Beep!
With the referee's sharp whistle, the match officially began!
Arsenal started in possession.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang passed the ball back to Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Quick, consecutive passes and intricate interplay, dazzling to the eye—it was classic "Wengerball."
The Emirates Stadium erupted in enthusiastic applause.
No matter how much Arsenal fans may have resented Arsène Wenger in recent years for the lack of trophies, at this moment of farewell, they offered their utmost respect.
Wenger, standing tall by the pitch in his long coat, wore a faint smile, but his heart was far from calm.
He felt as if all the surrounding noise had faded away, leaving only the pitch, the players, the goal, and the football.
Nothing else mattered.
Beautiful football unfolded before his eyes, the very thing he has pursued his entire life with unwavering dedication.
But times had changed; the era of Money ball had shattered Wenger's traditional ideals, perhaps signaling the end of their era.
Wenger once represented the future of Arsenal; now he represented its past.
Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson, seated near the Manchester United bench, watched the silver-haired elder beside them and couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Mourinho felt the weight on his shoulders growing heavier and turned his gaze to the pitch.
Manchester United's formation quickly compressed backward, conceding the midfield area in typical Mourinho fashion.
The next moment. Granit Xhaka—slow in movement, prone to fouls and critical mistakes, famously nicknamed the "Card Prince" by rival fans—received the ball.
He had many strengths, such as long-range shooting, vision, and passing. But he also had a fatal weakness.
And for a defensive midfielder, this was the deadliest flaw.
Yet, he was gradually being left behind by the modern game's pace.
Surprisingly, Arsenal didn't continue probing through the center; Ramsey directly switched play to the right flank.
After receiving the ball, Bellerin accelerated rapidly, while Ling on the flank refused to yield, sticking close to Bellerin like a shadow.
Like an unstoppable pendulum!
"Wow, Bellerin's acceleration is incredibly fast!" Peter Drury exclaimed.
"You should know he broke Theo Walcott's Arsenal club record for the 40-meter sprint," Beglin noted about Bellerin.
"And according to BBC verification, Bellerin even surpassed the speed Usain Bolt recorded over the first 40 meters when setting the world record in 2009, now ranking among the top in football!" Jim Beglin added.
His ability to drive forward vertically is world-class, though his weaknesses lie in defense and long-range shooting.
But why wasn't he as famous as Gareth Bale yet? Perhaps it was only a matter of time.
The reason was Bellerin's poor ball control at his feet, prone to errors during high-speed dribbling despite his pace.
Ling halted his tracking run.
Ashley Young, with his immense experience, shrewdly maintained distance from Bellerin, seized the opportunity to dart forward and complete a tackle, then immediately passed the ball upfield.
Ling had already glanced back before receiving the ball and, without stopping it, directly passed it to the center.
Since Jesse Lingard had been Manchester United's central midfielder with minimal playmaking ability, Ling rarely opted for wing-central combinations, preferring to rely on his own ability to burst through.
But today was different.
Mateo Kovacic couldn't secure a starting spot at star-studded Real Madrid but found solid opportunities at Manchester United.
Due to his similar technical profile to Paul Pogba, his recent playing time had been limited, leaving him somewhat discontent.
Now, he was burning with the desire to prove himself.
Facing Xhaka's aggressive press, he effortlessly nudged the ball past him on the right and launched a long pass to find Romelu Lukaku.
The ball quickly found its way back to Ling, initiating a deadly attacking phase.
Aaron Ramsey's awareness was sharp, moving early to cover the right flank and firmly blocking Ling's path forward.
Ramsey pushed himself to the absolute limit to cover.
If he couldn't outrun Hector Bellerin, could he really fail to outpace Ramsey?
Ling still flew past him, took a powerful stride, and drove toward the penalty area with the ball.
The Emirates Stadium instantly erupted with gasps of astonishment.
Xhaka angled in from the side. Ling's speed didn't drop in the slightest, his feet continuously stepping over the ball.
His center of gravity swayed violently as he looked for a pass!
Xhaka couldn't read his opponent's intentions at all, hesitating and refraining from committing.
Ling's body suddenly shifted, his footwork quickening as he glided past Xhaka in a moment of hesitation!
Arsenal fans clenched their fists nervously, their eyes fixed on Laurent Koscielny desperately charging toward the ball.
Truth be told, he was quite underwhelming when he first joined Arsenal, but he had grown into a fine player.
But under Wenger's guidance, his performances improved steadily, and he eventually became Arsenal's captain.
The player with the most tackles in the Premier League! Having been cleanly beaten by Ling earlier, he didn't recklessly dive into a tackle but instead blocked most of the shooting angles, waiting for Ling to make the first move.
Ling spotted Lukaku's run and decisively drove down the outside channel.
Just before the ball went out of play, he slid to sweep a cross, the ball grazing past Koscielny's toes!
"Lukaku! Meets it with a side-footed shot!" Drury yelled.
"Uh!"
"The quality of that shot was simply too poor, sending the ball straight into Petr Cech's arms. Is Lukaku also becoming the poster boy for missed chances?"
To put it slightly exaggeratedly, even an old granny could have scored that one.
"Although Man United's attack hasn't been effective, the gap in strength between the two teams is fully apparent. Man United's attacking efficiency is clearly higher, they just need the finish." After a moment, Beglin added thoughtfully, "As for Arsenal, with the season nearing its end and their manager about to leave, I feel like every player is trying to showcase themselves to secure a starting spot next season. That's why their play seems a bit disjointed."
On the sidelines, Wenger sighed silently.
He actually shared the same sentiment.
Arsenal's earlier winning streak felt more like a final flash of brilliance before the bulb burned out.
Now, facing a surging Man United, they've been exposed for what they truly are.
But that doesn't mean Arsenal has no chance.
Man United just played a grueling Champions League match two days ago, so they surely can't be at their physical peak.
Nearby, Mourinho frowned slightly, clearly displeased with Lukaku's performance.
Ferguson patted Mourinho on the shoulder. "They've already done quite well. Don't be too harsh. Honestly, I envy you. Back when I coached Man United, I also had an outstanding Chinese player like him, but he eventually returned to his home country due to injuries."
"If not for those injuries, he might have become a hero for Man United too."
At this point, Ferguson's nostalgic gaze faded as he watched Ling tirelessly running on the pitch.
"You've been putting too much pressure on him lately. I've been meaning to bring this up."
"The main issue is... there's really no one to replace him. If we hadn't sold Martial to PSG..." Mourinho shrugged helplessly upon hearing this.