Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 122

122: Arsenal, a Fierce Battle

While Burnley’s dedicated fans flocked to Turf Moor, broadcasting stations across the UK were also televising the Burnley vs. Arsenal match.

Arsenal, a prestigious club with a long history but in a prolonged decline since the retirement of long-time manager Arsène Wenger, versus Burnley, a smaller but solid team that had risen to the top ranks thanks to their manager’s outstanding tactical abilities.

This alone was enough to draw football fans’ attention away from the Qatar World Cup, but Arsenal and Burnley had even more points of interest that fans and critics alike found intriguing.

[…It looks like it will be an interesting match. Manager Kim’s Burnley is using their signature 4-3-3 formation, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal is responding with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Burnley has often been called a ‘Burnley Kindergarten,’ but Arsenal also has a surprisingly young starting lineup.]

[The two youngest managers in the Premier League! And the two youngest squads in the Premier League! But when you compare the ages of the attacking lines, it’s truly remarkable.]

The commentator’s assessment drew agreement from the announcer.

[Indeed. Arsenal’s attacking line consists of Gabriel Jesus as the central striker, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the left and right wings, respectively, and Martin Ødegaard as the attacking midfielder. The average age of these four is only 22.8 years old.]

[Burnley is not far behind. While Karim Adeyemi, the German national team talent who made a splash at the World Cup, has not yet returned from vacation, their central striker, Benjamin Šeško, along with Dwight McNeil and Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson, average 20.6 years old.]

The announcer and commentator paused briefly and shook their heads simultaneously.

[Looking at the average age alone, you wouldn’t be surprised if this was a reserve team match for players under 23, but these are already accomplished players who have firmly proven their talent in the football world.]

[In fact, even if you look at the entire starting lineup, it’s quite impressive. Arsenal’s oldest player, Thomas Partey, is only 29 years old. Burnley’s oldest player, goalkeeper Nick Pope, is 30 years old.]

[It’s truly a battle of youth versus youth, speed versus stamina. Last season, Arsenal showcased their experienced game management and became the only team to defeat Burnley twice in the league. It will be interesting to see what countermeasures Manager Kim will bring out against Arsenal, who have proven to be a difficult opponent for Burnley.]

The screen showed the players warming up before the match, and the announcer mentioned a player who was not on the field with interest.

[Karim Adeyemi, who has not yet returned from vacation, continues to be linked with big clubs. Manchester United and Newcastle are rumored to be in the lead.]

[Manchester United will likely want to reinforce their attack after not seeing the expected rebound even after Erik ten Hag took over as manager, and Newcastle is undergoing a complete team overhaul, so they are bound to be interested.]

[In fact, there are rumors that Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga [German Football League], and PSG [Paris Saint-Germain] have also started showing interest since the end of the World Cup. It seems it will be difficult for Burnley to keep Karim Adeyemi in this summer transfer window.]

***

“No one likes us!”

“We don’t care!”

“We are Burnley!”

“Super Burnley!”

“We are Burnley!”

“From the Moor!”

After a goalless first half, the second half began.

At Turf Moor, the home fans’ chants echoed, while the atmosphere in both teams’ technical areas was grim.

“Ugh… I thought I wouldn’t have to do this damn Boxing Day game this year.”

Hyungmin grumbled, kicking at the grass in the technical area.

Standing next to him, Karolina, who was watching the start of the second half, retorted sarcastically.

“At least this year, you’re not playing two consecutive games with only one day in between. For small clubs like us, that’s something to be grateful for.”

“Hey. You haven’t experienced it, but it’s really awful. How can you have a back-to-back in professional games…? The squad gets exhausted. The coaching staff gets exhausted. The analysis team is practically dead… I don’t know why they even do this.”

“It’s about history and tradition, they say. The British are sensitive about that kind of thing.”

Karolina scoffed as she replied.

“Haa…”

However, as they watched another pass go astray on the field, Hyungmin and Karolina sighed simultaneously.

Just as Manager Mikel Arteta in the opposite technical area was sighing deeply, the referee blew his whistle for a ball that had bounced off an Arsenal player who failed to control it properly and rolled out of bounds.

“Was the break a bit too long?”

Hyungmin muttered as he watched the Burnley players preparing for a throw-in.

They had hastily arranged a practice match against Bayer Leverkusen a few days ago, focusing on players who hadn’t participated in the World Cup, but even then, both teams’ players looked sluggish, worrying both managers.

“Most of them are experiencing a winter break for the first time… It must feel like stopping and starting again after running, so it will probably take longer than expected for everyone to regain their match fitness.”

Karolina, who had joined the coaching staff immediately after commentating on the World Cup final, replied with a slightly weary expression.

At her response, Hyungmin glanced over his shoulder at the bench.

Taejin, who was looking at a tablet with Coach Paulo Morais, who was checking the GPS data of the players moving on the field, shook his head at Hyungmin’s gaze.

“…Their activity level doesn’t seem great either. Well, I can see that with my own eyes, though.”

Both teams’ players are full of enthusiasm, but the final touch is rough.

Rather, the players who returned from the World Cup are a bit heavy on their feet, but their skills are sharper.

Fortunately, thanks to Burnley’s basic tactics, which prioritize stamina over technique, they are not being pushed back significantly, but they still can’t finish.

In particular, Benjamin Šeško, who started as the central striker today, is struggling to regain his match fitness.

“Should we have taken better care of him during the break…?”

Karolina muttered, and Hyungmin shook his head.

“He continued to do the physical training he received from Paulo well. Since he’s young, he probably didn’t have a good sense of how to maintain his match fitness during the break.”

As Karolina clicked her tongue next to him, a cross from Dwight McNeil, who started as Burnley’s left winger, passed over the head of Benjamin Šeško, who jumped a beat late, and landed in the arms of Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

“Hmm… Let’s substitute Benjamin soon. Wout [Weghorst] is more likely to have regained his match fitness.”

“Arsenal has Gabriel [Magalhães] and Ben White… But they’re still better than Benjamin today.”

Karolina agreed with Hyungmin’s suggestion, muttering worriedly.

Arsenal’s central defender duo, which Arsenal boasts and all Premier League managers covet, are young, fast, and technically excellent, and they don’t lose out in physical battles either.

Of course, the fact that they spent almost 100 million pounds just to combine these two is a story from another world for a club like Burnley.

“And let’s replace Jóhann with Max [Cornet].”

“Hmm…”

At Hyungmin’s words, Karolina checked the figure of Burnley’s right winger, Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson, who was running hard on the right flank.

It’s clear that the players who haven’t been in the first team for long have failed to maintain their match fitness during the break.

“Then when should we substitute them?”

“Both at 70 minutes? Still, Benjamin and Jóhann need to play enough so that they can play in the next game too… Ugh!”

As he was answering Karolina’s question, Hyungmin exclaimed at the situation unfolding on the field.

Karolina, who turned her head at Hyungmin’s exclamation to check the situation on the field, clicked her tongue.

Gabriel Martinelli, who started as the left winger in Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1 formation today, was deeply penetrating the right side of Burnley’s penalty box.

Gugga, the right back of the same Brazilian nationality, challenged Gabriel Martinelli, but there was no way to stop the attacker who had already gained momentum.

Eventually, Arsenal’s winger Gabriel Martinelli, who purely outpaced Gugga by flicking the ball towards the corner flag with his left foot, immediately sent a sharp cross towards the center of the penalty box.

Arsenal’s central striker Gabriel Jesus had already moved to the right side of the penalty box to secure a position to receive a short cutback cross, and as a result, Burnley’s central defender James Tarkowski was dragged to the right along with him.

Burnley’s central defender Anel Ahmedhodžić, who remained in the center of the penalty box, jumped up and challenged Arsenal’s attacking midfielder Martin Ødegaard.

“Ah!”

Anel Ahmedhodžić, who had secured a position that perfectly blocked the angle at which a header could fly directly towards the goal, let out a short cry as he watched Martin Ødegaard cleverly direct his header back towards the edge of the box.

A headed pass by Martin Ødegaard not for a direct shot, but to create a shooting opportunity for another Arsenal teammate.

And it was Thomas Partey, who was in charge of central midfield in Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1 formation, who anticipated the ball that fell with a smooth trajectory to the outside of the penalty box.

As Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, who started alongside him as a central midfielder today, effectively blocked Burnley’s defensive midfielder, Nicolas Seiwald, from approaching, Thomas Partey had a perfect shooting opportunity.

“Ooooooh!!!”

Amidst the cheers and shouts of the away fans, the ball, perfectly struck on the outside of the right foot of Arsenal’s central midfielder, flew fiercely and lodged in the upper left corner of Burnley’s goal.

“Tch.”

Hyungmin clicked his tongue as he watched Thomas Partey, who ran to the corner flag and roared, and the Arsenal players who gathered around him and cheered.

“Should we substitute them right away?”

“Let’s wait about 10 more minutes. Today’s game is important, but if Benjamin’s match fitness doesn’t improve, he’ll struggle in the next game as well.”

“Hmm… Are you saying that knowing that the next game is at Anfield [Liverpool’s stadium]? We’re going to struggle no matter what we do?”

Hyungmin, who looked at his friend with a resentful expression for reminding him that they had to face the previous year’s Premier League champions, turned his gaze back to the field without saying a word.

“Well, you’re the manager.”

Karolina chuckled and stood next to him, turning her gaze to the field.