CHAPTER 282: 0-1 FIRST!

Phweee!

The referee’s whistle cut through the air, and the match kicked off under the lights at Arsenal Stadium.

City did not disappoint. They immediately asserted control, dominating the tempo and possession against the home side, Arsenal, who remained loyal to their traditional tactical setup.

Bruce Rioch, ever cautious, stuck with his five-defender formation but gave his wingbacks the license to push high up the pitch.

Winterburn and Dixon surged forward from deep, Arsenal began to find their attacking rhythm and stretch City’s defensive shape. Their offensive threat grew—not through radical changes in formation, but through subtle shifts in positional intent.

Arsenal’s structure was clear: five at the back, a holding midfielder shielding the defense, and wingbacks providing width. Their wide attacks relied on those wingbacks pushing into advanced areas, while the central threat emerged from the interplay between central midfielders and forwards.

It was a setup that emphasized discipline at the back but allowed for moments of fluidity and unpredictability going forward.

Interestingly, this approach mirrored City’s own attacking philosophy. Like Arsenal in this match, City often relied on their fullbacks to provide width and create overloads in the final third.

Pirlo would always drop back with Van Bommel, with Neil Lennon positioned just ahead of them—together forming a barrier in front of the City box.

This effectively severed Arsenal’s connection between their midfield and forwards, forcing them to play around rather than through.

Van Bommel played with physicality, disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm with aggressive challenges, while Pirlo operated with calm intelligence—reading the game superbly and making one or two key interceptions that broke up play at crucial moments.

Thanks to this defensive blockade, Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp struggled to receive any service from midfield. Whenever Bergkamp dropped back to retrieve the ball, Van Bommel would personally track him, marking him tightly. Behind them, Gallas and Ferdinand served as a reliable second line of defense.

For this match, City had deliberately chosen to forgo a midfield battle with Arsenal, instead opting to compress the attacking space and reinforce their defense in dangerous areas.

Richard naturally had a hand in the tactical setup—though his influence wasn’t immediately obvious. Thanks to O’Neill’s injury, he actually had time to discuss many things with him, and during those conversations, he floated the idea of how to contain Arsenal—though at first, it was just a concept.

What Richard didn’t expect, however, was that O’Neill would pass the tactics on to Robertson!

Thanks to this, Arsenal’s efforts—whether it was Bergkamp’s clever dribbles or Platt’s quick combination runs—never truly threatened Manchester City’s goal.

In fact, what Richard had discussed with O’Neill was the very same tactical approach that Arsenal would later adopt during their resurgence two years later.

The Professor’s strategy.

With Vieira and the adapted defensive midfielder, Petit, squeezing the opponent’s attacking space, Vieira would surge forward during counterattacks—relying on support from both wings and the creative presence of Bergkamp up front. The flamboyant attacking style that would define Arsenal in the near future was, at this very moment, being employed by Manchester City.

Even the on-field roles mirrored one another: Neil Lennon played a role similar to Petit, Van Bommel mirrored Vieira’s dynamism, and Ronaldo or Henry filled the creative-forward position that Bergkamp.

In other words, it was like coaxing a snake out of its hole.

Arsenal—long known for their defensive discipline—had to be given space to attack. The idea was to invite them forward, tempting them to abandon their shape and commit bodies.

But even after years of relying on a more conservative, "1–0 to the Arsenal" mentality, could the presence of players like Platt and Bergkamp truly reignite their attacking spark?

That was the question—whether two creative forces were enough to transform a team still rooted in pragmatism into one capable of fluid, dynamic football once again.

The first ten minutes had already revealed Arsenal’s struggles in settled attacking play.

Despite controlling possession, they lacked incision—the final ball never arrived, the runs weren’t timed, and City’s shape remained unbroken.

As their attacks failed to progress, Arsenal were forced to commit more bodies forward.

Winterburn and Dixon began surging down the flanks, trying to inject width and momentum into the buildup. Their overlapping runs did increase the threat—but City’s response was as direct as it was effective: Zambrotta and Finnan tracked them step for step, matching up one-on-one without hesitation.

With this approach, City maintained numerical balance across the vertical defensive line. Even as Arsenal pushed higher, City never found themselves outnumbered. Every risk Arsenal took was mirrored with a calculated countermeasure.

Meanwhile, up in the box, David Dein leaned toward Arsène Wenger, his tone energetic and full of belief. He was eagerly pointing out Arsenal’s standout players, peppering his commentary with perceived weaknesses in City’s setup.

"To be honest," he said, motioning toward the field, "what happened to United was just a fluke—a lucky tactical gamble."

Naturally, he was boosting his own team’s ego; beyond praising their star players, there was little else Arsenal could take pride in at that moment.

Wenger said nothing, his gaze steady on the pitch. He wasn’t so sure. If he’d had a tactical board in front of him, he could have illustrated it all for Dein.

The patterns were there, hidden in plain sight—and he, of all people, could see them unfolding with clinical clarity.

Platt, trying to spark something, began orchestrating in midfield. His attempts to penetrate City’s compact block with short passes were repeatedly cut off.

Frustrated, he opted for a long ball over the top, aiming for Ian Wright. But the delivery was predictable—Ferdinand rose high and headed it clear, the ball falling cleanly to Finnan’s feet.

Bergkamp gave a half-hearted press, but quickly abandoned the chase as Finnan accelerated forward.

Across Arsenal’s stretched midfield—Platt, Merson, and Parlour spread wide—Finnan paused only a moment, then launched a pinpoint long pass over the top to the left flank, where Ronaldo was waiting eagerly.

Wenger watched the ball sail with a faint smile. "It seems Rioch didn’t see that coming," he murmured.

Once Ronaldo received the ball, he exploded down the wing, hugging the touchline. Within Arsenal’s defensive line, only three center-backs remained, with the defensive midfielder scrambling to mark the surging Ronaldo.

But it was a different situation now—City had a clear advantage in numbers.

Ronaldo sprinted through the middle, and running in parallel were three teammates: Henry, Okocha, Pirlo and Van Bommel!

Rather than cutting inside, Ronaldo stuck to the baseline. Just as he approached the box, he feinted a cutback—splitting the attention of the defenders and forcing them to react. The movement stretched the central trio, opening a gap in front of goal.

Ronaldo fired a low cross across the face of goal just as Tony Adams lunged in to close him down.

Henry, engaged in a tight physical battle with Keown, cleverly let the ball roll between his legs. Keown, caught by surprise, didn’t react in time.

Then Henry, who had been waiting patiently, suddenly spun into motion—watching, reading the moment, and timing it to perfection. He took two quick steps into the open space and met the pass with a composed, side-footed shot toward the bottom right corner.

Seaman rushed out, arms wide and body low—but the ball slid calmly past him.

Arsenal Stadium erupted.

"Thierry Henry! Arsenal’s defense has completely collapsed. They didn’t even get a touch—let alone a chance to foul! City takes the lead in the derby, and it’s the Frenchman, Thierry Henry! Ice-cold in front of goal! From positioning to finish, this is the mark of a potential top striker!"

Henry sprinted toward the South Stand, arms wide in celebration, as teammates swarmed him. City were flying—tactically sharp, emotionally charged, and most importantly, fully in control.

Scoring against Arsenal in Highbury, under the floodlights and in front of their roaring fans—what more could a player ask for?

Robertson remained composed on the sideline, merely clapping. It was still early. No reason to lose focus. This Arsenal side—confused and in transition—was no longer the invincible force of old. And though City were rising, with promising players and an evolving tactical structure, they were still a work in progress.

The journey was long—and far from over.

On the opposite sideline, Rioch could only clap and shout encouragement. Tactical adjustments would have to wait.

Up in the executive box, Richard leapt to his feet, dancing and pumping his fists. In contrast, David Dein sat motionless—immaculate as always, but clearly unsettled.

Moments earlier, he had been boasting to Wenger about Arsenal’s strengths. Now they had been picked apart. It felt like a slap in the face—self-inflicted.

Wenger, ever gracious, offered a soft smile.

"Mr. Dein, do you know why Arsenal conceded that goal?"

Dein frowned. "Perhaps the players haven’t shaken off the off-season rust. They seem slow to find their rhythm."

Wenger shook his head. "If Arsenal can’t adapt, they’ll keep conceding. Manchester City’s tactics are designed specifically to exploit their structure."

Dein leaned in. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

"It’s simple. Arsenal defend with three center-backs and a holding midfielder. But when they attack, they commit six players forward. City defends with six—four defenders and two midfielders—so the numbers match. The issue is Arsenal’s rigid shape. There’s not enough coordination or movement to truly break City down."

He paused, voice calm and precise.

"When City counter, they send four players forward. Arsenal defends with four as well—but one of them is a holding midfielder. City can align their four in a line or a diamond, which creates a temporary overload. Unless that midfielder drops into the backline and adapts dynamically, Arsenal will keep getting exposed."

Dein nodded slowly. "So the real problem lies in the formation?"

"Yes. Arsenal used to play a solid 5-3-2. If they returned to a true 3-5-2, they’d have better synergy between attack and defense. But right now, this team still clings to the idea that they’re an elite club. They push forward as if the opposition will simply fold."

Wenger gave a slight shrug. "City have outsmarted them. Their manager knows Arsenal need to win more than City do—and he’s using that against them."

Dein furrowed his brow. "Is wanting to win... a weakness?"

"In a battle between giants? Yes—if it blinds you to what the game demands. You must first neutralize your opponent’s strengths. In England, no one controls a match from start to finish. Not with this pace, this physicality, the unpredictability of referees. You have to manage the moment."

Dein exhaled, absorbing the weight of Wenger’s words.

"Thank you. Mr. Wenger... I truly believe you’re the man to bring Arsenal back to glory. At the very least, you already see what must change."

Wenger smiled politely. "For now, I’m enjoying my time in Japan. I have no plans to return to Europe just yet."