There wasn't much time left in the first half.
Although neither side had scored, both teams had clearly stepped up the tempo in the final ten-plus minutes, making the match far more entertaining—especially the head-to-head battle between Leo Lin and Xhaka.
Live Stream Chat.
"I love watching these so-called bad boys completely lose it. Great job, Leo Lin!"
"Isn't Xhaka usually supposed to be amazing? Where did all that arrogance go?"
"Even at the Emirates, Liverpool's presence hasn't dropped at all. The players are actually performing really well out there."
The fans could all see that Liverpool were playing with remarkable composure, showing no signs of nerves despite being away from home.
Their defense in particular was excellent. Although Arsenal enjoyed more possession, they were never allowed any truly dangerous shooting opportunities.
Soon after, the first half came to an end and the match headed into halftime.
Jim Beglin held the statistics from the opening 45 minutes.
Halftime analysis had always been his specialty. Compared to pure play-by-play commentary, tactical breakdowns were what he excelled at most.
When it came to tactical analysis, very few could match Jim Beglin's level of professionalism.
"Looking at the first-half data, Arsenal had 61 percent possession, higher than Liverpool."
"But in terms of shots, Arsenal only had one more attempt, and they didn't create any clear-cut chances."
"Possession without real attacking threat can essentially be considered ineffective possession."
"Judging from the rhythm and flow of the first half, I think Klopp's plan for Liverpool was to suppress first and strike later."
"To put it simply, they spent the first half adapting to Arsenal's tempo, keeping their shape stable, and avoiding getting blown apart at Arsenal's home ground."
"Once the 45 minutes were up, Liverpool were always going to launch a counterattack in the second half."
Jim Beglin's assessment was completely accurate. At that very moment, in Liverpool's dressing room, Klopp was pointing at the tactics board and making his final reminders.
"Same thing I said before. Once the second half starts, we stick to the plan."
"Attack through the flanks. Let the entire Premier League see our new attacking system!"
Klopp was full of confidence. A 0–0 scoreline at halftime meant his pre-match tactical setup had worked.
On the other side, Professor Wenger was still emphasizing passing, clearly unhappy with his team's first-half display.
"I didn't see a single threatening passing combination. Where did all your short passing go?"
"And for God's sake, play the ball forward!"
"Stop this meaningless sideways circulation!"
"We don't need to stretch the pitch—Liverpool are strongest out wide!"
"We need vertical passes! Forward passes! I want to see more tight combinations and one-touch play!"
Wenger knew exactly what kind of coach Klopp was. Back in his Dortmund days, Klopp had already shown outstanding tactical ability, especially when it came to shaping attacking systems.
So when Arsenal dominated possession without scoring in the first half, Wenger immediately realized he had fallen into Klopp's trap. The next 45 minutes would be crucial.
As the second half approached, Leo Lin stood up and cut a few more slits into his socks to improve ventilation. He then called over a staff member and had some oil rubbed onto his arms.
Firmino stared at Leo Lin as he greased up his arms and couldn't help asking,
"What's that for?"
"Why not add some cumin and chili powder while you're at it? Maybe throw in an onion too."
Leo Lin shot Firmino a big eye roll.
"All you ever think about is food. You'll see soon enough what this oil is for."
Moments later, the second half got underway.
As soon as play resumed, Arsenal continued to press forward.
After Wenger's reminders, the number of one-touch passes and forward balls on the pitch noticeably increased, and the familiar style of beautiful football that fans loved began to emerge.
51st minute!
"Mané tries a long-range shot, but it's straight at the keeper, who gathers it comfortably!"
"Immediate counterattack! A powerful throw sends it out wide!"
"Square pass, back to Ramsey to organize!"
"One-touch—Sánchez!"
"Another one-touch finds Lacazette!"
"A chipped ball! Welbeck might have a chance?!"
"He breaks into the box! The angle's a bit tight!"
"He goes for the shot!"
"It hits the side netting!!!"
"The home fans at the Emirates celebrate for nothing!"
Jim Beglin finally sounded excited.
"Just look at that move—Ramsey to Sánchez, then Lacazette, then Welbeck. Every pass was one-touch!"
"Arsenal's beautiful football is finally on display. This is where their strengths lie. Play to your strengths and you give yourself the best chance to win."
Even though Liverpool maintained excellent spacing between their three defensive lines, Arsenal's players showed outstanding chemistry.
Combined with the precision of their one-touch passing, Liverpool's shape gradually came under heavier pressure.
59th minute!
"Arsenal continue building from the back, slowly probing forward."
"Sánchez receives it out wide and switches play with a long diagonal to the right."
"Lacazette pulls wide, controls it, and sends in a cross!"
"Welbeck flicks a header at the near post!"
"It skims past the upright and goes out. Welbeck—heading isn't really his strength!"
At this point, Professor Wenger made a substitution.
"We were just talking about Welbeck's lack of aerial ability, and now on comes someone who excels at it!"
"When it comes to target men in today's football, there's only one—Giroud!"
"Super sub Giroud is coming on. Arsenal are clearly looking to further strengthen their attack!"
"At this rate, it's only a matter of time before Liverpool concede. Arsenal are gradually finding their rhythm again!"
With Arsenal's momentum building, the Gunners fans in the live chat began to lift their heads again, finally able to watch the match with confidence.
But Liverpool's formation also started inching forward, as if responding to some unseen signal.
After weathering Arsenal's early second-half surge, Liverpool were finally ready to unveil their new tactic—half-space penetration!
From midfield, Leo Lin drove forward with the ball, looking to link up with the flanks.
63rd minute!
Ramsey launched a long ball from midfield, aiming for a header, but he put too much power on it and the goalkeeper caught it cleanly.
Leo Lin immediately moved into midfield, waving at the keeper.
"Play it to me!"
A powerful throw sent the ball accurately to Leo Lin's feet!
As he received it, Leo Lin sensed Xhaka right behind him. He powered his back into Xhaka, cushioning the ball perfectly under control!
He dipped his shoulder to the right in a feint, dragging Xhaka's center of gravity with him, then instantly cut left with the ball!
"Beautiful feint and turn from Leo Lin!"
"The crowd lets out a collective gasp!"
Leo Lin didn't stop there. After driving forward two more steps, he threaded a through pass to the right.
Arnold collected it down the right flank as if no one were there, immediately surging forward!
He carried the ball all the way to the byline and looked up. Firmino was tightly marked.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Leo Lin—the man who had just made the pass—arriving late into open space.
Those sharp, intelligent eyes were locked onto him.
Without hesitation, Arnold struck the ball.
A textbook low cross, a perfect cut-back rolled straight into Leo Lin's path!
Xhaka instantly sensed danger and reached out, trying to grab and foul him.
But the arm he grabbed felt like a loach—slippery and impossible to hold. It slid straight off, without even finding a point of leverage!
Xhaka was stunned. He had never experienced anything like it.
Leo Lin set his stance, locking his right ankle as he lined up Arnold's pass.
He poured almost his entire body weight and strength into the strike!
The thunderous sound that followed slammed into every fan's ears.
"BOOM!!!"