The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 410: The Final Battle

Arsenal conceded the first goal due to an opportunity created by Gronkjaer on the left flank. They quickly adjusted their defensive strategy and successfully limited his effectiveness over the next several minutes.

This kid is very strong in dribbling and controlling the ball, but his shortcomings are also obvious. As long as the defensive players prevent him from cutting into the penalty area, they can let him pass the ball at will along the baseline. As long as they prevent him from cutting into the penalty area, the defense is considered a success.

After observing for a while, Aldrich made adjustments from the sidelines.

He switched Gronkjaer and Larsson's positions, moving Gronkjaer to the right wing, and made sure that Schneider supported him during attacks. This brought some much-needed variation to their wing play.

He couldn't risk letting Zambrotta surge forward on the left, considering the threat posed by Overmars on the same side.

This adjustment refreshed the entire offensive formation and ensured that the offense would not stagnate.

In the 23rd minute of the match, Millwall intercepted the ball in the center. Southgate blocked Vieira's through ball intended for Bergkamp, then quickly passed it to Larsson, who was dropping back to receive. Larsson, with his back toward Winterburn, swept the ball to the other side. Gronkjaer grabbed it and surged forward. Dixon defended against his cut inside, but Gronkjaer stopped the ball and pushed it right, where Schneider arrived and made a quick cross. Henry, dashing to the near post, tried to head it in but was thwarted by a reach from Seaman.

The ball bounced out of the box, landing at Petit's feet. Just as he was about to turn, Nedved rushed in from behind to poke it into the box. Henry picked it up and laid it off for Larsson, who carved inside and unleashed a powerful shot. Seaman made another brilliant save, his consecutive stops boosting Arsenal's morale.

Seaman held onto the ball before passing it to Adams, who sent an immediate long pass upfield. Bergkamp, strolling back, effortlessly controlled it and threaded a pass into the left side.

Schneider hadn't fully recovered defensively, and Pires advanced, effortlessly breaking through Millwall's back line.

He was on the wing, giving Millwall enough time to regroup.

Pires cut diagonally toward the box, and just as Materazzi closed in for a tight challenge, Pires abruptly stopped, pulling the ball back to an incoming Anelka.

"Will Anelka shoot? Or break through? No, he passes the ball! Anelka passes the ball to Bergkamp who comes in from the back!"

Bergkamp took possession and skillfully dribbled past Southgate, who had been marking Anelka. Makélélé dropped back to provide cover against Bergkamp, but the striker cleverly turned to protect the ball before reversing direction. With a well-timed fake to create space, he gently pushed the ball toward the far post. Butt rushed to intercept, but Pires arrived at the back post, sweeping the ball into the goal.

"Arsenal equalized! Pires scored, but was it a shot or a pass from Bergkamp? Either way, Pires grabbed the chance at the back post, what a beautiful move! Arsenal now have hope of winning the championship again!"

After scoring, Pires merely exchanged low-key celebrations with his teammates before they all retreated to defense.

Pires's a Millwall boy at heart, and whenever he visited Millwall, he'd usually pop into Aldrich's dressing room an hour before the match, showing his respect and appreciation.

Today was the title-deciding match. He didn't visit the Millwall locker room, but he didn't celebrate exuberantly after scoring.

Aldrich's expression remained unchanged.

Henry and Larsson couldn't convert their opportunities, turning away as Arsenal quickly countered to level the match. At that moment, Arsenal's ability to take chances was just a bit better than Millwall's.

No need to be discouraged; they should keep attacking.

To fully restrict Arsenal's offense, Millwall would have to rely solely on counter-attacks, but Arsenal could counter as well. Whether Millwall could win was uncertain.

Risk was needed; without it, how could they compete for the league title?

After Arsenal equalized, they seemed to have the upper hand, attacking fiercely.

In the 38th minute, Overmars shook off Larsson's defensive efforts on the wing and cut inside, looking to break past Zambrotta. The Italian stayed close, applying pressure and anticipating a sudden stop from Overmars. Just as Overmars prepared to turn, Zambrotta deftly intercepted the ball and surged forward. Larsson quickly joined the attack, and Zambrotta executed a diagonal pass to Pirlo. After settling the ball, Pirlo sent a precise through ball to Larsson, who was darting into the gap in the opponent's defense.

Keown tracked Larsson closely, effectively blocking his shooting lane. Larsson, however, skillfully altered his rhythm, creating some space from the defender before pretending to take a shot.

Keown quickly readjusted and closed in on him again, but Larsson burst through the defense, nearly finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, though the angle was quite narrow.

In an unexpected move, Larsson chose to cross the ball instead of shooting. The ball traveled slowly across the goal, where Nedvěd was ready, leaping towards the near post to power a header into the back of the net!

Vieira, who stayed close to Nedved, slammed his hands on his thighs in frustration.

When Larsson crossed, Nedved had jumped first, while Vieira only followed. How could he keep up!

Who would have expected Larsson to pass rather than shoot?

"Nedved scores! That's his 17th goal of the league! Incredible stats for a midfielder; Nedved has netted 17 goals this season! This goal highlights the synergy between Larsson and Nedved. Wait, it seems Nedved is injured. He crashed into the post after scoring. His courage is commendable, but was it worth the cost?"

"Nedvěd has scored! The stands erupted in jubilation, but the atmosphere at the Lions' Den quickly turned to silence as the fans anxiously gazed at Nedvěd, who lay on the ground before the Arsenal goal.

He would never easily stay down; if he was down and couldn't rise, it surely meant he was injured!

Millwall's players gathered around Nedved, while Aldrich stood on the sidelines, scowling.

When Nedved finally got to his feet, applause erupted from the stands like a tidal wave.

He tried to steady himself with one hand on his right shoulder, clearly injured from that hard hit against the post.

He walked up to Aldrich and said, "Boss, I'm fine. Just need to get my shoulder fixed and I can continue playing."

However, the team doctor explained to Aldrich that Nedvěd had dislocated his shoulder, and there might be a minor fracture.

Aldrich turned to Nedvěd and firmly stated, 'You're coming off. I'm making the call here. Even if it costs us the match, I won't regret it. You can blame me, but my decision stands.'

Nedvěd locked eyes with Aldrich for three seconds, ultimately accepting the decision to be substituted with a resigned sigh.

Would he hold a grudge against Aldrich? Even if he wanted to, it would be hard to feel that way."

Before subbing in Lampard, Aldrich clearly gave him instructions from the sidelines.

"Defensively, think of yourself as a central midfielder; you can drop back to the box. When attacking, consider yourself a forward. Got it?"

Aldrich has stopped developing Lampard as an attacking midfielder. For some reason, Lampard always seems to fall short in making a direct impact on goal from that position. However, when given the role of Pirlo's backup, his unexpected late runs from deep have been more effective. The only downside is that he still lacks a bit in creativity and organization.

Lampard nodded seriously in acknowledgment.

"Millwall had to make a tactical switch in the 40th minute, with young Lampard coming on for the injured Nedvěd. With the score at 2-1, Millwall's chances of lifting the trophy were looking incredibly bright!"

After Lampard entered, Millwall needed to stabilize the morale hit from Nedved's injury, so they shifted their formation defensively.

As the last moments of the first half unfolded, Arsenal held the possession, but threat from their attacks remained limited. After three successive clearances from Millwall, the referee blew for halftime.

At least Aldrich noticed the brewing situation in those final minutes.

They couldn't let Arsenal attack relentlessly; in other words, Millwall couldn't rely on counter-attacks. As long as Arsenal maintained their momentum and spirit, they might find it difficult to break through in a tactical battle.

During halftime, Aldrich didn't need to rally the team's spirits, but he needed to make crucial tactical adjustments.

Bringing Gronkjaer on for Ronaldinho had decreased their offensive fluidity, and Lampard replacing Nedved diminished that further. Aldrich needed to reconfigure their attacking strategy.

When the second half began, both teams returned from their respective tunnels. The fans were spirited, giving their all to support Millwall, attempting to suppress Arsenal's momentum.

Arsenal kicked off from the center circle. After some simple passing, Anelka found space in the attack and, 40 yards out from the box, opted for a long-range shot!

The power and precision behind that strike were simply breathtaking!

Fortunately, Butt was focused and deflected it out for a corner.

"Whoa! Anelka almost scored a world-beater!"

Arsenal prepared to take the corner, sending their defenders up to join the attack.

Overmars took the kick; a figure rose high in the crowd and got a head on it.

This time, Butt stood no chance; it was a close-range header into the corner, and there was nothing he could do.

"Adams! Arsenal captain Adams scores with a header! He has equalized for Arsenal. Just minutes into the second half, Arsenal has made it 2:2. They are now just a step away from the league title! Hold on, breaking news from Old Trafford—Manchester United has also scored in the second half. The score against Tottenham is now 1:1. Millwall, Arsenal, and Manchester United all still harbor hopes for the title. If Manchester United wins and this match ends in a draw, they will claim the league championship!"

Just moments after Wenger celebrated the goal, an assistant rushed over to inform him of the situation at Old Trafford. Wenger's expression shifted from joy to slight gloom.

"What's going on with Spurs? They've got the lead—why aren't they parking the bus and going all out on defense?"

With so much time remaining, Manchester United has managed to equalize at home. How much fighting spirit can Tottenham really show now?

With Adams's goal and Manchester United pulling level, a few Millwall fans in the stands began to fret.

To concede so quickly after equalizing in the second half didn't affect Millwall's players; they didn't care what was happening with the score elsewhere.

Today's match against Arsenal was the final!

And it was a must-win final within 90 minutes!

Arsenal's momentum surged, but Millwall didn't back down either, ramping up their midfield battles upon the restart.

With Lampard and Makelele positioned one in front and one behind, sandwiched by Pirlo, Millwall gradually began to gain control in midfield. Their offensive routines became predictable, aiming to exploit gaps in Arsenal's defense through passing and control, drawing the Gunners' backline out. Once gaps appeared, Larsson and Gronkjaer pushed forward to create threats.

The conditions on the field grew tense. Millwall's attacking patterns lacked diversity, weakening their offense. Aldrich found it tricky; relying solely on this lateral passing to carve openings would be difficult against a resolute defense that has drawn envy across Europe this season.