From Arsenal to the Ball God

”If Ma’el loses possession once, probably nothing would happen. But if you make a mistake, how many people’s efforts go to waste?!”

He said a lot in a row, leaving Boas standing there, looking at him with a face of shock, as if he hadn’t expected it.

However, the young Portuguese coach obviously wouldn’t figure it out during this moment of bewilderment; he was just accumulating anger.

”Enough! He’s already scored two goals, saying anything is pointless now!”

Boas threw up his hands and turned around; the main reason for his collapse was not knowing how to face Ah Bu later, besides Ma’el’s influence.

When he turned his head and saw Lukaku’s confused face, his mind was a bit scrambled... he seemed to remember he had asked this player to warm up, or maybe he hadn’t.

He had!

A jolt went through Boas’ mind. He placed one hand on Lukaku’s shoulder and raised the other to call the fourth official to arrange a substitution.

As he opened his mouth, he found he couldn’t make any sound, and his ears started ringing violently.

He immediately looked pained, glancing around in confusion... the dizziness followed, making him feel that his responses were all half a beat slow.

It was like being in a dream, as if his body and everything within this stadium were not in the same dimension.

When he shook his head again and looked toward the field, hoping to make himself clearer—

”Bang!”

Goalkeeper Cech fumbled a save, Van Persie cleverly followed up to score, then shook his head while running to the side of the field.

Another goal!

Five to three!

No hope left!

Boas’ pupils slowly enlarged, and then he felt the world go black, uncontrollably collapsing forward.

”Thud!”

He fell heavily onto the turf, catching everyone’s attention around him.

Lukaku: ”???”

So is he not supposed to play then?

”Help him!”

”Quick, quick!”

The assistant coach, who had just argued with Boas, was the first to rush out, anxiously calling for the team’s medic.

The sidelines erupted into chaos, even Wenger, who was celebrating on the other side, came over to check on Boas’ situation.

”Beep! Beep! Beep—!”

When the referee blew the three long whistles to end the match, Boas slowly woke up, weakly sitting on the coach’s bench, sipping saltwater.

Chelsea’s players immediately gathered around him, with Terry and others coming forward to ask about his condition.

”Sir.” A staff member came over, softly speaking: ”Abramovich invites you to the box for a sit.”

Boas nodded gently, as he had already regained some composure, thinking again about the prepared rhetoric.

Looking at the score of five to three, he wondered... could he tell Ah Bu that the pre-match promise of three goals was still achieved?

...

”Ole... Ole... Ole!!”

On the field, Arsenal’s players formed a circle, arms around each other, jumping fiercely.

Undefeated in October!

Achieved!

Ma’el jumped the most passionately; he wasn’t the kind of person to hold back. When it’s time to celebrate, one must lay down all rationality and wholeheartedly enjoy the raw happiness of the moment.

”Sagna!”

Looking at Sagna, who had scored a goal today, he said: ”I am more confident now in winning the Golden Boy Award. Shouldn’t the Song of Ma’el include some elements of the Golden Boy?”

Sagna didn’t jump with everyone; he stood in the middle, dancing. At times like this, he was always in the center position.

He slightly nodded at Ma’el’s words, thinking there was some sense in them, his mind racing fast.

”Whatever!” Ma’el laughed loudly, revealing his true intention, teasingly saying: ”If I win the Premier League Golden Boot at the end of the season and the Golden Ball in the future, you’d have to recreate it again.

”Let’s just keep it as it is, don’t want to trouble you, haha!”

”Che.....!” An overwhelming voice sounded, every Arsenal player pursing their lips at Ma’el.

”Speaking of which, what about the barbecue you promised earlier?”

Someone remembered Ma’el’s promise at the beginning of the month to treat everyone to barbecue after 10 goals, now already 14, yet nothing has happened.

”Yeah!”

”Fourteen goals, maybe treating us to something better than barbecue, right?”

”There are really good barbecue places, too. I know one that costs 400 pounds per person. Let’s get him once; he earns a lot anyway!”

”Hahaha, deal!”

Ma’el looked at their excited expressions and nodded, agreeing: ”Then let’s head out later. After all, we’re most familiar here in London.”

They chatted idly for a while before starting to celebrate today’s main event, undefeated in October!

”Ole... Ole Ole Ole Ole!!!

”Undefeated in October! Undefeated in October! We’re the best! We will win the championship!”

”Wait.” Ma’el thought they were too monotonous, coming to the middle and stretching out his hand said: ”Come, sing with me. I’ll teach you a new anthem.”

”What?” Sagna looked at him curiously; he was very interested in this aspect.

Ma’el looked at them, his expression serious, following the rhythm, starting with a magical tune: ”We Arsenal are invincible!”

Arsenal’s players suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable; it was a tune they had never heard before, seeming to exist in a different dimension.

”What is this?”

”Invincible?”

”Haha, kind of interesting.”

But soon, combined with this short lyric, they felt its brilliance.

Together, over 2 billion Euros in value, the group of superstars, jovially arm in arm, laughed, saying: ”We Arsenal... are invincible!”

The day was overcast, the weather grey and gloomy... yet dressed in red and white jerseys, they seemed to illuminate that small patch of area with a joyous field, hope radiating on every face.

”Revival!!”

”Northern Expedition!”

”Northern Expedition has succeeded in a step!”