Chapter 203: Balotelli Scores but the Crowd Chants Xia Qi's Name
After Lampard's long-range strike,
Wembley was no longer a one-sided Arsenal carnival; Chelsea fans began their own celebration.
They believed goals come in pairs. An equalizer was close!
This kind of narrative often plays out under Mourinho.
Tonight was no exception!
Nine minutes later Arsenal suffered another heavy blow!
Kevin De Bruyne — Mourinho's former disciple — received the ball in midfield. Trapped by Mikel and Nemanja Matić's press, he slid a pass to Theo Walcott, but to avoid Matić's leg he attempted a risky chip-pass.
Under Matić's pressure his power was reduced; the pass was short and Ramires read it keenly and intercepted.
It was effectively a pass given to the opponent.
A clear traitorous act!
Chelsea fans on the terraces mocked: "A man in enemy camp with a divided heart — De Bruyne, even if you're this 'loyal', we wouldn't take you…"
"Heart in the enemy camp!" When De Bruyne heard that, his calm façade rippled.
Once upon a time he had yearned for someone's approval — for someone he loved but could not win.
Tonight that someone must think himself brilliant.
How could that be?
De Bruyne immediately refocused like a hungry tiger and lunged at Ramires.
Faced with such ferocity, Ramires couldn't leisurely organize an attack and had to give the ball to Lampard.
Lampard took the ball and drove into Arsenal's box. With Per Mertesacker closing, Lampard feinted a shot.
He'd just scored from distance — who would dare let him shoot again?
Mertesacker could only stick tight and block angles with his body.
As soon as Mertesacker moved, Lampard pulled his foot back and passed.
The ball arrived at the edge of the box where Fernando Torres didn't control but drove the ball first time.
Samuel Umtiti darted forward to block with his body, but he didn't reach the ball.
The ball was faster than his block and flew straight toward goal.
Martínez spread himself like a soaring bird, hands outstretched, but he was a fraction late. Torres' angle was too acute and Martínez was powerless. Just as despair struck,
Boom!
The ball smashed the underside of the crossbar, sending Arsenal into wild delight — they leapt and cried, "Long live the twelfth man!"
Martínez felt like kissing the post.
But the smiles barely faded when a blue figure surged in and, facing the ball rebounding in front of goal, raised a long leg.
"Eto'o!"
Against the agonized screams of Arsenal fans, the African leopard lifted his foot and swept the ball toward goal again!
In that instant, Arsenal fans' hopes evaporated.
Then, at a decisive moment,
Martínez conjured magic again. Even off balance, he improbably hooked his leg backward like a gazelle's flick — miraculous.
The ball struck his leg and ricocheted out into the box.
At that spot Luke Shaw and Gustavo from Arsenal and Nemanja Matić from Chelsea sprinted — two on one, Arsenal had the advantage!
Matić saw he wouldn't win a normal contest, so in his dash he threw himself.
Ignoring Luke Shaw's raised boot,
he launched himself and headed the ball out from under Luke Shaw's toe!
It was a brave snatch that could make viewers go silent in awe — and it paid off.
The ball arced past Luke Shaw and sailed once more toward goal.
This time, no one could stop it: it rippled the net.
2–2!
Chelsea had come back to level — Mourinho's side never surrender easily.
Chelsea once again embodied the "tough Blues" spirit!
That team that had forced Yossi to beg for favors and refereeing luck had returned!
After the goal Mourinho stood proud, arms outstretched like a conquering monarch.
In that moment he was lord of this little kingdom!
Chelsea fans lavished adoration; the sky over Wembley turned blue.
"It feels like Mourinho's teams play best when they're under pressure — they like to fly against the wind; when it's easy they play worse, while Wenger's teams are the opposite."
"No, commentator, you're describing the Fabregas–Van Persie era Arsenal. Xia Qi's Arsenal can handle pressure. Hear the fans chanting Xia Qi's name? That's the faith Xia Qi built with his victories. As long as he's here, Arsenal won't fail…"
On the broadcast it was clear: Arsenal fans were chanting in unison — "Xia Qi!" "Xia Qi!" "Xia Qi!"
"Heh, I suddenly feel like it's the last 24 seconds of an NBA game — Lakers fans chanting Kobe…"
"That's what a superstar does."
The director obliged the fans and cut to a close-up near the center circle.
On camera, Xia Qi dropped to one knee and performed a knightly salute to the stands — a Western knight's gesture of fealty to a princess, akin to a warrior's chest-thump cry.
Arsenal fans exploded with cheering; their roar drowned out Mourinho's momentum.
"Fuck, what a show-off!"
"I want to be him — and also punch him."
"Jealousy makes me want to quit being his teammate…"
Frank Lampard, Samuel Eto'o, Mario Balotelli, Kevin De Bruyne and others expressed envy, admiration and resentment.
The most bitter was Nemanja Matić: he had equal claim to the goal and ended up being background for someone else; to be a backdrop for the opponent as well — the pain is unbearable!
Play resumed.
Xia Qi dribbled and changed pace, cutting past Matić and preparing to lay the ball to Mario Balotelli, when Lampard slid in and fouled him. The ball was stolen.
It was a clear foul, outside the AI's calculation, yet the referee did not blow. Perhaps he too had tasted envy.
Wenger jumped on the touchline, furious, and protested to the fourth official.
Lampard, after winning possession, didn't pass immediately; he played a wall with Matić, then released the ball.
The ball reached Fernando Torres, who had drifted to the left flank.
Serge Aurier came in from the side and went straight in with a tackle — simple interception.
Torres suddenly stopped, dragged the ball inside with his right foot, feinted and changed direction beautifully,
beating Aurier's sliding challenge. Aurier slid out awkwardly over the touchline.
Torres didn't try to be greedy. He glanced at the box, lofted a precise cross.
It was a pinpoint delivery, seemingly tailored for Lampard, letting him gain advantage over the burly Gustavo.
Lampard managed to outmuscle Gustavo, flicked the ball into the far post.
Unmarked Samuel Eto'o soared and headed,
but heading isn't the African leopard's best skill — the header sailed wildly into the stands.
Eto'o covered his face with both hands in embarrassment.
On the touchline, Mourinho stamped in frustration and called Willian to warm up.
Chelsea, buoyed by the equalizer, pressed harder after the restart and played more positively than Arsenal.
That meant more chances.
De Bruyne received a goalkeeper's distribution and drove forward under Mikel's close attention — after several changes of direction he couldn't shake him and had to feed Walcott. Walcott charged at César Azpilicueta but was dispossessed.
Chelsea broke quickly again!
Lampard passed to Eto'o — the veteran suddenly accelerated, tried to force his way past Aurier but, age slowing him, opted to pass.
The ball arced into the box,
Lampard rose among bodies — though he went a little over the top, he disrupted Umtiti's judgment.
The ball cleared both and dropped to the far post.
Torres barreled into Per Mertesacker and flicked a toe poke.
Arsenal keeper Martínez dived like a lightning strike.
But the once-sunny golden boy had become crafty and feigned a move.
He nudged his toe forward, then in a flash lifted and drew the ball back,
then used the outside of his left foot to curl a shot. The ball brushed past the keeper and nestled in the top-right corner — Martínez was helpless.
Martínez's heart sank as he watched the flight.
But then, a lightning-fast red figure streaked in.
At the edge of despair, as Martínez's heart threatened to die, Xia Qi executed an absolutely stunning bicycle-hook clearance off the goal line,
not only a massive defensive clearance but effectively the start of a counterattack.
This heroic action was, naturally, the AI-state Xia Qi.
The ball flew back toward midfield.
Near the center circle Balotelli immediately surged, as if riding wind and flame.
Defender John Terry, anxious, tried to grab Balotelli but Balotelli shrugged him off with a powerful hand and exploded through on goal.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech had no choice but to come off his line.
In an instant,
Wembley's weather felt like a child of June — it changed in a heartbeat!
Fans experienced heaven and hell in one second; hearts leapt and fell. Many had to pull out quick heart tablets.
Balotelli chased down the ball, chested it and lofted it over Čech's head. With a burst of power he scissored past Čech and slotted into the empty net.
3–2!
Chelsea had been pressing the game, but Arsenal had turned it around.
Who truly rules counterattacks?
At the moment Balotelli scored, the entire Arsenal crowd chanted, "Xia Qi!" "Xia Qi!"
Balotelli opened his arms to celebrate, but hearing the fans chanted someone else's name, he froze. He dropped a mock-cry pose, rubbing imaginary tears.
After the kidding reaction, Arsenal fans began chanting "Mario!" "Mario!" at him.
Balotelli smiled, spread his arms and flew toward Xia Qi.
The two leapt and collided in an exuberant mid-air embrace.
"Torres' chipped shot!"
"What a clever strike!"
"Ah!!"
"It's Xia Qi!!"
"Arsenal break! Torres' shot was hooked away by Xia Qi's bicycle clearance!"
"Terry failed to take a tactical foul — this is Arsenal's chance!"
"One-on-one!"
"The keeper comes out — see how Balotelli handles it."
"He chips past him — goal!"
"Aha! When Balotelli scored, Arsenal fans were chanting Xia Qi's name."
"Indeed! Xia Qi deserves at least 70% of the credit for this goal…"
"A bicycle clearance and an assist at the goalmouth — how crucial! Chanting Xia Qi's name is right!"
On the pitch, Torres shrugged at Lampard's assist in a helpless gesture.
He had changed a toe poke into a chip — so clever! If it had gone in earlier it might have been a top FA Cup goal.
Yet someone else had produced even greater heroics.
Xia Qi's sudden goal-line rescue had launched the counterattack.
Torres watched Balotelli and Xia Qi near the center circle with envy.
True friends are rare in football; only genuine pals can produce such telepathic connections.
Torres glanced around.
Chelsea was his second home, but he hadn't found true friends like that there.
Jealousy hit him hard.
On the sideline,
Mourinho had one hand on Willian's shoulder and was giving instructions. In Mourinho's dictionary there is no surrender.
When Wenger called De Bruyne to the touchline as the twins celebrated,
De Bruyne hadn't played well in the second half and had been mocked by Chelsea fans as having a divided heart. Wenger didn't want to substitute him — De Bruyne is a clever kid who can be awakened.
Compared with Xia Qi and Balotelli's fireworks, Wenger hoped De Bruyne would blossom.
This prodigy, publicly dismissed by Mourinho, could Mourinho face a humiliating reaction if De Bruyne were to do something devastating on the pitch?
Wenger was excited. He believed De Bruyne could do it!
On the field, the act of slaying the master is not unheard of.
(END CHAPTER)
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