Chapter 91 — Wenger Uses Spurs as a Testing Ground; Run-and-Gun Tactics Begin to Take Shape
After a completely fabricated transfer drama died down, Arsenal returned to normal training.
In Premier League Round 27, Xia Qi once again produced a hat-trick, leading Arsenal to a 5–1 thrashing of Aston Villa, while Manchester United beat Blackburn Rovers 2–0 away.
Both teams won, so the gap on the table didn't widen — Arsenal still led Manchester United by two points.
After this round Xia Qi's single-season tally reached 52 goals, breaking Lionel Messi's 2011–2012 single-season record of 50 goals.
Xia Qi's market value rose to €60 million. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez publicly stated that if Xia Qi could come, Real Madrid would become even better.
Wenger was annoyed by that remark and reiterated that Xia Qi was not for sale.
This matter originally had nothing to do with Manchester United, but Sir Alex Ferguson, during an interview, suddenly shifted the topic to the Real Madrid president's comments. He said, "Every player has a 'Real Madrid dream.' No one can refuse Real Madrid. The professor will inevitably be stabbed in the back by his beloved pupil."
Reporters immediately turned to ask Arsène Wenger and Xia Qi about it.
Wenger, with his softer temperament, didn't confront Ferguson head-on: "Cesc Fabregas left because he saw no future here, and now we are on the path to victory. I cannot think of any reason for Xia Qi to leave."
Xia Qi was far less diplomatic. He replied sharply and mocked: "Today it's Real Madrid's temptation — what will it be tomorrow? A national team call-up? No matter what Sir Alex tries with off-field tactics, it's useless. Some people are destined to go without trophies, like Michael Ballack, and like our former captain, Mr. Robin van Persie."
Reporters' "schemes" paid off; they gleefully bounded off to find Robin van Persie. Van Persie was furious and swore to win the title to prove his past decision right.
Quickly the British media split into two camps, each shouting for the team they supported across the internet, TV and print. Among the big five leagues, the Premier League was the hottest.
After Round 27 of the Premier League came the fifth round of the FA Cup. Both Arsenal and Manchester United had been eliminated in the fourth round, so they were granted a rare rest period.
Wenger generously gave the players three days off.
Yet at 10 a.m. the next morning Xia Qi still showed up to train at the Colney base with Mario Balotelli.
By then, three figures were already training on the pitch: Kevin De Bruyne, Theo Walcott, and Jack Wilshere.
"Xia, why are you late? Weren't you always the first one here?"
Xia Qi shot Balotelli an irritated look and lightly kicked his calf: "What are you zoning out for? Warm up, quick."
Balotelli flashed his sheepish, fake smile twice and warmed up with Xia Qi, then joined the other three in their drills.
These five were affectionately called by Arsenal fans the "Colney Five Tigers."
In the original timeline, after Mario Balotelli moved from Manchester City to AC Milan, his nightly revelries drained his form and he slid from pseudo-superstar to squad fringe. With Xia Qi as the "housekeeper" now things were better. Even though Balotelli partied the night before the break, Xia Qi supervised him and he didn't fall into the abyss.
Among these five, Balotelli had the greatest natural physical gifts — others were simply blessed, but he was spoon-fed by the gods. His only flaw was indiscipline; without that he could have been more than a "pseudo-superstar."
After the FA Cup, Round 28 of the Premier League arrived: Manchester United vs Norwich, Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal.
Because Arsenal only led Manchester United by two points and United's opponent this round was weak, a three-point haul for United was not difficult.
By contrast, Arsenal had the North London derby away at White Hart Lane — taking three points there would be tough.
United-supporting British media pumped Spurs up, seeing this round as a chance for United to overtake Arsenal.
On March 2 in Round 28, Manchester United unsurprisingly beat Norwich 4–0.
After the match, Sir Alex Ferguson didn't discuss his own team, but instead advised Tottenham Hotspur manager André Villas-Boas to deploy heavy marking to stop players who supplied Xia Qi with "weapons."
Villas-Boas confidently claimed he'd found a way to limit Xia Qi and Arsenal.
The "baby-faced beast" Emmanuel Adebayor declared on Twitter he'd score and personally drag Arsenal from the top of the table.
Reporters went to look for the "big mouth" — Xia Qi — only to discover the Colney training base was closed.
Arsenal were conducting secret training.
United supporters started celebrating early, convinced Arsenal had been duped.
League points are like sand in your hand: the tighter you grip, the more likely it slips away. Similarly, the more Arsenal worried about Spurs, the worse they'd play.
At 7 p.m. on March 3 the North London derby kicked off; Arsenal were visiting White Hart Lane.
When the announcer read Arsenal's starting lineup, everyone was stunned.
Wenger had done it again — tinkered.
For this match Arsenal lined up in a formation Arsène Wenger had never used since taking charge: a 3-4-3.
The 3-4-3 isn't rare in world football; many attack-minded managers love it. But in Wenger's tenure he'd rarely, if ever, started with a 3-4-3 — tonight was a first.
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez. The three centre-backs were Per Mertesacker, Samuel Umtiti, and Thomas Vermaelen.
The midfield used three holding midfielders — Santi Cazorla played as a defensive midfielder, while Xia Qi and Mikel Arteta operated as the deep-lying playmakers.
Kevin De Bruyne occupied the advanced playmaker role — the on-field commander.
Left wing was Lukas Podolski, the center-forward Mario Balotelli, and the right wing Theo Walcott.
...
On television Sir Alex Ferguson sneered at Wenger's tactical change: "Coward!"
In Ferguson's view he and Wenger were the lions and tigers of the Premier League forest, while Tottenham were just a little white rabbit.
Tiger vs rabbit — why play tricks? Just go in and smash them!
But Wenger didn't dare.
Ferguson secretly despised him.
Then Ferguson saw Xia Qi's positional role.
"What on earth? Three holding midfielders?"
He started pondering. After a long breath he muttered, "This is to limit Bayern's two-wing attack. Bale's speed is similar to Robben's. Wenger is testing this against Spurs — what contempt for Spurs! Damn, that bloody Frenchman actually looks down on me."
Ferguson overthought it — he imagined Wenger looking down on Spurs and using them as guinea pigs.
But in another sense he was right: Wenger was not underestimating Bayern because of the first-leg win; quite the opposite. In the two weeks back in London Wenger had had Bayern on his mind nonstop.
Wenger knew that Arsenal's first-leg victory wasn't only down to Arsenal improving, but also to Jupp Heynckes making tactical mistakes.
He guessed Bayern, fighting for survival and with Franck Ribéry likely fit again, would revert to their most familiar tactic — flying the wings.
Arsenal had a two-goal advantage and four away goals. Facing an aggressive Bayern, Wenger's first thought was defense.
But Arsenal's known vulnerability was their midfield. Without solidity there it's hard to stop the Robben/Ribéry penetrations outside the box.
On the training pitch Wenger had seen Santi Cazorla repeatedly get muscled off the ball by Xia Qi until he had nearly given up.
Then Xia Qi told him he could play as a defensive midfielder.
Wenger stared into Xia Qi's eyes for three seconds and decided to try it.
The experiment went pretty well, but without battle testing Wenger felt nervous.
If it failed like Heynckes' switch, Arsenal could be knocked out by Bayern in successive seasons.
The cost of trialing such a setup was too high.
So Wenger thought of Tottenham.
The Premier League mattered too, but with a two-point advantage Wenger had some margin for error. Most importantly, Tottenham's style resembled Bayern's; if he missed this chance there might not be another.
Wenger decided to change formation for Spurs.
Beep!
The match started.
Arsenal's opening was perfect.
Just two minutes in Mario Balotelli received Kevin De Bruyne's assist and pulled off a brilliant strike from about 15 meters to put Arsenal ahead.
That goal mattered — it was a calming pill that allowed Arsenal's players to open up.
Then Tottenham countered.
Cazorla and Arteta kept their usual defensive roles.
Xia Qi operated in front of them. With Mikel Arteta orchestrating, Xia Qi had a 360-degree view, super speed, and tireless stamina.
He drifted around near the halfway line, disrupting, breaking up, intercepting and tackling every Spurs player who got on the ball.
Unless opponents passed long well away from him, they found the route blocked.
When Gareth Bale — a Spurs pride — was again slid off the ball with both ball and man taken, White Hart Lane exploded in anger.
Every touch Xia Qi made drew tsunami-like boos, curses, and objects thrown.
Arsenal fans traveling to the match weren't happy. They shouted: "Don't let these cowards bully our prince! Fight with your voices!"
A stirring chant rose over White Hart Lane — Arsenal fans had created a song for Xia Qi:
"He is our prince,
He is our hero,
He leads us forward,
Destroying every enemy,
...all opponents fear him,..."
"Xia Qi has erected a barrier ahead of the traditional defensive midfield — Bale, Adebayor... all tightly contained by Xia Qi. Spurs' attacks struggle to pass that point."
"Xia Qi's defensive range is huge; his technique, speed and physique are first-rate. Bale isn't as strong as Xia Qi, Adebayor's technique isn't as good as Xia Qi's... Xia Qi stands there like a mountain — impossible to get past."
"There is no way through, only Xia Qi's path!"
"The path is at Xia Qi's feet; Spurs players simply cannot get by."
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes was in Munich watching the live broadcast on Sky Deutschland.
The German commentator didn't entirely agree with the commentary view.
The path was about 80 percent at Xia Qi's feet — there remained a 20 percent lane to directly penetrate.
Unfortunately Spurs' manager André Villas-Boas failed to see this. His men charged at Xia Qi in suicidal fashion, trying wall passes to break into the box.
But that was inefficient.
Xia Qi had help. Any player who dribbled past Xia Qi fell right into the trap of Arteta and Cazorla's containment.
What was the point of that breakthrough?
Heynckes marked down that remaining 20 percent in his notebook — he was preparing a surprise for Xia Qi and Wenger.
No tactic is flawless. With an observant eye you can find a counter.
Villas-Boas stood at the touchline, face pale, teeth clenched, shouting.
He felt his players' execution was poor and didn't question his own tactical setup.
He thought the nightmare was already happening; he didn't realize the nightmare had only just begun. Xia Qi was only showing his defensive side.
This was Wenger's instruction: give Bale ten minutes, to judge whether three defensive midfielders could hold a wing-back in the first defensive line.
Ten minutes later Xia Qi and his teammates were set to perform the "run-and-gun tactic."
"Run-and-gun" isn't a football term; it comes from the NBA Phoenix Suns' style.
Wenger thought using that phrase would be easy for fans to understand.
Under the plan Xia Qi, Mikel Arteta and Kevin De Bruyne would form a three-core creative unit to distribute the ball, while the three forwards made off-the-ball runs.
When men arrived at the ball, lethal strikes would follow.
The three cores could also rotate forward to join attacks; they weren't mere passers.
The triple-core tactic is complicated. Wenger wasn't sure it would succeed; he watched the pitch anxious and expectant.
On the pitch,
Arsenal began to attack.
Arteta carried the ball through the midfield unopposed past the halfway line.
Both wingers quickly moved wide, and Lukas Podolski on the same side as Arteta signaled for the ball.
Arteta inclined his head and with a clap —
the ball went as a "no-look" pass to Kevin De Bruyne.
"This no-look pass is excellent!"
"Wenger must have trained this tactic; De Bruyne's positioning is very deliberate."
Scott Parker rushed at Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne stepped slightly forward. The ball rolled past him and toward his back.
Parker, seeing nobody behind De Bruyne to receive, hesitated and slowed his forward run.
By then the ball had reached De Bruyne's heels. De Bruyne flicked his heel backward, sending the ball over both him and Parker toward where Xia Qi was positioned.
"De Bruyne shows his magician's touch again."
Compared to his Premier League peers the German commentator knew De Bruyne well.
Heynckes circled De Bruyne's name in his notebook and also circled Xia Qi's name above it.
On screen Xia Qi received the ball under pressure from two defenders and then played...
The ball carried heavy spin and arced into Tottenham's penalty area.
Where once there had been no one, a red flash sprinted forward.
This combination!
Heynckes couldn't help standing.
His expression turned serious.
From other viewpoints it looked like Tottenham's back line had no reaction.
But in Heynckes' eyes, it showed Bayern's defense would be helpless.
Xia Qi couldn't be left unmarked, could he?
Theo Walcott in the near post couldn't be left free, right?
Mario Balotelli in the center had to be tracked, right?
So bare Podolski at the back post was unmarked.
This wasn't Spurs' incompetence — it would be the same against anyone.
Heynckes underlined Xia Qi's name in red.
A player who can score, create and defend — what a treasure, shame he plays for someone else.
On TV Podolski met the ball and slid it into the empty net...
Sir Alex Ferguson stared at the screen for several seconds and finally made a decision; he picked up the phone:
"...A player as outstanding as Xia Qi not being called to the national team is your FA's dereliction..."
Tottenham were undone by Wenger's switch.
The match turned into a rout — the final score was 0–7!
Tottenham 0–7 Arsenal!
After the Spurs match, the Colney training base closed again.
The whole squad threw themselves into preparations for the second leg against Bayern Munich.
(END CHAPTER)
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