118: Chapter 118 A Second Oddball? Yu Bai Gets a Super Seniority Extension

Corner kick.

Yu Bai stood at the corner flag, taking a deep breath.

He looked at the dense crowd in the penalty area. Arsenal was marking Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld, the two tall targets, tightly.

At the near post, Per Mertesacker stood like an iron tower, his eyes fierce, as if he wanted to keep all incoming balls out and wash away his previous shame.

Yu Bai took his run-up, swung his right leg, and used the inside of his foot to send a high ball with extreme speed and heavy spin straight to the near post!

The tactic was clear: use the ball speed and spin to find Harry Kane at the near post, creating chaos or going for a direct shot.

Per Mertesacker watched the incoming ball and roared internally: "This time, it must be a clean clearance!"

He kicked off the ground with both feet, his tall frame leaping with full force, his forehead aimed at the ball's flight path, preparing to use a powerful Heading to clear the ball far out of the penalty area!

His timing for the jump was perfect, his body extended, and his judgment of the forehead contact point was accurate.

However—

Just as his forehead was about to slam into the ball—

That cross, which had been whistling through the air and looked unstoppable, underwent that eerie change again, the kind that made Per Mertesacker want to curse.

The ball speed, in the split second before contact, "paused" extremely subtly yet undeniably, slowing down just a fraction!

It was like a high-speed bullet suddenly passing through a layer of invisible, viscous air!

This deceleration, so subtle it was almost impossible to capture with the naked eye, had catastrophic consequences!

Per Mertesacker's forehead was committed to the "original speed" and "original trajectory"!

The result—

He felt his forehead hit not the hard, solid ball he expected, but a slightly "lagging," "soft" sensation!

His full-force jump and swinging motion had already been committed and could not be retracted.

And so—

"Bang!" A slightly dull sound.

The ball was not cleared forcefully out of the penalty area. Instead, after making contact slightly above Per Mertesacker's forehead, it was carried by his downward momentum and, at an extremely awkward, backward angle, lightly grazed toward the goal!

This was not a clearance at all!

It was more like... a careless backward header toward his own goal!

Guarding against everything, yet unable to guard against a thief within one's own house!

David Ospina's attention was entirely on Kane at the far post and the potential chaos, completely unprepared for this "clearance" from his own captain at the near post!

He didn't even make a save attempt, just watched helplessly as the ball, which had been "grazed" by Per Mertesacker, changed direction, and drifted slowly—with a mocking arc—over his head and into the net behind him...

3:0!!!

"Gooooooal???"

"My God! Another own goal! Per Mertesacker! A brace of own goals!"

"Unbelievable! Incredible! Per Mertesacker has sent the ball into his own net twice in just twenty minutes!"

"White Hart Lane is going crazy! This is too dramatic!"

The entire stadium, after a full two seconds of dead silence, erupted into a roar of laughter and cheers even more frenzied, absurd, and joyful than before!

Chants of "Per Mertesacker! Thank you!" even rang out from some of the stands.

Yu Bai stood at the corner flag, watching the ball enter the net. His face first showed a hint of bewilderment, then that bewilderment quickly transformed into an irrepressible, brilliantly radiant, and perhaps slightly "wicked" smile!

He pumped his fist hard, feeling delighted inside: Is the "Deceleration Ball" this effective when used on corner kicks?!

In the penalty area, at the moment the ball went in, Per Mertesacker was struck as if by a bolt of lightning! After landing, he didn't even stand steady; with a "thump," he dropped to his knees on the turf!

He lowered his head, hands supporting his weight on the ground, his chest heaving violently as if he couldn't catch his breath.

A few seconds later, he suddenly raised his right fist and, with all his might, slammed it against the turf beneath him, over and over again!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Each blow was heavy and filled with anger.

Incomprehensible!

Truly incomprehensible!

How could he commit such low-level, such unlucky, such shameful mistakes in succession?!

A brace!

And a brace of own goals at that!

In the North London Derby!

Broadcast globally!

This was worse than killing him!

"Damn it..."

He squeezed out a curse of extreme frustration and breakdown from between his teeth in German.

[Hahaha! A brace! And own goals! Per Mertesacker is a comedian tonight!]

[Xiao Bai's crosses... are a bit sinister! Why does Per Mertesacker score an own goal every time he crosses? That's twice now!]

[Per Mertesacker: Who am I? Where am I? Why do I play football?]

...

Arsenal restarted the game, and the remaining time in the first half was consumed by their numb passing.

"Beep—beep—beep—!!!"

The first half ended.

Players from both sides walked toward the tunnel with their heads down. The atmosphere was completely different—Tottenham players were smiling, while Arsenal players, especially Per Mertesacker, looked gloomy, as if everyone owed him five million, his head buried low, not daring to look at anyone.

Yu Bai walked in the middle of the Tottenham team, feeling pleasant.

Just then, from behind him, an extremely slight, barely audible sound, as if squeezed from the depths of the throat, drifted into his ears:

"Da... ddy..."

The sound was so small it was almost completely drowned out by the noise in the tunnel, and it was filled with extreme reluctance and shame.

Yu Bai's footsteps paused slightly, his brow furrowed in confusion, and he instinctively looked back.

Behind him were players filing in; Per Mertesacker's tall figure was just a few steps behind him, still with his head down, expression unreadable.

Was it a hallucination? Yu Bai shook his head; it was highly likely the site was too noisy, and he misheard. He didn't think much of it and turned to continue walking.

He indeed hadn't heard clearly.

But the person who made the sound, after saying those two words, seemed to have used up all his strength, his head hanging even lower, though his ears turned uncontrollably red.

If you say it, you have to do it.

At the very least, you have to get past yourself.

Anyway... nobody heard.

...

Second half, teams swapped sides.

Arsenal, as Aaron Ramsey said, fought to the death in the desperate situation of trailing 0:3.

Wenger's team showed amazing resilience and combat effectiveness, unleashing a storm of High Pressing and siege on Tottenham from the very start.

Tottenham was almost suffocated, struggling to even get past the halfway line, in a highly passive situation.

In the 61st minute, Arsenal's continuous siege finally paid off.

Aaron Ramsey sent a cross from the right flank that wasn't fast but had a tricky landing spot.

Tottenham center-back Kevin Wimmer, while tracking back, made a mistake in the chaos. Facing the incoming ball, he didn't pull back his raised arm in time and was hit squarely by the ball!

"Bang!"

The sound was clearly audible!

"Beep—!!!"

Referee Lee Mason's whistle was sharp; with keen observation, he pointed to the penalty spot without hesitation!

Penalty!

Wimmer held his head in regret; Tottenham players went up to argue, but Mason's judgment was firm.

Alexis Sánchez held the ball, stood before the penalty spot, faced Hugo Lloris, calmly took his run-up, and pushed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal!

Hugo Lloris guessed the right direction, but the ball was too fast and the angle too tricky!

1:3! Arsenal pulled one back!

After scoring, Alexis Sánchez didn't celebrate much, picked up the ball, and ran to the center circle.

The game seemed to have suspense again.