From Arsenal to the Ball God

”You may think I’m making excuses, but this is football. Even the smallest factors can affect a match, and we were fully prepared to win!”

”Bang bang!” He knocked on the table twice more, expressing his dissatisfaction with the referee, ”Everyone knows what kind of comeback we made in the previous game, and what kind of spirit we have!

”If it weren’t for some off-field factors, we absolutely wouldn’t have ended up with this result!”

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence.

It wasn’t until more than ten seconds later that a reporter stood up and said, ”Sorry, may I ask, has Manchester City basically pulled out of the championship race?

”The team now has no room for error. If they drop points in just one more game, Arsenal might clinch the title early in April.

Mancini stared at the reporter, gritting his teeth, ”One game in hand, only 8 points behind, who taught you math? Why are we out of the title race?!

”We have no room for error, but does Arsenal? As soon as they drop points, don’t we get back in the race?

”You media types must all be for Arsenal, or are you just trying to make things difficult for me?”

The reporter glanced at Mancini without answering the question, and simply continued, ”Former Manchester City star Peter Reid just said that any game during the title race could affect the final result.

”The fans understand this; every player on a contending team is extremely tense, and any slight relaxation could trigger a chain reaction, possibly even a total collapse.

”After this game, Mr. Mancini, are you worried that the players might buckle under the pressure and go winless or suffer a losing streak?”

Mancini packed up his things and stood up immediately. As he walked towards the door, he gestured for the reporters to settle down, ”I shouldn’t be treated like this; I have three league titles, just like Wenger!

”Show some respect! Don’t tell me how to manage the team, don’t worry about me!

”Respect...!!”

He flung his suit jacket over his shoulders and walked away gracefully.

On the other side, Ferguson directly refused to attend the press conference, sending an assistant coach along with Giggs instead, resulting in a rather dull event.

...

”Bang bang...!”

In the evening, next to the Emirates Stadium, in Jones’ bar, countless people were clinking glasses around a somewhat legendary round table.

In the center of the table, Jones’ face was already flushed from drinking but he couldn’t stop raising his glass, ”Come on, come on! Finish this glass, there’s another!”

”Haha.....” The people around him laughed at his appearance; they understood how Jones felt at this moment.

A man who had achieved nothing and had little in savings suddenly became a minor fortune owner because of a team’s player.

Even if it doesn’t make him rich for a lifetime, it should be enough for a few good years.

”Jones, you said you’d treat us to drinks someday. This isn’t the day, is it?” someone asked.

”Of course not.”

Jones waved his hand generously. ”When the time comes, I’ll buy drinks for everyone who comes into the bar... but I get to pick the drinks!”

”Alright.....!” Cheers rang out, and many applauded for Jones.

”How much did Jones invest in total, and how much did he get in return?” a young newcomer asked someone nearby.

The person chuckled and explained, ”Altogether, over 10,000 pounds, and after his bets, I’ve heard his returns have reached 250,000 pounds.”

”Really?!” The young man immediately had his eyes wide-open, taking a sharp breath, ”Do I still have a chance to invest now?”

”No.” The person shrugged, ”Ma’el has already tied the scoring record with 34 goals. Even if he gets injured and doesn’t play anymore, other forwards can’t compete with him.

”Besides, the player is in great shape, so the chances of injury are small.”

”In this case, would any bookmaker dare to offer odds on him for the Golden Boot? Even at 1.1 odds, people would still place heavy bets; that’s practically free money.”

Feeling it wasn’t precise enough, the person added, ”Ah, if he gets injured, Van Persie, who’s close to 30 goals, might have a chance.

”But..... clearly, that’s not going to happen.”

The young man nodded in disappointment, then shook his head and said, ”It’s hard to imagine, from odds of over 50 to now being off the board, how the player has overperformed this season.

”And it’s hard to imagine what gave Jones the courage at that time.”

The person sat next to him and started chatting, ”The player’s debut in the top league was at a historically best level; no one’s debut has been more stunning than his, whether in the Championship or the Premier League.

”In this aspect, he’s the GOAT....! He must be!

”As for Jones.”

He glanced at Jones, who was bragging with others at the center of the table, ”He certainly is a remarkable person; I don’t know what gave him the courage either.

”If you ask me to analyze it in hindsight, I could say something; it’s like the player version of the Kaiserslautern miracle.

”A record-breaking young Golden Boot winner in a secondary league, and having improved, he’s moved to the Premier League; there was indeed a small probability he could win the Golden Boot.

”But at that time, who would dare to bet on him? I guess fewer than 100 people did, and those 100 people are the ones who got rich following Ma’el.”

Remembering something, he looked at the young man, ”By the way, he seems to have a mantra.”

”What?!” The young man widened his eyes, eager for knowledge.

”All-in!” The person’s expression changed as he recalled how the tavern owner had told them about this, ”All-in is an art! All-in the first time! All-in the second time! All-in the third time!”