Super Wingstorm

After the wild celebration, the Ajax players returned to the pitch.

Arsenal was, after all, a seasoned powerhouse. Despite going down a goal right at the start, they didn't look nervous at all, as if they were completely unfazed by it. In contrast, it made Ajax look a bit carried away by their own excitement.

Head coach Ronald Koeman was also constantly shouting from the sidelines, reminding the players to pay attention and stay calm.

According to statistics, the ten minutes after scoring a goal are often when a team is most vulnerable to conceding one.

Everyone at Ajax took this very seriously. After the restart, each player refocused and threw themselves back into the match. But this time, Arsenal smoothly seized the initiative.

As it turned out, when Arsenal started to hit their stride, Ajax found it incredibly difficult to contend with them and was forced onto the defensive.

Wenger was also clearly aware that conceding an early goal while playing Ajax away from home was a significant disadvantage for Arsenal. He constantly directed the match from the sidelines, demanding his players commit fully to the attack and seize every opportunity to equalize. However, this didn't mean Arsenal would panic and lose their composure.

Yang Yang ran tirelessly on the pitch, actively participating in the frontline press. When necessary, he would also proactively track back to defend in the midfield, or even the backline. After all, the team had worked so hard to score that goal, and they had to defend it no matter what.

But at the same time, he was also carefully observing Arsenal's playing style.

This was definitely not the direct, long-ball Premier League team Yang Yang had imagined. Arsenal's style was geared more toward control. Whether it was possession or tempo, the Gunners liked to dictate the play on their own terms.

Moreover, Arsenal's players had an incredible work rate. Even a forward like Henry covered a great deal of ground. When his team had possession, their lines of defense, midfield, and attack remained extremely compact and organized. Every player had teammates moving nearby, ready to provide support or receive a pass, and their passing distances were consistently kept to around ten meters.

At that range, even physically imposing players like Vieira and Campbell could ensure a high pass completion rate.

The Ajax players tried to win the ball back, but their opponents could always find a passing option nearby. This made tackling incredibly difficult, forcing the Ajax players to constantly chase and press. Not only did this drain their stamina, but it was also far more demoralizing than usual.

People always long for their efforts to be rewarded, but when the reward is far less than expected, disappointment is inevitable.

You might shrug it off once or twice. You might even be able to convince yourself to keep going after five or ten times. But as disappointments pile up, it becomes an immense torment and challenge for anyone.

This was precisely the situation Ajax faced against Arsenal. They wanted to win the ball, but they could hardly get near it. It was utterly disheartening.

Yang Yang also noticed that Arsenal's formation was incredibly compact. The players stayed close to one another, resulting in a high pass completion rate. But this required a tremendous amount of running and effort from them as well. Even big guys like Vieira and Campbell had to move constantly, which also consumed a great deal of their stamina.

Relatively speaking, however, Ajax was suffering more from the psychological pressure, putting them at a greater disadvantage in terms of both stamina and morale.

But through this passing, possession, and movement, Arsenal also posed a huge threat to Ajax's defense.

It was difficult for the home team players to maintain a Stable defensive formation while on the move, and mistakes could happen between players at any time. For the attacking side, a mistake just meant starting over, but for the defending side, a mistake could very well lead to a goal.

Arsenal was now using this constant passing and movement to pull Ajax's defensive line out of shape, creating one chance after another. Meanwhile, Ajax was so pinned back they could barely even launch a counter-attack.

Ronald Koeman had been a defender himself, and his coaching style always prioritized a solid defense first. As a result, Ajax's defensive organization wasn't bad. With the players focused and working hard, Arsenal ultimately failed to equalize in the ten minutes following Ajax's goal. However, Ajax couldn't hold on past the twenty-fifth minute.

In the twenty-third minute, Arsenal once again attacked Ajax's penalty area.

Starting in place of the Brazilian defensive midfielder Gilberto Silva, Edu received a pass at the edge of the penalty area. A deft touch to the right sent him past two defenders, De Jong and Heitinga. He then cut inside, evading Sneijder who was tracking back, and curled a magnificent shot with the inside of his right foot.

The ball sailed through a crowd of players and found the top-left corner of the net in stunning fashion!

One-all!

Arsenal had finally equalized!

This goal sent the entire Amsterdam Arena into a dead silence.

While it was certainly a moment of individual brilliance, wasn't it also a result of problems within Ajax's own ranks, exposed by Arsenal's sustained pressure?

For one, De Jong and Heitinga had just been caught in the same position, leaving the space at the top of the arc completely unguarded. And when Sneijder tried to cover, he was too aggressive with his challenge and was easily bypassed.

It felt a bit like retaliation.

Ajax's goal in the eighth minute had been sudden, but this goal from Arsenal was equally stunning.

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Watching an ecstatic Edu sprint past him and off the pitch to celebrate, Yang Yang forcefully wiped his face. His hand came away slick with sweat. This was the most exhausting, highest-pressure match he had ever played.

To make matters worse, they hadn't even played for twenty-four minutes yet.

'One-all. The score is level. What do we do now?'

Yang Yang looked up at his teammates, especially the captain Van der Vaart. But the young prodigy also had a look of dejection, clearly still dwelling on the goal they had just conceded. The others also hung their heads, as if they couldn't bear to face the home fans.

'Shouldn't we be pulling ourselves together right now?' Yang Yang thought.

Head coach Ronald Koeman's voice soon carried from the sidelines, urging the players to get their heads up.

"It's alright, it's alright! You're all doing great! That was just a fluke, keep playing this way."

"Trust me, everyone! Keep playing like this! Keep defending, and counter-attack when you get the chance! We'll definitely get more opportunities. They can't keep this up for long. We can't lose heart!"

All the players turned to look toward the sidelines. Ronald Koeman had put on some weight, but if anything, it only enhanced his air of authority.

He had always played the role of the team's leader in the dressing room, and everyone respected him for it. Besides, what the head coach was saying made sense.

Arsenal's players were also expending a huge amount of energy. One had to consider they were the away team; not only had they traveled, but they had also just played a grueling away match in the league against Chelsea. In contrast, Ajax was well-rested, and should theoretically have the advantage in stamina.

Of course, the prerequisite was that they absolutely could not allow Arsenal to control possession any longer. That would be suicidal.

Ronald Koeman seemed to realize it too. After taking the lead, Ajax had dropped back too deep, giving Arsenal far too much freedom to pass and control the ball, especially in the final third leading up to their penalty area. Ajax had been far too passive.

So, he quickly made a tactical adjustment. Sneijder dropped back alongside De Jong, forming something of a double pivot. Yang Yang and Wesley Sonck also pulled back, playing on the same line as Van der Vaart, who was pushed up in the middle.

Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic, who had been very lively throughout the match, remained up top. The Swedish Striker, with his outstanding physique and superb individual skill, held his own even against Campbell. He remained the focal point of Ajax's attack.

With this, Ajax's formation now resembled a 4-2-3-1 with a double pivot.

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After the restart, Arsenal still tried to control possession and tempo, but Ajax began to consciously ramp up their press from the front and their challenges in midfield.

The two wingers, Yang Yang and Wesley Sonck, had a huge responsibility. When attacking, they had to press high up the pitch, actively harassing Arsenal's backline. But when defending, they had to drop back into midfield to support the defense on the flanks and ensure numerical superiority.

Although Ronald Koeman hadn't said it, Yang Yang knew perfectly well that as soon as they had a chance to counter-attack, the two of them were expected to be like a pair of sharp daggers, slicing through Arsenal's defense from the wings to create chances for Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart in the center.

The match was a grueling affair. Ajax was outmatched in quality by Arsenal. The Gunners were not only adept at passing and possession but also had a clear physical advantage. The pressure on the young home team players was immense; the slightest misstep could get them sent flying.

In the twenty-ninth minute, Van der Vaart attempted to dribble through the center and take on Vieira, only to be completely bulldozed by the French defensive midfielder. Although the referee awarded Ajax a free kick, a promising attacking opportunity was lost.

The match ticked past the thirty-minute mark. Ajax had attempted several counter-attacks but had been unable to create any openings on either flank. Yang Yang's best chance came in the thirty-sixth minute when Sneijder attempted a through ball. Yang Yang had timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and looked to be in a threatening position.

But at the critical moment, Campbell read the play perfectly. He charged in from the side and slid in to tackle the ball out of bounds just before Yang Yang could reach it. As he got up to walk away, he shot a vicious glare at Yang Yang, his eyes filled with intimidation and threats, as if to say, 'That was just a warning. Next time, I'll go for your legs.'

The sudden sprint left Yang Yang bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily.

Sweat ran down his cheeks, dripped from the tip of his nose, and fell onto the grass. 'I'm so damn tired!'

But in the face of such a menacing opponent, Yang Yang felt no fear. His only thought was about how stupid he had been. 'Campbell was playing as the last man, yet I didn't start my run earlier. Otherwise, how could a big lug like that have possibly caught up to me?'

"How are you? Are you okay?" his teammate Sneijder ran over and asked with concern.

It was now an Ajax throw-in deep in Arsenal's half.

Yang Yang shook his head, flinging away sweat. "A little tired."

Sneijder couldn't help but chuckle. The fact he could say that proved he was fine. "I was honestly afraid you'd be intimidated by him."

"Heh, I'm not the bravest guy in the world, but I'm not about to be scared off by him," Yang Yang said calmly.

Seeing Talabesi walking up to take the throw-in, an idea suddenly sparked in Yang Yang's mind.

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