In the sports newspapers published the next day, almost all the headlines belonged to Chelsea, who had firmly won the half-way championship.
Although Chelsea has actually won this "championship" early due to its leading position in the standings, it is only after playing Southampton that it truly completes the meeting with all 19 Premier League teams and has truly completed half of the games.
schedule.
In these 19 rounds of games, Chelsea's results were a terrifying 18 wins and 1 draw!
Score up to 55 points!
And if saying this alone is not enough to reflect "horror", take a look at the results of the Premier League winter championship in recent years.
The winter champion in the 2010-2011 season was Manchester United. At that time, they had 11 wins, 7 draws and 1 loss, with 40 points;
The winter champion of the 2011-2012 season was Manchester City, which had 14 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses and 45 points;
The winter champion in the 2012-2013 season was Manchester United, which had 15 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses and 46 points;
The winter champion of the 2013-2014 season was Arsenal, with 13 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses and 42 points;
In other words, based on past experience, you can win the half-time championship in the Premier League with around 40 points.
But this year's Chelsea improved this score by an order of magnitude, directly reaching 55 points!
And looking at Manchester City, who have slowly caught up so far this season, they are ranked second in the standings with 13 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses.
Their score of 43 points, if placed in previous years, they might also be the winter champions!
In other words, in fact, the performance of other Premier League teams this year is quite normal, but Chelsea is too abnormal!
As for the winter championships listed above, in fact, except for Arsenal last year, all other teams won the final Premier League championship.
Well, Arsenal’s collapse after Christmas is not a one-off thing. Last season, they were overtaken by Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea behind them, and in the end they only won...
fourth place!
This season, Arsenal's current performance is even worse.
Although in the past 19th round, they defeated their direct opponent West Ham 2:1 in the fourth round and climbed to the fifth position;
But compared with last season's half-time championship, there is still a big gap.
It can be regarded as a three-win situation, and everyone has a bright future.
Because once Chelsea's offensive ability declines due to the departure of the two wingers, and if it fails to achieve ideal results at the end of the season, it will all be liquidated!
"Daily Mail" also said: "Chelsea sold two important players in a short period of time. This Chelsea fan may be able to tolerate it."
Are these two on the same level?
No matter how strong Oscar is, he is not the absolute main force in the current Chelsea team.
So Pan Yi didn't say anything else, just wished him good luck and then hung up the phone.
Only this time, he was politely declined.
"In the second half of the season, Chelsea will have to compete on three fronts in the league, FA Cup and Champions League. Is the current number of first-team players really enough?"
Subsequently, in the summer of 2009, Podolski, who was guaranteed a starting position for the World Cup in South Africa, returned to his old club Cologne for 10 million euros.
Then the next step is to fully promote Gnabry's transfer.
There were not many words of persuasion, and there was no need for Pan Yi to introduce the grand plan to the players. Gnabry was ready to leave with Pan Yi.
Therefore, the professor did the next best thing and asked to rent and then buy Chelsea’s backup goalkeeper Petr Cech!
This is also due to the fact that Szczesny, the main goalkeeper of Arsenal, won the Premier League Golden Glove award with 16 clean sheets last season, but his condition is very unstable this season.
"But they are also concerned about why Pan Yi hasn't taken action yet? Why doesn't Chelsea make timely additional signings?"
Let’s not mention the tactical ability. The key is Pan Yi’s ability to train young players, which is enough to make all young players flock to him.
During the lunch break, Podolski stared at Gnabry for a long time.
Against West Ham United it was one pass and one shot, while against Southampton it was three shots and one pass.
To sum up, after half the battle, the Premier League standings are as follows:
With his current competitive status, staying at Chelsea as Courtois's substitute is indeed a bit humiliating.
Chelsea 55 points.
He seems to have been unable to adapt to the wealthy club. In addition, the club has introduced many big-name stars such as Miroslav Klose, Toni, and Franck Ribery. Podolski has been firmly placed on the club's bench.
He is still doing his usual routine of making little monsters! This is how he can demonstrate his abilities.
Looking back now, Podolski thinks that if he could have been guided by a coach like Pan Yi when he was young, he might have achieved much greater achievements than he does now...
This news directly detonated the football world.
Besides, there are so many young players in the world, and Pan Yi would choose him. For this, Gnabry was excited and proud in his heart.
Van Gaal has become more proficient in using the big circle tactics. Especially after defeating his arch-rival Liverpool 3-0 in the 16th round, he has made great progress and has now quietly climbed to the third position in the standings.
No matter who it is, it seems that it is not difficult to make the same choice in the face of such disparate conditions.
Now that he has decided to go to Chelsea, Gnabry has acted very simply.
"Are you in love?"
This was a temporary idea after playing against Southampton.
How did Pan Yi fall in love with such a young player?
At that moment, the professor felt that he had made a mistake. Could it be that this German boy was a real diamond because he had given him too few opportunities?
After all, when Pan Yi really didn't make a mistake, he would definitely kick out the players he liked.
…
Italian journalist Romano, who has become increasingly popular in recent years, also sent out the message "Here we go!" on his social media.
After Schürrle and Oscar left, Pan Yi still needed immediate combat capability at the winger position.
This is actually for Gnabry’s own good!
After several offer negotiations, Wenger accepted Chelsea's £5 million offer for Gnabry.
Stoke City 25 points.
"Pan Yi?" Podolski didn't react for a moment, and then his eyes suddenly widened, "Chelsea coach Pan Yi? What do you mean..."
But Podolski's performance at Bayern was not good.
After receiving this call, Gnabry's condition seemed to be extra good in the following training.
William is at the peak of his career at this time, and he is still of great help to Chelsea.
The message he gave was more direct, accurate and straightforward:
He is far ahead in the Premier League in terms of the number of passes made by the goalkeeper and the number of attacks initiated by the goalkeeper.
Gnabry looked around and saw no one else, so he happily whispered to Podolsky, "Pan Yi called me."
Passes, Matic 397 times;
Key passes, Hazard 21 times;
Interceptions, Kanter 20 times;
Blocked, Terry 9 times;
Cahill made 57 clearances;
…
However, during the negotiation process, Wenger still made an additional request to Pan Yi.
You know, Liverpool striker Suarez, who dominated the Premier League last season, earned more than 80 million.
And where did this Shanghai SIPG team come from and be able to offer such a high price?
Who is this SIPG and this "programmer"?
Therefore, there is still a lot of controversy in the English media about this transaction.
Does Chelsea really want to let such a player go?
He is also interpreting Pan Yi's new requirements for the goalkeeper position, which is not only to guard the goalkeeper well, but also to become the first starting point of the offense!——
In addition to praising Chelsea's half-time championship, the media also focused a lot of attention on Oscar.
However, Bordowski's own situation at Arsenal has been relatively poor recently. He is basically a substitute in games. He is also looking for a transfer or loan to get more game time.
For Chelsea fans, of course they are somewhat reluctant to leave Oscar;
After all, in the past two and a half years, Oscar has been conscientious and diligent on the court. He is a good player that fits the image of the Blues.
Someone also said jokingly: "Abramovich originally invited Pan Yi to help him spend money, but what he didn't expect was that Pan Yi instantly made him more than 100 million! At least in terms of spending money,
Pan Yi doesn’t seem to be qualified!”
In front of him, there are two national teams, Szczesny and Ospina. Where will it be his turn?
Everyone was shocked.
But the problem is that in the current Arsenal, Gnabry really has no chance to play.
Then, Bordowski's expression dimmed again: "Oh, I wish I could have met a coach like Pan Yi when I was young."
As early as the 2003-04 season, the 18-year-old Bordowski suddenly emerged in the Cologne team. With his excellent efficiency of scoring 24 goals in 30 Bundesliga games, he quickly became the main scorer of the Cologne team.
After all, everyone believes that no matter what decision Pan Yi makes now, he has his own direction and purpose, and this may eventually prove to be correct.
"Hush -" Gnabry put his index finger to his mouth, looked around like a thief, and lowered his voice, "Well, he wants me to go to Chelsea."
Who doesn’t want to grow up quickly under Pan Yi and become a world-class star?
West Ham United 31 points.
Chelsea suppressed their opponents in most games, and Courtois often sat on the bench in front of the goal and ate melon seeds;
Under such circumstances, he is required to contribute a lot of save data, which is too difficult for him.
Because everyone knows that the news about Romano is almost like an official announcement.
Swansea 28 points.
How do you say this?
In fact, that means Arsenal are currently tied for fourth place!
Including this season, he basically sits on the bench, and sometimes returns to the second team to play games.
Pan Yi certainly understands Ward-Prowse's choice.
Lukaku is on the double list, which shows how much his comprehensive ability has been improved this season!
Some other strange statistics also rank Chelsea players first.
Indeed, since Pan Yi came to Chelsea, the club has actually made a profit.
Liverpool 28 points.
The deepest impression fans have on him is often Podolski who appeared in the German team in the World Cup. However, in the club, he barely left many memorable moments.
So, everyone happily reached a consensus.
…
In fact, when Podolski debuted, he appeared in front of fans all over the world as a "prodigy".
Arsenal 33 points.
Topping the list of assists is Hazard, who contributed 11 assists.
Moreover, Gnabry is not stupid. Chelsea is now the winter champion of the Premier League. This season, it has dominated the Premier League. It has also reached the top 16 of the Champions League early and has the hope of winning the championship on both fronts.
"No." Gnabry blushed.
Then there are reports about his transfer rumors.
"Okay, I believe you, Mr. Pan Yi." Gnabry said.
There are Cazorla and Rosicky in the attacking midfield position, including Prince Wilshere and Chamberlain.
At the winger position, Sanchez and Theo Walcott, both of whom were imported at a high price, and Welbeck can also play, Gnabry's playing pecking order is really low.
Tottenham 31 points.
This is also a win-win deal! It can also establish a good relationship with Wenger, and there may be more deals in the future.
Because in 2011, when Gnabry moved from Stuttgart to the Arsenal youth academy, it only cost them a transfer fee of 100,000 pounds!
In this way, Pan Yi got the young players he wanted, Gnabry transferred to the club he wanted to go to, and Arsenal made money...
As a German who also plays in the Arsenal team, Podolski still takes good care of this little brother.
After a season with 18 goals in 29 games in Cologne, Podolski gained the favor of Arsene Wenger.
Aston Villa's Martin.
"But I am a child of Southampton and I came here when I was eight years old. My dream is to stay here and play for my favorite hometown team until I can no longer play and retire here."
"So, I'm really sorry but I won't be leaving Southampton."
Schürrle originally transferred to Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen for 18 million pounds. Now he has been sold for nearly 40 million euros, which is almost double;
Oscar's transfer from Internacional to Chelsea was 25 million pounds, and now he is sold for 80 million euros, which is twice as much...
"What's going on? The club gave you a salary increase and a contract extension?" Podolski himself shook his head first, "It's impossible. With the number of appearances you have, it's good that you haven't been rented out. What are you thinking about?"
Salary increase?”
Southampton 33 points.
In terms of players' individual performance, Chelsea players also dominate the list.
The more trustful and trusting he was, the more he knew Pan Yi would not treat him badly.
That is the Aston Martin of the future.
"Shanghai SIPG will sign Oscar for 80 million euros."
…
After all, in the original timeline, Cech was supposed to transfer to Arsenal in the next summer window.
The young man looked very energetic and always had a smile on his face.
What is high emotional intelligence? This is high emotional intelligence.
"How can it be?"
However, Pan Yi in turn made a request to Wenger.
Podolski shook his head with a wry smile, and patted Gnabry on the shoulder: "I am almost 30 years old, and there is no room for growth. Pan Yi will not want it. Everyone knows that his favorite,
It’s just a young person like you who is under 20 years old..."
——
In fact, after Pan Yi hung up the phone with Gnabry, he called another 20-year-old young man not long after.
With only 18 players registered for each Premier League game, Gnabry was often unable to make the bench and could only play in the second team to maintain his form.
And the person Pan Yi is interested in is Arsenal's current third goalkeeper.
Of course, his goal was penetrated five times, which is more like the background of this epic reversal...
The Guardian mentioned that although Pan Yi's personal charm could keep the situation relatively calm and the fans did not behave excessively, there are also hidden dangers in this transfer.
Manchester City 43 points.
So, after careful consideration, Wenger decided to let him go.
Some media also expressed concerns:
As Pan Yi had expected, Ward Prowse chose to stay with the team.
In two games, he scored four goals and contributed two assists!
This is a ball-champion-level performance.
Newcastle United 26 points.
The story of one man and one city like Maldini and Totti is very moving in itself;
It is even more rare for someone like Ward Prowse to be willing to stay in a small and inconspicuous club for the rest of his life.
However, under Wenger, Podolski has never become the darling of the Gunners' strikers. Podolski's Arsenal career started with highs and lows.
"Coach Pan Yi, thank you very much for your favor towards me. I am also very excited about the opportunity to play for Chelsea."
Of course, it would be wrong to say that Courtois' contribution is small.
Then, next, Pan Yi's goal is to fight for the player who first came to his mind and who he really wants to replace Oscar.
Now he is no longer Arsenal's main offensive option, but a player between the main player and the substitute.
When Cech comes, Arsenal will have three goalkeepers: Cech, Szczesny and Ospina, and there will be no need for Martinez.
Only in the data of saves, Chelsea's Courtois fell behind the tenth, ranking only 14th.
Gnabry, who had been in contact with Scaloni before, was certainly mentally prepared for this. In fact, he had been waiting for this call.
He first called Gnabry.
Now Wenger took advantage of the opportunity of selling Gnabry to ask Pan Yi to rent Cech in advance, and Pan Yi just came to facilitate the transfer and give him a favor.
Of course, the main reason is that William now hopes to stay at Chelsea. Otherwise, if he wants to leave, Pan Yi will also agree to let him leave...
So Wenger wanted to use Cech to replace Szczesny as his main goalkeeper.
This time it's not because of Oscar's departure. After all, there have been rumors all the time, so everyone is mentally prepared.
"Did you find the money?"
The main thing is 80 million euros. This number is really scary!
Even if Oscar's recent performance is really strong, is he really worth 80 million euros?
When Wenger learned that Pan Yi was interested in Gnabry, he was actually a bit surprised.
On the phone, Gnabry responded very quickly and firmly: "I am willing to follow you, Mr. Pan Yi!"
However, due to Chelsea's current excellent record and Pan Yi's high prestige in the club, Chelsea fans, although somewhat dissatisfied and incomprehensible, did not cause much turmoil.
But Pan Yi refused.
Maybe a very extreme group of fans will come to the club to protest.
This is actually a huge profit for Arsenal.
In the summer of 2006, based on his outstanding performance in the World Cup in Germany, he immediately switched from Cologne to Bayern Munich. It can be said that his starting point is very high.
"If Pan Yi cannot handle this problem well, the fans' doubts will plant a seed in their hearts. And this seed will sprout and grow when Chelsea loses one day, and then suddenly turn into a big bomb!"
——
Of course Pan Yi has some moves.
During those days, the only impression Arsenal fans had on Martinez was perhaps the 7:5 battle with Reading in the League Cup.
"Hehe." Gnabry smiled and said nothing.
"Very good. Chelsea Club will immediately discuss the transfer with Arsenal. Later, I will also send someone to contact your agent to discuss a personal contract."
"Why are you so happy today?" Podolsky asked.
However, Martin was also completely unable to play football at Arsenal.
After all, Gnabry was only officially promoted to Arsenal's first team last season, and he didn't have many playing opportunities, scoring only one goal in total.
After all, Gnabry was not trained by Arsenal himself, and his feelings for this place are not that deep.
That would be Southampton's Ward-Prowse.
Ranked first is Fabianski of Swansea.
Therefore, Arsenal must also send a substitute goalkeeper.
If it were any other team, selling players who are loved by fans during the winter break would definitely cause an uproar.
In fact, he knew in his heart that when Pan Yi extended an invitation to Gnabry, Arsenal would not be able to keep him.
Pan Yi thought about this request for a while and then agreed.
After all, in today's world football, the two words "Pan Yi" are an absolute golden sign.
As for Pan Yi's request to buy Gnabry, which led Wenger to Pan Yi's request to rent Cech, Wenger of course readily agreed.
Fourth place is still Southampton, but after being defeated by Chelsea, their points have been overtaken by Arsenal, and they are just ahead of the Gunners with a goal difference advantage.
After talking to Gnabry, Wenger also understood that the Germans' hearts were no longer here.
He is the future number one goalkeeper of Argentina! The man who helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, Martin!
Podolski hoped to continue his career at a giant club like Arsenal, and Wenger also needed a striker like Podolski at the time.
Manchester United 36 points.
Manchester United has been playing very well recently.
Therefore, he is often loaned out. Throughout his Arsenal career, he has been loaned out 6 times, including Oxford United in League Two, Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, Rotherham, Wolves, Reading, and Getafe in La Liga.
All have left Martinez’s footprints.
"If any injury occurs, can Chelsea maintain its current status and move forward?"
Even ranked third is Lukaku from Chelsea, who also has 6 assists.
The second goalkeeper Ospina is also often injured and cannot perform stably at all.
So he moved to his current club Arsenal in the summer of 2012.
That is, he still likes the Brazilian star Willian in the Chelsea team, so he is trying to buy him, or carry out the transaction in a rent-to-buy manner.
That is, Chelsea's second goalkeeper has been rented by you, and Chelsea's goalkeeper coach is the third goalkeeper. The old Australian goalkeeper Schwarzer is also in charge. If Courtois is injured by then, it will be difficult to handle!
The first is of course the hot state he has shown in the last two Premier League games.
This data is actually even more terrifying, because Di Maria, who ranks second, has only played 7 times.
On the scorer list, center Lukaku has scored 17 goals. His high efficiency of almost one goal per game allows him to overtake Aguero, Harry Kane and other shooters in the first place.
However, it is not the "big move" that Chelsea fans hoped for, involving some big-name stars or something.
Isn’t this better than staying at Arsenal and only competing for the top four?
What's more, he hasn't been able to play much at Arsenal...
"Wow, that's really congratulations to you." Podolski said happily, "Being spotted by Pan Yi means you have superstar talent! I've seen it a long time ago!"
At this time, Gnabry said: "Didn't Chelsea leave Schürrle and Oscar? I think you can also apply and go to Chelsea with me."
After all, Gnabry has just joined the team and still needs time to adapt and grow. It should be difficult for him to achieve the role of William in the short term.
But at this time, more and more media have received news that a mysterious team from the Dragon Kingdom has negotiated for Oscar, and the Brazilian will also officially leave after the winter window opens on January 1.
His name is: Emiliano Martinez.
That is--
Manchester Dance King;
Someone who mentored young Cristiano Ronaldo;
Fans proposed the man who played the whole game with Messi on his back;
He is a dazzling star who does not dare to end the Premier League if he does not score;
When I was young, I didn’t know there was King Lin. I mistakenly regarded Melo as the king of the ball. First there was King Lin and then there was King Lin. He stepped on Melo and chased the leader——