From Arsenal to the Ball God

”However, if there’s hope, there’s one.”

”What?”

”Since Ma’el rarely misses the mark, I hope you set a goal for him to win the European Cup; this way, the France team gets a thick layer of armor.”

”Haha...!” The two middle-aged men on the stands laughed heartily, knowing they would surely build a good rapport today because they both admire the same person.

”Beep! Beep—!” The first half of the match had ended, and both teams went into halftime.

Wenger seemed quite satisfied with the spirit and energy shown by the team today, shaking hands and hugging each player before entering the tunnel.

Just 45 minutes left to decide whether they can make history!

.....

”Beep!!”

”Alright, as the referee’s whistle blows, the second half kicks off!

”Towards the end of the first half, we saw Rosicky seemed to have some leg muscle discomfort, and Wilshere has come on as a substitute to replace him.

”Little Crown Prince of Arsenal hasn’t had much chance this season, having gone through a major injury mid-season; by the time he recovered, the team was already in the title race, leaving no time for him to adjust.

”Yet in this crucial match, Wenger has brought him on. I’m not sure what this signifies!

”Is he being planned for use next season? Or is this a way to strengthen the midfield through signings, hinting at the sale of the injury-prone Wilshere... just a joke, of course.

”.....

”It’s Wilshere! A long shot! Oh...! The crossbar! Just a little off!

”Van Persie with the follow-up! A volley! Beautiful!! It’s in!! Arsenal leads Norwich three to one!

”With 30 minutes left in the match, this goal is likely to cement Arsenal’s victory!

”Who dares to draw swords? Only my General Fan!! If not for Ma’el’s sudden rise, he would be this season’s Premier League top scorer!

”With two Golden Boot-caliber strikers on the same team, it’s no surprise that Arsenal is tearing through the season so ruthlessly!”

”.....

”Wow...Oh.....!!”

On the field, Van Persie, wearing the captain’s armband, performs his signature slide celebration, drawing the eyes of many security personnel inside the venue.

Arsenal teammates quickly gather around, lifting Van Persie up from the ground.

”We’re going to win!”

”Victory!”

”Take it! 100 points!!”

Ma’el excitedly hugged his shoulders, shaking him vigorously, ”As long as that guy blows the whistle, we’ll have achieved our long-standing goal!”

Van Persie embraced Ma’el as well, their heads close together, ”I wish I could blink and have this match end.”

”Soon.”

Ma’el pulled away, saying with a smile, ”Enjoy the rest of the match, a great season is about to end. You won’t feel this way next season.”

Van Persie just nodded, then saw Ma’el brightly continue, ”Of course, next season we’ll create even greater miracles, become a more stable legend, and that’s another feeling altogether.”

”Haha...!” Van Persie and the other Arsenal players laughed along, sensing just how passionate a player Ma’el truly is.

After this goal, the match quickly passed the 70-minute mark, reaching the final moments.

”Bang!”

In the 76th minute, Hulahan fired a shot at the bottom right corner of the net during a counterattack, only for the ball to skim past the goal.

”Ah....!” Beside the pitch, Norwich’s coach Neil leaned back, regretfully throwing up his hands and shaking his head, even slapping the bench seat.

”Neil! Neil!”

Some Norwich fans behind him began to shout, ”Don’t be so down! The season’s task is already complete! So what if Arsenal wins?

”We’re all from England; seeing an English team achieve such success should make us happy!”

These were originally a few jokes, or words to console Neil, but to everyone’s surprise, they infuriated him.

He walked towards the fan section amidst the noise, pointed at the Norwich fans in the stands, and shouted, ”Shut up! That’s just what you fans think, not me and the players!

”We’ve worked hard all season, wracking our brains for this match; why should we give up on the last game?!

”Say that again, and you’re out of here—I’ll even request the club to ban you!”

Neil stormed off with a huff, as head coach, he had to shoulder his responsibility, leading the team towards victory.

This wouldn’t have any effect on him; his gratitude towards Ma’el couldn’t surpass his love for the team, his professional ethics.

Therefore, he couldn’t accept those jests, making him feel like his and the team’s efforts were in vain and leaving him a bit disheartened.

”Swap the forwards!”

Returning to the bench, he called over the assistant coach, ”Put Steve Morrison on, take off Housen! A one-three score isn’t enough for us to give up!”

In the 81st minute, Steve Morrison took to the field, igniting Norwich’s rally.

However, this left gaps in their defense, making Arsenal’s counterattacks increasingly dangerous.

”Bang!”

In the 88th minute, Hulahan once again took a shot, causing a scare in front of Arsenal’s goal.

Thanks to Mertesacker’s unwavering focus, he managed to clear the ball before the follow-up player could reach it, directing it towards the right flank.

There, Gervinho and an opponent sprinted towards the landing point—a fifty-fifty ball struggle.