Godfather Of Champions

Although both teams were located in the city of Liverpool, Liverpool Football Club was more well-known and had won more championships than their fellow city rival, Everton. But in fact, the glorious Liverpool originally split from Everton. It was a little like the mighty pair of AC Milan and Inter Milan in Milan. However, the split between Everton and Liverpool was due to the issue of whether to continue the rental of the Anfield stadium.

In terms of history, Everton was much older than Liverpool. Everton was one of the seven founding teams of the English Football League, rather like “the seven elders.” In 1891, Everton won their first English Football League Championship title in the club’s history and was split into two factions the following year for over the issue of whether to continue renting the Anfield stadium. The majority moved out to be stationed at Goodison Park stadium.

Even though Everton was not as famous as Liverpool now and their overseas supporters could not be compared to those of their arch enemy, they were indeed a traditional powerhouse in English football: nine English Football League Championship (the top English league tournament of that period) titles, five-time English FA Cup champions, and one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup title.

Currently led by Manager Moyes, Everton was stable in the middle tier every year and played in the UEFA Europa League. Their biggest target would be to enter the UEFA Champions League.

Unlike Nottingham Forest, Everton’s results had largely been the same for more than one hundred years, with little ups and downs. They neither had particularly brilliant moments nor dark years. They were stable and calm, just like the color of their jerseys.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest was one of the most famous meteorites in the history of English football. Established more than one hundred years ago, the team suddenly had a dazzling breakout in the late 70s to early 80s. They won the Champions League two years in a row, had an unbeaten record of forty-two top league games, and defeated the then European giant, Liverpool, twice in a year. Aston Villa, who had also won the Champions League, was no match for the shock that Nottingham Forest brought to the English football and European football world. They were the only team to have only taken a domestic league title once, but picked up the Champions League trophy three times.

In the early 90s, the once dazzling meteor that streaked across the sky faded into the darkness. Until Twain’s appearance…

Nottingham Forest seemed to be a team that was either particularly poor or particularly good. The present-day Forest team was clearly in a “particularly good” phase in history. They were the visiting team at Goodison Park stadium. Although it was an away game, everyone was optimistic about them before the game.

That the media had given them many titles: the “European Champion,””a strong contender for the new season’s league title,””one of the top five teams in the Premier League,” and “a terrifying red storm.”

Only Moyes refused to acknowledge the titles would help the Forest team beat his own team when he was interviewed before the game. “The Forest team’s Champions League title has nothing to do with the first game of the league tournament. The honor only belongs to the past. The winner or loser of today’s game will depend on which team performs better,” he said.

Twain wholly agreed. “I think Moyes is right. We’re the European champion, but if we lose the game at Goodison Park, we will be ridiculed, too. The titles will only take effect if we win. If we don’t win, then bye-bye to them.”

It appeared both managers were clearheaded and the media’s intention to sow discord was not effective. They moved onto Arteta.

Apart from this being Beckham’s first game back in the English Premier League, there was a lack of other highlights to watch in the game. Therefore, the current Everton player, Mikel Arteta who had played in the Forest team when they picked up the Champions League title, became another focus of media attention.

Even though he had left Nottingham Forest, Arteta did not say anything bad about the Forest team. He did not deny that he had transferred to Everton to get more game appearances, but he did not regret the two and a half years he spent at Nottingham Forest. “If I were to choose again, I would still choose to join the Forest team. It was there that I trained and played with the best group of players in the world. I benefited a lot and it was very helpful to my career. Also, Manager Twain is not how the media portray him. We all think he’s a good guy.”

Afterward, the reporters scoffed. “I’m afraid that Anelka and Ashley Young do not think so…”

However, the most striking focal point of the game remained as David Beckham.

An hour before the start of the game, the Forest team’s starting list was sent to various media reporters. David Beckham’s name was in the list.

Among the new players who joined, only Beckham and Arshavin were on the starting lineup for this game. Sidwell, Rafinha and Akinfeev were all on the substitutes’ bench, while Grosso was not qualified to be on the main list and followed the team to Goodison Park stadium.

Eastwood felt sore during training the day before, so Twain put him on the bench out of caution.

Beckham’s appearance on the starting list satisfied the wishes of the spectators, but raised a new round of suspicion among the media. They suspected that the veteran Beckham’s appearance in the starting lineup was because Twain was pressured by the club’s top brass.

When the team went to Goodison Park for the warm-up before the game, Twain was asked the question when he got out of the car to speak to the reporters. He replied impatiently, “Rubbish! I call the shots on the players’ appearances. What pressure from the club’s top brass? Even the Queen and the Prime minister had no right to dictate the team’s lineup!”

He was unhappy that the many media outlets still focused on Beckham’s commercial value, rather than his competitive value. But the behavior of these media personnel had also made it clear to him that Beckham still had an extremely difficult path to walk to re-establish his image. His long-developed image was not something that could be changed overnight or with a league title. If after Beckham joined the team and the team was surrounded by all kinds of media and rumors all the time, and then they did not win a championship title in the end, there would be countless people jumping out to criticize Tony Twain for his choice to sign Beckham on in the first place. David Beckham and Twain would be guilty of the team’s failure.

That was not what Twain wished to see.

He also wanted Beckham to work hard on the field and use good performances to prove that his vision was right and to relieve him of the pressure.

The first game had to be played well. The game was highly anticipated by everyone and countless pairs of eyes were focused on his team. Some people even held a magnifying glass to pick out faults in the team during the game which they would then enlarge in the media multifold and attack without restraint.

Others would not think that he was amazing just because he won the UEFA Champions League title. Those who liked him liked him even more, and those who hated him hated him even more. All sorts of denouncement in speech and writing would not be curbed based on the number of championship titles he had won.

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It was hot on August 10th, as was August 11th. This game was kicked off with a whistle from the referee at three o’clock in the afternoon in the scorching sun.

The Goodison Park stadium was full. The Everton fans occupied half of the stadium and the Nottingham Forest fans gathered in the visitors’ stands to cheer for their own team. Before the game, people sitting in the stands complained that the weather was too hot, nearly causing them heatstroke.

But when the game started, no one sweated over the small matter anymore.

The singing in the stands reverberated throughout the stadium. Everyone vigorously waved their arms and yelled loudly. So, what if it’s hot? Our passion as fans is hotter than the weather! What of the intense sunshine? Running under such an intense sunshine, with sweat dripping, is the sport of men!

“Van Nistelrooy partners with Arshavin for this game. This is his first partnership with Arshavin in the front line in an official game. This is also the Russian striker’s debut in the English Premier League…”

The commentator began the opening remarks he had prepared.

The Forest team had already kicked off the ball.

Arshavin gently kicked the football out, and van Nistelrooy gave him a wink. He stopped focusing on the ball and rushed forward.

Van Nistelrooy passed the football back to van der Vaart on the center circle line. Meanwhile, Ribéry, on the left flank, rushed forward at full speed.

Up until now, everything was normal. It was a typical kickoff.

Arshavin was still focused on charging ahead, and the Everton players paid him no mind since he would be in an offside position soon as he continued to rush forward.

The important point laid with who had the ball.

Van der Vaart did not let the football stay at his feet for more than a second. He diverted the ball to the right side once the ball rolled over.

Unlike Ribéry, who had rushed up, Beckham, the starting midfielder on the right flank, was still standing behind the center-line, with no intention of going up.

Ribéry and Arshavin continued to run forward. They looked like they were running a hundred-meter race.

Beckham stopped the ball and looked up.

The stadium’s right side was on the side of the technical area. Beckham’s current position was in close proximity to Moyes, who suddenly felt that the scene looked familiar. It was immediately followed by an inexplicable wild beating of his heart.

“Don’t let him…” Before he could finish, he saw Beckham in front of him swing his leg and whip toward the football. It was a long pass!

When Beckham received the football, the Forest fans began to cheer, and now they were getting louder, which completely drowned out the boos from the Everton fans.

As the football soared in the air, Arshavin shot behind Everton’s entire rear defensive line, like a bomber jet piercing through the clouds to emerge within sight.

A few of the Everton players raised their arms to signal to the assistant referee that Arshavin was offside. But the assistant referee ignored them and followed Arshavin as he continued to run ahead.

Everton’s American goalkeeper, Tim Howard, reacted faster than his defensive teammates. Once he saw Arshavin shoot out from the rear defensive line, he decided to abandon the goal to strike. A goalkeeper coach would never tell a goalkeeper to give up when the opponent was suspected of being offside. The goalkeeper had to do his job well, whether it was offside or not.

However, Beckham’s long pass was directed at Arshavin, and not to Howard.

Arshavin took a look at the situation behind him. He saw that the football had come as promised. Howard was some distance away. Should he do a lob shot?

Howard discerned Arshavin’s intention. He leapt suddenly, fully stretched out his body in the air, and opened his arms to pounce on Arshavin. The advantage of the move was it successfully sealed off the opponent’s space for a lob shot. As for the bottom… Generally speaking, when the football bounced, it was difficult for a striker to do a rolling pass. The goalkeeper was not a god either, he could only choose one possibility to block.

A dark projection shrouded the top of Arshavin’s head. Due to the glare of the sun, he could not see the other person’s expression when he looked up, but a lob shot was out of the question now.

Arshavin raised his right leg high and his body almost soared in the air. He swept the football across in midair. Just because he could not shoot for the goal, it did not mean he could not pass the ball.

Howard struck and Everton’s goal was unguarded. Who was on the other side?

“Franck Ribéry!” The commentator cried aloud.

Ribéry, who sprinted with Arshavin, finally appeared at the moment when he was most needed.

With a height of 2.44 meters and width of 7.32 meters, the goal looked tiny from fifty meters away, but within the goal area, it was boundless and wide.

With such a wide goal in front of Ribéry, even though Arshavin’s pass leaned to the front, it could not stump Ribéry. He powered on with his left foot and flew forward.

“A diving header — WHAT A GOOOAL!!!!”

“Oh, yes! Yes! Nottingham Forest leads Everton by 1:0!”

Howard, who pounced on Arshavin, turned around to see the football had hit the net.

“Ten seconds! This is the new season appearance of the European Champion, Nottingham Forest! Beautiful! Wonderful!” said the commentator, laughing, “David Beckham’s precise long pass, Arshavin’s cool head, and the entire team’s swift positional play! Speed, that’s Nottingham Forest’s trait! They are fast!”

Twain led a group of coaches and substitute players to rush out excitedly. He did tell the players before the game that scoring as fast as possible in an away game could completely disrupt each other’s deployment and give them an edge in future games. But he did not expect this group of players to do so well.

How many seconds was the fastest goal in the Premier League’s previous record?

“The electronic results are out. This whole process only took ten seconds to complete. Ribéry broke the previous Premier League’s fastest goalscoring record shared by Alan Shearer and Ledley King which was ten and a half seconds!” the commentator excitedly announced the latest data.

A new season and a new record. What could be a more perfect start than this?