September Ends! Time for a Summary! Maël's Goal! Agüero and Rooney's Pressure! September 29th, the second round of the Champions League group stage kicks off at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal faces Greek super-club Olympiacos in this round, a second-rate team from a third-rate European league, possessing a devilish home stadium that makes countless European powerhouses tremble.
But in away games, they are slightly weaker, with more losses than wins.
"Fight hard! Let's go!"
"Perfectly end this month!"
"Take them down, and it's two months unbeaten since the start of the season!"
"Nine wins and two draws across all fronts!"
Arsenal's players encourage each other in the player tunnel, they are very close to a summary moment of the opening period.
Maël, holding a young ball boy's hand, stands in the player tunnel, adjusting his breathing to prepare for battle. He can feel the intense atmosphere inside the Emirates Stadium.
His second Champions League match of his life has arrived. Last time, at Westfalen Stadium, they defeated Dortmund, a top-tier team in the group. This time, they must strive to steadily defeat the fourth-tier team Olympiacos at home.
No carelessness allowed!
They must use their full strength to strive for the 6th point in the Champions League group stage with overwhelming force! By then, the situation for qualifying will be extremely favorable for them.
"Arsenal! Arsenal!"
Before long, Maël walks onto the field amidst the cheers of the entire stadium, to participate in the pre-match ceremony.
He quickly sees Wenger casting a smiling glance in his direction, and he returns a smile to the other party. Wenger has a chance to win the Monthly Best Coach this month.
This is an award selected within the Premier League, although it is in the name of the Premier League, it will examine the team's performance on all fronts.
Last month, Sir Ferguson of Manchester United won this honor. He led Manchester United to win the Community Shield Cup and remained unbeaten in the Premier League with two wins and one draw.
Arsenal's Premier League record is the same as theirs, with two additional playoff victories.
Unfortunately, without the addition of a championship, they regrettably lost the competition.
After regrouping in September, Wenger re-launched the competition for this honor. He has been pushed to the doorstep of the Monthly Best by the performance of Arsenal's players, it all depends on whether they can win this game.
"If we win this game, I wonder if I can compete for Player of the Month?"
Maël thinks of this after arriving at his position and standing still. In fact, in terms of performance, last month's five goals and two assists in the Premier League should have been enough to secure the Monthly Best.
But Rooney's performance was too good, using five goals and three assists + one championship + a goal in the final to take away the Monthly Best.
Rooney's performance has declined slightly this month, but Manchester City's new signing Agüero has emerged. After experiencing the adaptation period in August, he scored four goals and two assists this month.
This is a data that is better than Maël's performance this month, and it is the first outbreak period of Agüero's Premier League career.
"Not easy to compete."
Maël feels that the advantage is not on his side, and he gradually realizes the intensity of the competition in the top league.
Not only the league points competition between teams, the cup promotion competition, and the victory or defeat competition in a single game; players also have their own battlefields on various lists, the scorer list ranking, the assist list ranking, the Monthly Best, etc.
Although his data is efficient and stable, he has not yet ranked first in any list, and it is difficult to win a Monthly Best in the first two months of the season.
"I have to keep working hard."
Maël cheers himself up in his heart. He raises his head and signals himself to look forward.
Steadily take down Olympiacos in this game, perfectly end September, and step into the new journey of October! By then, as his strength slowly increases and he becomes more and more adapted to this league, he will probably produce more explosive data, overwhelm other top players in the outbreak stage, and compete for the Monthly Best! This is just a small goal, and slowly, he will also launch an impact on the Premier League's scorer list and assist list!
"Play Barcelona, play Barcelona...! Play Bayern Munich...!"
"My team has collapsed...!"
At 7:30 in the evening, Maël completes the opening ceremony amidst a not-so-auspicious song, and the game then kicks off.
"Arsenal's control, they have chosen a very aggressive formation in this round, three-five-two!
"One of the defenders is still the offensive wing-back André Santos. The intention is already very obvious, they want to end the battle in the front and middle field, and don't want Olympiacos players to see the goalkeeper's face.
"Chance! Maël's Cut Inside shot, Costanzo makes a wonderful save, corner kick."
After the opening, Arsenal firmly suppresses Olympiacos. Their ball loss counter-attack is done very well, and they rarely give the opponent a chance to counterattack.
Most of the time, the football is developing in Olympiacos's dangerous area, and this quickly pays off.
"Bang."
In the 7th minute of the match, Maël received the ball on the left wing. He was playing as a left attacking midfielder today, but given the freedom Wenger allowed him, he could be considered a free agent on the left side of the attacking third.
"Mark him!"
"Here!"
"Maël!"
He dribbled towards the center, and the players on the edge of the penalty area quickly made diagonal runs inside, drawing away defenders while waiting for opportunities.
With so many players attacking, Olympiacos' defenders quickly felt a bit overwhelmed.
The originally tight defensive line was instantly torn open with a small gap. Many defenders, anxious to fill the gap, lost sight of other areas, leaving several more gaps, and the defensive line became a chaotic mess.
"Bang!" Maël's right instep connected with the ball. He played a through ball towards the far right side of the box, where Chamberlain, who had performed well in the previous match, was sprinting forward.
"Whoosh!" After entering the penalty area, Chamberlain chose to meet the ball with a low shot, and the ball rolled into the far corner of the goal, hitting the side netting.
One-nil!
Arsenal took the lead at home! "Yeah!!" A huge roar erupted from the Emirates Stadium, and tens of thousands of fans cheered and celebrated passionately.
They were having a great week, with three consecutive home games in three completely different competitions.
If they could win them all, their mouths would be grinning from ear to ear.
"Chamberlain!"
"Maël!"
"Come on Arsenal!"
Wenger, on the sidelines, clapped his hands and celebrated briefly. His expression was filled with joy, as if he could already see the Monthly Best Coach award waving at him.
"Thank you!"
On the field, Chamberlain didn't run to the sidelines to celebrate, but instead went to Maël to express his gratitude. His eyes were filled with tears and he was extremely excited. "My first Champions League game, my first Champions League goal! My dream has come true! I thought it would take a long time, but I didn't expect that after playing in EFL League One last year, I'd be able to work with you guys this year."
Maël touched Chamberlain's head. He was also born in '93, the same age as him, and had come to this team with the same reputation as a prodigy.
Speaking of which, his resume was somewhat similar to his own... One led an EFL Championship team to promotion to the Premier League, and the other led an EFL League One team to promotion to the EFL Championship. Both of them were also selected for the Best Lineup at the end of the season.
However, in other aspects, Chamberlain was far behind.
Seeming to realize this, Chamberlain made a vow when he hugged Maël, "Two years ago, I was arrogant, but after seeing your performance and stats at Sheffield United a year ago, I slowly calmed down."
"This year, I'm even more aware of the gap between us, but I still want to set a goal: I want to have half of your stats by the end of the season!"
"I hope you can have more." Maël patted him on the back. The other teammates quickly arrived, and the two were quickly surrounded by joy.
After this goal, Arsenal's offensive continued unabated, as if they were looking for an opportunity to nail Olympiacos down.
They launched continuous attacks on both the left and right wings, and the ball whistled towards the goal countless times.
In the 19th minute of the match, Maël received the ball near the center of the field. He glanced left and right, and saw the overlapping run of the full-back André Santos behind him.
This overlapping run might be the one to break the offensive and defensive balance.
"Bang, bang... bang...!"
Maël pretended not to see him, dribbling the ball towards the center, wanting to draw the opponent's defense towards the middle.
"Follow him!"
"Don't let him shoot!"
Olympiacos' players were indeed thrown into a panic, and the entire defensive line moved with Maël's dribbling. This was the containment ability that Maël brought to the team after his threat level rose.
"Bang!" After creating space, he used a clever backheel pass to send the ball to the left side of the box.
The ball cleverly passed through the defense, arriving in the penalty area, catching all the defenders off guard.
"Oh!" The fans at the Emirates Stadium stood up from their seats, seeing André Santos had already charged into the penalty area.
"Santos! Preparing to shoot... a cutback! He cut past the goalkeeper! Beautiful! An open goal! A steady finish! Two-nil! Arsenal took a two-nil lead in the first 20 minutes!
"As a full-back, Santos still has the nimble footwork and elflike imagination of a Brazilian player! An assist from Maël, who has already completed a Brace of assists today. This prodigy has already achieved 2 goals and 2 assists in the new season's Champions League, which is quite amazing!"
On the field, Santos, equally thrilled to score his first Champions League goal, sprinted to the sidelines and slid on his knees, experiencing the new stadium's turf for the first time.
Getting up, he pointed to Maël, who had provided the assist, "My brother, what a pass!"
"Great finish!"
Maël, who had earned two assists, was also very excited. He came over and picked up André Santos, then waved to the fans in the stands to celebrate.
For a moment, he remembered the four fans he met during the charity event. Some of them should be here today.
He had already received the season tickets he promised to the four of them, and he planned to hand them over before the next game, inviting them to watch the North London derby.
For the remainder of the game, Arsenal steadily suppressed their opponents with relentless attacks, while Olympiacos appeared weak and out of place on the road.
In the 37th minute, Alexandre Song scored with a powerful long shot, giving Arsenal a three-nil lead.
At halftime, Wenger substituted Maël, Alexandre Song, and Mertesacker, as he began preparing for the first derby match next month.
That would be the most important game of the entire October! The significance of the derby need not be elaborated; its place in the hearts of the fans is no less than a championship battle.
It was more like a 'championship battle' for honor and pride, a crucial game that could not be lost!
"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"
When the referee blew the whistle to end the game, the score was finally fixed at four to one.
Arsenal and Olympiacos each scored a goal in the second half, with the former achieving an easy victory and the latter... retaining some semblance of dignity.
In the post-match press conference room, Wenger and Maël sat here, accepting interviews from reporters.
"A perfect January?"
A reporter holding a microphone stood next to Wenger with a smile, saying, "Did you know? Just now, The FA named you the Monthly Best coach for this month."
"We all know that the Monthly Best in the top league is a rare honor, as it features the world's top coaches and best players."
"Many times, it's not enough for a coach to do well and be diligent during that period to receive this honor."
"Yes," Wenger replied, his face beaming, the joy in his expression amplified upon hearing the news. "This year marks my 16th year in England, and if I remember correctly, I..."
Seeing him hesitate, a reporter reminded him, "Before this, you had won the Monthly Best a total of 10 times, the last time being in the 07 season."
Wenger glanced at the reporter with a hint of praise, nodding, "That's right, even though we had a very good performance around the turn of the millennium, I only won 10 Monthly Best awards in 16 years."
"Not having tasted the flavor of being the best for three consecutive years... it's quite nostalgic, haha."
Maël also laughed beside him, during this time, he could feel Wenger's spirit gradually improving.
Whether on match days or training days, he was always full of energy, as if he were many years younger.
"Hmm, are you waiting for my acceptance speech? I can't say too much..."
Wenger said a few words, seemingly touched by the scene, lowered his head, swallowed, paused for a moment, then turned to look at Maël, saying, "I can only say that the team has a very good boost in combat power this season, and several players have made us more competitive."
"Is it Maël?" a reporter asked, looking at Maël.
"Of course." Wenger did not hide or hold back, he generously smiled and said the player's name, "Maël's improvement to the offensive line's combat power is beyond doubt, his performance is very amazing."
"Oh!" A burst of cheering rang out in the venue, and many reporters clapped their hands, happy to see the scene of a deep bond between mentor and disciple.
This burst of cheers and applause made both Maël and Wenger a little embarrassed, the two sat in place, smiling faintly with slightly red faces.
However, this 'embarrassment' only lasted for a moment, they quickly and generously admitted it.
"He scored 3 goals and 1 assist in the Premier League this month, what a great performance."
Wenger patted Maël on the back, turned his head and continued, "Although it doesn't seem as explosive as last month, that's because of the inclusion of multiple fronts, and the attention is somewhat distracted."
"Including 2 goals and 2 assists in the Champions League, his record this month is still an amazing 5 goals and 3 assists."
"If a player can help the team create 8 goals in a month... then no one can deny that he must be the team's core player."
After these words were spoken, the reporters at the scene revealed a few surprised expressions, this was considered Wenger's first admission in front of the media that Maël had become the core.
Wherever there are people, there is a world of strife... even if everyone is in the same group, fighting for a common goal, there will be primary and secondary distinctions.
Things like succession battles, core disputes, and violent conflicts erupting due to unequal status are all things that often break out within a team.
No one doesn't value this, everyone wants to rise to the top and become the club's darling, the top star.
Wenger's statement that Maël is a core player must have been carefully considered and will definitely trigger a series of chain reactions.
It remains to be seen whether Maël's performance can convince the public and whether he can handle this position.
"Maël, do you have any thoughts? I mean, regarding milestones like the Player of the Month award," a reporter asked, seeing the somewhat awkward atmosphere, and pointed the microphone at Maël.
"You haven't told me yet, so that means there isn't one this month."
Maël felt a slight regret in his heart. After adjusting his mindset, he said, "I won the Monthly Best in my debut month in the EFL Championship and won five Monthly Best awards in a single season.
"Naturally, I hoped to continue this form in the Premier League, but obviously, things haven't gone as I expected.
"It's okay, I will continue to strive for it. It's my honor to compete with these top players. I want to win three Premier League Player of the Month awards by the end of the season."
"Three?" A reporter looked surprised and sighed, "That's a grand goal. How confident are you?"
"120%," Maël said with a smile, half serious and half joking.
The reporters didn't laugh but fell into a long silence.
...
On the other side, at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, a match had just ended.
Argentine striker Agüero held the Premier League Player of the Month trophy in his hands, excitedly accepting interviews from reporters.
"Some people say this award should go to Maël?" A reporter started to ask a provocative question.
Agüero raised his eyebrows, but in the end, he replied with a smile, "Everyone is qualified to receive this honor. He is a very good young player and will definitely have the opportunity to get this honor in the future.
"But this month... I think I deserve this trophy. You keep saying 'some people say,' who exactly is saying that?
"I don't think the player himself would think that. He is a respectable person."
Seeing that this approach didn't work, the reporters thought of something else. Someone continued to ask, "Will you continue to compete for next month's award?"
"Definitely," Agüero nodded, his expression firm. "No player doesn't want to pursue the best. If I stop, it means I'm about to retire."
"Then..." The previous sentence was just a setup. This sentence was the key to the reporter's question: "Do you think you can compete with Maël? We all know he has already scored eight goals in the Premier League, tied with Rooney for second place in the top scorer list.
"And you have only scored six goals this season. It doesn't seem as efficient as him."
"Haha..." Agüero looked at the reporter with a bit more disgust. He knew he had fallen into a trap, but there was no other way to solve it at this point. He could only say, "I have confidence in myself. See you at the end of the month."
...
At night, in a hotel in Manchester, Rooney, wearing a mask and hood, sneaked in first.
Soon after, an older woman, around 45 years old, entered the hotel and went straight to Rooney's room.
After a night of passion, Rooney sat by the window, drinking beer, and entered a state of enlightenment: "We have to meet less this season. A very strong opponent has come to the second division."
"Very strong?" The older woman smiled and stretched out a hand, sliding it over Rooney's body, and said, "How strong? Aren't you the most talented player in England?"
"I am."
Rooney took a sip of beer and continued, "So, to keep this title, I have to focus more on the field, realize my talent, and not indulge in other things anymore."
"Hmm..." He suddenly twitched his body and moved the hand away.
"Tch." The older woman was a little disdainful and said angrily, "Why didn't you say that earlier? You always say it after it's over. You're always like this."
"I'm serious this time." Rooney's expression was firm. After thinking of Maël, he said, "He is really strong."
"Stronger than you?" The older woman looked unsatisfied, and her voice became seductive again.
Rooney, now sober after the frenzy, looked at the old woman in front of him speechlessly, "He's only 18. Not everyone has this fetish. Wake up."
ps: Just got home, there might still be 2 chapters today, and a minimum of 3 chapters starting tomorrow.
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