My light shines on Arsenal

Chapter 169 The decision not to regret
Mikel Arteta walked out of the training center, found his car, and opened the door.

The moment he got into the car door, Arteta glanced at the sky, the sky of London.

More than a year ago, when Arteta ended his daily training, he saw the sky above Liverpool in Merseyside. He once thought that he would never have a chance to enter a wealthy team throughout his career.

And now, he is the captain of Arsenal.

He and the rest of the players turned around a difficult early-season situation and spent two crazy months on a roll.

"Hey Mikel!"

Arteta looked up and Aaron Ramsey waved at him and walked out of the training center.

"Aaron, it's very late." Arteta smiled at Ramsey, "You practice very hard."

"Should be."

There was a hint of embarrassment on the Welshman's face, "Mikel... I... I have to be a little more diligent. Our team is great, but I am terrible."

Arteta stopped smiling, closed the car door, and walked to Ramsey's side.

"Aaron, don't belittle yourself." He patted the Welshman on the shoulder, "You are a member of this team, we are a team. As long as your attitude is to do your best, no one will blame you."

"But I will blame myself." Ramsey smiled bitterly and moved his legs. "I...since then, I feel that I can't keep up with everyone's rhythm."

Arteta knows what Ramsey is talking about.

In a game in February 2010, Shawcross tackled Ramsey and fractured Ramsey's right calf.

This serious injury almost destroyed Ramsey. He lay in bed for nine months. After coming back again, his former aura and talent were all gone.

"It's not your fault, Aaron. Don't think about it so much. You're still part of the team."

"Thank you for your comfort, Mikel." Ramsey shook his head sadly, "But I know the difference. I can no longer be as flexible as before. That injury... affected a lot of me. My body, mentality, courage... … I can’t get on the same page as everyone else.”

"Look at Anthony, look at Santi, Jorge, Marco... they are all talented, brave and flexible, and when I was playing with them, I felt that I could not be the same as them. "

Arteta listened quietly to Ramsey.

Soon after, Ramsey scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "Sorry, Mikel. Did I disturb you."

"It's not a big deal, Aaron. You can always come to me and tell me what you think." Arteta put his arm around Ramsey's shoulders. "Besides... I want to tell you that you are part of this team. As a player, you are no worse than anyone on this team."

Ramsey nodded gratefully, "Mikel, then I'm leaving."

"Goodbye, Aaron."

Arteta smiled, got into the car and stepped on the accelerator.

The car lights came on, illuminating the road to the Kearney base, and the car drove forward.

He is going home.

In the team, he is the captain and the leader in the locker room.

At home, with his wife and children waiting for him, that is his haven.

……

"If we look back at Arsenal's magical run, there's one man we can't ignore - Mikel Arteta."

On Match of the Day, Gary Lineker sits in the middle of the studio analyzing Arsenal's match against Aston Villa.

The game took place on November 11, three days after Arsenal defeated Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Arsenal visited Villa Park and defeated their opponents two to one.

"Gary, many people attribute Arsenal's resurgence to the outstanding performance of the attackers up front. But the players who support this team, there are also heroes hidden behind the scenes." Guest Ian Wright said.

"Ian, I guess you're talking about Mikel."

"Yes, that's right, it's him, Mikel."

Ian Wright cleared his throat, "In every game, the team that wants to win must seek a balance between offense and defense. Arsenal have played very aggressively this season, but, oh, they The balance is maintained well.”

"Arsenal's high press is their distinctive feature this season. A large number of players in the midfield and frontcourt are devoted to pressing, trying to block the attack from the opponent's goal. And-"

The screen came to a segment in the game.

Arsenal's attacking frontcourt is full of numbers and they cover every available inch of the pitch.

Aston Villa's defense was completely pushed back, and Arsenal's players gradually got into position, surrounding the opponent's penalty area.

"Coach Chen Yao is very courageous to invest in the offensive end. He has pushed the central defender line to a higher position."

"Griezmann on the left, Cazorla and Jorginho occupy the left and right ribs respectively, and Walcott on the right. And next to the strong central defender, he put Giroud. Vera At every junction there are Arsenal players waiting for an opportunity to attack."

"The consequence of this risky and aggressive attack is that...Arsenal's wide space in the midfield and backfield is difficult to cover. Once the ball is lost, they are in danger of being quickly beaten into the penalty area."

As the footage began to play, Arsenal's attack was interrupted when goalkeeper Shay Given took the ball over the back line and the heads of Arsenal's pressing players and fell to the feet of midfielder Fabian Delph.

Delph opened up Arsenal's chasing players. He unloaded the ball and turned back towards the Arsenal penalty area. Villa head coach Paul Lambert on the sidelines shouted and waved to signal to the Villa players. Promote counterattack.

Delph saw the two forwards in front of him, Darren Bent and Chris Benteke, both attacking Arsenal's penalty area at full speed.

Arsenal was out of position to defend. If Delph could pass the ball, Arsenal's penalty area would be completely exposed to Villa's counterattack.

Delph slowed down and prepared to swing his leg to pass.

But he missed the kick - Mikel Arteta made a sliding tackle and the ball flew away from his feet.

Delph lost his center of gravity and fell to the ground in embarrassment. He raised his hand to indicate that the ball was fouled, but the referee ignored him.

Arteta got up, shook his head, spat, and ran forward.

"Last season, Arsenal had Alexander Song in the defensive midfielder position. This season, Song moved to Barcelona, ​​Jorginho showed mature vision and talent on the offensive end, and Arteta took on the responsibility on the defensive end. Take on greater responsibility."

Ian Wright lamented: "Arteta has never been a player of outstanding reputation. He has never even been selected for the Spanish national team. When he joined Arsenal, it was the most difficult moment for this team. And now , he did not get the core position of the offense, but consumed his strength in endless interceptions and steals."

"A diligent, hard-working, reliable player." Gary Lineker laughed. "When we are discussing Chen's magic and discussing Arsenal's recovery, we cannot forget the contribution of the Arsenal captain."

He looked at Ian Wright and said, "Every team needs experienced veterans."

"Yes." Ian Wright nodded, "And they will thank the veteran."

……

November 11, Goodison Park.

Arsenal vs. Everton.

During the pre-game deployment, Chen Yao felt that Arteta's mood was fluctuating a bit.

"Is everything okay, Mikel?" he walked over and asked.

"Not bad." Arteta said, "Don't worry about me, coach." He touched the wardrobe in the locker room, "After all... I have been here for many years. I returned to Goodison Park as an opponent, It feels amazing.”

Arteta put on his jersey and stood up to stretch his muscles. "I have been a player here for seven years. Mr. Moyes taught me a lot. I am very grateful to him."

"I also thank you. It was you and Mr. Wenger who brought me to the Emirates Stadium." Arteta said seriously. "Arsenal gave me the opportunity, and Mr. Moyes and Everton respected my choice."

"Mikel, the best respect for David and for Everton is to tell them that you are good here. David has produced a good player."

……

David Moyes often laments whether he can only work in small clubs in his life.

His reputation is admirable. In his ten years at Everton, Moyes has grown from a rookie coach who just entered football to a mature Mesozoic coach, but no one seems to think that he has the ability to take charge of a wealthy club.

Moyes and Chen Yao had a brief conversation before the game. Moyes, who is nearly 20 years older than Chen Yao, always felt a little jealous in front of the young Arsenal coach.

Why is it that such a young coach in front of me has the opportunity to coach such a big club at the beginning of his career?
Moyes certainly knows the challenges of this job, but at his age, the desire to further his career has become stronger. He often forgets the difficulties and challenges of coaching a wealthy club. He just wants to have a chance.

How many of the current Premier League giants have a chance?
Chelsea?Their boss likes to fire coaches whenever they disagree, and he is known for his small business and long-term team building, rather than winning championships. Abramovich may not think highly of him.

Liverpool?This team is quite bad. Their condition has not recovered much after Kenny Dalglish dismissed get out of class. Maybe he can wait a little longer.

Manchester United?Sir Alex Ferguson has a good relationship with himself and maybe he will consider himself after retirement.

Compared to himself who is still hesitating at Everton, Moyes occasionally thinks about whether his decision to let Arteta go was the right one.

Before the end of the summer transfer window last season, when Arsenal proposed to acquire Arteta, Moyes did not want to agree.

Arteta is the core of Everton's midfield. If he loses him, Everton will have a difficult new season.

But Arteta has also been hesitating at Everton for too many years.

Moyes personally led Arteta to become the core player of this team. He knows how difficult it is for the Spaniard who has been wandering for many years to reach this point.

When, as a player, he has the opportunity to go further, what qualifications do he have to stop him?
While he was stunned, Arteta passed by him.

Mikel is older.

Moyes took a second look and understood this.

Arteta's movement speed has dropped slightly compared to before, but his handling of the ball, his stability, and his composure are as before.

This is also what Moyes values ​​​​most about Arteta. He does not have amazing creative talent, but he is reliable.

Compared with two years ago, Arteta is 30 years old.

He's a veteran through and through.

Arteta had just intercepted Ross Barkley's casual pass.

The British teenager is regarded by Moyes as Everton's future midfield core. He has no money to buy stars, so Moyes can only give the teenager more opportunities.

Barkley was taught a lesson by Arteta. Every time he handled the ball, he was too careless. Arteta could always keep a suitable distance, and then run over and intercept the ball the moment he took off.

Arteta took a few steps with the ball, passed it straight to Jorginho in front, and then retreated to a protective position.

Moyes can see that Arteta has sacrificed a lot for the balance of the team.

If he stays at Everton, he will now be the team's big brother, captain and tactical core.

In Arsenal, there is a group of players who are younger and more talented than him who have to fight in the frontcourt.

He wants to leave a position and space for them, so that the young players can gallop up front without any worries.

He is not strong or has monster physical fitness, but he must cover a large amount of space and become a barrier for the team.

Arteta is using his own consumption to do the dirty work in exchange for the balance of the team.

Moyes understands that Arteta is actually Arsenal's weakness at this time.

He is not the kind of defensive midfielder with unlimited coverage. If he can attack Arteta's position, he can gain an advantage.

But Everton can't do it.

Arsenal's frontcourt attack was as smooth and oppressive as ever, and several of Everton's counterattacks were successfully destroyed by Arteta.

His physical energy is depleted very quickly, and he has one of the most physical confrontations among the players on the field, but he never avoids it.

Arsenal didn't score until 10 minutes before the end of the game.

The goal came from a mistake in Everton's midfield. There was a misunderstanding between Marouane Fellaini and Ross Barkley, and their passes were misplaced.

Fellaini thought Barkley would move forward to receive the ball, but Barkley stepped back and asked Fellaini to prepare his own organization.

Arteta, who had been running for 10 minutes, accelerated from behind the center circle, slipped between Fellaini and Barkley, and pushed the ball forward before they regained control of the ball.

Moyes sighed on the sidelines. That was his former favorite, his former core, but now, is the team going to lose at his hands?
Olivier Giroud carried Phil Jagielka to hold the ball. He knocked the ball with his heel and gave the ball to Griezmann who ran into the penalty area.

As has happened many times this season, Griezmann brushed past goalkeeper Tim Howard and pushed the ball into the goal.

The score of one to zero remained until the end.

……

Arteta stood outside the door of the home team's locker room. This is a place he is familiar with. From time to time, staff members pass by and can recognize him.

Some staff members greeted Arteta friendly, while others looked grim.

After all, it was Arteta's crucial tackle that ended the game.

He was once a member of Goodison Park, but not now.

Arteta hesitated to open the door, stretched his hand to the door, and then slowly stepped back.

"Mikel?" the Scottish coach called his name. David Moyes had just finished the interview and hurried to the dressing room.

"Coach...no, David."

"Nice to meet you. Well, that was a pretty good steal, by the way. You're still able to see the holes in your opponent, even though what you're doing is a lot harder than that."

"David, I'm sorry."

"No, there is no need to apologize, this is the game, this is football." Moyes smiled heartily, "Mikel, I am very happy for you. Going to Arsenal is worth it."

"Thank you, David." Arteta swallowed a lot of what he wanted to say, and he was still wearing an Arsenal jersey.

Moyes is not having an easy time at Everton. Everton is ranked [-]th this season and they need points.

"Don't sympathize with me, Mikel. Go for victory and glory. I was once your coach, and what I want to see is that the players I coached prove my vision."

"David." Arteta looked at Moyes. A lot of white hair appeared on the Scot's head. "I am very grateful to you... I do not regret this decision."

(End of this chapter)