Starting With Real Madrid

"It seems Wenger has guessed your strategy."

Standing near the visiting team's technical area, Zidane commented calmly as he watched Arsenal throw the ball back into play after a Napoli attack ended out of bounds.

"Not surprising," Gao Shen replied, frowning slightly.

There's a saying that your opponent often knows you best. But that isn't always true.

After all these years, how could Wenger not know the weaknesses of his team? Surely, he understands why Arsenal has been reduced to constantly fighting just to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and make it into the Champions League knockout stages year after year.

It's not that Wenger doesn't know—he must. But knowing is one thing; being able or willing to change is another.

For example, is consistently finishing in the top four really Wenger's ultimate goal? Certainly not. But the constraints on Arsenal make it difficult to aim higher.

Similarly, Arsenal's style of play is something Wenger is unwilling to compromise on.

With a squad full of young players competing in the demanding Premier League, Wenger has few viable alternatives to his technical, possession-based approach.

Signing new players costs money, money Arsenal doesn't have in abundance.

Modern European football is very different from the past. Any promising talent is immediately scouted by countless clubs the moment they step onto the professional stage. Players who can make a difference demand top prices, and Arsenal doesn't have the financial muscle to outbid their competitors.

This is why what Gao Shen has done in Naples has shaken European football to its core.

From Real Madrid to Napoli, he's unearthed and nurtured an astonishing number of young talents, many of whom had flown under the radar. He's proven that he can not only deliver results but also make the club a significant amount of money by boosting the value of his players.

To put it simply, Gao Shen isn't just achieving success on the pitch—he's building wealth for the club.

---

After Clichy's throw-in, Arsenal launched another attack. But Gao Shen quickly noticed a pattern.

Both of Arsenal's full-backs were pushing very high up the pitch.

"He's not playing conservatively at all tonight. In fact, he's being very aggressive," Gao Shen remarked with a faint smile.

Zidane nodded, his gaze fixed on the positions of Clichy and Sagna, who had advanced further than Arsenal's midfielders Song and Fabregas.

In the second minute, during an attack down Arsenal's left flank, Nasri received the ball with his back to goal and brought it inside, while Clichy sprinted up the touchline. His overlapping run created a crossing opportunity, but Di Maria had tracked him diligently and blocked his progress.

Gao Shen immediately shouted instructions, reminding his players to pay close attention to the aggressive runs of Arsenal's full-backs. At the same time, he noticed Van Persie and Adebayor constantly moving, ready to exploit any gaps.

These two forwards frequently drifted to the flanks to provide support, and both were highly skilled individually. Clichy and Sagna's forward movements only added to Arsenal's offensive options.

Gao Shen signaled for Napoli to drop back slightly and stabilize the situation.

Despite Arsenal's early pressure, Gao Shen remained calm.

He noticed that while Arsenal's wide attacks looked promising, they weren't creating significant threats.

By the fourth minute, Clichy and Sagna had each delivered crosses into the box, both aimed at the near post. On one occasion, Thiago Motta dropped back to intercept the ball, and on the other, David Luiz cleared it.

Neither attempt posed any real danger.

This confirmed Gao Shen's assessment: as long as Napoli controlled the central areas, Arsenal's crosses would not be a major issue. Of course, it was still crucial to prevent the Gunners from whipping in crosses at will.

After finding little success on the wings, Arsenal shifted their focus to the middle.

Nasri, who had been creating space for Clichy on the left, began moving into central positions more frequently to combine with Fabregas.

The game's first shot came from a one-two between Nasri and Fabregas, but Fabregas' attempt was blocked by Thiago Motta before it could trouble Handanovic.

Shortly after, Walcott used his speed to burst past Vargas on the right and deliver a cross, but again, Napoli's defense controlled the situation, clearing the ball from the danger zone.

In the opening four minutes, the transitions between attack and defense were fast-paced. Arsenal had more possession and attacking opportunities, but none of them were truly threatening.

"The Gunners' attack is nothing new," Gao Shen said, reassured.

The opening exchanges confirmed that Arsenal's offensive tactics were limited.

Unless Napoli made mistakes in their own defense, Arsenal's moves were predictable and manageable.

By the fifth minute, with Napoli settling into the match, Gao Shen signaled his team to tighten their marking on Adebayor and Fabregas.

Arsenal, meanwhile, maintained their high pressing on Napoli's midfielders.

In the fifth minute, as Thiago Motta received a pass, Arsenal's Song chased him aggressively, pressing high up the pitch. Unable to win the ball, Song resorted to tripping Motta, conceding a free kick just outside the penalty area.

This sequence highlighted Arsenal's pressing intensity, but it also revealed their defensive vulnerabilities.

For Song to press so far forward meant that Arsenal's midfield lacked stability. With Fabregas left alone to cover, Arsenal's defensive structure was fragile.

As Arsenal's players slowly retreated, expecting a routine free kick, David Luiz began advancing up the pitch.

Gao Shen clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on the play.

---

Napoli's midfielders and forwards began retreating as well, walking back deliberately.

No one anticipated that David Luiz would take the free kick himself. The position was dangerously close to Arsenal's penalty area, but the Brazilian defender's sudden forward run caught everyone off guard.

Napoli's striker Cavani was the quickest to react. Sprinting forward, he drew Arsenal's center-backs Gallas and Toure with him.

David Luiz's long pass was delivered with precision, traveling at speed and with a low arc. The ball dropped just outside the left edge of the penalty area, where Cavani leapt to meet it. Beating both Arsenal defenders to the ball, he nodded it toward the left corner of the box.

At 1.88 meters tall, Cavani had a clear physical advantage over Gallas and Toure, neither of whom could challenge him effectively in the air.

The header fell to Sanchez, who sprinted to the ball and controlled it expertly with his right foot, shielding it from the advancing Sagna.

Sanchez now faced Sagna one-on-one at the edge of the box. Behind him, Cavani moved into the penalty area, ready to receive the ball, while Di Maria hovered near the right side, prepared to make a run.

Arsenal's defense scrambled to cover their respective threats. Sagna focused on Sanchez, while the central defenders kept an eye on Cavani. Meanwhile, Di Maria's movement drew the attention of Clichy and Song.

Sanchez feinted as if to cross toward Cavani, causing Sagna and the Arsenal defense to react. But instead of delivering the cross, Sanchez pushed the ball back to his right, slipped past Sagna, and delivered a low pass to the edge of the box.

Rakitic, perfectly positioned just outside the penalty area, met the ball. With no defenders marking him, he took a touch and fired a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.

The ball slammed into the goal.

"GOAL!!!!"

"Napoli takes the lead! Less than six minutes into the game, Rakitic scores!"

---

On the touchline, Gao Shen leapt into the air, fists raised in celebration.

The goal may have seemed sudden, but for Gao Shen, it was the product of meticulous planning. From David Luiz's long pass to Cavani's header and Sanchez's clever movement, every piece of the play had been carefully rehearsed.

Rakitic's perfectly timed arrival and finish capped off a brilliantly executed sequence.

Gao Shen hugged Zidane and his staff before turning to cheer at his players, giving them a thumbs-up.

Finally, he glanced at Wenger on the opposing bench. The Arsenal manager, impeccably dressed in a suit and his signature red tie, now wore a dark expression.

"This," Gao Shen thought to himself, "is my demonstration. Do you understand?"

His heart swelled with confidence.

See? He had been right all along.

Playing against Arsenal wasn't so difficult after all.

Scoring against Wenger's team? Even easier.