In the LPL Group Stage, the first round of the Summit Group is nearing its end. On the previous match day, the top-ranked TES faced off against the struggling AL. Before the match, T1 had just been shut out by BLG, ending their winning streak, while AL had easily defeated JDG, achieving back-to-back victories. After winning against JDG, Shanks even mimicked Bin, saying, "Bin's words": AL is back.

Before the match, everyone thought that AL was improving, but unexpectedly, after a fierce battle of three games with TES, they still couldn't win. It seems that imitating Bin's way of speaking can lead to backlash. This BO3 was quite interesting, with both teams contributing many "grim moments." In the first game, T1 practiced Azir as usual, while the little cream completely went invisible. The bottom lane was breached, and AL had a 3K gold lead over T1 in the mid-game, but their team fights were too abstract, and the significant advantage was overturned.

The second game was a one-sided crushing by AL. In the early stages, the duo supported the jungler in the river, causing Kanavi's rhythm to collapse. Hope secured two kills, and the snowballing Kaisa was unmanageable for T1 in team fights. The match ended in 28 minutes, with Hope's Kaisa at 14-0-8, never dying once, while Kanavi ended up at 0-9-5, averaging a death every three minutes. It really felt like he was doomed.

In the second game, there was an interesting moment. At the 11-minute mark, Water Brother was laning against Saint Gunner in the bottom lane. Taking advantage of his long reach, he recklessly harassed Sion, but Saint Gunner didn't hold back and directly executed a solo kill. Sion solo killed the AD; the last time I saw this was six years ago when IG faced SN, where TheShy used Sion to solo kill SMLZ's Ezreal.

By the third game, the situation reversed again. T1 completely dominated AL to win. Shanks became the point of contention, dying three times within 11 minutes, allowing the little cream to grow into a big daddy. By the time team fights occurred, the normally developed top and bottom lanes simply couldn't withstand the cream's damage. After the match, AL's coach Tabe, who is usually optimistic, had a grim face throughout the interview, and his words were noticeably fewer, indicating he was a bit angry.

Regarding the final draft, the coach also bears some responsibility. They wanted to play a split-pushing composition with Graves, but ended up picking three AP champions for the mid, jungle, and support. T1 could easily build some magic resistance, and AL didn't even know how to win team fights. Moreover, this team relies heavily on the jungle and support, giving Tarzan a utility champion like Sejuani, which means the jungler can't carry. Karl's soft support also didn't perform as well as a hard support; the draft can be described as a complete mess.

Shanks' recent performance has also been quite poor. It seems that after MSI and the Oil Cup, he has lost his way in the game. Not only does he struggle in lane, but he also gives the enemy opportunities to catch him. His previous statement, "AL is back," indeed holds some truth; however, AL is not returning to the second stage but rather to 2024. Last year's AL also couldn't beat anyone, and it does resemble the current situation.

If AL wants to regain their peak form, it seems the coach needs to reflect on himself first. The absolute pillars of this team are Tarzan and Karl; they need to be comfortable for the team to win. If the hope is placed on Saint Gunner, Shanks, and Hope, AL won't have any advantages in the early game. These three carries can only perform well when ahead; once behind, their play becomes increasingly abstract.

Conclusion:

Little cream's Azir has become so abstract that AL can still be overturned. The team's decision-making in late-game team fights is indeed problematic. However, AL's high points in the first two stages ensure they have a safety net for the tiebreaker. The urgent task is to find a way to develop some reliable strategies; their previous playstyle has long been thoroughly studied by other teams.

So, what do you think AL should adjust?

Feel free to leave your comments and discuss!