Chapter 28: Don't you agree, Gary?

Chapter 28: Don't You Agree, Gary?

The television broadcast replayed the moment of Li Mo’s goal over and over.

"Jourden is a highly experienced goalkeeper; he had almost closed down the angle entirely, but Li Mo calmly used a feint, creating the space to slot it into the near post!"

"It was a simple, unadorned finish. Any professional player in an unpressured situation would be expected to convert, but the crux of the matter is that Li Mo was facing a goalkeeper charging out with aggressive intent."

"He was cool—incredibly cool! It’s hard to imagine he is only seventeen."

In the broadcast booth, the commentator for France’s TF1 was no longer expecting Montpellier to pull off any miracles in the final minutes. He began to heap praise on Li Mo’s performance.

"He plays like a seasoned veteran with a decade of experience," the commentator remarked.

The visiting Arsenal fans were cheering, singing at the top of their lungs: "…He is our wonderkid!" The singing resonated throughout the entire stadium. Montpellier fans had already begun to leave the stands early.

On the sidelines, Arsène Wenger clapped for Li Mo’s goal while pondering a critical question: Was Li Mo ready to become a starter? Two consecutive braces. With such an explosive performance, from any perspective, Wenger could no longer keep Li Mo on the bench. If a forward in such fine form was consistently denied a starting spot, what kind of blow would that be to his morale?

Arsenal brought home a victory from their away trip, securing a winning start to their Champions League campaign. However, they did not sit at the top of their group, as Schalke 04, playing at home, showed excellent form by easily defeating Olympiacos 3-0, taking the top spot on goal difference.

Before the match, many believed the group was highly complex and that Montpellier definitely had a chance to qualify. But now, it seemed the group would be a battle for the top spot between Schalke 04 and Arsenal.

Following the conclusion of this round of Champions League matches, Li Mo, having performed the feat of scoring twice, naturally became the focus of media attention across Europe. Two games, two braces—and both were debuts: one in his professional league debut and the other in his Champions League debut. Scoring twice in both instances immediately propelled Li Mo from an obscure youth player to a rising star under the gaze of all Europe. After all, the teams he scored against were no pushovers: in the league, it was Manchester City, the defending Premier League champions; in the Champions League, it was Montpellier, the defending Ligue 1 champions.

It could be said that neither were "minnows." Being able to score against such teams spoke volumes about Li Mo’s ability. Consequently, after this Champions League matchday, media outlets in many countries reported extensively on Li Mo—especially since his journey over the past six months seemed quite legendary.

"Is his football IQ truly that high? Li Mo, the genius who succeeded in a six-month transformation!"
"A boy who rose against the tide after facing adversity!"
"Scoring consecutive braces, is he truly the successor to Robin van Persie at Arsenal?"

Various headlines centered on Li Mo. Fans of all clubs were discussing this young man with the unconventional path. His four goals appeared on television almost every day. In short, Li Mo had become truly famous.

At the Carrington Training Ground in Manchester, Sir Alex Ferguson put down his newspaper, muttering, "What a lucky bastard."

He had actually planned to retire, but after losing the title on the final day of the previous season to a "last-gasp" Manchester City victory, Ferguson decided to stay on for one more year. To ensure he won the title this season, he needed a reliable striker. He had set his sights on Arsenal captain Robin van Persie. Thus, this season, Van Persie had come to Manchester United and proved to be an instant success, quickly becoming their most relied-upon goalscorer.

As for Arsenal, who had lost Van Persie, Ferguson had not paid much attention—Arsenal could field a decent starting eleven, but their squad was riddled with "glass men," and the other players were either too young or mediocre. In short, Arsenal lacked the squad depth to pose a significant threat to the three title contenders: Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea. From the current state of the Premier League, it was indeed a three-horse race. As for Arsenal, they were merely spoilers.

However, Ferguson was genuinely interested in Li Mo.

"He’s like a taller, faster, and more physically gifted Solskjaer—at least that’s how it looks for now," Ferguson told his assistant, Mike Phelan.

Phelan nodded. "Perhaps the kid will soon become Arsenal’s starting center-forward."

Ferguson picked up the newspaper again, then set it down with a look of regret. "How on earth does that old man get so lucky?" he muttered again.

In fact, after this Champions League match, as English media looked ahead to the fifth round of the Premier League, most outlets mentioned Arsenal with a caveat: "Li Mo might start in this league round."

The media’s speculation was not without basis. Firstly, Arsenal had played in the Champions League during the week, so some squad rotation over the weekend was normal. Secondly, Arsenal’s opponent for the weekend was Southampton, a team not particularly strong, and playing at home gave them the confidence to rotate. Moreover, giving a player who had scored two consecutive braces a start was a form of reward.

Therefore, in most media predictions, Li Mo was projected as Arsenal’s starting center-forward.

"Yes, I believe Mr. Wenger will definitely start him," Arsenal legend Martin Keown said firmly on Sky Sports' "Premier League Preview" program. "No coach would ignore a forward who has scored four goals in his last two games."

"Of course, I’m not saying this because I want to slap Gary Neville in the face. It’s just a reasonable inference based on the current situation." Martin Keown smiled and turned his head to look at Gary Neville, who was sitting on the other side. "Don't you agree, Gary?"

Gary Neville was currently considering whether he should earn less in appearance fees for a while and just go home to avoid the spotlight. Whenever he appeared on television, someone would inevitably bring up the "flag" he had planted earlier to mock him. However, precisely because many fans loved to see Gary Neville humbled, the television stations were savvy enough to pay him extra just to keep him on the program—from that perspective, Gary Neville really ought to thank Li Mo. After all, it is not easy for retired players to make money.