Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 567: Arsenal's Top-Four Hopes are in Danger

After the match ended, Guardiola was frustrated once again.

Initially, seeing Chelsea's poor performance and the shrinking point gap had reignited his hopes.

He had hoped to secure a win against Manchester United, but it didn't go as planned.

Chelsea, meanwhile, won their match, and the gap widened back to double digits.

Well, back to square one—time to relax again!

The ups and downs of hope weren't worth it.

Just as Guardiola managed to calm down, Manchester City won again.

In the 27th round, City easily defeated Sunderland 2-0 away.

In the 28th round, City narrowly won 1-0 at home against Stoke City, securing two consecutive victories.

Chelsea had been on fire recently. After being held to a draw by Burnley in the 25th round, they won three consecutive matches.

In the 29th round, Chelsea extended their winning streak to four games, crushing the hopes of their rivals.

As the season neared its end, fewer matches remained, and Chelsea's lead seemed insurmountable.

They were 10 points ahead of second-place Tottenham and 12 points ahead of third-place Manchester City.

Yes, City had dropped points again.

Before their match against Liverpool, they had just beaten Monaco 2-1 away in the Champions League, advancing with a 7-3 aggregate score.

Although they won, the Champions League match had drained them, and the 29th round fixture came too soon.

Exhausted from the European clash, City could only manage a draw at home against Liverpool.

The result was a stalemate where both sides suffered, with neither team benefiting.

However, City was content with the draw. After all, it had only been two days since the Champions League game, and most of their players hadn't fully recovered. Considering they were facing a strong team like Liverpool, a draw was a decent result.

For Liverpool, though, this was far from what they had hoped for.

They were now 16 points behind Chelsea, and their title hopes had all but vanished.

Their realistic goal was to secure a spot in next season's Champions League.

The team fighting neck and neck with Liverpool for that fourth-place position was none other than the seasoned "top-four expert," Arsenal.

In this round, Arsenal had unexpectedly lost to West Bromwich Albion, and with Manchester City coming off a grueling away match, Liverpool saw an opportunity. They aimed to take all three points from City.

But City proved to be a tough nut to crack. Despite not being at their best due to fatigue, Liverpool couldn't break them down and failed to secure the win.

As a result, Liverpool missed their chance to widen the gap with Arsenal.

Both teams now had 56 points, tied for fourth and fifth place.

They had the same goal difference, but Liverpool had scored more goals, so they held onto fourth place by a narrow margin—almost too slim to count.

Plus, Arsenal had a reputation as experts in securing fourth place. When it came to clinching that last Champions League spot, no team in the Premier League could rival their expertise.

This left Liverpool a bit anxious—the closer they got to the end, the more nervous they became.

However, Liverpool also had some good news. In the next round, Arsenal would face Manchester City at home.

This was the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to watch from the sidelines.

If City lost, they could close the gap on City.

If Arsenal lost, they could pull ahead of them.

And if the match ended in a draw, that would be the best outcome for Liverpool!

In the 30th round, even before Manchester City played, there was already a massive upset.

League leaders Chelsea shockingly lost 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened Crystal Palace, while Tottenham beat Burnley 2-0 away. As a result, the gap between Chelsea and Tottenham was reduced to seven points!

With only eight rounds left in the season, a seven-point lead was still substantial, but if Chelsea lost another match or two, the outcome could become unpredictable.

Chelsea's unexpected loss had reignited excitement in the Premier League.

A title race that had seemed decided now had new suspense.

If Tottenham, a club that hadn't won a title in years, managed to claim the championship, the uproar would be massive.

Spurs fans would certainly celebrate wildly, perhaps even boasting over their rivals, Arsenal.

Spurred by this turn of events, Arsenal came out flying in their home match against Manchester City, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

City, seeing Arsenal's aggressive play, welcomed the challenge.

City thrived on high-octane, attacking football. If Arsenal wanted to go toe-to-toe, City would oblige.

So, City responded with an attacking strategy of their own.

In the 5th minute of the first half, City intercepted the ball in their defensive half and quickly launched a counterattack.

De Bruyne sent a long pass to the right flank, where Lin Quan surged into the box.

Arsenal's goalkeeper rushed out to close him down, but Lin Quan calmly passed the ball to Sergio Agüero, who smashed it into the open net, putting City ahead.

Arsenal was caught off guard—they hadn't expected this outcome.

They had initiated the early onslaught, yet it was City who struck first!

But Arsenal didn't back down. Already trailing, they pressed forward even more aggressively.

For a while, Arsenal bombarded City with wave after wave of attacks, essentially pinning them back.

Wenger's Arsenal, when their passing game clicked, was a joy to watch.

But the key was getting that rhythm going, which wasn't easy against a tightly organized City defense. Arsenal's attacks looked impressive, but most of them lacked bite, with few actual shots on target.

Meanwhile, their aggressive push left their own defense exposed.

City's counterattacks repeatedly caused chaos for Arsenal's defenders, who often resorted to tactical fouls to stop City's surging runs.

As a result, Arsenal picked up several yellow cards.

Granit Xhaka, in particular, was everywhere, trying to cover both attacking and defensive duties. He looked exhausted, like he was carrying the team by himself.

Yet, even with his tireless work rate, there was only so much he could do against City's deadly counterattacks. After picking up a yellow card, Arsenal's defense was left vulnerable.

As the first half drew to a close, it was Theo Walcott who finally provided a breakthrough for Arsenal.

In the 40th minute, after receiving a pass from Mustafi, Walcott used his blistering speed to break free from his marker and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, calmly slotting the ball home to level the score.

It was a beautiful goal, lifting the team's spirits.

The Emirates Stadium erupted as Arsenal fans chanted Walcott's name in celebration of the club veteran.

Since joining Arsenal in 2006, Walcott had served the Gunners for 11 years, and he was one of the longest-serving players on the team.

Despite his injuries and the fact that Alexis Sánchez had become Arsenal's new star, Walcott was still a beloved figure when healthy, a dependable presence for the fans.

On the sidelines, Wenger couldn't contain his emotions. He clenched his fist and muttered something to himself.

During his tenure at Arsenal, Wenger had been forced to scout young, promising talents due to financial constraints.

Over the years, the club had brought in many young players, some of whom succeeded while others faded into obscurity.

Walcott was one of the standouts, a player who had contributed greatly to Arsenal's success. And to think, Arsenal had signed him for just £5 million—an absolute bargain!

Despite this, Wenger had considered offloading Walcott due to his high wages (£140,000 per week), age, and injury struggles.

Reflecting on this, Wenger sighed, realizing he had been too harsh.

Arsenal had an unwritten rule about offering only one-year contracts to players over 30, allowing them to release players quickly if their performance declined.

The club had always been financially cautious, stretching every penny.

But with the club's debt mostly repaid, things were finally looking up.

However, in today's Premier League, the spending game was vastly different from when Wenger first took over at Arsenal.

With the limited funds at his disposal, without major financial backing from the club's shareholders, he simply couldn't compete with the likes of Manchester City or Chelsea.

Knowing this, Wenger lowered his expectations. Arsenal wouldn't be winning the league before his retirement.

Walcott, unaware of Wenger's internal decision, was overjoyed after scoring.

He ran to the sidelines, kissing the Arsenal badge on his shirt, a display of his love and loyalty to the club, silently pleading with Wenger not to sell him.

Clearly, Walcott had heard the rumors about his possible departure, which explained his desperation to prove himself.

But Arsenal's joy was short-lived.

They thought Walcott's goal was the start of their comeback, but just two minutes later, Manchester City struck back.

Almost identical to the first goal, but this time David Silva provided the assist, and it was Lin Quan who finished it off.

Arsenal's backup goalkeeper, Ospina, had no chance. The shot was so precise that even if Čech had been in goal, he might not have been able to stop it.

If it weren't for Čech's injury in the previous match, Wenger would surely have relied on the experienced veteran for such a crucial game.

The Emirates Stadium fell silent, as if doused with cold water.

Moments earlier, the Arsenal fans had been roaring with excitement, but now it was as if they had been choked into silence.

Some of the more fragile fans even began to cry.

If Arsenal lost this match, they would fall three points behind Liverpool.

With only a few matches remaining, a three-point gap would be nearly impossible to close, especially against a top-tier team like Liverpool.

Despite Arsenal's experience in finishing fourth, there was no guarantee they would secure that spot this year.

After all, this season's Premier League race was fiercer than ever.

With Chelsea and Liverpool resurgent, Tottenham quietly rising, and Manchester City still strong, the competition for the Champions League places was intense.

Compared to these teams, Arsenal didn't have the same advantages and, in terms of raw strength, might even be weaker than the top four teams.

Their only advantage was their wealth of experience in finishing fourth, often pulling off miracles in the second half of the season.

But if they lost this match, it was hard to say whether another miracle would happen.

Arsenal simply couldn't afford to lose—after their unexpected defeat last round, they couldn't even afford to draw.

In the second half, Arsenal went all out, attacking Manchester City like mad dogs.

They knew they had no other option—this was a must-win match.

Under intense pressure, Arsenal's players surprisingly didn't crumble as they had in the past. Instead, they rose to the occasion, playing some of their best football.

In the 52nd minute of the second half, after a brilliant series of one-touch passes, they delivered a deadly through ball to Sánchez, who arrived just in time.

Sliding in, Sánchez connected with the ball, but City's goalkeeper, Navas, made a fantastic save, diving to his left and tipping the shot away.

Arsenal fans in the stands clutched their heads in disbelief, their faces filled with shock and regret.

That could have been the goal of the round—it was so close!

But Arsenal's attack wasn't over yet.

From the resulting corner, Mustafi recognized his teammate's intention, leaping high to head the ball into the net.

Once again, the Emirates erupted into celebration, with many fans shedding tears of joy.

It was a hard-earned goal, and many had thought Arsenal were doomed to lose.

If the first half continued at that pace, City would have surely won.

But the players' teamwork and fighting spirit had paid off, bringing them back level.

Now, Arsenal fans weren't hoping for a win—they just wanted the referee to blow the final whistle. They would gladly accept a draw.

But City wouldn't settle for that.

Right after Arsenal's equalizer, City launched a full-scale attack.

Arsenal's players had exhausted themselves with their relentless attacks, while City had conserved their energy. According to Guardiola's plan, they were supposed to take control of the match around the 60th minute—and now was the time to do so!

(End of Chapter)

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