Chapter 76 — Nightclub Training, A Few Post-Match Matters
After Martínez saved the penalty, and after the Manchester City players had retreated, he rolled the ball to Thomas Vermaelen, then leapt high on the goal line and performed a backflip in midair.
The crowd cheered loudly, but Arsène Wenger on the touchline was annoyed.
At that moment the match was still ongoing; that kind of behavior was extremely unprofessional.
Wenger wasn't angry at his showiness so much as worried he might get injured.
…
The penalty miss left Manchester City morale low.
After play resumed, Roberto Mancini had his players warm up; a minute later the ball went out of play.
The Fourth Official held up the board for a substitution.
Samir Nasri came on for Pablo Zabaleta.
Mancini still didn't want to give up — he brought on another midfielder to increase control and switched Manchester City to a 3-5-2.
After the change to 3-5-2, City's attacks did show some improvement, but it still wasn't enough to reverse the team's slump.
In the end Arsenal beat Manchester City 3–1 at home, while rivals Manchester United narrowly beat Liverpool 2–1 at Old Trafford and remained close on Arsenal's heels.
At the post-match press conference, Roberto Mancini was asked by reporters whether Manchester City were already out of the title race after that defeat.
Roberto Mancini: "There are 16 rounds left in the league. We're ten points behind; you can't say we have no chance, but it is indeed a bit slim. We'd need Arsenal and Manchester United to both make three or four mistakes each — that's very difficult."
Arsène Wenger was in a great mood and joked, "I'm used to chasing Sir Alex Ferguson — it was eight years ago that I had him chasing me. To be frank, I feel a little bewildered being in the lead…"
"Now is not the time to celebrate. The gap with Manchester United hasn't widened, and our next opponent is Chelsea; the following round we face Liverpool. In the Premier League, who least wants to see us win the title? I'd say first is Tottenham Hotspur, second is Chelsea — so the next match is a big test. After that test we still have Liverpool. I can only say the FA did a very good job scheduling."
"Professor, are you suggesting Tottenham will intentionally throw the next match?"
"That's not it, but they certainly won't work as hard as Chelsea to stop us. Compared to that, Manchester United's pressure will be much smaller…"
…
After the match, Xia Qi invited his teammates — both old and new — out for a drink. Players going to bars after matches is common, but it's controlled; players must exercise self-discipline.
Wenger runs a strict ship. Captain Thomas Vermaelen worriedly said, "Xia, have you told the boss and your agent first?"
"No need for the agent. Luke and I will leave before midnight, so don't worry about the paparazzi. As for you lot… I'll tell the boss."
Xia Qi expected Arsène to explode, but he didn't.
Top students get special treatment everywhere — it's universal.
Wenger opposed players frequently frequenting bars; for example, his former favorite Ashley Cole used to go out every other day, which was absolutely not allowed. But occasionally he would turn a blind eye — players are animals of overflowing hormones; total suppression is not good either.
"If you and Luke leave before midnight, that's fine. If you overdo it, call me and I'll get a lawyer to handle it. Don't be afraid to hide things from me."
"Got it, boss."
"Xia, I suggest you find a girlfriend. It'd be better for you."
"Boss, it's just a get-together among friends, it's not—"
"That's the problem."
Xia Qi's face flooded with tears. You don't understand Lin Pingzhi's joy — two months to go.
The nightclub was Joe Hart's booking. As England's first-choice goalkeeper, he knows London's nightlife better than Xia Qi, the fake "North London boy," and the players prefer places they know.
The club was gaudy and clearly high-end.
Joe Hart explained to everyone: there aren't streetwalkers here. The beautiful women are customers like them. So if you pick someone up, keep it secret — she might be the forbidden lover of some MP or a movie star or even the wife or mistress of a dignitary.
If you wake up with a wad of cash on the bedside, don't be too surprised or ashamed.
There are people richer than footballers everywhere; if you're willing, moonlighting can be a pleasure.
Xia Qi's predecessor Ashley Cole met British sweetheart Cheryl here. If Cole hadn't revealed it himself, reporters wouldn't have known they met here.
A group of macho men sitting in a booth can't be inconspicuous. But the girls glanced at them and then looked away.
The melodramatic scene of girls flocking like moths to a superstar, like in Diego Maradona's autobiography, didn't play out.
The players ordered drinks; to light music they chatted in twos and threes.
Xia Qi and Joe Hart talked about the national team. Edin Džeko and Thomas Vermaelen were still arguing about that "car accident." Kevin De Bruyne and Emiliano Martínez discussed their football journeys…
At this point the music was still decent. When the brothers had had a few drinks, only a few people remained in their booth.
Veteran players were like scattered stars across the hall.
Thomas Vermaelen sat on a high stool at the bar playing a card-guessing game with a dark-haired woman in red.
Edin Džeko sat among three blonde, blue-eyed women.
Mario Balotelli was pestering a black girl; she ignored him and he continued to pester, then the security guards intervened.
Embarrassing!
Xia Qi stood up to pull him away. As he reached Balotelli, Mario pulled a wad of cash from his pocket.
Xia covered his face and backed off — "I don't know this guy."
This was a high-end place; the women here were either wealthy or showed off wealth. Flashing cash — who are they looking down on?
Sure enough, the woman tossed a black card to Balotelli, then looked at him coolly.
Balotelli, unruffled, said something Xia couldn't hear, and the two went into a dark room together; they came out and left arm in arm…
Xia Qi was stunned.
Mourinho, do you have some misunderstanding about what's above the neck?
Back at the booth, only Kevin De Bruyne remained. Luke Shaw, younger than Xia, was gone.
Xia Qi grew anxious, fearing paparazzi photos. Xia is 18 this year; Luke Shaw is still 17 and hasn't reached the legal age.
"Don't worry. Luke left with a woman. I gave him my number. Joe says she's very safe, it's just…"
"Just what?"
"She could be his mother."
"Hey, so what? Wayne Rooney even went with grandmas."
"Ha ha…"
Kevin De Bruyne is a good mate! He and Xia Qi left together before midnight.
In the club's private carpark Xia Qi saw Hermione — Emma Watson. The twenty-something Emma Watson was in the prime of her beauty.
Beside her was another companion, also very pretty, whom Xia didn't know — Hollywood starlet Emma Roberts.
Xia glanced at the two and didn't approach; he prepared to drive Kevin De Bruyne home.
"Bang bang!"
Emma Watson knocked on the window. Xia rolled it down.
"Xia Qi?? Arsenal's Xia Qi???"
"Yes. Hello. Should I call you Hermione or Miss Watson?"
"Emma. Heh. We're both Emma."
"Hello, I'm Emma Roberts."
"Hello, I'm Xia Qi."
"Here's the thing — the friend who was supposed to pick us up can't make it. If we taxi we have to go out there…"
"It would be our honor to take you two."
Kevin De Bruyne and Xia Qi drove the two beauties to Emma Watson's house.
Xia got out to open the doors for them. Flashbulbs started popping at the corner of the street — Xia knew he had caused trouble, but chasing down the film would only make things worse.
Sure enough, girls affect the speed of drawing swords.
After dropping off Kevin De Bruyne, Xia got home around two in the morning and called Arsène to report in.
Players going to nightclubs is not news — Xia and Luke going was.
…
The next day was a rest day.
On the third day Mario Balotelli arrived at training in a bright red sports car.
"Bought another car?"
"My friend gifted it to me."
"You still have friends in London?"
Balotelli leaned to Xia's ear and whispered, "The woman from the other night gave it to me."
A gigolo?
Cough! (Xia meant "awesome!")
Xia gave Balotelli a thumbs-up, but Mario said something that nearly made Xia spit blood.
"You're the one," Balotelli returned the thumbs-up, "now every man in Britain wants to duel you."
Xia's photo dropping off Emma Watson appeared on The Sun the next day — this paper's talent for rumor is world-class.
Xia became the tabloid boyfriend of Britain's national sweetheart.
He was upset. He spent the whole day explaining to his parents, his agent, and Arsène. He didn't want to explain anymore.
Then, every teammate pictured in the story gave him a thumbs-up when they saw him.
Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott pinned Xia against a wall and made him choose between "give me back my wife" and "buy the bar another round."
What made Xia angrier was that Kevin De Bruyne egged them on.
Everyone in the world except the two Emmas knew the truth; Xia was the only witness that night — yet Kevin looked jealous and was asking Xia to give back "his wife" or buy the drinks.
What an actor!
Xia despaired.
He somehow, inexplicably, after Ashley Cole, became another footballer envied, admired, and hated by men across Britain and Europe.
But Cole's was true love.
Xia's was just a flirtation…
…
At training, Arsène pulled out the squad lists and everyone went serious.
Five new teammates is both a blessing and a curse. Except for goalkeepers and defensive midfielders who lack competition, everyone else can't help but be nervous.
Wenger looked around and slowly read out: Yellow Team goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez; left fullback Luke Shaw; centre-back Thomas Vermaelen.
Vermaelen, hearing his name in the starting spot, froze for a moment and a smile crept across his face.
Wenger glanced at him and continued: Samuel Umtiti.
Per Mertesacker had actually been left out??
The players whispered; the training ground instantaneously buzzed.
Wenger cleared his throat and the field quieted. Xia looked at Per Mertesacker; he was calm-faced but his hands were clenched into fists.
Professional sport can be cruel.
Right fullback Serge Aurier; midfield: Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Kevin De Bruyne.
Jack Wilshere, hearing his name absent from the midfield list, couldn't hide his disappointment.
Forwards: Mario Balotelli, Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski.
Hearing Xia wasn't in the starting squad either, Wilshere laughed and gave Xia a knowing wink — hinting Xia needn't worry, that the starting XI was a bit of a show.
Xia felt both annoyed and amused. "I'm the hottest player in the Premier League now — even national sweetheart Emma Watson knows me, and I…"
Suddenly Xia felt shortchanged; without even touching her he had become the rival for every European guy's affections. Who could he complain to?
After a short pause, Wenger told the players to digest the news and then read the Red Team list…
Training focused on diagonal passes and through-ball combinations.
The tactical plan: wings flying and central breakthroughs.
It looked like Wenger wanted to restore the old glory. New wine in old bottles.
But even the fluid Arsenal sides of old never won the Champions League — why should they now?
Though the players questioned it a little, they trained earnestly.
Pat Rice stood at the side taking notes.
Among the newcomers Kevin De Bruyne performed best, Umtiti second, and Balotelli worst — he seemed distracted.
Three days later Wenger announced the FA Cup squad, mostly drawn from the Yellow Team roster.
Xia Qi was fortunate to be rested.
…
Before the Premier League Round 23 match with Chelsea, Arsenal had an FA Cup tie.
Premier League clubs enter from the Third Round; ties are single matches with home advantage decided by the draw. But if a match ends in a draw, you don't go straight to extra time and penalties — the teams switch home and away and play again. If the replay is still a draw, then extra time and penalties follow.
Facing Swansea in the FA Cup Third Round, Wenger fielded a mix of new and reserve players.
The youngsters didn't understand Wenger's intentions.
Mario Balotelli scored a brace in the first half. Seeing he was on fire, Wenger substituted him. As in the old saying, "strike while the iron's hot," Olivier Giroud then scored — the experienced striker, after a dry spell, completed a hat-trick.
In the end Arsenal won 5–0, and much of the credit went to Kevin De Bruyne.
In that match Kevin De Bruyne assisted the hat-trick and had indirect involvement with another goal.
Wenger's feelings about the result: both pleased and worried.
After beating Swansea, the whole squad worked on integrating the new and old players and prepared fully for Chelsea.
The teams had met before; last time Aaron Ramsey completed a 3–2 stoppage-time winner at home.
This time was away and would be harder.
Wenger reconfigured the Yellow Team: Xia Qi, Per Mertesacker, and Santi Cazorla returned to the starting lineup.
But Jack Wilshere was still out, which left the Prince of Wales — Wilshere — sulky in training these days. The way he looked at Wenger was like a wife seven years into a marriage asking, "So, does love fade?"
Captain Thomas Vermaelen was also disappointed, but kinder than Wilshere. During rest he pulled Samuel Umtiti aside and told the newcomer what to watch for when pairing with Per Mertesacker.
Vermaelen's love for Arsenal is true love.
Does Emma Watson have true love for Xia Qi?
She actually called Xia and asked him for tickets to the Chelsea vs. Arsenal match.
Couldn't she buy them? Can't afford them?
Of course not — she's the leading figure of Britain's young actresses.
Xia was bewildered.
Wilshere sat next to Xia, imitating his English accent: "Emma Watson and I are innocent."
The boys in the locker room shouted in unison: "We believe you!"
"I'd believe your big head!"
Damn it! I should have answered the call earlier.
(END CHAPTER)
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