# Chapter 8: The Match Arrives!
The next day, Arsenal Colney Training Base.
Inside the U17 training ground, cameras on the high platform were set up early, ready to record the upcoming match.
An intense confrontation between young lads was about to kick off here! At 3 PM, the Arsenal U17 players appeared on the field and began their warm-up.
Soon after, the Liverpool U17 youngsters arrived by bus and immediately started changing and warming up on the field.
In European football, where youth training systems are well-established, it's not unusual for youth teams to undertake such long-distance away friendlies.
Clubs invest generously in their youth teams, sparing no effort to create a better environment for young players to grow.
Because the returns from nurturing just one good prospect can be thousands, even millions of times the investment!
After more than ten minutes, some Arsenal fans who had heard the news gradually trickled into the stands.
Most of them were armed with popcorn and beer, fully prepared to comfortably watch the game.
"Come on, lads!"
"You can definitely win! Whether you're trialists or contracted players!"
"Beat Liverpool!"
"..."
The Arsenal fans shouted loudly. Those who come to watch the youth team games are mostly die-hard fans of the club.
They are willing to give everything to support the team and pay attention to its future.
Unlike usual, there were an unusually large number of people at the stadium today, a good three hundred or so.
Presumably, they had also heard that Wenger would be present and were eager to catch a glimpse of the first-team coach's demeanor.
"Oh... here he comes! He's really here!"
They didn't have to wait long before a tall figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the stadium. He strode towards the team's coaching area, ready to sit with the coach directing the game.
"Clap clap clap clap..." A round of applause rang out, a way for the fans to express their love and support for Wenger.
Wenger, hearing that it was for him, turned back to wave at the fans in the stands, causing another stir.
However, a few people with calm expressions in the corner of the fan area caught his attention.
They were middle-aged men in their forties, dressed very seriously, with notebooks and pens in their hands.
Scouts?
Wenger took a deep look at them and turned away.
If they were thinking of loaning players, he would welcome their arrival and gladly accept.
But if they were trying to poach players back to their own clubs, he wouldn't give them the time of day.
"He saw us just now."
In the stands, a scout from Leeds United smiled and reminded the person next to him, "Should we tell him we want their U17 captain, Gilbert?"
"Don't go looking for trouble. Don't you know Mr. Wenger hates that the most?"
A Sheffield United scout frowned at him. "Besides, I reckon Gilbert will be in the first team in the next year or two. He won't be joining us. Only a loan is possible."
"Not necessarily."
A Burnley scout joined the conversation, speaking eloquently, "If you can offer a high price, Arsenal's finances and nature might not allow them to refuse."
"Then try buying Fabregas or Wilshere from the first team?" The Sheffield United scout retorted, rolling his eyes.
"I can't do that, but getting a few youth team players is easy."
The Burnley scout said with a smile, "Alright, it's about to start. Let's talk less. Scouts rely on their own abilities to spot talent."
The others turned their attention to the field, hoping to discover one or two good prospects through this match.
...
At 3:30 PM, the two teams spread out on the field, ready to battle.
Maël stood on the left side of Arsenal's formation, playing as a winger. He briefly observed Liverpool's formation, a traditional 4-2-3-1.
This should be in line with their first team coach Benitez's tactics, employing a high press in the frontcourt to prevent Arsenal's backcourt from easily getting the ball out.
"There will be a lot of high balls, but heading is not my strength. I need to pay more attention to the second balls after the headers."
Maël made his judgment in his mind, waiting to get the ball and give Liverpool's goal a good shot.
He glanced at the opposing goalkeeper, smiled faintly, and looked forward to it slightly.
"Beep!!"
Soon, the referee blew the whistle to officially start the match.
Liverpool U17 won the kickoff in the first half, and their black center forward kicked the ball back.
"Pressure! Midfielders move up to the halfway line, be careful not to go too high!"
Arsenal's captain Gilbert waved his hand to direct his teammates, leading the players on the three lines to run forward and apply pressure.
However, they did not adopt a high-pressing approach.
Liverpool's style of play has always been simple and direct. If they are too far forward, the pressure on the defensive line to prevent balls behind them will become very high.
"Bang! Bang!"
After a couple of simple passes in the backcourt, Liverpool directly launched a long pass towards Arsenal's backcourt flank, trying to advance the line of attack.
The ball was headed out of bounds by Arsenal's right back, posing no threat.
But Liverpool's tactical objective had been achieved, as all their players squeezed into Arsenal's right backcourt, waiting for an opportunity to act.
Maël was the furthest from his own right, not paying too much attention to the team's defense, but constantly observing the Liverpool defender guarding him.
He was waiting for a chance to receive the ball.
"Bang!"
Liverpool's attack ended with a cross, but the quality of the cross was not high, and it was directly caught by Arsenal's goalkeeper Hopkins.
Hopkins took a quick look and, seeing a large number of Liverpool players piled up in his own half, he had no intention of making a short pass.
He tossed the ball up with one hand, turned his body sideways, and kicked the ball towards the frontcourt, looking for Gilbert in the center position.
Despite being number 10, Gilbert is 187cm tall and has some heading ability.
"Crack!" After jumping up, Gilbert flicked the ball backwards, trying to catch Liverpool's defense off guard.
This kind of back flick rarely maintains accuracy, so it depends on whether they can take advantage of the opponent's lack of reaction to directly lob the ball behind them and let their teammates chase it.
Landing on the ground, Gilbert quickly turned his head to observe the situation in the frontcourt.
He saw the ball falling on the left flank, where Maël was racing against the opponent's defender.
"My ball!"
The Liverpool defender was obviously running a little faster, catching up with the ball first, preparing to pass it back to the goalkeeper.
But Maël reacted in time. Realizing that he couldn't catch up, he simply gave up the chase and charged towards the opponent with all his might.
This was a relatively thin and agile full-back. From the outside, his physical attributes were basically zero.
"Bang!"
The muffled sound of physical contact rang out, and the Liverpool defender suddenly fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string, then waved his hand towards the referee with a look of unwillingness, "Hey! Isn't that a foul?!"
The referee shook his head, indicating that there was no problem with the ball and told him to get up.
He quickly supported himself with his hands to get up, but Maël had already dribbled the ball past him and cut towards the center.
"Bang!!"
Seeing that he had entered the shooting range, Maël didn't hold back and unleashed the first shot of the game.
Compared to before, his adjustment speed was very fast this time, and he still produced good quality.
The ball just grazed the top of the crossbar. Judging from the Liverpool goalkeeper's dazed expression, if the shot had been on target, there should have been no problem with scoring.
"Keep it coming!"
Maël, having tried a shot, had his confidence boosted again, and his desire for the ball increased another level.
Seeking monthly votes, seeking recommendation votes! I wonder if there are still brothers reading.
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