Thinking that they could still get a chance under his defense was simply too naive!
The fans also desperately wanted to see what would happen when Cao Baiming personally defended against Max, and now their wish was granted. The current situation was enough to stir their emotions and set their hearts ablaze.
With less than ten minutes left in the match, Messi was substituted off, yet Manchester United still had opportunities to score, even a chance to overturn the deficit!
Arteta had made tactical changes favoring a steady defense as much as possible. At this moment, his sole aim was to preserve the current 3-2 lead until the final whistle.
They absolutely could not afford to lose this match; the risk was too great. The idea of securing the league title eleven rounds early had already materialized, and any unexpected setback now would be profoundly disappointing.
After all, they had already weathered the most challenging part. This was truly the final stretch.
However, looking at the situation on the pitch, Cao Baiming's defense was reassuring. While Max might find it easy to overpower others with his explosive speed, it was an entirely different story against Cao Baiming.
Both sides had become more cautious, and the dynamic of the game had suddenly shifted.
Whichever player broke first would expose a weakness to the opponent. This was a test of patience, and at this moment, the two sides were not entirely evenly matched. Arsenal held a one-goal lead, a significant psychological advantage.
Max found himself in a difficult position, utterly helpless against Cao Baiming.
He clearly understood that this opponent was superior to him. To break through, he could only rely on cunning, but despite racking his brain, he couldn't come up with any effective solutions.
It seemed the team lacked the impetus to even chase the equalizer. Some players even appeared content with the current deficit, satisfied with being behind?
This infuriated Max, but as a newcomer to the team, he had no say in the matter.
Unbeknownst to them, time was quietly slipping away. Although both teams had created some opportunities, none were particularly significant.
And so, they reached the final moments. The last minute of regular time passed without any notable events, the score seemingly fixed.
Subsequently, the assistant referee on the sidelines displayed the stoppage time for the second half, using two small boards on an electronic screen to show the numbers, which he then held up high for all the spectators to clearly see.
Unless one had poor eyesight or deliberately chose not to look, it was impossible to miss.
A total of five minutes of stoppage time were added to the second half of this match!
At this point, the players' stamina had almost completely depleted. Even those who still had some energy left were extremely fatigued.
And for the Arsenal players, this was the most opportune moment for complacency to set in.
For the Manchester United players, it was somewhat different. After all, they were trailing and only by one goal. With just one good opportunity, they could directly score and equalize.
Once the score was leveled, the two sides would be on equal footing, and chasing a winner would no longer be an unrealistic prospect.
Arteta knew that his players were most susceptible to complacency and unexpected negative developments at this stage. If the opponent managed to equalize during this period, he wouldn't be the only one to feel despair.
He walked to the edge of the pitch, as close as he could get to the field, and shouted to his players, urging them on, reminding everyone that now was absolutely not the time to relax their vigilance or lose their fighting spirit!
One step further, and he risked a yellow card for encroaching onto the field.
However, his lecture seemed to have an effect. Although the stadium was vast and the crowd's noise was incessant, his players could still hear his voice with remarkable clarity, cutting through the cacophony.
Cao Baiming remained remarkably calm. Max, beside him, wore his desperation on his face and in his body. Each setback did not deter him; he would relentlessly press on.
It was as if he were impervious to injury, a veritable madman.
Fortunately, he was a madman with limited prowess. Cao Baiming was fully confident that he could handle him.
As long as he was marked closely, it would be virtually impossible for Max to score in the remaining time. The probability was perhaps lower than a person being struck by lightning twice in the same spot.
Two minutes later, on the other side of Manchester United's attack, a sudden surge occurred. Antony advanced with the ball. Seeing Max tightly marked in the center, he decided to take a shot himself.
It appeared to be an ordinary long shot from the corner of the penalty area. He himself didn't expect it to have much chance of resulting in a goal.
The ball struck an Arsenal defender and deflected towards the goal!
Amidst the ensuing chaos, the goalkeeper managed to punch the ball away, much to everyone's relief.
However, the situation was far from over. The ball remained in the penalty area. Suddenly, a figure flashed through the crowd and unleashed a powerful shot, finding the back of the net!
The entire stadium erupted in a frenzy. The hero of this goal was wearing Manchester United's classic red home kit, bearing the number 21 on his back!!!
"Mad Max, a superhero descended from the heavens!"
As celebrations ensued, the Arsenal players slumped in dejection, a sense of despair washing over them. They looked towards Cao Baiming.
"Why didn't you mark him?" Henry stepped forward and asked, finding this situation highly improbable.
Cao Baiming smiled, his expression unperturbed.
"Don't worry, I wasn't marking him because he was offside."
Henry's expression instantly changed.
At that very moment, the referee blew his whistle, disallowing the goal!
Everyone in the stadium was bewildered. What had happened? Even Max himself had no inkling of any issue.
After a meticulous review by the VAR team, it was determined that Max had indeed been offside, by a mere five centimeters. No one had noticed it.
A pity! This was their last chance. With this drama unfolding, the match time was rapidly approaching its end.
After the ensuing kickoff, the referee soon blew the final whistle for the entire match.