After this round of matches, Sheffield United concluded all their fixtures for the opening month.
Overall, in the five matches played in August, they won two and lost three, including one EFL Cup match.
In the EFL Championship, they currently have 6 points, ranking 11th.
"If you saw the changes we went through at the start of the season, you'd know how hard-earned this result is," said Gareth Speed in a post-match interview.
His meaning was clear: 6 points from 4 EFL Championship games was a preliminary stabilization, at least keeping them out of the relegation zone.
"The changes since Speed took over are very obvious. The team also has some young talents. We must believe in his future." The team's new Sporting Director supported him on social media. Following this, many media outlets also came out to report on the matter.
The attention and buzz it generated surpassed all other Sheffield United matches this season.
It even rivaled the heat of their EFL Championship play-offs last season.
Not only local media, but some foreign media also published several reports in the secondary sections of their columns.
"Gareth Speed Secures a Winning Start! Sheffield United Show a New Look!" - Manchester Report
"Four to One! The Blades Sheffield Thrash Preston! Maël with Two Goals and One Assist Named Man of the Match!" - Dongqiudi Official
"Another Fruit of French Football? Arsenal Academy Youngster Maël Creates More Than 5 Goals in Sheffield This Season!" - L'Union
"A 'Small Goal' of Double 10 in His Debut Season, Is It Arrogance or Genuine Confidence?" - The Sun Editor
The influence of the EFL Championship is by no means limited to Britain itself. It is a competition with broadcast rights sold all over the world, and it also has the support of the FA.
In addition, with the heat brought by the debut of 'Living Fossil of English Football' Gareth Speed, it is only normal to receive this amount of attention.
Logically, some of the heat transferred to the dazzling star Maël, who performed well in this match.
In various forums, many fans from other teams also talked about him.
"Watched the highlights, very impressive!"
"It's hard to say how high he will go in the future, but it shouldn't be enough to catch up with Ronaldo and Messi. He still feels a bit like he's playing dead ball, a numerical monster type."
"He's still young, anything can happen in the future. Remember, Ronaldo didn't perform as well as him when he first came to England."
"Can you compare? Ronaldo looks like the type with a lot of aura. He has it too, but not the same kind. The former is a talent with no visible ceiling, the latter is a 'strength' talent that far exceeds his peers, but lacks height."
"That's a bit of hindsight, do you remember how you guys used to scold Ronaldo?"
"Ronaldo played in the Premier League from the start, the two are not comparable. Let him go to the Premier League first."
As they talked, a bit of a gunpowder smell was born in the comments section again.
This is very normal. Everyone has different criteria for judging players, and each has their own point of view, so disputes are inevitable.
In short, Maël gained more attention, and his Facebook fans broke through 10,000 that night, and grew at an extremely fast rate.
This is a good virtuous cycle, his initial accumulation in the football circle.
Colney Training Base, first team head coach's office.
It was late at night, and Wenger was sorting out the information in his hand, with no expression of joy or anger on his face.
Arsenal also finished their August schedule. In three Premier League games, they had two wins and one draw, remaining undefeated with 7 points, ranking 5th in the standings.
This was a mediocre start, because Manchester United and Chelsea, with three consecutive wins, were pressing on their heads with a 2-point advantage.
Thinking of Manchester United, a few traces of melancholy appeared in Wenger's eyes. The team that had fought fiercely with Arsenal a few years ago, the old Sir Alex Ferguson who had fought tooth and nail with him every season a few years ago.
These no longer exist.
They have been eating Chelsea's exhaust or Manchester United's exhaust for several seasons in a row.
The two powerhouses fighting for supremacy, laughing proudly in London? Those were all in the past, now they can only fight for the top four in the standings.
"Mr. Wenger!"
The shouts and hurried footsteps came from outside the door. At this point, it seemed that someone still had something urgent to tell him.
Wenger's eyebrows twitched, and a few familiar feelings rose in his heart, as if this scene was familiar, and he should have experienced it somewhere.
In a dream or something.
It wasn't until he saw the person coming in that a realization appeared on Wenger's face, "Hans, did those two kids play for Sheffield United again?"
"Yes, both started."
Hans was panting, as if he'd run all the way over, "I should have called you earlier, you really should have seen this wonderful match."
"They played well?" Wenger offered a faint smile, his mood improving whenever he thought of those two promising lads.
"Maël scored the first goal!"
Hans was ecstatic, still riding the high from just now, "And he scored twice! He was directly involved in three goals!"
"And one assist?"
Wenger looked surprised, his mind still reeling from the shock of the brace, "You mean, 2 goals and 1 assist?"
"Yes."
Hans nodded, smiling, "Including the previous match, he already has 2 goals and 3 assists."
Wenger's mind flashed to the stats of Fabregas, Walcott, and others in the Premier League. It seemed none of them had started as well as Maël. In an instant, he was surrounded by surprise and excitement, pacing back and forth.
If the 2 assists in the previous match could be attributed to a lucky game, then the 2 goals and 1 assist in this match proved that he truly had the ability! This was a completely different concept, a world of difference.
Wenger couldn't understand it. How could a player he had never paid attention to before, only becoming curious about him before he left, possess such combat power?
"Call Philip!"
As soon as he shouted this, he smiled and shook his head, "Never mind, he'll come on his own."
Sure enough, two minutes later, another footstep sounded outside the door, the person's gait filled with joy.
"Wenger..."
Philip walked in with a report in his hand. He was just about to speak when he saw the bald-headed Hans standing next to him.
The two stared at each other, and Philip began to doubt his life. He was tired of running into Hans's face at times like these.
"You know already?" He was slightly embarrassed, handing the report to Wenger.
Wenger took it, walking and reading carefully, exclaiming in admiration, "Good, very good, Gilbert is good too!"
After a long while, he put down the report and suddenly looked up, "Contact Sheffield United, I want to activate the salary increase clause in advance, and Arsenal will bear the extra part!"
Hans and Philip exchanged glances, both knowing that Mr. Wenger had made up his mind to take care of these two lads.
Actively increasing their salaries meant he was cultivating them as his own!
"Thank you on their behalf, Mr. Wenger."
Hans couldn't stop smiling, he was the most honored and proud of all.
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