From Arsenal to the Ball God

As time slowly approached the end of August, Arsenal’s fixtures still hadn’t eased up.

There were only two matches left, one on August 25th, an away game against Udinese; and another on August 28th, an away game against Manchester United.

Two consecutive away games—this was a test of squad depth.

The first match was relatively easier, given the advantage of a 3-0 lead in the first leg, Udinese would be hard-pressed to stir up any waves away from home; even with a semi-rotated lineup, they could win.

Arsenal was very likely to advance to the Champions League with ease.

But Manchester United... For Arsenal, they’re definitely a tough opponent, a special rival.

Not only because this team possesses top-tier strength in the Premier League, but also due to the love-hate relationship between Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger that spanned over a decade, as well as the clashes and rivalries between Arsenal and Manchester United around the millennium.

Every clash between the two teams, whether at Emirates Stadium or Old Trafford, is always explosive, able to attract a great deal of attention.

It’s no less intense than regular derby matches.

There’s no need to guess Wenger’s thoughts; he surely plans to conserve some strength against Udinese, so his main lineup can fully charge into the Premier League’s third round against Manchester United at the end of the month, aiming to secure points away from home!

Thinking it over, this month’s Premier League fixtures really were quite brutal.

The number of rounds wasn’t many, but none were easy to play, with one mid-tier team and two big six giants; it was a cluster of challenges in the first half of the season.

On August 23rd, Ma’el finished training for the day and returned home to rest.

Wenger gave him a day off tomorrow, but assigned him an important task... touring London with the team’s new members alongside captain Van Persie.

Was this preparing to groom him into the third captain, maybe even the second captain?

He guessed Wenger’s intention; otherwise, Wenger wouldn’t have picked a young player like him for such activities.

As it happens, after the first two league rounds, Wenger had made some major moves in the transfer window, seemingly truly prepared to make a big push this season.

After bringing in Arteta, he first introduced Brazilian left-back Andre Santos from Turkish Super League giant Fenerbahce, costing €7 million.

Then he spent €11.3 million to bring in German iron defender Mertesacker from Bundesliga team Werder Bremen, and €13.8 million to acquire powerful attacker Chamberlain from Southampton!

He practically spent all the money earned in the summer window, strengthening all fronts of the team.

Ma’el was very familiar with these people; they were basically the backbone of Arsenal’s low period, accompanying the club through a tough stretch and contributing greatly to its rebuild and revival.

”Hmm?”

He suddenly thought of something: Santos and Mertesacker, including Arteta whom he hadn’t paid much attention to before... If he’s not mistaken, the three of them were present when Arsenal received United’s 82 Lafite later, right?

Why did they arrive early?

Understanding why these people were first on the transfer list was easy; clubs generally confirm transfer targets early and acquire them when the timing is right.

But how was it so coincidental?

Thinking about the match against Manchester United at the end of the month, Ma’el’s heart suddenly skipped a beat; could that 82 tragedy be in the 11-12 season?

Exactly that match at the end of the month!

Damn... He couldn’t help but curse inwardly; does this count as bad timing for him, arriving in a season marked by a once-in-a-century tragedy, and he’s likely to play?

Even if the butterfly effect of his arrival influences the match’s outcome to some extent.

The fiery footwork and form of Manchester United’s offensive line in that game left little room for change.

Even if he thinks of ways to affect the result, losing four or five goals seems very possible.

”Have to tough it out.”

At this juncture, there was nothing else to do; he could only hope the butterfly effect of his arrival would be bigger, maybe altering the result of the 82 match to be less tragic.

Thinking of Arteta and Mertesacker’s early arrival... if they could play in that match, they might have some influence on the result.

First, get through it; aim to complete revenge against Manchester United at home in the second half of the season.

...

The next day, Ma’el met up with Van Persie at noon, taking several of the club’s new signings to tour some attractions in central London.

He himself hadn’t yet properly explored London, so he took the opportunity to tour the city.

He drove his own Ferrari, carrying Arteta, who had transferred from Everton.

Van Persie’s task was heavier; he drove an Audi S5 carrying Mertesacker, Chamberlain, and Andre Santos.

They first went to Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and the Thames River, famous landmarks in London, where they took photos and chatted as they walked.

Van Persie acted as a guide; it was rare to see this patient side of him, ”Life in London feels very good; I fell in love with this place once I arrived. It’s an international metropolis, yet usually quite peaceful.”

”Most importantly, the football atmosphere here is incredibly strong—this city hosts the most top-tier clubs.”

He smiled, introducing, ”Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Watford, these are all world-renowned teams.”

”Being a football star here in London is much nicer than in any other city in the United Kingdom.”

”You’ll encounter very passionate London girls, foreign girls from all over the world come for study, of course, this is just an aside.”

”Many parties and carnivals are also very interesting; once the fixtures ease up, I’ll take you to have fun—you’ll love it.”