Chapter 726 - 134: Derby! Natural Born Leader! Three Giants Vying for Supremacy! Another Hat-Trick! Being Wang Shuo’s Enemy Is Too Terrifying!

Football doesn’t have that many twists and turns. It really isn’t that complicated. Ultimately, its essence boils down to preventing the opponent from scoring while trying to score yourself.

Wang Shuo felt that Barça’s possession play was simply them sticking to their core metric: Passing. When Inter Milan eliminated Barça, didn’t Mourinho’s team rely on an iron-clad defense? Every team has its own characteristics and core metrics. Once a team faces adversity, their mindset fluctuates wildly. At that point, the more they overthink, the more they do, and the more mistakes they make. The less they believe in themselves, the worse they will play.

Was this just a philosophy for table tennis? No, it applied to almost all competitive sports!

Wang Shuo’s words clearly left a profound impact on the Arsenal players, sparking a sense of realization.

Wang Shuo faced his teammates with a smile. "I completely agree with his perspective. However, I believe that maintaining a high success rate relies on grueling daily training—constantly accumulating experience, building a solid foundation, and continuously improving. In crucial moments, this foundation transforms into the confidence and courage we need to face adversity!

"You asked me earlier if I get scared.

"Truthfully, I do, but I don’t let that fear consume me. Instead, I face it head-on.

"Whenever I feel afraid, lost, or overwhelmed, I push myself to invest more effort, run harder, fight more desperately, and give absolutely everything I have."

Everyone looked at Wang Shuo with admiration in their eyes. As a newly appointed captain who had essentially been parachuted into the role, Wang Shuo had used his tact, his stellar performances in training and matches, and his exemplary leadership to win over everyone’s complete submission and respect over the past period. He had even become a role model for the entire squad.

Moreover, Wang Shuo had been doing an exceptional job as a leader. At the very least, no one in the team could find a single flaw in him.

"After finishing the fifth round, we are currently sitting in third place in the Premier League." Wang Shuo smiled at the teammates in front of him.

In the fifth round of the league, Manchester United had defeated Chelsea 3-1. One had to admit that Ferguson was truly, incredibly special. He simply had a knack for taking seemingly unremarkable players and molding them together into a highly formidable and cohesive team. It was nothing short of miraculous!

Meanwhile, despite holding a two-goal lead, Manchester City had conceded twice in a row to Fulham, ultimately settling for a 2-2 draw away from home. Liverpool had suffered the worst fate, enduring a miserable 4-0 thrashing away at Tottenham Hotspur.

Therefore, after five rounds, Manchester United had secured five consecutive victories. Manchester City sat at 13 points, Arsenal at 12, Chelsea with only 10, followed by Tottenham Hotspur with 9.

This midweek featured the League Cup, while the weekend would bring the sixth round of the Premier League, where they would host Bolton. The following Wednesday was the second round of the Champions League group stage, a home game against Lille. And the weekend after that was the North London Derby, with Arsenal traveling to face Tottenham Hotspur.

It was safe to say that every single match would be a grueling battle! Wang Shuo was now genuinely experiencing just how fierce the competition in the Premier League truly was. It was overwhelmingly difficult!

Just think about it—the moment Arsenal lost focus for even a second, they were immediately punished with three consecutive goals by Blackburn, the team at the bottom of the table. Would something like that ever happen in the Bundesliga?

There was a marquee matchup every round or two, with cup matches and the Champions League squeezed in between. The sheer pressure of the fixtures was unimaginable.

However, just as Wang Shuo had stated before, he had come here to achieve a personal Breakthrough and challenge himself! If he had wanted a comfortable life and been content with the status quo, he never would have come to the Premier League in the first place.

Looking his teammates dead in the eye, Wang Shuo shared his innermost thoughts with them for the first time.

"Many people ask me why I came to the Premier League, and why, out of all the teams, I chose Arsenal.

"I came to the Premier League for only one purpose—success! The championship!

"I want to prove to everyone that I could succeed in the Bundesliga, and I can succeed just the same in the Premier League!

"I absolutely must, and I definitely will, help Arsenal win the title!

"Just like how Maradona helped Naples win the championship back in the day!

"That is exactly what I came to Arsenal to do!"

Why hadn’t Wang Shuo said this earlier? Because back then, he had just parachuted into the team. He lacked sufficient prestige, and the players weren’t entirely convinced by him yet.

But now? He had firmly secured his position as captain and united a core group of players around him. It was time to let everyone know exactly what he wanted to achieve and where he intended to lead this team. Only by doing so could he rally even more like-minded individuals to his cause.

And only then could he truly be considered the undisputed King of the Gunners!

September 24th, afternoon. London Emirates Stadium.

With about ten minutes left before kickoff, the stands of the Emirates Stadium were already teeming with people. By the five-minute mark, there wasn’t a single empty seat left in the house. After the previous away match against Swansea, the Gunners’ fans had learned their lesson. They arrived early, terrified of missing the spectacle of an opening-minute goal.

Still, a lingering sense of apprehension remained in the hearts of quite a few fans. Over the years, the Gunners had rarely given them peace of mind! Take the third round of the League Cup against Shrewsbury in the middle of last week, for example. Even though Wenger had rotated all eleven starting players, the opponent was merely a fourth-tier team. Yet, Arsenal had still conceded the first goal. This time, it wasn’t from a set piece, but rather a swift counterattack. Regardless of the circumstances, it was quite a dismal showing.

Fortunately, the Gunners had subsequently fired back with three consecutive goals, securing a 3-1 comeback victory and smoothly advancing to the next round. However, the ordeal still left the fans feeling more than a little worried.