The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 380: A Shocking Turn

The rhythm of the match at the start of the second half mirrored the entire first half—stiflingly dull.

By the 60th minute, the Arsenal fans in the stands began to show signs of impatience.

Millwall was their main rival for the title, and with their weakened squad this season and the absence of Nedved and Ronaldinho today, it was the perfect opportunity for Arsenal to seize a crucial victory. This match was worth six points!

The Lions' fans were comforting each other, thinking that even though they weren't as strong as before, they were still holding their own and playing pretty well away from home.

Wenger was torn, frequently glancing at Aldrich, hoping Millwall would take the initiative.

"You're behind in points; don't you want to at least fight for the halfway championship?"

Arsenal struggled to gain an advantage in the midfield; both teams were at a stalemate. Millwall, opting for a strengthened midfield, had sacrificed one forward. This left Arsenal with little space in both attacking and counterattacking situations, failing to create any real threats.

Millwall was in a similar situation—thin on attacking options and tightly marked by Arsenal's defense.

Five minutes passed, and Millwall made a double substitution.

Aldrich remained seated as Klinsmann approached the sidelines with Henry and Larsson, preparing to bring them on. He held his tactical notebook, briefing them on their roles once they entered the pitch, and they listened attentively while nodding in agreement.

The commentator became excited.

"Here come the big guns for Millwall! Larsson is back from injury, and Hall is giving him about 25 minutes to make an impact. Henry has been on fire recently—his presence is impossible to ignore! It seems that Millwall is ready to ramp up the pressure in the closing moments!"

Wenger was even more thrilled than the commentator.

He stood up, signaling for his defense to be alert.

Finally, Millwall was ready to attack!

Was this good news?

Wenger believed so. As long as the opponent pushed forward, it would provide opportunities for Arsenal. If they could withstand the pressure, transitioning to a counterattack was their specialty.

Larsson replaced Van Nistelrooy, and Henry came on for Gronkjaer.

"Hall seems to have made positional substitutions, but there should be a change in their attack. Larsson will play as a center forward while Henry takes the wing. They can swap positions in attack, with Van der Meyde providing support on the other side."

Wenger thought these substitutions would prompt a strong Millwall offensive, but he was mistaken. Standing at the sidelines, he frowned in frustration.

Millwall's tactics hadn't changed; they simply made positional replacements.

Henry's entry for Gronkjaer had little impact; it was still a battle of individual efforts, with Larsson upfront unable to provide the necessary firepower, much like a lackluster Van Nistelrooy. As for Van der Meyde, despite his accurate crossing, Larsson was tightly marked—how could he possibly get to the ball?

Wenger was puzzled. If Millwall wasn't changing their strategy and didn't commit more forces to the attack, what was the point of their substitutions?

With the clock ticking down, Aldrich watched the match with a calm demeanor, showing little emotion.

He realized that by setting his expectations lower, he felt no pressure at all.

"Let's see who can hold their nerve!"

Millwall's primary objective today is to avoid conceding a goal. So what if Arsenal has the lead? As the second half of the season tests squad depth, Millwall's key players will gradually return to the lineup. Arsenal, on the other hand, will have to rely on their current squad and see who can hold on until the end!

Wenger was genuinely anxious. If Arsenal couldn't secure a win against Millwall at home, they risked falling behind Manchester United.

Even if Aldrich publicly declared his championship ambitions for this season, did Wenger truly believe him? Who knew if this was just a psychological ploy!

What if Aldrich is just trying to lift the team's spirits by setting a big goal, while the real focus is on developing the younger players this season?

Let Ronaldinho, Van Nistelrooy, Van der Meyde, Duff, and others grow and improve further—next season, they'd truly shine with their matured skills and strategies.

For Arsenal to retain their title, they had to win this match, and they needed to capture both morale and points!

Wenger urged his team to play a bit riskier and more directly.

But Millwall's seven-man defense remained impenetrable. In the 83rd minute, Arsenal pushed forward down the flank before turning to the center. Pires's pass was intercepted by Gattuso, triggering a counterattack from Millwall!

Lampard passed to Van der Meyde and immediately surged forward. Ahead of him was only Petit as the lone defensive line. Vieira, having failed to support in the center, was now sprinting back.

Van der Meyde received the ball and quickly sent it to the middle, where the returning Larsson awaited. Arsenal's defense was on high alert.

Without waiting for Adams to close in, Larsson returned the ball to the advancing Lampard, who made a decisive play toward the left front.

Henry!

Henry cut inside and received the ball, and it seemed the Arsenal fans could smell danger.

However, Henry curiously laid the ball diagonally to the other side. Whom was he targeting?

Adams was tightly marking Larsson, but with an expression of disbelief, he realized Henry's pass wasn't aimed at Larsson!

Aldrich's eyes sparkled; he focused intently on the unfolding attack.

Larsson, positioned as a center forward, was more of a distraction today. Having just returned from injury, his direct threat had diminished significantly, yet his presence on the pitch could attract defensive attention. Expecting him to directly challenge Arsenal's goal would be too demanding.

Hence, Aldrich had substituted him in to facilitate the team's play.

As for Henry, Wenger would definitely remind the defense to keep an eye on him, considering he had been specifically promoted from Monaco.

In Millwall's attack, only a handful of players posed threats. Henry, the summer transfer star, definitely wouldn't be overlooked.

When Henry got the ball, Arsenal's defense would undoubtably focus on him.

For this solid defensive line, marking one player was simple, marking two was manageable, but with both Larsson and Henry drawing attention, that's when the real danger could manifest when the third player arrived!

Henry's diagonal pass aimed behind Arsenal's defense, rolling directly toward the back post.

There, one player was perfectly positioned, slotting the ball into the top corner of the goal.

"Goal! Van der Meyde is the hero! This Dutchman hadn't made a single meaningful impact for over 80 minutes! Not even once! But this time, he arrived at the back post to score, giving Millwall a surprising 1-0 lead over the defending champions! This goal was completely unexpected, demonstrating Millwall's rapid counterattack and cohesive teamwork. Everyone thought the finish would come from Henry or Larsson; even Lampard making an attacking run could have been tightly marked by Arsenal, but unexpectedly, it was Van der Meyde—who usually played supportive roles—who struck! This must've been part of Hall's tactical plan, otherwise, Van der Meyde wouldn't have taken such risks to dash into the box, knowing the vulnerabilities left behind; they understood just how fast Arsenal could counterattack!"

After the goal, Aldrich finally stood up, pumping his fists in a small celebration.

Wenger was furious and shook his head repeatedly.

Millwall's tactics hadn't changed, but the emphasis of their attack had shifted.

Nobody anticipated that Aldrich's substitutions of Henry and Larsson were actually meant to create space for Van der Meyde!

The stands at Highbury were filled with disgruntled Arsenal fans.

Was this Christmas going to end in tragedy?

The Lions' fans, on the other hand, were ecstatic.

What a fantastic Christmas gift!

They had expected only a draw, especially since they were the visiting team and were missing some important players.

Now, with less than 10 minutes left, they were ecstatic with victory in sight!

Having taken the lead, Aldrich gestured for his team to remain steady, emphasizing focus on solid defending while being more cautious in attack. Without a good opportunity, they should control the ball, and as Arsenal pressed forward aggressively, the spaces would become even larger.

Wenger stood with his arms crossed, a serious expression on his face, contemplating his next moves.

Given Arsenal's usual approach, it seemed unlikely they could break through Millwall's defenses.

In terms of squad depth, Arsenal didn't match Millwall, particularly with few game-changers left to substitute in.

His options for personnel changes were limited; he would have to adjust their tactics instead.

He gestured to his players.

In the final three minutes, Arsenal's style of play transformed completely.

Aldrich, seeing the situation on the field, rushed to the sidelines, signaling to Lampard to get back.

Arsenal surprisingly opted for long balls and crosses!

Moreover, their players controlled the ball well. Instead of passing to anyone's head, they targeted the areas behind the defenders to let Bergkamp fight for the ball. Bergkamp's ball control was nothing short of masterful.

If it was a usual scenario, Millwall wouldn't fear Arsenal's long passes.

However, for the preceding 85 minutes, Arsenal had predominantly played on the ground. Millwall's players had unconsciously adapted to that style, and this sudden shift was bound to throw them off balance—much like how they were caught off guard by Van der Meyde's forward run!

Just three seconds after Aldrich's adjustments, as Lampard had yet to return, Pires delivered a diagonal long pass from the left side, skimming past the defenders' gaps. As the ball headed toward the end line, a surging Bergkamp managed to get a touch. Ferdinand, eager to defend, dashed over to clear the ball, but Bergkamp's touch was too heavy, and the ball rolled out of play—Ferdinand's boot caught Bergkamp's foot in the process.

Bergkamp collapsed in the box, and the referee whistled, pointing to the penalty spot!

"Arsenal has been awarded a penalty! As the match nears its end, they've received a penalty! Ferdinand protests to the referee, arguing that Bergkamp mishandled the ball and didn't commit a foul."

Aldrich walked over to have a word with the fourth official, as he felt the call wasn't right.

"The ball went out of play first! The referee could call a foul on Ferdinand for being out of play, but it's not a penalty. You could even give him a red card! But the game should be stopped for that!"

Not all fouls committed inside the box result in a penalty kick. For instance, if a throw-in has been awarded but the ball hasn't been taken, any foul that occurs between players while the ball is out of play can still be penalized, but it wouldn't lead to a penalty kick.

This was a subjective matter, and if the referee deemed the ball out of play, then the match was treated as halted; Ferdinand's foul would not interfere with gameplay—it was merely a personal foul against Bergkamp.

Yet, in a flash, the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

Aldrich found it hard to accept and argued with the fourth official for a while before he ended up discussing with Wenger on the sidelines.

"The standard of officiating in the Premier League must be improved; otherwise, it will hinder the overall progress of the league."

"Indeed, I agree with that," Wenger replied.

He didn't want to argue about the penalty call with Aldrich—there was no point. Both men were reasonable in their discussions.

Bergkamp stepped up to take the penalty, which he converted effortlessly.

In the final moments of injury time, both teams played conservatively, wary of conceding again. The final score ended at 1-1.

Post-match, Aldrich specifically waited to speak with the referee as they left the field. They had a brief exchange, and the referee maintained his stance, affirming that the foul occurred before the ball went out of play. He deemed the actions between Bergkamp and Ferdinand as interconnected and not a technical foul.

Aldrich had no further arguments; after all, he couldn't just tell the referee, "Go check the replay!"