Chapter 21: He Is Our Wonder Kid!

Chapter 21: He is Our Wonderkid!

After conceding the first goal, Manchester City, who had almost felt certain of their victory, seemed incensed. They pushed forward aggressively, intending to use the final few minutes to launch a fierce assault and reclaim the lead. However, this approach also exposed the gaps behind them. It was a gamble.

With the Manchester City players feeling anxious after conceding, their very first attack after the restart led to an interception in Arsenal’s defensive third. Then came the counterattack!

Diaby stretched his long legs to intercept a pass intended for the middle from the Manchester City flank. He then laid the ball off to the supporting Arteta. The Spaniard gathered the ball, turned, and looked up, immediately spotting Li Mo making a run along the left wing. At this very moment, only two Manchester City center-backs were sprinting back in defense, and they were still a long way from Li Mo.

Great opportunity!

Arteta did not hesitate. He unleashed a long, diagonal pass. The ball sliced through the air, crossing the entire pitch diagonally, flying toward the path of Li Mo’s run. This was exactly what Wenger saw as he turned around.

Li Mo kept his eyes on the incoming ball while using his peripheral vision to monitor Kompany. "Anticipate your opponent." Kompany was surely waiting for him to settle the ball before closing him down rapidly. Li Mo realized he had no teammates nearby to support him. To be honest, he wasn't confident in his ability to shield the ball under Kompany's pressure—his ball-holding skills and physical strength simply didn't allow for it. Kompany was strong, experienced, and one of the world's top center-backs. Kompany hadn't moved laterally because he was clearly worried that Li Mo might combine a touch with a dribble to burst into the penalty area and face the goalkeeper one-on-one. Thus, he chose to keep retreating, maintaining an appropriate distance, waiting for Li Mo to touch the ball.

In that case...

Li Mo began to adjust his stride. He decided to take a shot with his left foot. This wasn't a desperate punt; Li Mo had made this decision after careful consideration. Firstly, he had practiced volleys on the training ground, and with the "Van Persie Volley Module," he found that his feel for volleying was quite good. Without defensive interference, he could land about fifty percent of his shots on target. Secondly, Arteta’s pass was perfectly weighted, dropping just in front of Li Mo, exactly where he could strike it on the first touch. Thirdly, Kompany had no intention of closing him down; he was waiting for him to stop the ball so he could use his experience and physicality to win the duel—a battle Li Mo knew he couldn't win. Lastly, the goalkeeper he was facing was Joe Hart. Since the opponent was Joe Hart, if he didn't take a crack at it, it would be an insult to his reputation.

Drawing massive confidence from Joe Hart's presence, Li Mo felt that not taking the shot would be a disservice to the situation. Kompany, retreating as expected, was indeed waiting for Li Mo to control the ball. It was a high ball. Regardless of whether Li Mo could control it well—even assuming he could pull off a perfect touch—Kompany would pounce the moment the ball hit his feet. If Li Mo wasn't prepared, Kompany was certain he could poke the ball away. If he were prepared to shield it, Kompany could still tangle with him and wait for Lescott to join for a double-team. Although Li Mo looked green, Kompany knew better than to underestimate any opponent. Especially since Li Mo had already scored once.

However, when Li Mo adjusted his stride, Kompany was stunned. He realized quickly... this kid was going to volley it! Before he could even process the difficulty of the shot, Kompany lunged forward. But he was still a bit too far away; just as he started his sprint, Li Mo had already fired with his left foot! The ball flew past Kompany’s right side. Kompany turned his head to look, only to see Joe Hart frozen in place, watching helplessly as the ball sailed into the net.

"Arteta's long pass... Li... Li!!!!!!!" Andy Gray’s scalp tingled, his eyes bulging. "Volley!! Strike!!!!!!!"

"Gooooooooooooooal!!!"

"Oh my god! Joe Hart! Joe Hart becomes the background art again! Does anyone object if I say this goal is a contender for the Premier League Goal of the Season?"

"Joe Hart is left dumbfounded!"

"This volley... it reminds one of a certain someone. Yes, you all know that name."

Andy Gray’s mouth moved like a machine gun, leaving Martin Keown and Gary Neville unable to get a word in. But in truth, the expressions on their faces were identical: eyes wide, mouths agape. Utterly stunned!

"A replacement for Van Persie? Ha..." Martin whispered. Then, he suddenly remembered something. "Hey, Gary, does your bet still stand?"

Gary Neville looked embarrassed upon hearing this, wishing he could cover his face and walk away.

"Li Mo!! A brace!! My—oh—my god!!!!!" Zhang Jun shouted. He was practically stunned silly by Li Mo's goal. "At this moment, I feel like I'm seeing Van Persie!!"

"Since Li Mo joined Arsenal, many English media outlets have mocked him as the 'Van Persie replacement' that Arsenal found. Now it seems... Li Mo might actually be able to replace Van Persie!!"

"A brace!! Arsenal has turned the score around!! Two-to-one!! In just one minute, the situation has undergone a dramatic reversal. Thanks to Li Mo's brace, especially that second super world-class volley, Arsenal has taken the lead!!"

"Arsenal is on track to win their first league match of the season!!"

Chinese fans were also stunned. Every fan watching the match, even the most optimistic ones before kickoff, could never have imagined this scene. In the final minutes of the game, Li Mo had scored twice in one minute to turn the game on its head! This storyline was simply unbelievable.

"Incredible!!!"

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Van Persie!"

"He really is a replacement for Van Persie!"

"Arsenal got a bargain!!!"

"Chinese Football Association, you idiots, hurry up and act, or he’ll be snatched away by Italy!"

"I think joining the Italian national team is better..."

"+1"

"+1"

The Etihad Stadium fell into a silence that lasted about a second or two. The Manchester City fans were also stunned. A minute ago, they were leading by a goal, and the situation seemed very favorable to them. But a minute later, the script had been completely flipped. The team in the lead was now Arsenal, and that goal from the number 19 was absolutely explosive. They couldn't find any reason to criticize the strike.

The Arsenal fans were also stunned. Two seconds later, they finally reacted. A deafening cheer erupted from the away section. The Arsenal fans, of course, remembered the mockery Manchester City fans had directed at Li Mo earlier. So, they began to sing to the same melody:

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, he’s not anyone’s replacement!"

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, he won't be anyone’s replacement!!"

"He is Li Mo! He is Li Mo! He is our wonderkid!!"

And just like that, this song cheering for Li Mo was created, rather hastily, in the away stand.