First League Title
After Baek Yujin's opening goal, Bournemouth restarted with the kickoff.
At 1–0, the moment Bournemouth lost the ball mid-attack, Arsenal's half-court domination began all over again.
When Bournemouth still couldn't lay a finger on Arsenal's goal, Manager Alexandro ordered a positional switch.
"Yujin! Free role! And Seoin! Padric!"
He spun both hands in a circling motion as he shouted, and Hong Seoin and Padric swapped places.
The switch between midfielder and left-sided midfielder left the commentators puzzled.
Hong Seoin and Padric are suddenly trading positions. This is a tactic they've never used before.
It looks like Manager Alexandro has declared an all-out attack.
Padric played out wide mainly because his defending was a touch short of elite — as a midfielder, he had more than enough quality. Switching him into midfield meant one thing: forget the defending, attack with everything you've got.
To make sure of the win.
It's the first time we've seen this, but both Padric and Hong Seoin have excellent kicking technique and movement, so it should be a strong choice.
Have they been practicing this during the recent training period? It'll be fascinating to see what kind of goals Arsenal can produce.
Arsenal kept pouring attacks forward, trying to crack the two banks of defense, but no further goals came — and then the true value of the switch began to show.
As Hong Seoin drifts into the center, Davis pushes up. Arsenal are attacking so comfortably, aren't they?
Exactly. Using Hong Seoin in a free role, they're showing overwhelming possession.
First Baek Yujin's free role, and now Hong Seoin's free role on top of it.
As Hong Seoin shifted from wide-oriented play to more central movement, even fullback Davis could push forward without worry. The team's wide attacking threat never dropped off, and they were completely dominating the match.
Hong Seoin is drifting through the middle and his playmaking is outstanding!
Absolutely! The attacks are so threatening you almost forget Bournemouth are sitting in two banks of four!
And his chemistry with Baek Yujin is especially sharp!
Baek Yujin and Hong Seoin carved out chances with clever one-twos and instinctive passes, but Bournemouth's compact defending snuffed them out.
Forty-first minute of the first half.
Arsenal cut out a Bournemouth counter that had been launched with the bare minimum of numbers, then tore forward at speed.
Hong Seoin drops deep again to collect the ball! At the same time, every attacker surges forward!
Bournemouth are in two banks of defense, but Arsenal have more attackers than that! So many options to play to!
Hong Seoin took the ball, drove into the center, and laid it off to Padric, who slipped it through to Baek Yujin.
Yujin spotted Davis bursting into space at pace and stabbed the pass straight into his path.
He'd read the flank perfectly — but a Bournemouth defender's quick cover cleared it away.
From the Bournemouth throw-in, Arsenal's intense press! They stay composed and keep the ball moving!
Bournemouth are patiently working their way out of the press — but Baek Yujin reads the lane and steals it!
The instant he won the ball, three players closed him down at once — but Yujin threaded it between a defender's legs and sent it forward.
What an instinctive pass! Hong Seoin, already on the run, collects it and drives in! Every Bournemouth player has missed this chance! Simon is waiting inside the box!
While every eye locked onto Simon, Baek Yujin — who'd locked eyes with both Simon and Hong Seoin — sprinted into the box.
You've got to see Baek Yujin making that late run behind! Everyone is only watching Simon!
The Bournemouth defenders never saw Yujin arriving a beat late. The line dropped naturally, and space opened up inside the box.
A midfielder finally spotted him and tried to close — but the pass had already arrived.
A perfect cutback into the open space! Baek Yujin's shoooooot!! GOOOOOAL!! A striker doing what a striker is meant to do!! The simplest thing in the world — and the hardest!
Arsenal carve open Bournemouth's two banks of defense like it's nothing!!
Scoreline 2–0!!! Another goal before the first half is even over!!
Peeeeep—!
Adrian gathered Bournemouth's final shot, and the referee blew the whistle.
And that brings the first half to a close. Scoreline 2–0!!! Arsenal controlled over seventy percent of possession — a completely one-sided result.
Arsenal's attack is especially ruthless today. Not only are they slicing through the two banks of defense — they're giving Bournemouth nothing.
The attack is impressive, sure, but you really have to look at the defending. Stable defending is what makes the attack possible.
Exactly. Even when Arsenal attack with only two players left at the back, they look rock solid. The recovery speed from Hong Seoin and Davis is outstanding too.
With Manchester City still chasing, can Arsenal lock down first place?
A match that can clinch the top of the league!! We'll see you again in the second half!!
The first half ended 2–0, and as the second half kicked off, Arsenal fans settled in to watch with easy hearts.
They'd already seen Arsenal's defense swallow every Bournemouth attack, and Bournemouth's defense get torn open by Arsenal's firepower. That was enough to put them at ease.
Any lingering what-if-we-lose anxiety had been wiped clean by the first half.
Manchester City win and snatch first place?
If Arsenal won, it wouldn't matter in the slightest.
And Arsenal simply could not lose this match.
Yujin!!! A perfect back-foot finish!! He crowns the corner kick with pure beauty!! Hat-trick!!
Because by the seventieth minute of the second half, Baek Yujin — already Arsenal's future and its star — had completed his hat-trick.
From the corner, Yujin sprinted toward the near post and, with an instinctive back-foot touch, rammed the ball into the near-post netting.
It was the kind of finish that had the stadium commentators leaping out of their seats and roaring.
Arsenal had all but sealed the title, but the match was anything but dull.
Just watching Arsenal attack and attack inside the Emirates Stadium was enough to keep the fans grinning.
"One-nil to the Arsenal, One-nil to the Arsenal."
The stands were still packed tight, and the chants rose naturally through the air.
Buoyed by that roar, Arsenal went forward again.
Baek Yujin collected the ball without mercy and started to dribble — flashy footwork, as if he were putting on a show for the fans.
Confidence overflowing, he drove straight between the two banks of the bus.
Yujin's dribble!! The confidence that only shows when you're already winning!!
A few fans were already on their feet, as if the goal had already gone in.
With every Bournemouth defender he beat, more of the crowd rose.
Yujin. He strikes. Yujin. A defender goes down. Yujin. He keeps going.
It wasn't some extravagant display of tricks.
Just simple inside-outside touches.
With the rock-solid fundamentals he'd built since childhood, Baek Yujin was carving his way into the box.
Inside the box — defenders closing from both sides. Yujin's reverse flip-flap!!
Timed to perfection, the reverse flip-flap carried Yujin and the ball between two defenders, and suddenly he was one-on-one with the keeper.
Strangely enough —
Today the goal looked enormous.
That feeling that there was no way he could miss.
Tok.
He shaped to strike it hard, then dinked a soft chip underneath — the ball floated over the onrushing keeper's head and crossed the line with almost insulting ease.
Yujin!!! Yujin's first-ever poker!!! Against Bournemouth!!! On Matchday 38 of the league, in the game that decides first place, he delivers!!!!
The moment the ball went in, joy flooded through Baek Yujin — but he walked toward the corner flag as calmly as if he were out for a stroll.
He looked at each fan reaching a hand toward him, one by one, and drank in the feeling.
When he finally reached the corner flag, he performed the celebration that came to mind first whenever people thought of Baek Yujin.
One hand to his lips. One hand to his ear.
In the glow of that image, Bournemouth's will was already gone, and Arsenal were certain of victory.
For the rest of the match Bournemouth threw everything forward, but Wright and Adrian shut them down with surgical precision.
Not even a single shot on target.
What good was defending Arsenal's attacks with everything you had, if you couldn't score yourself?
One minute remaining!! Bournemouth's final attack!!
With Arsenal's win already sealed, Bournemouth pushed forward for a consolation.
But the gods wouldn't even grant them that chance — they snatched it away.
Yujin's tackle out of nowhere!! The ball rolls toward Arsenal's goal!!
Even as it trickled goalward, only Arsenal players were anywhere near it.
Thuuump—!
Wright, who'd been watching the clock the whole time, booted it high into the sky.
And then —
Peeeeep—!
The referee blew the whistle.
Arsenal!!! Arsenal win!! This feeling — there are no words for it!!
Staff and players on the Arsenal bench couldn't contain themselves and came pouring onto the pitch.
How do you even explain this story? There were so many hard times at the start.
Everyone wrapped each other in embraces, becoming one with the fans in pure joy.
The Arsenal that opened the league with three straight losses, then three straight draws, then three straight wins!!
Baek Yujin found himself pointing both hands at the sky without thinking.
That same team met one player this January, strung together win after win, then an unbeaten run, overtook Manchester City and flipped the table!!
A sudden lump rose in his throat — the urge to show his father, for no particular reason.
After all that hardship!! Victorious against Bournemouth!!
A firm squeeze.
"Ddolgaeng-a, what're you doin' all by yourself."
"Don't cry on a happy day."
"You cry, you ain't scorin' more than Simon."
"…Haha. I'm not crying."
His teammates closed in around him, wrapping him tight —
Arsenal!!!! clinch first place in the Premier League!!
— and put the final seal on it all.