From Arsenal, Forge the Path to Football God

-----------

This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// geriatrictranslations.com/

Special Permission was given to upload the novel on WebNovel.

Geriatric Translations can be supported on patreon (https://www. patreon.com/geriatricvibes) where additional chapters can be enjoyed. 

You can also join the Geriatric Translations Community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua

-----------

"Don't waste shots!"

A voice came from the backfield. It was Ian, frowning, who always had a bone to pick with Maël and took any chance to belittle him.

"Great attempt, keep it up!"

However, the head coach, Hans, who was standing on the sidelines, immediately clapped to encourage him, firmly supporting Maël. "Take the shot whenever you have the chance!"

With his words, many Arsenal players who initially thought the shot was of good quality began to chime in.

"Good shot."

"Don't worry, Maël, we all believe in your shooting. We hope you can score your first goal for Arsenal U17!"

"Nice play, a shot on target is always a chance!"

Now it was Ian's turn to feel awkward. His voice was drowned out by the chorus of praise, and no one paid him any attention.

He watched as Maël waved to his teammates, shaking his head in regret, and then saw Maël's gaze skip over him, deliberately ignoring him.

He gritted his teeth and moved with the team formation.

"Don't complain, encourage more."

The team's goalkeeper, Hopkins, standing behind him, reminded him, "Maël is not the same Maël as before. Look at his shooting and tackling skills now; it's best not to make things difficult for him."

Ian snorted but said nothing.

He instinctively turned to look at Wenger on the sidelines, wanting to see the first-team coach's reaction to the shot.

Unfortunately, Mr. Wenger's face was expressionless, revealing nothing.

"Pong!"

The Liverpool goalkeeper then kicked the ball from the goal, choosing to launch it directly to the front field to start a quick counterattack.

The game resumed, and everyone focused, engaging in a battle with the opposing players.

"Pong, pong, pong...!"

The sound of continuous passing echoed, and the pace on the field was fast, with quick turnovers and occasional intense tackles.

Don't think that Wenger sitting on the sidelines only inspired Arsenal players; he inspired Liverpool players too!

Everyone on the field today was trying to show off, dreaming of being spotted by The Professor and making a leap to the Premier League.

Many players were boldly making moves, whether it was the defenders' aggressive positioning and sliding tackles or the attackers' step-overs and Cruyff turns, showcasing their individual skills in various ways.

"Oh...!"

"Get him! Get him! Well done!"

"Dribble past him!"

This easily ignited the fans' interest. Watching such a game was sometimes more entertaining than a dull Premier League match.

The turning point that changed the course of the game came in the 13th minute of the first half when Arsenal captain Gilbert made a mistake and was dispossessed. Liverpool quickly spread out and launched a rapid counterattack.

"Pong!"

When their winger delivered a precise pass to striker #9, the outcome was almost certain.

"Swish!"

Liverpool's #9 leaped high, heading the ball into the Arsenal net before Ian could react, leaving goalkeeper Hopkins helpless.

1-0!

Liverpool took the lead!

"Haha!"

"Yeah...!"

The Liverpool players laughed and ran to the sidelines, high-fiving and hugging each other, reveling in the joy of scoring.

On the Arsenal side, there was a brief silence. Everyone lowered their heads, not speaking.

Hans, standing on the sidelines, scratched his head, returning to the bench with a slightly helpless look, secretly observing Wenger's expression.

Still expressionless, as if none of this mattered to him.

"Sorry, everyone."

On the field, Arsenal captain Gilbert was the first to lift his head, waving to his teammates. "I thought it was fine, but a mistake is a mistake."

"It's okay, no one blames you."

"Let's keep going. There's still plenty of time; we can score a goal."

A wave of encouragement followed, and Maël walked over to him, patting his back. "Pass me the ball when you have a chance. I'll score with a long shot, and you can get an assist to make up for it."

"Hahaha"

This half-joking remark brought a faint smile to Gilbert's face, but he didn't refuse. "You said it, don't let me down."

"Of course."

Maël shrugged and then turned to face the direction of the attack.

"Pong!"

As Arsenal's center-forward Gabi restarted the game, Maël slowly ran into the opposition's half, waiting for an opportunity.

Having just adapted to the rhythm of the youth team game, he had dispelled all his pre-game worries, now only looking forward to scoring a goal.

With his improved physical strength, holding his position wasn't difficult.

Holding his position wasn't difficult, and getting the ball wouldn't be hard either. Completing the final shot shouldn't be hard either.

If he got two or three more chances, he was confident he could score!

Maël's second shot opportunity came in the 21st minute, and it was indeed captain Gilbert who passed him the ball.

"Pong." After judging the ball's trajectory, he glanced back and saw the goalkeeper positioned to the left, so he led the ball to the center, aiming for the far post.

"I'll stop it!"

A confident shout rang out as the Liverpool center-back came to block Maël's shot.

He had seen the fullback's struggle against Maël and knew it was better to defend himself.

He was strong and physically dominant, with excellent tackling skills among the youth players.

Maël initially wanted to take a quick shot but realized the center-back's speed was too fast, and a direct shot would likely be blocked.

Feeling a bit helpless, he took a step forward with his left foot, used his right leg to push his body to the left, trying to push the center-back back.

"Bang!" The sound of flesh colliding echoed, and both stumbled before regaining their balance.

The Liverpool center-back's eyes clearly showed surprise. How could Maël, who was much smaller, match his strength?

In an unnoticed corner, Wenger's eyes also flickered with surprise.

"Pong!!"

A second later, Maël reacted first, folding his right leg and unleashing a powerful shot toward the far post.

The ball rose from the ground, with almost no spin, flying straight toward the far corner, gaining height as it traveled.

"Slap!"

Fortunately, the Liverpool goalkeeper moved quickly, diving to the left just before the ball hit the net, pushing it out.

An incredible save!

This was everyone's first reaction on the field, as they all saw the quality of the shot.

"Phew..." The Liverpool goalkeeper took a deep breath, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his glove.

Giving the opposition a corner kick was the best outcome.

That Arsenal #31, is his long shot so good?

"Pong!!"

Before Maël could finish his regret outside the penalty area, the corner kick was already taken.

As expected, the first point was claimed by the taller Liverpool defender, who headed the ball out of the penalty area.

As for the second point...

When the Liverpool players turned to look outside the penalty area, they saw a face they least wanted to see.

Their expressions showed a mix of fear, as if they knew what was about to happen.

"Pong!!"

That figure stopped the ball, then in one fluid motion, extended his body and kicked with explosive power, unleashing another unstoppable, powerful shot, like an ancient archer drawing back a bow and releasing a sharp arrow.

The Liverpool goalkeeper closed his eyes and dived toward the ball's trajectory, but missed.

By the time he reacted, all he heard was the sound of the net, "Swish!"