Seeing this situation, Arteta felt somewhat relieved.
After all, if they played more defensively, it would be even harder to score. This match, his goal was a draw, and specifically a zero-zero draw!
After twenty-odd minutes of the match, the seasoned Potter immediately realized something was wrong.
He was relentlessly defending, yet the opponent wasn't even daring to attack?
He had noticed this just five minutes into the game. Such obvious defensive withdrawal was something even an amateur fan who didn't know how to play football could see from the sidelines.
But he was a battle-hardened head coach, how could he think as simply as a fan!?
He thought to himself, Arteta must be playing some dirty trick again. He appeared to be a turtle in its shell, but in reality, he was waiting for them to let their guard down for a sudden counter-attack, a fatal blow!
However, as the minutes ticked by, over ten minutes passed, and he couldn't see any hint of an attack. This was clearly timidity, utterly and completely timid!
Arteta was helpless. He knew Potter had misjudged the situation, but the opponent clearly overestimated this Arsenal team…
He didn't know whether to be happy or unhappy!
Without the midfield's brain, Cao Baiming, the team had momentarily lost its rhythm. In these past few matches, there hadn't even been any significant improvement.
To outsiders, it might seem like they were preoccupied with the World Cup, or perhaps they needed a break after too many consecutive wins. Even fortune couldn't always favor them.
But only Arteta knew what the problem was.
In the twenty-fifth minute of the first half, Potter suddenly made two substitutions to change formation, strengthening the wing play!
He had finally seen the light!
Arteta had no choice but to adapt, reinforcing the wing defense. At this point, the psychological battle between the two teams was becoming increasingly apparent!
Didier Drogba was constantly trying to find an opportunity. By the thirtieth minute, Chelsea's attacking momentum had fully unleashed. On the sidelines, Potter was continuously making forward gestures, shouting!
Soon, Chelsea had several consecutive shooting opportunities, but the "Monster" Drogba seemed to be off form today and failed to score!
Arteta's heart was pounding. He was incredibly nervous!
The first half time quietly reached its last second! The score remained zero-zero!
The moment the referee on the pitch blew the whistle for the end of the half, Arteta felt a sense of release. Although it was only the end of the half, he wouldn't have been able to breathe for another minute.
With a hint of smugness, Arteta went to the locker room to debrief everyone.
"First half, overall, it was good. We played quite well, but there are still a few minor issues in defense that need attention…"
"These issues, although they didn't cause any significant serious consequences in the first half, will eventually cause trouble if not addressed!"
After a lecture, the players realized that in the five minutes he had been speaking, he hadn't mentioned offense at all, only defensive issues.
"This match, defending is victory!"
The players' nerves were taut.
Before, they were a unique presence in the entire Premier League. Now, they had stooped to pursuing a draw as their ultimate goal!
Alas! They still had to play well if they wanted to play well!
Although it felt slightly uncomfortable to hear, thinking about the upcoming record of fifteen unbeaten league matches for Genesis, it didn't seem like a big deal.
Soon, the second half of the match continued.
At this point, Cao Baiming also turned on the live broadcast of the match, wanting to follow the situation.
For Cao Baiming, who was in Tang Country, it was already evening. All training for the day was completed.
He specifically took a bottle of mineral water to the gym to watch his team's match.
As soon as he opened it, he quickly glanced at the starting lineup.
Martinelli, Vinícius, Saka, Holding, Vieira, Roșcați…
The lineup seemed a bit… how to put it, conservative.
Cao Baiming pondered for a moment. He could understand the head coach's reasons. Given the opponent was Drogba, some respect was needed. He opened the video right at the first minute of the second half.
As expected, after the kickoff, the entire team adopted a defensive formation. Even when Vieira successfully intercepted the ball, he kept passing it back. For a full five minutes, they didn't even see a single forward through pass.
Cao Baiming sighed helplessly.
"Alas! It seems Arteta isn't being conservative, he simply doesn't intend to score!"
The camera happened to zoom in on him. Arteta was deep in thought on the sidelines, intently watching the pitch.
He really was thinking that, it's just a pity he couldn't hear Cao Baiming's words. They were worlds apart!
"Playing like this, it will eventually cause problems…"
Cao Baiming thought to himself. History repeats itself. Continuously retreating and defending in one's own half for such a long period would inevitably lead to problems.
More importantly, he had already spotted several loopholes in their defense.
Cao Baiming just thought about it silently, without saying it out loud. However, this thought eventually came true!
In the seventy-ninth minute, following a free-kick in the midfield, Chelsea's head coach Potter directly substituted a defender for a forward, preparing for a desperate gamble.
The newly substituted Pulisic, without Sterling's "happy football" style, seized one shooting opportunity and calmly slotted the ball into the net!
A goal from a set-piece assist! The score was finally changed! One-nil!
Chelsea had finally broken through Arsenal's defense in the final moments!
Following this goal, Pulisic ecstatically sprinted along the edge of the pitch, with his teammates flocking behind him!
Who said there was no passion in the league before the World Cup!?
Even in the last league match, tears could still be easily brought to the fans' eyes!
However, at this moment, it wasn't just the Chelsea fans on the sidelines shedding tears, but also Arteta!
He completely collapsed on the spot with this conceded goal!
Damn it, they defended for eighty minutes! It had to go wrong at the last moment!
What the hell! Why am I crying!
At this moment, the broadcast director's camera zoomed in on Arteta. His large face was immediately displayed on the screen.
Arteta's eyes were still glistening with tears, and although he had wiped them with his hand, it was still very obvious.
Cao Baiming immediately recognized it. He had initially felt sorry for the team conceding the goal, but then he burst out laughing!
Arteta looked so pathetic! Hahahaha!
In the gym, Cao Baiming was alone, with no one else around. His laughter echoed throughout the room…
For Chelsea, this was a moment of emotional release! After a long period of pressure, they had finally broken the deadlock!
Potter's tactical substitution, this aggressive approach, had actually worked! It was not easy!
"Chelsea, you are awesome!!" the players shouted excitedly!