Arsenal's defeat to Swansea City created a wave of excitement among critics, especially those who had never been fond of Arsenal.
Social media quickly filled with mocking comments.
"Look at this. Classic Arsenal. Even after an EPL championship, the moment things get difficult, the soft side appears again."
"I've never trusted them to go all the way. This is the real Arsenal."
"Losing to Swansea? Fabiański practically beat them on his own."
"Arsenal made a mistake letting Fabiański leave."
The criticism kept coming from every direction.
. . .
Inside the club, however, the reaction was far calmer.
To Arsenal, it was one defeat in a long season. Nothing more.
The club did not respond publicly. Players and staff had learned long ago how quickly the media could change its tone. One week you are praised endlessly, the next you are the target of constant criticism.
Most players simply ignored it.
Still, the match had revealed a small problem.
Some of the players had become impatient.
That kind of mentality can cause trouble. Moments like Ángel Di María's red card often begin with frustration building over time. After previous disciplinary incidents in big matches, Arsène Wenger had become extremely cautious about emotional control.
Di María had already begun working with a sports psychologist, and several players occasionally joined similar sessions.
During training one morning, Jack Wilshere leaned against the railing beside Kai.
"Honestly," Wilshere muttered, shaking his head, "if a player can't control his emotions, I struggle to respect that."
Kai turned his head slowly and looked at him.
Inside his mind, he could not help thinking that Wilshere himself was hardly known for calm behavior. At Arsenal, Wilshere's temper was famous. For an attacking midfielder, his yellow and red card numbers were unusually high.
But Wilshere usually explained it away with one phrase.
Fighting spirit.
Wilshere noticed Kai's expression.
"What's that look for?" he said, narrowing his eyes. "You don't believe me?"
Kai raised a hand casually.
"If you spent half as much time improving your fitness as you do complaining," he said calmly, "you'd already be in perfect condition."
"I am training," Wilshere replied quickly.
After a brief pause, he added, "Actually… I think I've adapted to the current intensity. Do you think I should push it even harder?"
Kai shook his head.
"That feeling is an illusion," he said. "Your body is improving, but you still need more time."
Wilshere sighed.
"Alright."
Recently, Wilshere had started spending more time around Kai.
Over weeks of training together, he realized something. Compared to some of the unreliable friends he used to spend time with, Kai was exactly the kind of person he needed around him.
Wilshere often struggled with discipline.
Kai did not.
Whenever Wilshere's motivation dropped, Kai would say something sharp enough to irritate him, but effective enough to keep him going.
For more than two weeks now, Wilshere had kept up a routine of morning runs and strength sessions.
The results were obvious.
His legs felt stronger. Movements that once felt heavy were becoming smoother. His body felt lighter, and the daily progress brought a quiet sense of satisfaction.
It was a very different feeling from the temporary excitement of late night parties.
Even at home, he felt more confident when spending time with his children.
Suddenly, Wilshere spoke again.
"Kai, what are the house prices like near where you live?"
Kai looked at him in surprise.
"What are you planning?"
"Nothing serious," Wilshere said with a grin. "Just curious."
In truth, he had already been thinking about it.
Driving to Kai's place every morning for training and then rushing back home to cook for his kids was becoming inconvenient. If they lived closer, the routine would be far easier.
"I'm not sure about the exact prices," Kai replied. "I've never thought about buying property there. But it'll definitely be cheaper than where you live."
Wilshere's home was located in one of London's most expensive neighborhoods.
Kai lived further out, in a quieter suburban area. Even with good facilities nearby, the prices were nowhere near the same level.
Wilshere nodded thoughtfully.
At that moment, Bacary Sagna walked over.
He glanced at the two of them and said, "Kai, Wenger wants to see you."
Kai nodded, stood up from the bench, and walked across the training ground.
November in London had already turned cold. Arsène Wenger stood on the touchline wearing a thick down jacket, both hands tucked into his pockets.
As Kai approached, Wenger spoke first.
"Have you been following the news recently?"
Kai shook his head.
He rarely checked his phone at home and hardly paid attention to daily news cycles.
Wenger gave a small nod.
"Next season," he said calmly, "the Premier League is going to become very interesting."
Kai blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Pep Guardiola is coming."
Wenger paused briefly before continuing.
"I've heard through a few reliable channels that Manchester City have already begun discussions with him. When this season ends, they will announce him as their new manager."
Kai froze for a moment.
He had always known Guardiola would eventually arrive in England.
But this sounded earlier than expected.
In his memory, Guardiola joined the Premier League later. Now the timeline seemed to have shifted.
Wenger watched his reaction before adding another piece of information.
"Your name appeared on the transfer list they prepared," Wenger said.
"Guardiola personally requested you."
Kai absorbed the news quietly.
Then he simply nodded.
The news was not surprising.
Kai had become the most reliable defensive midfielder in the Premier League. Even though he rarely talked about himself in those terms, many analysts already considered him in the League and among the best in Europe at that position.
So it was only natural that Pep Guardiola would want a player like him.
"We are not selling," said Arsène Wenger with a faint smile.
Kai could not help smiling as well. It felt as though the old manager was quietly showing off.
Wenger continued.
"Still, Guardiola's arrival will change the balance of the Premier League. Right now, the league already has Mourinho and me. Now Guardiola is coming as well."
He exhaled slowly.
"It's going to become very chaotic."
Kai simply listened without commenting.
He knew something Wenger did not.
Another elite manager was also about to arrive in England.
If Wenger knew that Jürgen Klopp would soon join the Premier League as well, his reaction would probably be very interesting.
Four of Europe's top managers competing in one league.
The thought alone was intimidating.
Chelsea F.C.
Arsenal F.C.
Manchester City F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Just imagining the tactical battles made Kai feel both pressure and excitement.
The Premier League was already one of the hardest leagues in the world. With Guardiola and Klopp arriving, every match would feel like a major battle.
Kai let out a quiet sigh.
The Premier League really was unforgiving.
For now, however, those were problems for next season.
This year Arsenal's biggest rival remained Chelsea, and their primary focus was still the Champions League.
Later that day, Wenger gathered the players inside the tactics room. The team began preparing for the next European fixture.
Only two matches remained in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
In the fifth round, Arsenal would travel to face Galatasaray S.K.
In the final round, they would return home to play Borussia Dortmund.
The fifth match carried little pressure. Arsenal had already secured qualification.
The sixth match, however, required caution.
After losing the earlier meeting, Dortmund had been eager for revenge.
Under Klopp, Dortmund had recently defeated FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, which lifted their confidence even further.
. . .
On November 27, Arsenal traveled to Istanbul.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was intense, but Arsenal remained calm.
Instead, they answered on the pitch.
From the opening minutes, Arsenal played with discipline and patience. They allowed Galatasaray very little space and gradually pushed the game toward the opponent's half.
Martin Taylor described the situation during the Sky Sports broadcast.
"Arsenal look extremely composed tonight. There's no sign of the panic some people predicted earlier in the week."
Alan Smith agreed.
"They've come here with a clear plan. Keep possession, control the tempo, and slowly stretch the defense."
In the 21st minute, Arsenal found the breakthrough.
A well-timed run split the defense, and Santi Cazorla finished the move calmly.
It was not a spectacular goal.
But it was very much an Arsenal goal. Quick passing, precise movement, and a simple finish.
After taking the lead, Arsenal did not slow down.
They continued pressing forward, looking for more opportunities, while the defense remained solid.
Galatasaray struggled to create anything meaningful.
The pressure gradually became overwhelming.
Wave after wave of attacks pushed the Turkish side deeper into their own half.
Soon their defensive line began to crumble.
At that point, the match turned into something closer to a shooting exhibition.
Arsenal attacked relentlessly, firing shot after shot toward the goal.
By the end of the night, the scoreline was extraordinary.
Six goals.
Luis Suárez scored three.
Santi Cazorla scored three as well.
Two hat tricks in a single match.
Martin Taylor laughed lightly on commentary.
"You don't see that very often. Two hat tricks in the same game. Arsenal are making quite a statement tonight."
Alan Smith added,
"After everything that was said this week, this feels like the perfect response."
. . .
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