From Arsenal to the Ball God

At the same time, at Bramall Lane Stadium, the 34th round of the Championship saw the match between Sheffield United and Derby County come to a close here.

On the big screens on both sides of the pitch, the score of this match was clearly recorded—Sheffield United 3:3 Derby County!

”Oh.....!!” Even with a draw, this round ended with the cheers of the fans, as Sheffield United’s supporters went wild, jumping non-stop in the stands.

February has ended, and in these 28 days, they rarely showed expressions of regret or disappointment, mostly hysterical celebrations.

At this reflective moment, even without a perfect ending, it doesn’t really matter.

Look at the team’s performance: 7 matches in February, with four wins, two draws, and one loss, totaling 14 points!

They braved through the congested schedule following the winter transfer window, without falling behind due to injuries and fatigue!

The team remains closely trailing Queens Park Rangers and Norwich, holding onto significant hope of advancing to the Premier League!

”Ma’el! Ma’el! Ma’el....!!”

The fans at the scene chanted the name of the team’s greatest contributor, with the flag bearers who’ve been waving flags fervently throughout the match now tirelessly spinning the flags with every chant they hear.

Looking around, they seemed like a frenzied mob, tens of thousands of arms swinging together; yet also like pilgrims on a devout ritual.

Ma’el stood in the center of the field, raising his hands and clapping, enjoying the hero’s treatment.

He brought joy and passion to the fans here, who in return offered him countless unforgettable moments and emotional highs.

This kind of achievement and fulfillment is indescribable, and perhaps, this is why so many people love football, and children dream of becoming football stars.

In the broadcast room, the Sky Sports commentator noticed this scene, smiling slightly with excitement in his voice: ”8 goals and 5 assists! This is Ma’el’s report card for this month’s 7 rounds of the Championship League!

”13 goals involved in a single month, no matter which league you put him in, this is an incomparable set of statistics! He will undoubtedly win another monthly award!

”I remember when he first contributed to 5 goals in a single month, some media asked him if he thought his stunning performance was just because the defenders of other teams were not familiar with him, and the coaches did not pay enough attention.

”Once they get familiar with him, it would not be easy to score and assist in the Championship.

”Ma’el’s response was that he would not stand still, he would keep improving!

His voice grew more excited: ”Looking at it now, he has done it! At least, while other Championship teams are starting to focus on his speed, they haven’t caught up with his pace of improvement!

”28 goals and 21 assists, both scoring and assisting exceeded 20! The season is not over yet, how astonishing!!

”We all know Fabregas completed an incredible 19 goals and 19 assists at 22 years old last season with Arsenal! Now, a younger, more outstanding young man has appeared!

”I don’t know if saying this will upset Fabregas fans or have people outrageously accuse me of not understanding the gap between the Premier League and the Championship!

”But..... Ma’el is about to step into the Premier League next season and head to the Emirates Stadium where Fabregas achieved his success. I believe time will give us the answer, and next season Ma’el will tell us everything!”

As his commentary continued, the camera followed Ma’el through the player’s tunnel to a media room inside the stadium.

Ma’el received the Man of the Match trophy amidst flashing lights and applause, accepting the monthly award trophy as a memento.

Typically, the Player of the Month is discussed and selected after the month ends, and the award is usually given around the tenth of the next month.

But this month, the English FA seemed to have skipped the post-month discussion and hurriedly presented Ma’el with the Player of the Month trophy right after this match.

Indeed, with 8 goals and 5 assists in a single month, to compare with him one might need to combine the stats of Sean Long and Taarabt for any competitiveness.

”Thank you all.”

In the frame, Ma’el blew kisses with both hands, to the award presenters on site, and to the fans in front of the televisions.

....

”Arsenal...”

Back at the small house on Cherry Street, Gilbert heard about Arsenal losing the title chase and lamented: ”Reaching the final and losing the title, or being shockingly defeated, it’s too painful.”

Ma’el, sitting beside him, also felt uneasy looking at the media’s portrayal of Wenger crouching despondently by the sidelines.

This was his sympathy and compassion for the tragic aura surrounding this elderly man’s latter years, which is a sentiment shared by many Wenger fans.

The only solace is that he has an opportunity in the future to help this old man and write new chapters of history together with him.

Improve your skills well..... aim to make an immediate impact to change this team’s fighting power right upon returning to Arsenal, helping them reach greater heights and having stronger competitiveness on many fronts!

”Doesn’t Arsenal still have the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup this season?”

Harry and Safina, sitting beside the two, were there to congratulate Ma’el on receiving the ’Player of the Month’ award, with the former puzzled: ”Is there no hope for any?”

”The league seems unlikely.”

Ma’el couldn’t quite remember Arsenal’s achievements that year, but it was certain that the Premier League and Champions League were beyond reach, ”as for the Champions League.... if they can beat Barcelona at Camp Nou in the second leg, then there’s hope to go all the way.”