When these three players joined forces on the field, they were unstoppable, and no team could stand in their way.
As the second half began, the fans were thrilled.
At this moment, Cao Baiming's goal had already been achieved, and he was no longer thinking about scoring more goals.
This was the time to let his teammates shine. As a defender, continuously scoring goals and doing the job of a striker – what were the team's forwards supposed to do?
Moreover, with recent developments, Cao Baiming had unknowingly found himself completely overshadowing Messi and Henry.
On the field, whether it was Messi or Henry, their goal tallies were barely making it onto the Premier League's top scorer list, while they were racking up assists.
Since this match wasn't particularly important, Cao Baiming's temporary idea was to change his approach and give his teammates opportunities to score.
Who knew, perhaps a change in strategy could unlock new hidden season objectives and achievements, which would be a good thing.
In the forty-ninth minute of the match, Henry came to the sideline and began warming up, preparing to come on. It was clear from the current situation that Henry was eager to prove himself.
To give him this opportunity, Cao Baiming even ignored a long-range shot opportunity. Although the probability of scoring was ninety percent, it was still a rare chance.
In the fifty-second minute, Cao Baiming assisted Saka, who once again broke through Bournemouth's defense, extending the score.
As the celebrations ended, the fans eagerly awaited Henry's substitution.
However, seeing the team's momentum, Arteta was reluctant to make a substitution at that moment, as it could disrupt the rhythm the players had established.
For a team's head coach, the timing of substitutions was a science. Often, when the game was stalled, or the team was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of rhythm and momentum, a correct substitution could revitalize the team.
Substitutions were not just about adjusting the lineup or rotating players; sometimes, they were about injecting new energy into the entire team.
After waiting for another two minutes, Henry finally got his chance to enter the game.
Observing the situation, Cao Baiming's eyes flickered as he scanned the entire field, quickly grasping everyone's movements.
With Henry coming on, he would have to return to defense, at least to a defensive midfield position in the back.
Henry entered the game with his own objectives. For a long time, his performance had been rather disappointing, especially under Cao Baiming's brilliance, making him seem like an invisible man.
In such a situation, the only way to prove himself was through goals!
One goal might not be enough; he needed at least two.
Fortunately, the opposing team in this match was a pushover, so scoring two goals was not too difficult for Henry, and he was full of confidence.
In fact, throughout the first half and the first ten minutes of the second half, Henry had not been idle while sitting on the bench.
He had been diligently observing the game, including the opponent's tactics and individual habits. Now, facing them on the field, they were all people he had figured out.
The Bournemouth players had not yet realized the severity of the situation, merely congratulating themselves inwardly on Cao Baiming's retreat, as the pressure in the attack seemed to have decreased significantly.
However, Henry's playing style was completely different from Cao Baiming's.
Although he was in the attacking third, he was practically in a semi-invisible state, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact location.
While this didn't create sustained pressure, whenever a good opportunity arose, he could instantly transform from an invisible presence to the focus of the entire stadium, scoring a goal!
It was at that decisive moment, one shot to seal the win, that Henry never needed a second to prove himself.
His speed was also guaranteed, with almost no player in Bournemouth's backline able to catch up to him; it was hard for them even to get close.
As the midfield playmaker, Messi quickly adapted to a single-player offensive organization in Cao Baiming's absence. Just five minutes after Henry came on, he formed a perfect combination with Henry.
This combination started with Cao Baiming intercepting the ball in his own half. After a pass from Thomas, the ball eventually reached Messi.
Messi used his individual skill to hold up the ball, turn past two defenders, and send it into the blind spot of the opposing defense. At this very moment, Henry was indeed lurking in that position!
Neither player looked up; one delivered the ball to the right spot, confidently believing his teammate would be there, while the other simply ran to the correct position, also confident that the ball would be passed to him!
With such a pass and run, their默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding) instantly made Bournemouth's entire defense seem slow to react. Henry shot directly without controlling the ball, sending it towards the far post.
No offside! A perfect goal!
This was the first time the默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding) connection between the three superstars was witnessed, and its effect was very evident.
As expected, when these three joined forces, no one could stop them. The gap was evident, like a vast chasm.
As time wore on, with Cao Baiming solidifying the defense, all of Bournemouth's attacking attempts were thwarted at that point.
Repeated failures led them to reduce their attempts, and as a result, Arsenal's players pushed forward, with even the fullbacks running into the penalty area to contest headers.
Henry, naturally, did not want this kind of multi-pronged attack to continue. He still really wanted to achieve his small goal, after all. Were two goals really that difficult?
With fifteen minutes left in the match, Henry frantically gestured to his teammates. However, the opposing team had completely retreated and set up a bus in front of their penalty area.
Opportunities were becoming scarce.
Henry's eyes still gleamed with confidence as he firmly signaled for the ball.
As a player who had only come on in the second half, Henry had more stamina than others around him.
If there were no opportunities, what was there to fear? He would create his own opportunities; nothing was difficult.