Xiangke aims to become the "second Bin."

Since AL faced multiple LCK teams during MSI and the Oil Cup, many LPL viewers have seen AL as the hope for LPL's championship, especially since TES and BLG did not perform well in this year's World Championship. However, unexpectedly for many AL fans, after returning to the LPL, AL's performance has significantly declined, with defeats against BLG, WBG, and TES, relegating them to the bottom tier of the LPL. (Currently, AL has 2 wins and 3 losses, only slightly ahead of WE and FPX.)

Due to AL's poor performance in the new season, many BLG fans have begun to "settle accounts" with AL. After all, AL's manager had publicly mocked BLG multiple times, and AL's mid-laner Xiangke was also teased by LPL viewers for wanting to become the "second Bin" after paying tribute to Bin. After AL's victory over JDG, Xiangke stated, "AL is back," but now, looking at the matches, AL has indeed returned, although it's back to 2024.

Pre-match predictions from netizens spark controversy.

Because of AL's poor performance in the new season, many LPL viewers have begun discussing the reasons behind AL's losses. One netizen's pre-match analysis post was unearthed, where he frankly stated that after returning from the World Championship, AL would be beaten badly by other LPL teams, accurately predicting that AL would lose three or more matches. The reason given was simple: AL's jungler Tarzan is a world-class player, while the other players on AL are mediocre at best. Therefore, LPL coaches only need to target Tarzan, making it easy to deal with AL.

From the match between TES and AL, it is evident that TES is indeed targeting Tarzan's champion pool. In every match, they deliberately ban Tarzan's champions or directly pick his signature picks, which led to Tarzan being invaded by Kanavi in both the first and third games. Additionally, AL's mid-laner Xiangke did not perform as well as in the second phase, being thoroughly crushed by TES's mid-laner Xiaonaiyou, especially in the third game where Ryze became a breakthrough point for the team.

Tabe's reputation is collapsing.

Due to AL's exposed shortcomings, many LPL viewers have begun to question whether coach Tabe only knows how to follow a formula for drafting. After all, in many of AL's lost matches, Tabe had opportunities to prioritize Tarzan's jungle picks, but he chose to give other players strong champions instead, resulting in Tarzan feeling uncomfortable in every match.

For instance, in the third match between AL and TES, after selecting mid-laner Ryze, ADC Ezreal, and Karma, Tabe still opted for the formulaic picks of top-laner Graves and jungle AP Tree. This resulted in AL struggling in team fights and split-pushing, compounded by the fact that the AP Tree couldn't compete with Kanavi's Jarvan in the jungle, leading TES to gain a significant advantage in the early to mid-game. Many AL fans believe that AL's continuous losses are due to Tabe's overly formulaic drafting.

Conclusion.

I personally believe that the main reason for AL's decline in performance is the drop in Xiangke's laning skills. During the finals of the second phase leading to MSI, Xiangke's laning was undoubtedly the best in the LPL. However, after MSI, Xiangke's form began to falter, especially after being crushed by Chovy in five games during the Oil Cup. His poor performance has made it difficult for Tarzan to excel. What do you think is the reason behind Xiangke's severe decline in form? Tomorrow AL faces IG; who do you think will win?