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Chapter 113: Pre-Season Fire
🕑 Added 2025-08-04 14:42:21 +0000 UTC“A bit too enthusiastic for day one, isn’t it?”
Pat Rice stood on the touchline, arms folded, eyeing the flurry of activity on the training pitch with a faint frown of curiosity.
Pre-season had barely begun. Most players were usually sluggish at this point—still shaking off the holiday spirit, mentally and physically transitioning from beaches and barbecues to boots and balls. Traditionally, managers had to nudge players into rhythm through progressive sessions and motivating games.
But this? This was something else entirely.
From starters to benchwarmers, every single player on the field looked like they had a point to prove. Luis Suarez had just wrapped up ten sets of shooting drills, only for a few reserves to show up moments later and knock out fifteen. Suarez, refusing to be outdone, marched right back and added five more for good measure.
Pat squinted. “Are they… angry?”
Wenger, standing beside him, watched the spirited training session with quiet amusement. “No, Pat. It’s not anger. It’s competition.”
A smile played on the Frenchman’s lips as he turned to Vermaelen, who had just wandered over with a water bottle in hand.
“What sparked this?” Wenger asked.
Vermaelen chuckled, “It’s Kai,” he said. “He’s lit a fire under the substitutes, and now the regular starters are starting to feel the heat.”
Wenger blinked in surprise, then broke into a laugh. “Magnifique.”
His gaze drifted toward the recovery area, where Kai was undergoing light fitness drills. Having just returned from injury, he wasn’t yet cleared for full training, but his influence was already being felt.
Wenger could already tell: the dressing room dynamic was shifting. And he liked it.
...
Later that evening, after the day's final training session, Wenger gathered the squad together.
“Pre-season warm-ups begin tomorrow,” he said, voice firm yet encouraging. “Everyone will get minutes. But remember, your performance will decide your place in the team come the new season.”
He paused for effect. “That includes starting roles.”
There was a visible shift in body language. The substitutes looked galvanized. The first-teamers stiffened slightly, each digesting the challenge. Wenger didn’t miss the clenched fists or focused stares.
The fire had been lit already, and Wenger had just poured oil onto it.
...
On the drive back home, Chamberlain lounged in the passenger seat, grumbling.
“You know, you didn’t have to say all that,” he muttered. “Now we’re all feeling the pressure.”
Kai didn’t even glance over. “Pressure? Chamberlain, you're a sub.”
Chamberlain gawked at him in faux hurt. “Oi! I’ll end you.”
Kai clapped back. “Save that for the pitch. Your real opponent’s not me—it’s Cazorla.”
That shut Chamberlain right up.
Cazorla. The guy with magician’s feet. When healthy, he was untouchable. Chamberlain knew his chances were slim unless the Spaniard picked up a knock or he raised his level dramatically.
A few minutes later, Kai dropped Chamberlain off. The winger lived just 800 metres away and regularly hitched rides now that Kai got a car. He didn’t mind. It was part of their rhythm.
Once home, Kai flicked on the lights, threw together a quick low-calorie dinner—grilled chicken breast, veggies, and some fruit—and then headed into his workout room.
Roughly 20 square metres in size, it had been converted into a modest fitness space. Treadmill. Exercise balls. Dumbbells. Yoga mats.
Kai jogged on the treadmill to get his body temperature up, then worked his way through a full-body stretching routine, with a special focus on his legs—especially the ligaments that had betrayed him last time. He couldn’t afford another injury. Flexibility was now a top priority.
Next came elliptical reps while using light dumbbells to target smaller muscle groups. He finished off with yoga and deep flexibility work before finally hitting the shower.
By ten o’clock, he was scrolling through the news on his phone in bed, mind already on tomorrow’s flight to Italy.
...
Arsenal’s pre-season schedule featured three warm-up matches: Lazio, Parma, and Bournemouth. Wenger had specifically arranged games against Serie A sides to test his squad’s ability to counter deep-lying, reactive teams. In other words, the type Mourinho loved to field at Chelsea.
Wenger didn’t say it aloud, but everyone knew. This was about preparing for the London duels.
...
On July 31st, Arsenal faced Lazio.
“Hello, this is Z Sports!” came Kevin Briggs' voice as the camera panned across the stadium. “It’s a warm-up match with a bit of bite today—Arsenal versus Lazio. I’m Kevin Briggs, alongside Jonah Lanshire. Evening, Jonah.”
“Evening, Kevin. There’s always something to learn in these pre-season clashes, and with the likes of Kai back from injury, this should be quite the test.”
The match played out exactly as Wenger had hoped.
Lazio’s structure was compact, organized, and determined to draw Arsenal out. That stretched the Gunners’ formation, putting pressure on the midfield’s positional awareness and the backline’s spacing.
Luckily, Kai, Koscielny, and Mertesacker were in sync. With Kai patrolling just in front of the centre-backs, the defensive transitions looked sharp and composed. Even so, Lazio still found ways to probe.
And their biggest weapon? Miroslav Klose.
Even at 35, the German veteran was sharp, intelligent, and always lurking. Kai had to stay locked in, often sacrificing forward runs just to contain him.
Arsenal’s first breakthrough came late in the first half.
“Lovely one-two between Suarez and Cazorla—oh, that’s slick!” Kevin Briggs called. “Cazorla—GOAL! A clinical finish!”
Arsenal led 1–0, but Wenger took no chances. He made multiple substitutions early in the second half to assess the bench.
Flamini came on for Kai. He was solid, but it quickly became clear just how vital Kai’s presence was. Flamini struggled to keep tabs on Klose. The German striker seemed to find space with ease, even with support from the defenders.
Flamini wasn’t poor by any stretch—he was aggressive, sharp, and helped build attacks—but he couldn’t silence Klose the way Kai had.
“He’s doing what he can,” Jonah noted. “But this just shows how crucial Kai’s defensive reading of the game is. You don’t realize how much ground he covers until he’s not there.”
The match ended in a chaotic 4–4 draw. Not ideal defensively, but enough to reveal strengths and weaknesses.
...
Next up: Parma.
This time, Kai played the full 90.
And he was everywhere.
10 steals. 9 interceptions. 5 crucial tackles. 1 assist. 2 key passes.
“Monster performance from Kai today,” Kevin Briggs commented. “It’s as if he never left.”
“Absolutely,” said Jonah Lanshire. “He reads the game like a book. And look—he’s not even pushing forward much. He’s prioritizing stability. That’s discipline.”
With Suarez and Cazorla also turning in masterclasses, Arsenal swept Parma aside 5–0.
By the time they returned to London, the team’s morale was sky-high. The final match against Bournemouth remained, but for Wenger, the real takeaways had already arrived.
Kai was back. The squad was hungry. And the fire that had been ignited at training? It was burning brighter than ever.
