Football: Messi template with 200 pounds.

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The last time Arsenal started a season with three matches without scoring was back in 1953! Now, they had only managed two points from those three games, falling into the relegation zone! Forget about fighting for the title or the top four; the immediate issue was to ensure they stayed up!

Head coach Arsène Wenger had never experienced such a lack of attacking prowess at the start of a season. He was like a father figure at Arsenal, nicknamed "the Professor." His arrival transformed Arsenal from a pragmatic "1:0" football style into a representative of beautiful and attacking football, leading the team to three league titles. He was undoubtedly the core figure in Arsenal's revival. How could his team possibly go three consecutive matches without scoring?

However, in recent years, due to the departure of key star players, the team had lost its competitive edge and hovered around third and fourth place each season, even earning the nickname "the Fourth Place Fanatics." This season was particularly absurd; many of the potential star players they had developed were now gone, and the team's performance was dismal, leading to calls for Wenger's dismissal. Perhaps this stubborn Frenchman was out of touch with the times; maybe it was time for him to step down.

So when youth team director Brady placed Lu Junfeng's scouting report and match footage on Wenger's desk, Wenger, with a furrowed brow, had to take a serious look. On September 15, 2012, under clear skies, Arsenal's reserves faced off against Southampton's reserves at their home Korney training base. There were more spectators than usual at this match, including several members of the first-team coaching staff. They were there to evaluate the performance of young players, especially Lu Junfeng.

Following Wenger's instructions, Lu was assigned to start as center forward in this match. Li Ke started in midfield with a focus on defense. The starting lineup for Arsenal's reserves also included two future well-known players: right winger "Dog Doesn't Care" Serge Gnabry and right-back Héctor Bellerín! Gnabry was tall and muscular, with an earnest yet somewhat rustic appearance. Bellerín was fair-skinned and quite fashionable.

In an alternate universe, Gnabry did not receive many opportunities at Arsenal for various reasons. He later moved to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and gradually developed into a top winger, winning four league titles and one UEFA Champions League title with them. He also became a key right winger for the German national team, achieving what could be described as a near-perfect career. Bellerín was considerably less impressive than Gnabry but eventually became a mainstay right-back for Arsenal after a few years. Before suffering a major injury, he showcased incredible speed that attracted attention from many top clubs. He even made appearances for Spain's national team but had limited playing time.

Today, Arsenal's reserves lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Lu as the lone striker. As the referee blew the whistle for kickoff, Lu began his performance with a classic opposite-footed kick. The Arsenal reserves had received instructions before the match that everything would revolve around Lu today, which made other players envious. Everyone knew this meant that he was being prioritized for development.

Most players accepted this because Lu's physical attributes were so impressive; he could rival top center forwards. There are not many players in this world who are 1.9 meters tall, weigh over 200 pounds, and can run fast! Back on the field, after an Arsenal midfielder controlled the ball, he passed it back to draw out Southampton's players and force their formation to stretch.

At this point, Lu had already positioned himself at the front and waved for the ball. Although the opposing defender stood at 1.85 meters tall as well, he couldn't compare in strength to Lu's 200-plus pounds. However, he wasn't too worried because players of Lu's build typically didn't have much speed; even if he received the ball, he would likely just pass it out wide to his teammates.

At that moment, Li Ke sent a low pass over to Lu. Lu controlled it but let it get away from him slightly and quickly moved forward a few steps to regain control of the ball. The opposing defender felt even more relaxed now. What kind of rough player is this? How did Arsenal even accept him? Are they planning to change their style?

But just as he sneered inwardly, Lu turned around and kicked the ball forward before charging past him like a storm! This was his signature move—an explosive acceleration! "Damn! How can this big bear run so fast?!" The defender's heart raced as he quickly turned to chase after him.

At that moment, Lu joyfully accelerated with the ball: "Hehe! Right into my strengths from kickoff—charging through the middle! With my speed, who can catch me? Today you'll see what an impact forward looks like!" Reserve matches are primarily for young players to gain experience or for first-team players who rarely play or are returning from injury to find their form.

Although these matches are formal, they don't involve detailed pre-match analyses like first-team games do. Moreover, there wasn't much information available about Lu Junfeng; not many people knew that this big guy also had decent speed. Thus, Southampton found themselves facing an unexpected one-on-one situation against Lu right from kickoff.

Confronted by an advancing goalkeeper, Lu pondered: Should I shoot with my left foot or my right foot? Forget it; I'll just go for it without thinking too much! "Boom!" With a powerful right-footed strike, the ball went straight through the goalkeeper's legs!

Goal!!!!!!!! It's in! In less than one minute since kickoff, Arsenal led 1-0! Lu calmly shook his finger: "Like cutting vegetables here, brothers!"