"The match still has time! Miracles can still happen, even a comeback!" the live commentator exclaimed passionately.
However, what no one expected was that his words would set the stage for the rest of the game!
In the 61st minute, Crystal Palace scored another goal with a cut-back pass inside the penalty box, equalizing the score!
In the 79th minute, a quick throw-in from the wing was easily won by the towering striker, followed by a powerful header that extended their lead once again!
"They've taken the lead!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Now, the pressure was on Arsenal. Mikel Arteta could never have dreamed that a 2-0 lead from the first half would turn into this.
At this moment, his face was expressionless as he stared blankly at the pitch. He had played all his cards; what else could he do in this situation?
In desperation, he used his last two substitution slots. With less than 10 minutes remaining, they had to go all out. Even if they couldn't win, they at least had to equalize!
If they could end the match with an equal score, their 15-game unbeaten streak would remain intact, though the hope of a winning streak now seemed extremely slim.
Vinícius and Saka were brought on.
"Please, God, give me a miracle!" Arteta pleaded silently in his heart, feeling helpless.
However, the situation on the field showed no significant change, and his plea to the heavens went unanswered.
As the match entered its final moments, Arsenal players' physical disadvantage began to show.
Earlier, they could still maintain a relatively high level of ball possession, but now even that advantage was lost.
The game entered its final two minutes. If nothing unexpected happened, the stoppage time in the second half should not exceed three minutes, as there had been no significant delays, injuries, or controversial goals.
As expected, the final two minutes slipped away unnoticed. The fourth official then signaled the stoppage time for the match: exactly three minutes, not a second more or less.
At this point, they couldn't even win back possession. Crystal Palace players were already starting to waste time gleefully. As long as they could hold on until the end of the match, they would win, and their goal, along with their coach's goal, would be achieved.
Faced with the opponent's deliberate time-wasting tactics, the players, whose stamina had been depleted, were filled with anger but also helplessness! 138 Reading Network
The players, with their last ounce of strength, intensified their efforts to win the ball. Coach Arteta was also frantically gesturing from the sidelines, muttering passionate words, encouraging the players on the field to keep going, keep going!!
Just then, White made a sudden dive to intercept a through ball right in the center of the midfield.
Indeed, problems were bound to arise. If Crystal Palace could have suppressed their emotions and continued to calmly waste time, such issues would not have occurred. But now that the ball had been stolen, the Crystal Palace players began to sprint frantically.
They were attempting to regain possession, but White was no fool. He calculated the time and knew not a second could be wasted. He immediately launched a long ball towards Vinícius in the opposition half.
As a substitute in the second half, Vinícius had plenty of energy. He was now their biggest threat on the left wing.
Seeing this, Arteta's eyes seemed to ignite with fire. There was still hope!
Vinícius jumped high, intending to volley the ball directly into the goal with a single foot, completing a smooth "receive and fire" move.
Just as he was about to strike, a defender beside him committed a foul, forcefully stopping the attack.
Vinícius fell to the ground in pain, rolling over several times. The fans on the sidelines began to protest, and the players on the field also agitatedly appealed to the referee.
Vinícius was lying inside the penalty area. If he had managed to complete that shot, while not guaranteed, he would have had at least a seventy to eighty percent chance.
This had to be a penalty! After confirming with the Video Assistant Referee, the referee determined that Vinícius had touched the ball first and had indeed been tripped by the defender on his left leg, causing him to fall inside the box. The foul occurred just two centimeters inside the penalty area!
"Penalty!" After a few seconds, the referee pointed resolutely towards the goal area with both hands.
The stadium erupted with deafening cheers, and Arteta was so excited he was close to tears!
The clock ticked by, reaching the final second of stoppage time. Everyone knew that this penalty was their only hope. After the penalty was taken, the referee would immediately blow the final whistle, giving no extra time.
It seemed the match would end in a draw at best, but all of this depended on the penalty being successfully converted.
As the player with the most energy on the team, Vinícius himself stepped up to take the penalty. He had earned this spot-kick through his own brilliant run.
Once ready, Vinícius took a deep breath. The entire stadium held its breath, with fans near the goal focused intently.
The goalkeeper swayed from side to side, attempting to use psychological tactics to disrupt Vinícius's shot.
This was a battle of wits, but at this moment, Vinícius closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and remained unaffected by the outside world. Whatever the goalkeeper was doing was irrelevant to him.
Then, in the next second, he suddenly opened his eyes, concentrating all his power into his left foot. He took two quick steps forward and unleashed a powerful shot towards the goal!
"Goal!!!!!!"
"Vinícius!! Incredible shooting power! The goalkeeper didn't stand a chance!"
"Beautiful!"
"Arsenal equalized in the last second of stoppage time! Their unbeaten record continues to be written!"
"No problem at all!!"
Vinícius, tears streaming down his face after scoring, was overcome with emotion. This was his first penalty for Arsenal, his first opportunity to take a penalty since joining the club.
It had been too difficult!
While the team's three senior players were still around, as a junior, how could it be his turn to take a penalty?
A thrilling match finally came to an end. After the penalty celebrations, the referee did not hesitate to blow the final whistle.
As loyal Arsenal fans, despite the outcome of the match, they were still deeply dissatisfied.
A draw against a team like Chelsea was acceptable, but drawing such a tough match against Crystal Palace was beyond their expectations!