Bonus for 200 PS, we're doing badly this week with PS : (
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July 19, 2003.
Yaya Toure would always remember that day.
It was a knot in his heart.
In that summer, long before anyone knew what kind of incredible legend would unfold, the 20-year-old Yaya Toure was still playing for Beveren in Belgium, while his older brother, Kolo Toure, had already made a name for himself at Arsenal.
Thanks to this connection, Arsenal's head coach, Arsène Wenger, gave Yaya Toure a chance to join the team's summer training camp.
Yaya Toure arrived in London full of hope, dreaming of staying at Arsenal just like his brother.
Back then, he had no idea what the future held, but he was full of expectation.
To him, Arsenal was everything.
During Arsenal's preseason preparations, Yaya Toure worked exceptionally hard and was soon given a chance to prove himself in a friendly match against lower-league side Barnet.
In that game, Yaya Toure was placed in Arsenal's favored 4-4-2 formation, positioned higher up the pitch, similar to an attacking midfielder. But this role did not suit his strengths.
He had power and excellent footwork, but his movements were slower, and he lacked quick decision-making with the ball under pressure. This made him struggle against a high-intensity pressing defense.
It was similar to what Giroud once said about himself—his shooting efficiency suffered because his tall frame limited his mobility.
As a result, Yaya Toure missed a great chance in the match, and Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by Barnet.
After the game, Arsenal officially informed him of their decision.
"Unfortunately, we have tried our best, but under the current circumstances, we are unable to apply for a work permit for you. We hope you will continue to work hard and gain playing time, eventually earning a place in your national team. The door will always be open for outstanding young players like you."
At first, Yaya Toure truly believed the issue was the work permit.
But not long after, word came from his brother Kolo Toure that Wenger did not rate him highly, believed he would struggle to succeed, and was unwilling to push for a special talent exemption on his behalf.
It was the first time the young Ivorian truly experienced the harsh reality of professional football.
Behind the friendly smile was a cold, cruel truth.
So, he chose to go to Ukraine, into the snowy unknown.
For years afterward, he worked tirelessly to climb up the football ladder. After each good performance, he tried to move to a better team. He kept pushing forward, determined that one day, he would stand at the top of professional football, right in front of those who had once looked down on him.
Now, October 24, 2010.
Manchester, Etihad Stadium.
The ninth round of the Premier League.
Yaya Toure was finally standing in front of Wenger.
…
As soon as referee Howard Webb blew the opening whistle, Manchester City immediately launched a fierce assault on Arsenal.
Especially in midfield.
Alexander Song was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. In this match, Arsenal's midfield trio consisted of Fabregas, Denilson, and Rosicky. Meanwhile, Manchester City deployed Yaya Toure and Fernandinho as their double defensive midfielders.
Just two minutes into the game, Fabregas lost possession under pressure from Yaya Toure in midfield. Yaya snatched the ball cleanly and quickly sent it out to the wing, finding Lichtsteiner, before charging forward himself.
Arsenal tried to reorganize and counter-press near the halfway line, but Lichtsteiner pushed the ball upfield, playing it to Robinho, then made a run down the right flank.
Robinho carried the ball forward on the right, drawing the attention of both Clichy and Denilson. Then, he calmly laid the ball back toward the right side.
Lichtsteiner sprinted at full speed, holding off Clichy with his body as he cut into the penalty area from the right. With Arsenal's defenders focused on Van Persie and Sturridge, Lichtsteiner suddenly squared the ball back toward the top of the box.
Right at that moment, Yaya Toure arrived, running onto the pass. Without even taking a touch to control, he struck the ball first-time.
The sound of the shot echoed around the stadium, as if the air itself had exploded.
The ball rocketed into the goal guarded by Fabianski like a cannonball.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"Just three minutes into the match and Yaya Toure opens the scoring for Manchester City!!"
"Another lightning-fast start from Manchester City!"
"Yaya Toure's interception kicked off this attack, and his thunderous strike from the edge of the box has blasted open the door to victory!"
The Ivorian midfielder roared as he sprinted to the sideline to celebrate, his expression intense and wild.
He looked like a lion from the African plains, roaring in defiance.
Wenger, did you see that?
Do you regret it?
…
Wenger regretted it.
But not because of Yaya Toure.
He had no idea what was going through Yaya Toure's mind at that moment.
In fact, he didn't even know that the Ivorian had carried this anger and frustration in his heart for so many years.
For Wenger, he had simply turned down a young player who, at the time, was not qualified to play for Arsenal.
As for Yaya Toure's later success, that was not something Wenger could have predicted back then.
What Wenger regretted right now was his choice of midfield.
With Song suspended due to yellow cards, Wenger had considered pairing Diaby, Denilson, and Fabregas. But given Rosicky's recent good form, he had opted for the Czech midfielder instead.
Now, it was clear that Arsenal's midfield trio could not match up to Manchester City's double pivot.
Especially Yaya Toure.
Wenger still remembered when Yaya Toure had trialed at Arsenal. Back then, he had played as an attacking midfielder, and his performance had not been convincing. In hindsight, Wenger felt his judgment had been correct.
But later, Yaya Toure moved into a deeper role, even playing as a center-back at Barcelona.
Now, with Fernandinho alongside him in midfield, Gao Shen had unlocked Yaya Toure's full potential, allowing him to roam freely between attack and defense.
Tonight, Yaya Toure seemed unstoppable, playing with extraordinary aggression.
It was almost over the top.
Wenger couldn't help but feel some regret.
But he quickly walked to the touchline, signaling to his midfielders to tighten up defensively and maintain possession.
Manchester City were playing a 4-4-2 formation with double defensive midfielders tonight, which had once again caught Wenger off guard.
Since taking over at Manchester City, Gao Shen rarely stuck to a fixed tactical system. He always adjusted based on the opponent.
Although it looked like a standard 4-4-2 on paper, both Sturridge and Van Persie frequently dropped deep, while Hazard and Robinho on the wings stayed high, keeping the team in a highly aggressive posture.
Among the two defensive midfielders, Yaya Toure had the freedom to roam widely.
This meant Manchester City's formation often shifted between 4-4-2 and 4-1-3-2.
While Wenger was still thinking about adjustments, Manchester City created another chance. Hazard cut inside from the left and played a sharp through ball. Van Persie unleashed a shot from outside the box, but the ball narrowly missed the target.
Wenger let out a breath of relief.
Manchester City's opening attack had been relentless.
Wenger had not expected Gao Shen to completely transform Manchester City in just one year.
While investment certainly played a role, the key was Gao Shen's ability to integrate the squad and deploy his tactics effectively.
Wenger walked to the sideline again, signaling his players to stay calm and focus on defensive organization.
If they could weather this early storm, the game would still be within reach.
Only one goal down, the situation was not yet disastrous.
But just three minutes later, as Arsenal pushed their attack into Manchester City's half, Walcott tried to break down the right flank but was intercepted by Fernandinho. On the left, Leighton Baines pushed forward and delivered the ball to Hazard.
The Belgian winger beat Sagna with a quick move, then dribbled diagonally into the box and played a brilliant through ball.
Sturridge, who had been lurking near Kolo Toure, suddenly made his run.
The English striker, known for his explosive pace, shook off Kolo Toure and broke into the box, meeting Hazard's pass perfectly. In a one-on-one with Fabianski, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"Seventh minute, Sturridge!!"
"Manchester City have scored twice in less than ten minutes!"
"My God! Hazard's through ball was absolutely brilliant, cutting straight through Arsenal's defensive lines. Sturridge's off-the-ball movement was equally superb, creating this one-on-one opportunity."
"Manchester City's attack has been unstoppable from the opening whistle, and Arsenal's defense has simply been unable to cope."
After scoring, Sturridge ran wildly toward the stands, celebrating passionately.
The fans at the Etihad erupted, chanting the name of their homegrown striker.
Although Sturridge was not yet Manchester City's first-choice center forward, he had already broken into the England national team and was highly regarded by fans.
On the sideline, Wenger shook his head, clearly stunned by the second goal.
It had come too fast.
Just moments earlier, they had been stabilizing their position, yet suddenly their defense was breached again.
"Our back line was positioned a bit too high. Gao Shen took advantage of the transitional phase between attack and defense," assistant coach Pat Rice reminded him.
Gao Shen often said, no one in the world was better at beating Arsenal than him.
Why?
Because he always exploited Arsenal's weakness in defensive transitions.
In fact, more and more teams had begun to adopt this modern playing style.
Any team capable of implementing it would make life extremely difficult for Arsenal.
But Wenger felt helpless.
He couldn't have his team sit back entirely.
That simply wasn't Arsenal's style.
Why was Arsenal's match-day revenue still the highest in the Premier League despite underwhelming results?
Because their games were always entertaining. Even with the highest ticket prices in the world, their matches were still sold out, and tickets were hard to come by.
Maintaining that style came at a cost.
This thought crossed Wenger's mind, but on the pitch, after the restart, Manchester City quickly seized the initiative again with another counterattack.
And once again, it started with Yaya Toure.
(To be continued.)
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