Chapter 170 Advance

If Liverpool were utterly humiliated by Arsenal in the first half, and limped back to the locker room with two injuries, it would definitely be a heavy blow to their morale.

Although Liverpool had once scored three goals in the first half, then miraculously equalized within six minutes in the second half, such a feat, hailed as the second greatest game in the history of world football, couldn't happen often, could it?

Therefore, if the first half ended like this, Liverpool's morale would be severely damaged, and they could forget about any comeback. This was at Arsenal's home ground, and Wenger was no pushover either.

They had to score in the first half.

That was Chen Hero's thought.

Even if they only scored one goal, as long as Liverpool's spirits were kept up, and they didn't give up by the end of the first half, there would still be a chance in the second half.

He didn't know what the coach would arrange, and he couldn't control that much. He could only do his job.

Which was... to score!

Van Persie had scored two goals; how could Chen Hero allow someone else to steal the spotlight?

His teammates seemed a little absent-minded from being suppressed? No matter, he would do it himself!

Every ball passed to the front, whether a conscious long pass or an unconscious punt, Chen Hero would fight for it. He felt that fighting for it could put pressure on the opponent and perhaps create an opportunity.

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Besides Chen Hero, there was another person who hadn't given up. That was the Liverpool captain, the spiritual leader who never said die—Gerrard!

He also knew what a disaster it would be for Liverpool if they conceded two goals in the first half and showed no signs of fighting back. No matter what, they had to find a way to score!

Gerrard quickly discovered that someone else had the same idea as him.

He and Chen Hero exchanged glances, and they both saw the same meaning in each other's eyes.

Liverpool needed the two of them to save them.

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The two of them had been working hard until the first half was almost over, but they still hadn't been able to score a goal for Liverpool.

But they didn't intend to give up. Keep fighting!

Arsenal's center-back Mertesacker received a pass from his teammate, and Chen Hero quickly pressed forward.

Mertesacker didn't panic because he knew he was surrounded by teammates who could support him; he wasn't fighting alone.

He passed the ball to Arteta, who had retreated to receive it.

As soon as Arteta received the ball, Gerrard stuck to him from behind. Gerrard's defense was very tough and experienced, and he couldn't turn around.

In this situation, he could only choose to pass it back.

Mertesacker had just passed the ball to him, and he knew exactly where Mertesacker was, so without even looking up, he flicked his ankle and sent the ball back.

Then he heard a huge exclamation.

When he looked up again, he saw Chen Hero stretch out his long leg and intercept the ball before Mertesacker could get to it!

The exclamation came from this!

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"Hero! He dispossessed the ball in the frontcourt!!" the commentator exclaimed.

"Don't worry, they're not prepared either! It's good enough that they intercepted the ball; it won't threaten our goal!"

The Arsenal fans in front of the TV said this, whether it was self-deception or if they were truly confident...

In any case, what happened next didn't develop as he said it would.

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After Chen Hero dispossessed the ball, it wasn't really a great opportunity, because his body wasn't facing the direction of attack, and he had to adjust. In addition, there was Mertesacker, who was taller than him, nearby.

Because of the interception, Chen Hero was now facing the goal sideways, and he had to adjust the ball while facing Mertesacker, which was indeed not easy.

But Chen Hero solved these two problems with just one move...

He hooked and pulled the ball to the left side of his body with his right foot, then pushed it forward!

His body then turned to the left, and the ball went right through the legs of Mertesacker, who was coming up to steal the ball!

And Chen Hero twisted his body and flashed past Mertesacker!

"Beautiful dribbling!"

"A duel between two big guys, Hero's skills are better!"

"Romario! This move reminds me of Romario's classic goal against Real Madrid when he was at Barcelona!"

Using this "Romario-esque" dribble, Chen Hero easily got rid of Mertesacker's defense and then faced goalkeeper Szczesny directly.

The Polish goalkeeper rushed out of the goal; if he stayed in the goal at this time, he would be doomed!

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The Arsenal fans in the stands gasped.

Many people even covered their mouths, as if their hearts were about to jump out of their throats...

The previously dejected Liverpool fans perked up. They jumped up from their seats and waved their fists, cheering for Chen Hero, who was sprinting with the ball.

"Hero! Hero! Hero!!"

Amidst the cheers of the fans, Chen Hero dribbled into the penalty area and quickly met Szczesny.

Seeing that the distance between the two was very close, some Arsenal fans breathed a sigh of relief—the goalkeeper was already in front of him, and the shooting angle was completely blocked. Either Szczesny would take the ball, or Chen Hero would shoot hastily and miss!

Chen Hero feinted a shot, and Szczesny didn't even look at his movements, diving towards the ball.

Just as he was about to touch the ball, Chen Hero pulled it away.

Pulling it from his right foot to the left, the ball still didn't escape Szczesny's control range—he was flying sideways, and his defensive area was quite large. Chen Hero's pull only moved the ball from in front of his hand to his waist and abdomen...

Szczesny could even feel the ball hitting his lower abdomen... Although it hurt a little! But as long as he could stop the ball, it would be fine!

The ball did hit Szczesny's lower abdomen and then bounced up...

It bounced right onto Chen Hero's thigh, and with his touch, it went over Szczesny!

Past him!

The rest was no suspense. Chen Hero volleyed a shot, and the ball easily flew into the goal!

"Hero! Hero! He is truly Liverpool's hero! He has saved Liverpool once again! 1:2! Liverpool is only one goal behind! His goal has kept hope alive for Liverpool and suspense for the second half!"

The commentator shouted.

Hutson was even more excited, his words were as cheesy as they could be...

"Heeeeeeeroooooooo!! He never disappoints! He doesn't know what giving up is! He is Liverpool's hero, the guardian of the Reds! When Liverpool is in trouble, when we need him, call out to him in your heart, and he will respond to our call and come to save us! Hail Hero! Long live Hero!"

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Damn it!

Wenger, who was on the sidelines, waved his hand down hard in anger after seeing Chen Hero's frontcourt interception and goal.

Everyone knew that leading 2:0 into halftime would secure the victory for Arsenal. Wenger naturally knew this as well, so Chen Hero's goal made him very angry. Because it meant that Arsenal would have to work harder than before to beat Liverpool...

While Wenger was unhappy about conceding the goal on the sidelines, Martin O'Neill was celebrating the goal to his heart's content. He clenched his fists and waved them vigorously at his sides, surrounded by his colleagues who were raising their arms and jumping up.

"Liverpool has come back to life! They are back in the game!"

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Chen Hero was very excited after scoring the goal, and he also knew the weight of this goal. He opened his arms and roared as he ran to the bottom of the stands where Liverpool and their fans were gathered, then turned around and pointed his thumbs at the name on his back.

The Liverpool fans in the stands also cooperated very well, shouting: "Hero—!!!"

Then Chen Hero was surrounded by his teammates who came running.

"Well done, Hero!"

"This goal is too crucial!"

"Damn, I thought we were going to lose, but luckily we have Hero!"

Everyone patted his body hard and cheered.

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While the Liverpool players were celebrating wildly, Van Persie was looking at them in the center circle. Or, to be precise, he was looking at Chen Hero, the opponent who was already submerged by his teammates...

Conceding a goal didn't make him feel frustrated, angry, or disappointed. On the contrary, he felt that his blood was hot, had already boiled, and was bubbling.

Chen Hero was the fire.

He knew that he wouldn't be playing center forward even after this game's excellent performance, and he would still have to return to the attacking midfielder position. But that didn't stop him from unleashing his full potential in this game and having a hearty battle with Chen Hero!

He also clenched his fist.

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Chen Hero's goal for Liverpool greatly boosted morale and boosted the players' spirits. In the subsequent game, Liverpool's defense was no longer as absent-minded as before.

The defense was well-organized, and there were also improvements in the attack. It was no longer a situation where Arsenal was pressing Liverpool; now Liverpool could also suppress Arsenal, pressing them back into their own half and not letting them out.

This made the Liverpool fans very happy. They also became active again. In the stands and in the bars, Liverpool fans raised their arms and sang that well-known and world-famous team song, "You'll Never Walk Alone."

"...Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart, and you'll never walk alone! You'll never walk alone!! You—will—never—walk—alone—!!"

The melodious and majestic singing floated over the Emirates Stadium, gathering into an unyielding soul, and then pouring down, drilling into the bodies of every Liverpool player.

Making them raise their heads and their spirits were refreshed.

Looking around, his teammates and he all had such expressions and feelings.

In an instant, they thought they were not playing at the Emirates Stadium, but fighting at Anfield!

We have the best fans in England, how... can we lose?!