From Arsenal to the Ball God

”But I came in at the bottom, making 11,000 pounds; the odds were 55 at the time.”

Amidst the clamor, the young man Allen looked at them, touched the 25,000 pounds just withdrawn from the bank in his pocket, his only savings.

.....

”Ding ding ding ding...! I have a friend.....!”

”He’s driving a Bugatti on the sideline...! He’s dancing the swan dance on the defensive line.....!!”

12:25, at the Emirates Stadium, over fifty thousand Arsenal fans and seven thousand Norwich fans sang back and forth, one person singing a line from the ’Song of Ma’el’.

The last time at Carrow Road Stadium, they echoed like this too, but that time there were very few Arsenal fans.

At the player tunnel, Ma’el heard the sound outside and couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

He already knew that Norwich fans were his good friends from the Championship.....but he didn’t expect that on this important day, they would still cheer for him.

He must play well, to complete the final game of the season in the best way!

”Beep beep.....!” The referee’s whistle blew, and the players from both sides started to step onto the Emirates Stadium.

”Sky Sports brings you today’s final showdown, and according to incomplete statistics, about 260 million viewers worldwide will be watching the broadcast of this game!

”Since it’s an early kickoff, the number of viewers from Asia is astounding, especially from some populous countries.

”Let’s take a look at the starting lineups! On the Arsenal side.....”

As major broadcast companies reported the starting lineups live, the DJ at the scene also took action, introducing the starting players of both teams along with the stadium’s giant screen.

”Norwich! 3-5-2! Goalkeeper Rudy, three central defenders Norton, Ryan, Nate, and Russell Martin!

”Midfield Bradley, Housen, Elliott, with Hulahan and Lapin on the flanks!

”Double forwards, Grant Holt, Jackson.....!!”

Every time he mentioned a name, the Norwich fans erupted in cheers, and the Arsenal fans would respond with applause.

Then came the highlight, the introduction of Arsenal’s starting lineup, first appearing on the screen was Szczeny with his arms crossed.

”Arsenal.....! 4-3-3! Goalkeeper, number 13, Szczeny!!”

”Oh...!!” A thunderous roar erupted, and at the front rows of the stands, Arsenal fans holding team flags waved them in sync, creating an overwhelming sense of grandeur.

This was different from usual; Arsenal fans typically didn’t partake in such activities.

But today, they knew what kind of support they should give their team.

”Koscielny, Mertesacker.....! Kyle Walker, Sagna.....!!

”Alexander Song! Ramsey! Rosicky.....!

Each time a name was called, cheers erupted again, and the flags waved around once more, giving each player the warmest encouragement.

”Van Persie! Gervinho! And...number seven.....Ma’el!!”

When Ma’el’s name appeared, the scene was completely boiling, the flags waved three times, along with a resounding voice filled the field, ”Yeahhhh.....!”

After this sound, fans from both sides started singing songs about him again, ”Ding ding ding ding.....!”

All of this showed his immense popularity and the reception he received from fans on both sides, and at some point, he had become tremendously special to this Arsenal team.

Off the field, Ma’el waved and greeted the fans around him with a smile, goosebumps covering his skin, ready for action.

”Beep——!!!”

At 12:30, this match of the 11-12 season, Premier League’s 38th round, kicked off with the attention of fans worldwide.

Arsenal got the ball rolling from the center circle, passing in the backfield to draw Norwich players forward.

”Dum dum dum!”

Ma’el charged towards the opponent’s back, raising his hand for the ball, but Rosicky chose to pass it back.

He stopped and stood next to the opponent’s right wing-back, waiting for the chance to attack from behind.

...

”Arsenal’s threatening attack! In the middle, Van Persie with the ball! A through ball towards the flank, Gervinho gets it! A cross!

”Ah.....the ball was sent behind Ma’el, quite a straightforward pass, he didn’t capitalize on this opportunity!

”From the opening 10 minutes, Arsenal is in complete control, the players are playing seriously, not as relaxed as the last game!

”But they’re a bit tense, unnecessary errors are appearing slightly more!”

”.....”

”Oh.....a lovely scene, Ma’el couldn’t stop in time and dashed out of bounds, almost crashing near the advertising boards, only for Norwich manager Neil to catch him.

”These two are old friends, Neil patted Ma’el’s head, saying something, anyone here a lip reader?

”Haha, Wenger must be joking with Neil, telling him not to try to poach his player, and the two veteran managers burst into laughter.

”I think the near 20-minute start to this match allows everyone to feel the overall atmosphere of this game!

”This is the kind of football idealists dream of, but watching such a game occasionally is refreshing, if you watched it all the time, it would get boring.....the world of football needs clashes and conflicts.”

”.....”

In the 29th minute, Ma’el dribbled the ball on the left wing, spotting Hulahan giving chase, suddenly wanting to test his fancy techniques at level 2.

He took a step forward with his left foot, placing it in front of the ball, then his right instep quickly flicked the ball onto his left shin, and then his left leg snapped back sharply before hooking in reverse.

”Whoosh!” The ball obediently flew off his left shin, tracing a beautiful rainbow in the air, and falling behind Hulahan.