riding the momentum of two straight wins as they stride into Anfield Stadium!"

Up in the commentary box, Zhan Jun sits alone at the desk, calling this match. "In the pre-match predictions, Arsenal’s win probability was as high as 63%, Liverpool’s only 21%, with a 16% chance of a draw.

"This actually fits with the recent form of the two sides. Since Rodgers took charge of Liverpool, the team has only won two UEFA qualifying matches.

"In the opening round of the Premier League, they were beaten 3–0 by West Brom, and in the second round they lost 3–1 to Manchester United, conceding 6 and scoring just 1. In this kind of form, it’s very hard to believe they’ll be the ones to stop Arsenal."

"..."

As a Liverpool fan, Zhan Jun’s tone carries a bit of resentment as he delivers this opening, clearly dissatisfied with the 39-year-old young manager, feeling he’s not up to the task of coaching a giant club.

The camera now cuts to Rodgers in his brand-new suit, his face grave as he stares at the pitch, perhaps already thinking about how to explain a potential three-game losing streak to the board members.

"For Rodgers to become Liverpool’s manager at this age is definitely something he can be proud of.

"I believe that at the very moment he got his hands on Liverpool’s reins, he saw before him a brand-new, splendid, broad avenue—just like this suit he’s wearing.

"But a team is like clothing: even if it looks great, even if your previous efforts mean you’ve earned the right to wear it, whether you can truly carry it off is another matter entirely."

"..."

"And if Arsenal win or even just draw this match, they will extend their unbeaten run to 41 games, which puts them really close to the 49-game unbeaten record they set in the past.

"At the end of last season, many people asked me: Arsenal seem to have already achieved everything there is to achieve in the Premier League; in the new season, will they focus only on the Champions League and lose interest in the Premier League?

"I said no. On one hand, domestic honors are inherently supreme.

"I don’t believe any Arsenal man would lose interest in winning titles in succession. This is a new beginning, a new Chapter; nobody wants just a single year at the peak, and nobody would turn down another major trophy.

"On the other hand, there are two very important records above their heads.

"One is the 49-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, the other is Milan’s 58-game unbeaten run. These are major targets that this group of players can challenge."

"..."

"The broadcast camera is now focused on Ma’el. You can see the excitement on his face—partly from just winning the award, partly from the thrill of being captain that still hasn’t worn off.

"Having permanently etched his own name into the Premier League, will he now lead this group of players to etch their names into the Premier League as well, perhaps even into the history of the Big Five leagues?"

"All right! The match is underway, and what you’re watching now is...!"

Inside Anfield Stadium, the singing is still ringing out, and the players of both sides have already gone into battle, kicking off the 3rd round of the new season.

On the touchline, Rodgers still looks nervous. He might think it’s not obvious, but in fact everyone can see it.

He’s certainly not a timid or cowardly man—otherwise he could never have made it this far.

The main reason he looks like this is that the Premier League fixture list for the new season is a bit too hellish. In the first six rounds, they’ll face the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea in succession.

After losing to West Brom on his Premier League debut because he wasn’t yet familiar with the league, his pressure has been mounting day by day; it’s almost as if he can see "sacked after six straight defeats" waiting right in front of him.

He desperately wants to change the situation, but when he looks over at that center-forward in the Arsenal ranks who has produced five goals in two games, he still feels a kind of helplessness.

"Bang... bang... bang...!"

Just as that thought crosses his mind, Ma’el takes the ball and drives straight at Glen Johnson, beating the England first-choice defender in just a few strides and cutting inside towards the middle.

The tension in Rodgers’s eyes intensifies, and then he watches Ma’el slip past the tracking Shahin and Gerrard, shimmy past Skrtel, and unleash a shot from inside the penalty area.