"It's rare to have a chance to relax, so there's nothing wrong with playing freely!"
As soon as these words were spoken, his teammates were stunned.
If Arteta were present, he would probably be furious again. How dare someone say such a thing? Wasn't this clearly telling his teammates not to play seriously?
However, on second thought, even Arteta wouldn't dare to say anything too harsh to Cao Baiming.
"Honestly, if we just play freely, it's not like we don't have the skill. We might even achieve unexpected results if we relax!"
"That makes sense!"
Alright, Cao Baiming's words were quickly met with support from his teammates around him.
Football is a competitive game, and who doesn't want to enjoy the match?
Although Henry felt he had been contradicted, he had nothing to say.
There was indeed a gap in strength between the two teams, and it wouldn't be a big problem even if Messi wasn't on the field for this match.
The truly important thing was the upcoming Champions League match!
"You guys just mess around as much as you want, leave the scoring to me!"
Wouldn't it be the best situation if they could win the match and enjoy it at the same time?
Soon, the players all arrived on the field. With both teams ready, the first half of the match began.
Both head coaches took this match very seriously. The two teams had maintained winning streaks prior to this, and neither wanted to stumble here.
However, in terms of difficulty, the two teams were vastly different. For Arsenal, winning this match and achieving a four-game winning streak would be as easy as taking candy from a baby, within easy reach.
On the other hand, it would be extremely difficult for Bournemouth, as hard as climbing to the heavens!
They were facing an opponent that even teams like Manchester City feared. Arsenal this season could not simply be described as formidable!
Within minutes of the match starting, led by Cao Baiming, Arsenal's players gradually took control of the midfield rhythm.
Without Haaland in the front line this time, he could finally relax and participate in offensive organization.
After some recent matches, he found that he was increasingly enjoying this position!
With the aid of his innate God's perspective, he could accurately predict many upcoming situations and had a complete understanding of the entire pitch's dynamics. Being in such a central midfield role felt as if he truly was God, able to manipulate the game at will.
Having played action games, trying a competitive strategy game was not a bad thing, and this novelty and passion remained very strong.
Even though Bournemouth's players were trying their best to press, they simply couldn't dispossess Arsenal's players.
Their current feelings were exactly the same as the Arsenal midfielders had felt in the previous match against Manchester City.
Although they didn't have the same ball-control ability as the Manchester City players, they were still a level above Bournemouth.
Occasionally thrashing weaker opponents could indeed boost morale. Everyone had a look of confidence, and their way of playing on the field became bolder and bolder.
Just 12 minutes into the match, the first goal was scored!
The scorer was none other than Henry. After contributing zero goals in the previous match against Manchester City, Henry finally made up for his disappointment with a goal right at the start of this match.
At the same time, he proved to the fans that his ability and skill were still world-class.
The pass came from Martinelli, but the true organizer was Cao Baiming. After dribbling past two players in midfield, he used a feint to deceive all the defending players to his left and then quickly sprinted to the right, delivering a precise, surgical through ball.
The ball reached Martinelli, who, without stopping it, assisted Henry with a volley into the net. Henry, after a quick stop and dribble to get past the last defender, easily slotted the ball into the far corner with his left foot, leaving the goalkeeper with no reaction!
After this goal, it was evident that Arteta on the sidelines was not particularly excited, appearing calm. This was a stark contrast to the first goal in the match against Manchester City.
In his view, winning this match was a given. If the winning margin wasn't large, he might even feel a bit regretful.
However, soon even this concern was completely subdued by Cao Baiming.
Midway through the first half, between the 20th and 22nd minute, Cao Baiming scored two goals by himself in just two minutes!
Two goals! In two minutes!
Besides him, who else could have done it? This was too outrageous!
Many fans had only gone to the restroom or browsed their phones for a moment, and when they returned to check the score, it had already changed from 1-0 to 3-0.
They felt as if they had missed out on a fortune. The tickets for this match felt like a waste, and they were filled with regret and sighed to the heavens!
After easily scoring his second goal, Cao Baiming smiled at his teammates and waved to the fans on the sidelines.
He had fulfilled his promise before the match.
Joy filled Cao Baiming's heart. He listened to the system's broadcast and the rewards for points. Although not much, it was at least proof of his performance!
Although he really enjoyed playing in midfield recently, organizing attacks and dictating play in this strategy-like manner, he couldn't get too addicted. After all, he still had system tasks to complete!
You came here with a mission, don't get carried away and forget!
Cao Baiming told himself.
While thinking, he completed another crucial tackle. This time, it was shortly after the opponent had kicked off.
For Bournemouth, this match was extremely difficult. Their only possession time was during the kick-offs after the opponent scored, but this time they didn't even get a chance to kick off and were immediately dispossessed.
Alright, Cao Baiming's eyes flickered. After receiving the ball, he glanced forward, spotting several beautiful passing routes with very clear lines and good potential.
But at this moment, a thought suddenly struck him.
If he shot directly for a hat-trick, wouldn't he be able to play however he wanted afterwards?
Standing near the midfield line, Cao Baiming's eyes glistened as he looked towards the goal. At this moment, the shooting line's potential was around 60.