December 26th, Emirates Stadium.
The fiery Boxing Day Battle arrived, and all 60,508 tickets released by the Emirates Stadium were sold out. The fans joyfully sang "Hot Stuff," the team anthem created during the double-winning season of 97-98.
This was a song with a relaxed yet passionate rhythm. What was very creative was that many players' names were added to the song.
In the beginning, the names were mostly Ian Wright, Bergkamp, Petit, and others, but when it was brought out again later, the fans would replace the names with the players who performed well that season.
".Nothing stopped us!
"Everything was going Ma-ehl! Ma-ehl!
"Walking in a Van Persie wonderland!"
On this day, Maël's name was mentioned first, followed by Van Persie's. The two of them had scored a combined total of 36 goals for the team in the first 17 rounds.
Off the field, after both teams' players had entered, Maël, who was not in the starting lineup today, held the Golden Boy Award trophy and came to the sideline to show his achievement to all the fans at the Emirates Stadium.
"Maël! Maël! Maël!"
"Clap clap clap!"
The singing stopped, and all the cheers in the stadium were directed at Maël alone. Warm applause followed, and countless arms waved in the stands.
Maël held the Golden Boy trophy and waved to the fans all around the stadium, each time eliciting an even more frenzied cheer.
The fans' love for him had reached its peak. He was now like the new king of this stadium, holding a scepter.
"Maël is appearing on the field in a suit today, but after showing the Golden Boy trophy, the player may return to the locker room to change into his jersey."
In the broadcast booth, Zhan Jun showed a happy smile as he looked at the scene in the camera, as if he were Maël. "He is on the match roster today, but Arshavin has replaced him in the starting position.
"This makes me wonder if Wenger intends to sell Arshavin in the upcoming winter transfer window.
"This player still has two and a half years left on his contract with the club, but he has already lost his position in the club.
"With Maël's excellent performance, he can only get some garbage time to play, and he also faces competition from many rotating players in cup matches."
As his words fell, Zhang Lu laughed along with him and said, "That is to say, pull out the mule or the horse and let them run to see how much of their peak strength is left?
"Is that what you mean?"
"Yes." Zhan Jun's tone also carried a smile. "Arshavin will surely do his best. He is 30 years old this year and can still try to go to some better teams and get a good contract."
Off the field, Maël returned to the locker room to change clothes after showing the trophy. Before he could go out, he heard a burst of cheers from the field.
"Oh!"
He quickly walked out of the player tunnel and looked towards the field, seeing Van Persie already sliding on his knees on the sideline, then giving Arshavin the first high-five.
The Tsar assisted as soon as he came on? Not bad.
He returned to the bench with a smile on his face. On this beautiful Boxing Day, it was good to sit on the bench and easily enjoy the team winning a victory.
The second goal didn't make him wait too long. In the 18th minute of the match, Gervinho scored another goal through a corner kick opportunity.
"Yeah!"
Cheers rang out again, and Maël stood up and applauded, praising his teammates' excellent performance.
The first half of the match passed like this, with Arsenal leading Wolves two to zero. Overall, it was a relatively easy game.
Fifteen minutes later, the second half of the match began, and Wolves launched a counterattack. No one wanted to lose on Boxing Day, whether at home or away.
In the 48th minute of the match, Steven Fletcher seized Szczęsny's fumble on a long shot and hammered the ball into the Arsenal net with a follow-up shot.
One to two!
Hope reignited!
"Maël, warm up!"
Wenger was afraid of any accidents and called up Maël, who had now become one of the team's guarantees.
Maël had just taken off his cotton coat and ran to the sideline to warm up when he saw Arshavin dribbling past two players on the left wing, then blasting the ball into the net with a powerful shot.
"Wow!"
An exclamation arose, bringing a bit of surprise to him as well; the Tsar still had seven or eight tenths of his strength left.
One goal and one assist! He's fighting for a new contract! "He originally wanted to retire, and he's been frustrated by not being able to play much this season. I didn't expect this to ignite his fighting spirit instead."
Rosický, who was warming up alongside Maël, explained, having known Arshavin for longer.
After saying that, he looked at Maël, recalling his conversation with Wenger, and smiled, "Number 7 will be yours in the second half of the season. Don't hold any grudges against me, because I won't hold any against you.
"So, if anyone tells you I'm unhappy or anything like that, they're definitely trying to stir up trouble."
Maël glanced at Rosický, somewhat surprised that he would bring it up proactively.
He paused, then subconsciously asked, "Why?"
"Because I don't care about the number."
Rosický feigned a relaxed smile, but quickly revealed the truth, "Because I want a championship. If the number 7 can better motivate you, I'll give it to you without hesitation.
"Since coming to England, I haven't won a single championship. Although I get over 20 appearances a year at Arsenal, and it sounds like I'm playing for a top club..."
He shrugged at the end, his meaning clear: he hadn't brought back a single championship.
Maël patted his shoulder, assuring him, "Don't worry, I'll make sure we get what we want."
At that moment, the two heard a cheer from the far stands. Turning their heads, they saw Wolves midfielder Stephen Hunt break into the penalty area and score with a push shot.
"Oh!" The Wolves fans were ecstatic, then chanted in unison their hopes, "One more! One more! Three to three! Three to three!"
"I guess you're going up."
Rosický was a very cheerful person, and even when the team conceded a goal, he kept smiling and talking to Maël.
Maël nodded. He then saw Wenger submit a substitution request to the sideline and call him over. "The odds of winning are still pretty good, but I want to add some insurance.
"Let Arshavin finish this game. You replace Walcott and partner with Van Persie as a two-striker formation, playing on the left side."
Maël had no objections. He quickly saw Walcott run over, and after a high-five, he ran onto the field.
"Maël! Maël!" The cheers at the Emirates Stadium rose again, while the Wolves fans deflated. Their manager, McCarthy, didn't hide his apprehension, frowning and rubbing his forehead.
"The monster is coming."
Wolves defender Zubar stood next to Van Persie and sighed, looking at Maël with concern. "He's not human."
"Did you need to say that?" Van Persie glanced at him with a smile, asking in return.
*"Boom, boom, boom!"*
After Maël came on, Wolves immediately tightened their formation. Even though they were behind, they didn't dare to go toe-to-toe with Arsenal, only seeking opportunities to counterattack.
Arsenal's control in the midfield and backcourt was relatively easy. They often played the ball to the two wings, seeking to create opportunities there, and occasionally tried direct passes through the middle.
*"Boom!"*
*"Clang!"*
In the 71st minute, Arshavin, who was in excellent form today, cut inside and unleashed a low shot, the ball hitting the outside of the post and bouncing out of bounds.
Arshavin's face was flushed. He regretfully slapped his thigh and waved to Maël and Van Persie in the center, indicating that passing the ball would have been a good option just now.
"It's okay."
Maël also waved to him. He could see the veteran's desire to contribute and made a mental note of it.
His arrival had cost Arshavin his position and was about to lead to his departure, so in these last one or two games, he would try to let him play comfortably.
"Robin!"
He called out to Van Persie, "I might drop back a few steps later, so you push into the space between the defenders."
He wanted to create more space for himself to receive the ball and break through, to properly try out his lv4 Dribbling Rhythm. This new ability hadn't been used in a match yet.
"Shouldn't I drop back?" Van Persie said with some concern, "Wolves' midfield and backcourt defense is very dense. If you drop back, you won't get good opportunities. Staying here is more threatening."
"I'll drop back, trust me."
Maël waved him off, his decisions were usually quite firm.
Van Persie had no choice but to nod slightly and start moving closer to the space between the opposing center backs.
"Bang."
In the 74th minute of the match, Maël directly received a penetrating pass from center-back Vermaelen during a retreat to receive the ball. He turned with the ball, his eyes showing a desire to attack the opponent's midfield and defense.
He lowered his center of gravity and advanced with the ball. This time, the ball not only stuck to his feet, but his movements also became more varied.
"Maël's dribbling breakthrough, does he want to directly challenge the opponent's defense in the middle? That's a bit difficult."
"Ford is the first to come up, his defensive ability is not strong, he shouldn't pose much of a threat to Maël, Stephen Hunt and Karl are protecting him from behind! Continuous changes of direction to the left and right! Breaking forward, suddenly accelerating the rhythm! Ford is shaken off! He wants to tackle to make up for it! Maël accelerates and continues forward, he can accelerate again! Wow! He didn't give Ford any chance at all!" Now Stephen Hunt and Karl are coming up, they are positioned on the left and right, not giving Maël a one-on-one opportunity, they want to double-team!"
On the field, facing the double-team, Maël's excitement grew even more, dribbling straight towards the middle of the two.
He focused all his attention on the ball under his feet. When he came in front of the two, he took a step to the right and his center of gravity shifted to the right, feigning a breakthrough to the right.
Stephen Hunt and Karl didn't dare to be careless, and they chased after Maël together, also narrowing the gap between them.
"Bang, pa!"
But after Maël took another step to the right, he suddenly changed direction and rhythm, darting towards the middle of the two, and then burst forward, slipping through the gap between them.
In a place that could only accommodate the football, he squeezed in sideways, flashed past, and instantly left the two behind.
He dribbled past two players in a row!
"Top-notch!!"
In the broadcast booth, Zhan Jun couldn't help but exclaim, "He actually broke through three people in a row in such a densely defended area in the middle! But this touch is a bit too big, he may have to slow down after chasing the ball, the opponent's center-backs Zubar and Ward are coming up!" Zubar slides in early, another tackle! Maël clearly didn't have any physical contact with them, but he created the effect of people falling over!"
Maël continued forward, seeing the opponent's center-back Zubar slide out, he made a feint forward and then suddenly slowed down to a stop.
Changing rhythm isn't just about speeding up, slowing down or even stopping suddenly is too!
Zubar missed the tackle, and very awkwardly quickly propped himself up with his hands, sandwiching Maël, who had accelerated again towards their penalty area.
"Pa! Bang! Pa!"
At this moment, Maël felt his body was exceptionally light and agile. He seemed to have the ability to change his dribbling speed constantly like Hazard, and with his explosiveness and body, he was like he was in no man's land.
He repeatedly dodged Ward and Zubar, who had come up again, and before the chasing Karl came up, he slid out and poked the ball, poking it behind the opponent's defensive line.
"Bang!"
There, Arshavin cut in from the wing and took a horizontal touch, completing the escape from all the defenders.
"Amazing central breakthrough! Maël tore apart the Wolves' defense with his own strength! Arshavin cuts into the penalty area, he's going to shoot!
"He still needs to lie down one more step, he wants to directly pass the goalkeeper! Hennessey saves, but can't reach the football! It's an empty goal!"
"..."
"Bang!"
Arshavin dribbled past the goalkeeper and pushed the ball into the net with one kick, completing a brace.
He ran towards the sidelines, trembling all over, spreading his hands and sticking out his tongue, listening to the cheers of the Emirates Stadium for the last few times, "Yeah!"
Maël excitedly followed him, the Dribbling Rhythm enhancing his immediate combat power beyond his imagination.
He had never felt so easy to dribble past people, he now truly had the ability to disrupt the opponent's defense with his own strength! What about after he gets fancy skills? It will only be better!
Even more unpredictable!
Ordinary abilities require one or two games to adapt after being trained, but Dribbling Rhythm doesn't seem to need it, it directly shows a very high level.
As long as he wants, he can use breakthroughs to stab the opponent's weak areas at any time.
In the second half of the season, Premier League teams without defensive full-backs and defensive midfielders are going to suffer! "Come on!"
After Arshavin came to the sidelines, he excitedly waved a fist, then turned around and hugged Maël, who followed, tightly, "Thank you! I'm leaving soon, back to Zenit, thank you for your pass!
"After I leave, you'll be the only one left on the wing, the other kids are hard to use, you must lead this team to the championship, I will always pay attention to you!"
The two people who hadn't spoken this season, and whose relationship had been rumored to be incompatible by the outside world many times, at this moment, seemed to have endless things to say.
"Keep up the good work in the future."
Maël patted him heavily on the back, he could feel that Arshavin seemed to have a bit of an urge to cry, "Your Arsenal career has been very successful, I will first aim for your number of goals."
"Haha.!" Arshavin separated from Maël, put a hand on Maël's head, and couldn't help but rub Maël's hair.
On the sidelines, Wenger stood up and briefly celebrated with Philip. With the score at four to two, there wouldn't be any surprises in this Boxing Day Battle.
Win this game, then get past Sheffield United, and they would become the mid-season champions with an undefeated record!
It had been many seasons since they had last achieved this honor. This season had seen so many firsts in the last seven or eight years. Could they really win the league title again after seven years? "What are you planning to do with the money after Arshavin and a few others leave?" Philip asked beside him. They hadn't discussed this issue internally yet.
Wenger's gaze was fixed on Maël on the field. After a long period of thought, he said, "Buy a center forward, and then grit our teeth and break the wage structure."
Philip turned his head sharply. "You were serious about what you said before? I thought you were joking. Haha, it seems some people are really special to you."
"Do even you think I'm stubborn?"
Wenger's expression showed a hint of displeasure. "Of course, I understand that top players need to be retained with top salaries. If we don't break this wage system, Arsenal will never be a top team.
"Nasri left, Clichy also left, too many people left for higher salaries, and my heart has been bleeding.
"It's just because the shareholders are unwilling to invest. They also require me not to break the wage system. You can't forget that we offered the highest salary in England to Bergkamp back then.
"That amount of money doesn't seem like much now, but at the time, it was an extremely bold move, a risk."
Philip was silent. He came later and only knew that the team's poor performance in the transfer market was related to the equity struggle between Kroenke and Usmanov.
He didn't expect that sticking to the wage structure was also related to this. Wenger had been criticized by everyone for this, but in the end, he was actually taking the blame.
"So this time?"
He respected and pitied the Professor, so he didn't express any other feelings, just asked about the current situation.
"I said I would leave with Maël."
A smile finally appeared on the corner of Wenger's mouth, his tone filled with delight. "They relented. If I can get the money back through transfer operations, then I have the right to freely dispose of it.
"I can choose to buy other players, or I can choose to use it to break the wage system.
"They are afraid of me and Maël leaving together, afraid of becoming the sinners of the English Football World and Arsenal... If only I leave, or only Maël leaves, they wouldn't be so concerned.
"But if the two of us leave together, everything will be different. This club will collapse instantly!
"The higher the building built with this season's results, the stronger the intensity of the collapse will be. Van Persie and others will also leave immediately."
Philip also smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in it. "So, they are still unwilling to invest?"
"This is already very good." Wenger seemed to be used to it and smiled. "And don't you think one thing is very interesting? Both are afraid that investing in the club will cause the other's equity to appreciate, increasing the difficulty of a full acquisition.
"They have been consuming each other for so many years, tearing their faces in front of me countless times, revealing a haggard side.
"But Maël's unexpected appearance made their efforts in vain. He alone brought more than 100 million pounds of market value increase to Arsenal.
"Part of it comes from his value, and part of it comes from the strong performance he led us to this season.
"This has created difficulties for the subsequent acquisitions of both of them. Each share has increased in value by 1 million pounds... Even with their net worth, they will feel the pain."
"Haha..." Philip finally showed a heartfelt smile. This was indeed quite interesting. "But thinking about it carefully, it would have been better if they had invested more than 100 million pounds earlier."
"That's not the best."
Wenger shook his head and turned his gaze to Maël. "The best, the most interesting thing is for Maël to continue to perform like this, his value breaking through 100 million pounds, and then lead Arsenal to win the championship.
"Then this club will continue to appreciate, continue to appreciate, until the two give up the dispute, or someone withdraws."
His eyes were sharp. "That would be the best, the most satisfying ending for me.
"If they are still consuming each other at that time, then the fans will regard Maël as the big boss, because he is the one who has been bringing market value improvement and competitiveness."
Another burst of laughter rang out from here. The two leaned back and forth, as if they had encountered something rare and happy.
...
Outside the Emirates Stadium, in a bar street, a bar nicknamed 'Jones Tavern' by fans was packed with fans watching the game.
This was originally the territory of bettors and fans, but because the Boxing Day Battle was so popular, many people who had never been here before also squeezed in today.
Madman Jones was still the same as always, sitting in the middle of the round table, drinking free beer brought by others, enjoying the pleasure of a master.
He was still telling his philosophical ideas to the fans who liked to gamble. "If Maël doesn't score in this game, then I'm going to prepare to leverage.
"The reason is very simple. The next game is against his old club Sheffield United. He had a good experience there, so he might be lenient.
"So if he doesn't score in two consecutive rounds... Even if he has 20 goals now, the bookmakers will likely increase the odds a bit."
Looking at the confusion and doubt in the eyes of others, he took a sip of beer and spread his hands to explain, "You know, those top institutions have the best analysts and mathematicians in the world.
"When they calculate probabilities, they definitely include the probability of player injuries.
"Maël hasn't been injured since his debut, so they can't get a reference probability and can only give an average base number of about 19%.
"So when he doesn't score for two consecutive rounds and is about to enter the winter window's devilish schedule..." The betting companies will definitely think he's been tired recently, the risk of injury has surged, and there's a high probability of injury during the devilish schedule, and even if he's not injured, his form will decline significantly.
"At this time, they will pretend that they don't know anything and use the promotion of 20 goals in the first half of the season + increased odds to attract people to buy him."
Many people looked enlightened, but many were not convinced.
"Genius!"
The tavern owner is now his ardent fan, clapping his hands and saying, "I've said long ago that you are a genius! But isn't leverage something in futures, what does it have to do with football lottery?"
"There is no leverage in football lottery."
Jones smiled mysteriously, took out his credit card, and grinned, "But I can add it myself."
"Pfft," he immediately caused a burst of laughter, and many people gave him a thumbs up for his 'courage'.
"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"
At this moment, the referee in the broadcast screen blew the whistle to end the game. In the end, Arsenal defeated Wolves four to two and continued to lead the standings.
Arshavin scored 2 goals and 1 assist, Van Persie scored 1 goal, and Maël got 1 assist.
Many people cast expectant glances at Jones, and Jones did not disappoint them, raising his card and shouting, "All In! Fourth time All In.!"
"Oh!"
"Clap clap.!"
Many people actually gave him a burst of cheers and applause. This tavern has gradually become crazy.
This quickly aroused the contemptuous gazes of the fans who came here for the first time. Many people looked at these drunkards and gamblers with disgust.
"The player just won the Golden Boy Award and also had a one-stop Dribbling to assist, you don't praise him here, but you are calculating the probability of him not scoring in the next game?!"
"Yes, and also talking about injury probability, what leverage, All In, are you sick in the head!"
"Don't watch football if you don't watch it properly in the future, you are not worthy of being Maël's fans, and Maël probably doesn't need fans like you."
"Arsenal's shame, Maël's shame, a group of people don't cheer for Mr. Golden Boy, but cheer for All In."
The people around Jones were instantly silent, and even the boss lowered his head, wondering why his tavern had become like this.
Just then, Jones stood up with his glass of wine. He came straight to these people, clutching the handle of the glass tightly in his right hand, looking fierce, scaring many people to retreat.
"Cough cough."
He coughed twice and began his performance, "When Maël first landed in the Premier League from Sheffield United, no one believed him, including you Arsenal fans! "Countless people are questioning him, countless people are slandering those who really like him, support him, and recognize him!
"And I, from the beginning, have been refuting these people, from the beginning, I have had absolute trust in him! And I have taken out real money to express my recognition of him! "What qualifications do you have to teach me! Maël was carried on my shoulders when he first came! 'Maël's shame', it's not your turn to say these words!"
His momentum was amazing, instantly shocking everyone in the tavern, but his highlight moment was not over, "He won the Golden Boy Award, shattered doubts and gained so many people's love, I am happier than anyone!"
"Clang!" Jones slammed the glass in his hand on the ground, he raised his right hand high, "All In!"
At this moment, the circle of people in front of the round table all raised their heads, stood up, and shouted with him: "All In!!"
The others were all stunned in place, and some people tremblingly raised their hands, "Crazy! Crazy! They are all lunatics!"
...
December 29th, 2 days before the last round of the first half of the season against Sheffield United away.
Maël was training alone at home. The four people in the team had not yet come over, and he still had to live alone for a while.
In the evening, just as he was lying on the sofa watching TV boredly, the doorbell suddenly rang.
When he got up, he actually knew who it was. The four people said they would be back in early January, and Mendes and others would say hello in advance, only McCabe's young lady would be so reckless.
But he still felt a few joys in his heart and quickly walked to the door and opened it.
Isabella was standing outside the door, wearing sunglasses at night, with one hand on the door frame in a supermodel pose, wanting to make a gorgeous appearance, "Surprise!"
"Haha..."
Maël laughed immediately. He had talked to Gilbert a few times these days. Perhaps Isabella heard that he was alone and happened to be not far away, so she came to see him.
Isabella saw that there was no emotion on Maël's face, and took off her sunglasses with slight disappointment, and strode past Maël with her long legs.
She was wearing a black and white sweater coat today, with a pink scarf and a pink tulle top underneath. Her lower body was dressed in simple riding pants and riding boots, a common outfit of loose on top and tight on the bottom.
But wearing it on her gave a different feeling, as if it were all this season's fashion.
Maël followed her in and saw that she was also carrying a bag stuffed full. He asked, "Why would the young lady of Sheffield United come to see me at this time? Are you planning to poach me?
"Let me make it clear first, this matter is out of the question. If there is anyone loyal to Arsenal, then..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Isabella's laughter. The latter came to the table and sat down, "Haha, rest assured, I'm not that unreasonable.
"It's just that Primacy's chain stores have opened in London, and our headquarters has moved to London as a matter of course. I plan to settle here."
"Oh, congratulations." Maël still remembered this sports brand that he first endorsed. It seemed that their contract was about to expire.
After he signed with Puma, Isabella never invited him to shoot commercials or do events again, seemingly afraid that he would embarrass Puma. On this matter, he really owed her something.
"Our contract, how about..."
He just wanted to suggest some compensation, but he was preempted by the other party. Isabella seemed to know him very well, "Stop it, why are you being so polite with me? What you've done for Sheffield United and for our brand is already a lot.
"Those hundreds of thousands of pounds were simply worth more than their value. Okay, let's talk about something else.
"In the early stages of starting a business, I invested all my money in the company. I rented an ordinary apartment, and it's no fun drinking alone at night, so I wanted to come here and drink with you. Your living room is so big, so cool."
She smiled brightly, opened her bag and took out two bottles of wine, as well as some mixed drinks. It seemed that drinking foreign wine was a common hobby in their family.
"I can't drink with you."
Maël sat on the sofa and turned on the TV, instantly feeling that his home had gained a bit of popularity and warmth.
"Ta-da!"
Isabella suddenly smiled and took out a bottle of soda, and said with a smile, "I prepared this for you. This is okay, right?
"I checked the information. If you drink it today, you can get rid of it by exercising for half an hour tomorrow. It's not harmful.
"Anyway, Safina isn't here, so just make an exception for once. Look, I ran so far to come see you."
Maël exchanged a smile with her, hesitated, and reached out to take it, no longer refusing, "Okay, I'll drink this."
Isabella took out dice and some cards, squatted on the ground, and taught Maël how to play games. The two often burst into laughter.
"Oops!"
"Hahaha, you lost!"
Maël forgot about everything else and devoted himself to the game with her, as if only these things were left in the world.
Before long, Isabella's face was flushed from drinking, which added a bit of cuteness to her. She also became bolder in her speech, "Maël, your house is really a bit messy, and many places are dusty.
"In addition to the team's 4 people, you may also need 1-2 aunties and a driver to help you take care of your life.
"Although I live in a very small apartment, I brought the best auntie from our family with me.
"If it really doesn't work, having a mistress is also fine, let her help you manage these things, no matter what method is used, to make your quality of life more secure."
"I haven't noticed."
Maël looked around and shook his head, "I feel that Safina takes good care of this place. She is very nice and often does things outside of her job."
When Isabella heard this, her eyes rolled and she tentatively asked, "Then do you like her? Do you want to turn her into a mistress?"
Maël shook his head like a rattle drum. He had known for a long time that he could not have feelings for Safina.
"Because of age?"
Isabella kept asking, seemingly very interested in this, "Or because of appearance?"
Before Maël could answer, he saw her brush her hair with her right hand and look up, "Then what do you think of my appearance?"
"Very good." His heart was suddenly slightly touched, and he turned his head and took a sip of soda.
"Haha..."
Isabella laughed happily. She waited for a while, and when she saw that Maël had no reaction, she stood up, picked up her bag, and walked away with cheerful steps, "Maël, there's still a game the day after tomorrow, so I won't bother you and let you sleep too late.
"It's boring to be alone in London, so call me anytime, and I will definitely come and accompany you."
December 31st, the last battle of the first half of the season arrived, and Arsenal would play against Sheffield United away.
Sheffield City, in front of the hotel, countless Sheffield United fans craned their necks, waiting for the Arsenal players to come out.
Before long, as Wenger and his team walked out, Maël's figure quickly appeared before them.
"Oh!" A cheer erupted as fans beat drums, unfurled banners, and shouted Maël's name.
"Maël! Over here!"
"Kodall, do you still remember me? The tavern!"
"You told me when you thanked the fans last season that we would win the championship! Kid, over here!"
"Maël, congratulations on winning the Golden Boy Award! We're so proud of you!"
"We've been doing well this season, you've finally come back to see us!"
Hearing these shouts, Maël looked towards the crowd and quickly spotted several familiar faces.
There was Kodall, and some fans he remembered from last season, he hadn't forgotten any of them. He stepped forward and embraced them.
"Evan! Evan!"
Kodall, seeing Maël approach, waved excitedly behind him and pulled over someone close to his age. "See? I told you my tavern had Maël as a spokesperson, didn't you believe me?!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Evan gave a wry smile, then turned his head, put on an excited face, and waved enthusiastically at Maël, "Oh my god! I never thought I could see the newly crowned Golden Boy at such close range!"
Maël casually gave him a high-five, pointed at Kodall, and laughed, "Still my first endorsement income, 4,000 pounds, signed a hundred autographs that time."
"Hehe..." Kodall's face flushed with excitement, feeling that his image in front of his friend had become much grander. He said to Maël, "Kid, you've grown up so fast! I've watched all your games! Come back and visit when you have time, I told you it's free of charge, but you've never come."
Evan slapped Kodall, "Listen to what you're saying, the player is a big star now, why would he go to your crappy place, don't say embarrassing things."
Kodall chuckled dryly, feeling a little embarrassed, but thinking about it, he continued to Maël, "I spent a lot of money to buy the best seats, today I will cheer for Sheffield United while cheering for you!"
Maël nodded at him with a smile, waved goodbye, and said, "The bus is leaving soon, I'll go first, Mr. Kodall, I'll go to your bar when I have time."
"Okay!" Kodall laughed excitedly again, clearly very old, but his emotions were as jumpy as a child.
Maël boarded the bus, drove past familiar streets, saw familiar faces, and arrived at Bramall Lane Stadium with a mix of emotions.
Looking at this place that had left countless memories and happiness, recalling the farewell banners pulled out here at the end of last season... he couldn't help but feel sentimental.
At that time, he had set a goal to make the Emirates Stadium his stage as well, to make Arsenal fans as enthusiastic as Sheffield United fans.
Half a season had passed, and it seemed he had successfully completed half of it... all that was missing was the final championship trophy.
He had done well, just as he had thought at the time, he had returned here in the best possible form!
Sheffield United fans would be proud of him!
"Gilbert."
Maël murmured, and thought of his best friend who had stayed here for another half a year, leading the team to face opponents stronger than them every week in this stadium, and couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.
That guy, his skills should be pretty good now, right?
It was time to meet on the field today.
Van Persie, who was next to him, thought of the welcome that Sheffield United fans would give Maël later, and couldn't help but envy him, "That's great, I'm afraid this time fans from both teams will cheer for you together, right? Although this situation is rare, you have left them with important honors and too many good memories, I think it is possible."
"When can I be like this, moving between two teams but being liked by fans of both teams at the same time."
"Who knows." Maël smiled, not paying much attention at first, but then quickly turned his head, remembering something, "Don't learn from me, some things can't be blindly imitated, it will hurt you."
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