Chapter 42: Aircraft! Shoot Down the Aircraft!

Chapter 42: A Sky-High Shot!

When the players from both sides shook hands, Li Mo and Gareth Bale finally locked eyes. However, they quickly released their grips and moved on to the next player.

"Ignored, how disappointing," Li Mo thought to himself. He soon pushed aside any thoughts of "farming Bale-coins," as the match was about to begin.

"The players have stepped onto the pitch! It is a marquee clash in the ninth round of the Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur hosts the Gunners, Arsenal, for the North London Derby!" Zhang Jun took a deep breath and announced loudly. "This is one of the most intense derbies in the Premier League, and the player the fans are most concerned about, Li Mo, is in the starting lineup once again."

"Professor Wenger is still willing to give young players chances, but Li Mo must seize them. He hasn't scored in four consecutive matches!"

As Zhang Jun spoke, the camera lens locked onto Li Mo, who stood at the center circle alongside Olivier Giroud. With the referee's whistle, Giroud tapped the ball over the halfway line, and Li Mo passed it back to Mikel Arteta in the middle.

With Abou Diaby sidelined and Santi Cazorla injured during the international break, the midfield duo consisted of Arteta and Aaron Ramsey. Lukas Podolski played on the left, and Jack Wilshere on the right. In defense, Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny paired as center-backs, flanked by Nacho Monreal on the left and Bacary Sagna on the right, with Wojciech Szczesny in goal. Meanwhile, the "English stars" like Theo Walcott, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were relegated to the bench.

Li Mo discovered that training in heavy rain and playing a match in it were two different things. The rain hammered down relentlessly. Even though White Hart Lane had excellent drainage and there was no standing water, the pitch surface had become soft and muddy. He had prepared to make a run to receive a pass, but because the ball was played slightly behind him, he attempted a sharp stop-and-turn—a move that would have been effortless on a normal pitch. Instead, he ended up slipping and landing flat on his backside, making a fool of himself.

The Spurs fans in the stands erupted in mocking whistles. Li Mo climbed to his feet, his jersey and shorts covered in mud that felt like a non-Newtonian fluid. He shook his head to clear the rain that was nearly blinding him, but more water poured down from above, forming a curtain in front of his eyes.

Playing in the rain was indeed troublesome.

"Li Mo has fallen. Since arriving in England from Italy, he certainly needs time to re-adapt to the playing conditions," Sky Sports commentator Andy Gray remarked. "Moreover, Li Mo has gone four games without a goal. Yet, Wenger still chose to start him. For Li Mo, learning how to overcome his current difficulties and the bottleneck he is facing is crucial."

"It's a process every young player goes through," Gary Neville added. "That's the nature of youth—form fluctuates; it's hard to be consistent."

"Do you think he'll score today?"

"Hard to say," Neville replied, having learned his lesson and avoiding any "I bet" declarations. As a pundit, he felt compelled to offer his own take. "His playing style is too one-dimensional, which is why he's easy to contain. If he doesn't make a significant breakthrough, his traits are better suited for a substitute role. Much like my former teammate Solskjær—he could become a very good super-sub."

André Villas-Boas stood on the sidelines from the start, showing no intention of retreating despite the torrential downpour. He was observing Li Mo. From what he could see, Li Mo was still struggling to adapt to the weather, and Tottenham’s defense was making it difficult for him to find any rhythm.

Spurs’ defensive line featured Michael Dawson paired with Jan Vertonghen, with Kyle Naughton on the left and Kyle Walker on the right. In front of them sat Tom Huddlestone and the Icelandic international Gylfi Sigurðsson, while French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris guarded the net. The wingers, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon, were both diligent in tracking back—Bale had even started his career as a left-back. This defensive system was the source of Villas-Boas's confidence.

Li Mo’s efforts to expand his range and pull the Spurs defense out of position had yielded zero results so far. Villas-Boas felt more at ease, content to wait for the counter-attack. With the pace of Bale, Lennon, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Jermain Defoe, they were like a fleet of sports cars; once they broke away, they would be unstoppable.

Li Mo realized that Tottenham’s approach was similar to his previous four opponents: compressing the middle and denying him space to penetrate. It was no wonder Villas-Boas saw him as no threat.

Meanwhile, Wenger furrowed his brows. Unlike Spurs, who were clearly playing for defensive counter-attacks, Arsenal wanted to string together intricate passes. But in this terrible weather, doing so was incredibly difficult. Yet, Wenger was hesitant to abandon their attacking control, largely due to his lack of confidence in their defensive midfield. His eyes shifted to Li Mo. It seemed the team had to rely on him; he was their most potent goal-scoring threat. If Li Mo could just nick one, the situation would improve significantly.

Li Mo dropped deep to receive the ball and laid it off to Podolski. He tried to surge into the box, but it was packed with bodies. He stood his ground and signaled for the ball. Podolski, finding no space to push forward, passed it back. The Spurs players weren't particularly wary of Li Mo in the midfield, as he usually only served as a transition point to shift the ball to the other flank.

But this time, Li Mo had other ideas. Seeing the Spurs players were not closing him down tightly, he nudged the ball forward with his right foot, cut inside, and unleashed a strike!

The moment his foot struck the ball, his standing leg slipped, and his body veered to the left. The result of the long-range shot was predictable.

"A plane! A plane! A sky-high shot!" The fans at White Hart Lane cheered and danced, even mimicking the sound of jet engines.

Li Mo lay on the ground, looking disheveled. Amidst the roaring laughter from the stands, his first attempt at a shot from outside the box had been, well, a little bit of a disaster.