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Chapter 17: A Debut With A Side Of Massacre
🕑 Added 2025-05-14 15:18:05 +0000 UTC"Bunch of soft f##ks, there’s no way tough guy in the team. All of them are a bunch of c##ts"
Kai minded his business. He didn’t argue. There was no need.
They launched a swift counterattack at the 27-minute mark, just a minute after Arsenal's last foul. Van Persie latched onto Walcott’s pass and found the net.
But just as the fans leapt to celebrate, the referee's whistle pierced the air. The camera panned to the linesman, who had his flag raised—offside.
A slow-motion replay confirmed it: Walcott had passed a moment too late. Van Persie had been offside. The call was correct, but that didn't stop the wave of frustration that washed over the Arsenal supporters.
And then, just a minute later, Manchester United struck again.
Ashley Young tore down the flank, slicing through Arsenal’s defense with two quick one-twos in the box, and buried the shot.
Kai immediately noticed the breakdown. There had been a clear miscommunication between Song and Traoré.Song failed to press, leaving Traoré to face the oncoming attack alone.
28 minutes in: Manchester United 2, Arsenal 0.And the fans’ expressions were turning as grim as the scoreline.
Arsenal were playing with a growing sense of panic.
By the 42nd minute—just three minutes from halftime—Ashley Young was at it again. His breakthrough created space, and he set up Rooney, who hammered home a third.
Old Trafford erupted.Arsenal fell into stunned silence.
The camera found Wenger on the sidelines.
Lines of frustration creased the professor’s face. He held his composure, but the fury in his eyes was unmistakable.
Kai could feel it. Wenger was not pleased—and who could blame him?
Arsenal were soft. Especially in midfield and defense. They looked more like a sieve than a football team.
With Vermaelen absent, the back line lacked structure. Song’s lack of positioning dismantled the midfield’s defensive core. The domino effect led to a total collapse: three goals conceded, just like that.
Thankfully, in first-half stoppage time, Rosický made a clever run and set up Walcott for a goal. It wasn’t much, but it gave the fans a sliver of hope.
Entering the second half, Arsenal began pressing forward.
But their attacks lacked teeth.
To inject some energy, Wenger brought on Chamberlain. From the broadcast, Kai could see his serious expression and tightly slicked hair—he looked both excited and nervous.
Kai couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Because the real nightmare was just beginning.
64 minutes marked a turning point.
After that, Manchester United ran riot.
At 64 minutes, Rooney scored his second.67 minutes: Rooney turned provider, setting up Nani.70 minutes: Park Ji-sung, just off the bench, added his name to the scoresheet—assisted by, once again, Ashley Young.
Young, by then, had completed a hat-trick of assists.
Score: 6–1.
Arsenal were being humiliated.
The bar fell into total silence. Fans sat in disbelief. No one expected this. Not like this.
Kelvin Meadows looked particularly grim. Veins bulged on his thick arms as he clenched his fists, his face dark with fury.
Billy, beside Kai, looked heartbroken. He lowered his head and refused to look at the screen.
The game dragged on.
75 minutes: Van Persie scored a consolation.
6–2.
But it failed to reignite the crowd.
77 minutes: Jenkinson was sent off—second yellow. Arsenal were down to ten. A comeback was impossible now.
87 minutes: Rooney completed his hat-trick.
90+2: In injury time, Ryan Giggs found Ashley Young again, who netted his second of the match.
Final score: Manchester United 8, Arsenal 2.Ashley Young: 2 goals, 3 assists. Undoubtedly, man of the match.
As the final whistle blew, the bar remained eerily silent.
Many fans had their heads bowed. Kai couldn’t see their faces, but the pain was palpable. The heaviness in the air, punctuated by labored breathing, made everything feel suffocating.
Even Kai felt sick to his stomach. No one had seen this coming.
"Let’s go."
Billy stood up, muttering quietly. He didn’t bother saying goodbye to Meadows.
Kai glanced once more at the devastated Arsenal fans.
Something was simmering inside the Oak Bar. No—something was boiling inside the entire Arsenal fanbase.
And amid it all, Kai’s heart went out to Chamberlain.
His debut—his first real chance—was overshadowed by this massacre.
A nightmare start to his Arsenal career.
As the cameras cut to Chamberlain walking off the pitch, his once-perfect hair was a mess, and his expression... lost. He looked shellshocked.
The rest of the players weren’t much better.
On the ride back, Billy and Kai sat in silence. Neither of them had the heart to speak.
Kai stared out the window. London was still bustling, still bright, but underneath the glitz was a storm of anger—Arsenal fans’ rage.
...
<<Manchester United 8:2 – Arsenal's Bloody Collapse!>>
<<A Day of Shame for the Gunners>>
<<The Fabregas Fallout Begins>>
<<Wenger's Worst-Ever Defeat?>>
<<Who Takes Responsibility?>>
The headlines were relentless.
Anger, mockery, despair—the full spectrum of media reaction. But the real problem wasn’t the press.
It was the fans.
For three days straight, they gathered at the Colney training ground, demanding answers from the club and from Wenger himself.
Their chant was filled with anger and deafening, and with fans holding boards and banners showing: "Who’s responsible for this?"
But the club said nothing.
Arsenal chose to go silent, like a tortoise retreating into its shell.
No excuses. No statements.
Just silence.
When a team loses, emotions run high. When it gets thrashed, it’s a powder keg.
In football, even breathing wrong can get you flamed after a game like that.
Of course, there are losses you can walk away from with your head held high.
This wasn’t one of them.
Every Arsenal player's performance was scrutinized and criticized. One London media outlet didn’t mince words:
<<Cowards without spines>>
Harsh. Brutal. And somehow, still accurate.
Still, Arsenal held their silence.
They accepted the criticism. They offered no defense.
After all, without the fans, football is nothing.
But behind the scenes, changes were happening.
Wenger—normally calm—was furious.
As the summer transfer window closed, he made three urgent signings:
Costa Rican forward Joel Campbell.
South Korean striker Park Chu-young.
Brazilian winger André Santos.
All last-minute deals—almost reactive purchases.
To some, it seemed like Wenger was venting his anger by spending. Was it tactical? Or just for show?
Regardless, the message was clear: "Arsenal is trying to rectify the situation."
Wenger was particularly upset with the midfield. Especially Alexander Song. As a defensive midfielder, Song had failed to protect the backline.
The 8-2 loss wasn’t entirely his fault, but he carried a fair share.
To shake things up, Wenger brought in Campbell. But he felt Campbell wasn’t strong enough to challenge Song directly.
So he made a bolder move.
In training, Kai was promoted to the main squad. Song was sent to the substitutes.
Kai didn’t know what to make of it at first. He hadn’t expected to be the wedge that pushed the mountain.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. Wenger’s move was bold—but maybe too late.
Song had already been considering an exit. This decision only pushed him further out the door.
And that suited Kai just fine. They played the same role—only one could stay.
Song’s departure would open the door for Kai.
On the training ground, the coaching staff watched closely, their expressions mixed with surprise and satisfaction.
Joy, even.
Strange, perhaps, after such a loss. But the transformation they were witnessing warranted it.
Wenger had gone with a 4-2-3-1 lineup:
Backline: Koscielny, Mertesacker, Djourou, Jenkinson
Holding Midfielders: Ramsey and Kai
Attacking Midfielders: Arshavin, Arteta, Walcott
Striker: Van Persie
At the core of this change was the midfield pairing.
Kai and Ramsey provided surprising stability.
Both had stamina for days and were constantly covering ground.
If the attack needed numbers, one surged forward. If the defense was exposed, one dropped back.
Usually, it was Kai staying behind—his ball-winning and tackling gave Ramsey the confidence to push up.
The only missing piece was coordination with the back line. But Wenger believed that once Vermaelen returned from injury, the synergy would come naturally.
Up front, the improvements were dramatic.
With Kai and Ramsey holding the line, Arteta could focus on distribution, and he flourished.
Arteta's presence gave Van Persie a steady supply of chances.
In that 2011–12 season of Kai's previous life, Van Persie, with support, was lethal.
With Arshavin and Walcott delivering from the flanks, and even Kai launching pinpoint long passes from deep…
Van Persie felt reborn.
He was finally free to fly.
