SWR: Chapter 588/589

Chapter 588: Wenger’s Scars

"Pat, check later to see if these media reporters were hired by Gao Shen."

At the Colney training base in North London, Wenger was in a foul mood as he watched a live interview featuring Gao Shen. Did these guys do it on purpose?

Bringing up a topic like that was completely unnecessary!

"It's unlikely there's a spy. These media outlets are always like this—they just want to stir up chaos." Assistant coach Pat Rice offered his thoughts

Wenger curled his lips but said nothing more. Still, he couldn't shake off his frustration.

It wasn't about Gao Shen claiming at the press conference that he had a "third method" to counter Senna, Wenger didn't take pre-match mind games seriously. He'd dealt with far more experienced figures than the young fox, Gao Shen.

After all, Wenger had been up against Ferguson for years—he knew how this game worked.

What really irked him was Gao Shen's statement to the media, suggesting that Wenger was a little afraid of him and Manchester City, and would set up conservatively as a result.

It was just an offhand remark, and the speaker may not have meant much by it. But Wenger took it to heart.

"By the way, Pat, this kid is 29, right?" Wenger suddenly asked.

Pat Rice was taken aback for a moment before replying, "Yeah, tomorrow."

September 13th.

"So, do you think I should prepare a cake for him? Celebrate his birthday?" Wenger asked.

Pat Rice couldn't help but laugh. "Since when were you so thoughtful?"

If you want to mess with him, just say so. Why phrase it like that?

"He'd probably be happy if you brought him a cake," Pat Rice said.

Wenger nodded. "With '4:0' written on it!"

Pat Rice fell silent.

It was clear Wenger hadn't forgotten the Champions League quarter-final between Napoli and Arsenal last season.

On the surface, Wenger appeared gentle and refined, but deep down, he was fiercely competitive.

If he wasn't, Arsenal wouldn't be where they were today.

In professional football, only the strong and ruthless survive.

Wenger had won many trophies, but the one thing missing from his collection was the Champions League.

Even at Arsenal's peak, the Invincibles era, he had still fallen short of lifting the biggest prize in Europe.

That was his greatest regret.

His best chance came in 2006, but just when he seemed destined to win, Gao Shen emerged from nowhere and snatched the title. In a way, Gao Shen had risen to prominence by stepping on Wenger's shoulders.

It would be strange if Wenger wasn't bitter about it.

To Gao Shen, whether it was Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho, Benítez, Ancelotti, or anyone else—personal relationships were one thing, but he was a nightmare to them all.

Because he was a monster.

Two Champions League titles in three years, was there anything more outrageous than that?

Meanwhile, Wenger had spent most of his career chasing that very trophy.

Seeing Gao Shen's success, how could he possibly be in a good mood?

"This kid hasn't picked up much else, but he's learned that old man's tricks, mind games, psychological warfare, and all sorts of nonsense. Does he really think I'll fall for it?" Wenger scoffed.

"Such a crude, immature tactic!"

Anyone with a discerning eye could see through it immediately. Of course Wenger saw right through it as well.

"But since the match happens to be on his birthday, we should prepare a little something, give him a proper celebration!"

The morning of match day.

When Gao Shen woke up, he found a series of missed messages, all birthday wishes.

Funny enough, in his three years as a manager, this was the first time his birthday had fallen on a match day.

He never paid much attention to birthdays. Most of the time, he completely forgot about them. But every year, without fail, when he woke up, his mother would have a special breakfast ready for him.

Back home, there was a tradition—on your birthday morning, you had to eat noodles. And there had to be two eggs: one chicken egg and one duck egg, symbolizing longevity.

He never really believed in that stuff, but it always made him feel warm inside.

Thinking of this, he called his mother in China.

Sure enough, the moment she answered, she asked, "Did you have your birthday noodles this morning?"

Gao Shen really wanted to say: Mom, why don't you fly over and cook them for me?

His parents had been in Chile recently.

Ever since he partnered with Ferguson, their wine business had exploded in China. Demand was overwhelming, supply was short, and the scarcity only drove the market even hotter.

Fortunately, his father, Gao Jianguo, and Su Zhijun were both level-headed and didn't chase profits recklessly. His father even flew to Chile to inspect everything personally. They were working harder than ever.

Gao Shen had no choice in the matter. He had only wanted to start a business, but now both families were caught up in it.

Still, despite being busy and exhausted, he had goals. And that made all the hard work worth it.

That was also why he supported Su Qing's decision to keep working.

As long as you're doing what you love, no matter how tiring it is, you enjoy it.

After hanging up with his parents, Gao Shen went downstairs, planning to call Su Qing. But just then, a delivery arrived at his door.

A high-end Braun shaver gift box.

The moment he saw it, he knew who it was from.

A few days ago, he had casually complained to Su Qing that his shaver wasn't working properly. She must have been thinking about what to get him for his birthday, and this was the perfect opportunity.

So she sent him a shaver.

When Gao Shen called, Su Qing's first question was, "Did you receive the gift?"

She had put a lot of thought into it.

With Gao Shen's current status, he already had everything he needed.

Clothing wasn't an option, he either wore sportswear or suits, both provided by sponsors.

Shoes? Both leather and sports shoes were gifted by sponsors as well.

Watches, ties, and other accessories? He never had to worry about them sponsors regularly sent him a fresh supply.

Take Kiton suits, for example.

Every quarter, the brand would send someone to his home to take his measurements. After updating his body size, they would tailor a suit and have it delivered straight to his door.

Given these circumstances, finding a birthday gift that he didn't already have and actually needed was a real challenge.

"As expected, you know me well—you even got me an 'electric' gift," Gao Shen said with a chuckle.

He had used a manual razor before, but it had left him traumatized after one particularly bad experience that ended with a bloodied face. Since then, he had stuck to electric shavers.

"As long as it's useful to you," Su Qing replied happily.

Gao Shen spent most of the day receiving birthday wishes.

Even at the morning pre-match meeting at Carrington, the players greeted him with birthday congratulations. The club even prepared a large cake for the occasion.

But Gao Shen insisted that the celebration should take place in the locker room after the match.

"Wait until tonight after we defeat Arsenal, we'll open the cake in the locker room!" he said confidently.

The players could feel his ambition and fighting spirit, and they responded enthusiastically.

Before the tactical meeting, Gao Shen had already spoken to all 18 players in the squad individually, making sure they knew who would be starting and who would be on the bench.

As per his usual approach, all South American internationals who had been on national team duty were left out of the starting lineup.

This time was no exception.

Starting XI:

Goalkeeper: Neuer

Defenders: Wayne Bridge, Cahill, Kompany, Micah Richards

Midfielders: Javi Martínez (holding), David Silva, Rakitic

Forwards: Hazard, Giroud, Sturridge

Players like Felipe, Zabaleta, Suárez, and Robinho had all traveled long distances for international duty and only returned around noon the previous day. Gao Shen wasn't willing to take any risks, so he kept them on the bench.

However, one unexpected omission from the starting lineup was Robben.

The Dutchman himself didn't seem to mind, his attitude remained professional, and since he had no complaints, neither did anyone else.

In fact, many in the squad admired Gao Shen's ability to manage the locker room. Even a star like Robben accepted a bench role without issue.

"This match against Arsenal is going to be tough. I want everyone to be mentally prepared," Gao Shen said seriously.

"People say the Gunners lack ambition, but that was in the past. Right now, their top-four status is under threat, and Wenger will fight tooth and nail to secure it."

Arsenal had years of experience in maintaining a top-four finish. They knew exactly which games to prioritize and which ones they could afford to ease up in.

And there was no doubt—they wouldn't take an away game against Manchester City lightly.

"When we defend, watch out for two key players."

Gao Shen turned to the tactical board.

"Adebayor and Van Persie. Especially Van Persie, he's a top-class striker, and we cannot afford to lose focus against him. And then there's Fabregas, his passing is key to their attack."

Many believed that Fabregas was at his absolute best during his time at Arsenal.

That wasn't wrong.

At the Gunners, Fabregas had displayed incredible vision, creativity, and leadership.

Van Persie, on the other hand, wasn't seen as a major threat just yet. At this stage, he wasn't even Arsenal's standout player. In fact, he was often considered inferior to Adebayor.

One reason was his frequent injuries, which disrupted his performances. Another was that Adebayor fit the traditional Premier League mold of a center forward—strong, physical, and dominant in the air. Van Persie, by contrast, was more technical and intelligent in his movement.

But Gao Shen knew better than anyone, despite his injury history, Van Persie had immense ability.

All he needed was the right moment to shine.

At 26, he was approaching his peak.

As someone who had lived through football's future, Gao Shen knew exactly how good Van Persie would become.

As for Manchester City's attack, Gao Shen had a clear plan.

Giroud was tasked with wearing down Arsenal's defense, especially their two center-backs. He was to use his height and physicality to constantly challenge them.

Hazard and Sturridge had different roles.

Hazard was responsible for carrying the ball forward and linking up play.

Sturridge, meanwhile, was given a clear target—attack Gaël Clichy.

The French left-back was excellent going forward but vulnerable defensively, and he had struggled with his defensive positioning in recent matches.

Gao Shen firmly believed Clichy was the weak link in Arsenal's backline.

And tonight, he intended to exploit it.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 589: Manchester City’s Internal Strife

September 13, 17:00, Etihad Stadium, Manchester.

Amid the boos of 50,000 Manchester City fans, referee Mark Clattenburg blew the whistle for offside.

Sturridge had made a sharp run in behind Arsenal's defense, but the linesman's flag went up—offside.

It had been a promising one-on-one opportunity, but he had started his run too early.

At this point, the match had reached the 60th minute.

The scoreboard displayed the current score: 1-1.

In the first half, Manchester City had seized an opportunity. Giroud met a pinpoint cross from Hazard and powered a close-range header into the net, breaking the deadlock. It was his first goal since joining Manchester City.

Arsenal's two center-backs, both around 1.8 meters tall, had no answer for Giroud's aerial ability.

Even Gao Shen hadn't expected this outcome, Giroud actually scored!

But City's joy was short-lived.

Just 22 minutes later, a defensive lapse cost them.

Adebayor outmuscled Cahill, controlled the ball, and played a perfectly weighted pass into Van Persie's path.

The Dutch striker took a touch, turned sharply, and curled a precise shot into the far corner.

Neuer could do nothing about it. Despite making several excellent saves earlier, denying Van Persie and Adebayor from close range—he was powerless this time.

At halftime, the score remained 1-1.

After the break, Manchester City pressed forward aggressively, looking to regain control.

But Arsenal weren't backing down.

Just as Gao Shen had predicted, Wenger set up with a three-defensive-midfielder system.

Arsenal Starting XI:

Goalkeeper: Almunia

Defenders: Clichy, Vermaelen, Gallas, Sagna

Midfielders: Denilson, Song, Diaby (holding), Fabregas (advanced role)

Forwards: Van Persie, Adebayor


Gao Shen had read Wenger's intentions correctly—Arsenal had adopted a cautious approach.

Manchester City threw wave after wave of attacks at Arsenal's defense in the second half. But Wenger's side was disciplined, executing quick and resolute counterattacks whenever they had the chance.

Using Adebayor and Van Persie as focal points, Arsenal constantly harassed City's defense.

As the match approached the 60-minute mark, neither manager had made a substitution yet.

"Gao Shen is known for his tactical adjustments during games," the commentator noted.

"But tonight, surprisingly, he hasn't made a single change yet. With players like Robben and Suárez on the bench, you'd expect him to strengthen City's attack. But so far, no substitutions."

"This raises an interesting question, is there really tension between Gao Shen and Robben?"

Andy Gray took advantage of the break in play to discuss the rumored rift.

The speculation stemmed from an incident during the international break.

Dutch media had reported that Robben was originally on Van Marwijk's squad list for the Netherlands. However, he never joined up with the national team.

Van Marwijk later revealed that Gao Shen had personally requested that Robben stay behind for extra training, citing concerns over his recent form.

But the British media contradicted this.

During the two-week break, Robben wasn't seen training at Carrington. Instead, he had been on vacation.

Manchester City quickly clarified that this leave was approved by Gao Shen himself.

Gao Shen even addressed it during his pre-match press conference, explaining that he had advised Robben to take a break. But such situations were rare, fueling conspiracy theories.

The rumors suggested Robben was unhappy.

First, Gao Shen had positioned him on the right wing, a role he wasn't comfortable with.

Second, Gao Shen's demanding training regimen had frustrated him.

And now, after being blocked from national team duty, Robben supposedly left Manchester in anger.

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened at Manchester City," Gray continued.

"Earlier this year, Robinho left City's training camp in Spain without permission, creating a major controversy."

"The difference? Back then, Mark Hughes accused Robinho of going AWOL, while Robinho insisted he had permission. This time, it's the opposite, Gao Shen allowed Robben to leave, but people are questioning why."

"And now, with Robben sitting on the bench, and Gao Shen still reluctant to use him, it makes you wonder—are the rumors true?"

Wenger stood on the touchline, occasionally glancing over at Manchester City's bench.

Players frequently came out to warm up, including Robben.

But Wenger couldn't figure out Gao Shen's thinking.

Why wasn't he using a world-class player like Robben?

Was it because Robben's form was poor?

Or was there really a rift between them?

"It's almost 60 minutes," Pat Rice reminded Wenger.

Wenger nodded, but something didn't feel right.

He had a trump card—Rosický and Arshavin.

According to his plan, both would come on in the second half to improve Arsenal's ball retention and attacking firepower.

That was why he had started with three defensive midfielders.

There was no need to go all-out from the start at the Etihad. It was smarter to weather the storm and then strike late.

But something felt too smooth.

Football was never completely predictable. In high-stakes matches, no manager had total control. There was always a sense of chaos.

Yet tonight, everything was going exactly as planned.

Even Giroud scoring was unexpected. Wenger had never thought his fellow Frenchman would score a header against Arsenal.

"Maybe there really is tension between Gao Shen and Robben," Pat Rice speculated.

"You know how Gao Shen is, he wants full control of the locker room. Robben is proud, and after being forced to play right wing and struggling for form, he might have gotten frustrated. If he lost his temper, it's natural that they'd have a falling out."

This sort of thing wasn't unusual.

Even Wenger and Henry had clashed at times, especially during contract negotiations.

And this was Gao Shen's first season managing Robben.

Wenger clenched his jaw.

"Whether there's tension or not, we have to win tonight!"

With that, he turned and called out, "Thomas!"

Rosický immediately got up and started warming up.

"Wenger is making a substitution!"

From the home team's technical area, Carlo quietly reminded Gao Shen.

The Manchester City staff and players had already praised Gao Shen's tactical foresight, he had predicted Arsenal's lineup and formation with complete accuracy.

Wenger had indeed gone for a conservative three-defensive-midfielder setup.

But Gao Shen had miscalculated in one area.

Despite repeatedly warning his defenders to watch Van Persie, Cahill had been unable to contain Adebayor, and Kompany couldn't stop the Dutch striker from turning and scoring.

Had City still been leading, Gao Shen would have been more confident.

At 1-1, he was under real pressure.

"Rosický," Gao Shen muttered, watching the Arsenal bench.

No surprise there, Wenger was looking to strengthen midfield creativity.

The real question was—who would he replace?

Diaby? Denilson? Song?

The front two weren't changing, and Fabregas was untouchable.

So Wenger was sacrificing one of his defensive midfielders to add more attacking intent.

"If this works," Gao Shen speculated, "his next move will be Arshavin."

Wenger's substitution patterns were predictable.

"Should we make a change too?" Carlo asked.

Gao Shen thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Not yet. Let's wait and see."

Sure enough, Rosický replaced Denilson.

Arsenal's midfield shifted from three defensive midfielders to two, with Rosický and Fabregas focusing on possession and forward passing.

After the Czech midfielder came on, Arsenal's attack became noticeably sharper.

Within minutes, they launched a series of attacks deep into Manchester City's final third even pressing into the penalty area, forcing Gao Shen to react.

He immediately signaled his players to drop back slightly, tightening their defensive shape.

But this only fueled Arsenal's momentum further.

The Gunners were pushing hard, eager to find another goal and turn the game around.

If they could take the lead, the initiative would shift completely in their favor—and that was exactly what Wenger was counting on.

The match was beginning to tilt, and Arsenal's confidence was rising.

Their full-backs, Clichy and Sagna, both known for their attacking instincts, began pushing forward aggressively, providing extra width and overlapping runs.

But in doing so, they left gaps at the back.

Manchester City suddenly found themselves in a precarious position.

At this point, as the game approached the 70th minute, Gao Shen made his first substitution.

Robben is coming on!

(To be continued.)