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And at London Colney, the next stage of Arsenal's preparation had already begun.
The recovery programme at London Colney continued without the urgency that normally accompanied an Arsenal training session.
There were no repeated sprints.
No full-pitch tactical game.
No long finishing competition between the forwards.
Instead, the players moved through the work prescribed for them, each following a programme shaped by the minutes they had played against Chelsea.
Those who had completed the match concentrated on mobility, light aerobic work and treatment. Others completed slightly more demanding exercises before joining the group for stretching and recovery work.
Francesco spent part of the session on one of the stationary bikes, gradually increasing the resistance before easing it back down.
Denis was nearby.
He glanced across.
"Is this what football is now?"
Francesco looked at him.
"After a match?"
"Bike, stretching, ice, food."
"Welcome to professional football."
Denis laughed.
"I thought there would be more running."
"There will be."
"When?"
"When you don't want it."
That earned another laugh.
The days that followed settled into a familiar rhythm.
Arsenal had no intention of allowing the 3–0 victory over Chelsea to disrupt their schedule. The advantage in the Carabao Cup was significant, but it remained exactly that—an advantage.
The second leg would come later.
For now, there were other competitions demanding attention.
Training at London Colney became progressively more active as the players recovered. Passing patterns returned. Positional work increased. The younger players were given more competitive exercises. The coaching staff continued monitoring workloads, making small adjustments depending on individual fatigue.
Wenger was particularly careful with the players who had accumulated heavy minutes.
There was a long season ahead.
And Arsenal were still fighting on several fronts.
When the FA Cup arrived, Wenger once again made his intentions clear.
He would rotate.
The decision was not viewed inside the squad as a lack of respect for the competition.
Quite the opposite.
Wenger wanted his squad to remain capable of competing everywhere.
That meant trusting the players outside his strongest XI.
It meant allowing younger footballers to gain meaningful minutes.
And it meant protecting the established starters so that when the most demanding Premier League and European fixtures arrived, they would be ready.
The destination this time was Blackpool.
Bloomfield Road offered a very different footballing environment from the Emirates.
The journey north carried its own rhythm. The players travelled together, some talking quietly, others watching films or listening to music. A few discussed the match ahead.
Denis sat with a notebook open on his lap for part of the journey, although he eventually closed it and looked out of the window.
He had started to understand that every match with Arsenal was another lesson.
This one would be another opportunity.
By the time the team reached Blackpool, supporters were already gathering around Bloomfield Road.
The atmosphere was lively.
Arsenal shirts were scattered among the crowd, while Blackpool supporters created a wall of orange and noise around the stadium.
The players entered through the away route and made their way inside.
There was none of the grandeur of a European night.
No Champions League ceremony.
No sense of occasion manufactured by a packed Emirates.
It was simply an FA Cup evening in an old football ground, with supporters close enough to make themselves heard.
And that suited Wenger.
Inside the dressing room, the Arsenal players changed into their match kits.
Denis sat at his locker and looked down at the shirt in front of him.
This time, it was not a late appearance.
It was his starting shirt.
Saka noticed him looking at it.
"First start."
Denis smiled.
"Looks like it."
"You nervous?"
"A little."
Saka shrugged.
"You'll be fine."
Denis looked across.
"You say that like you've done it forever."
Saka laughed.
"I've had a few."
The warm-up followed.
Passing.
Movement.
Short accelerations.
Finishing.
The players gradually brought themselves up to match intensity.
Denis looked increasingly comfortable.
He received the ball under pressure and released it quickly, sometimes with one touch, sometimes taking a second touch to draw an opponent toward him before moving it elsewhere.
Wenger watched from the edge of the pitch.
He was not looking for spectacular moments.
He was looking for decisions.
When the squad returned inside, Wenger gathered them.
"This is the FA Cup," he said.
His voice was calm.
"It does not matter that we have other matches coming. The shirt is the same. The expectation is the same."
He looked around.
"We respect Blackpool. We play our football, but we play with concentration."
His eyes settled briefly on Denis.
"Use the ball well."
Then toward the wider group.
"Control the match. Be patient. When the opportunity comes, take it."
The players nodded.
Wenger stepped back.
"Let's go."
Arsenal started brightly, but Blackpool refused to retreat simply because their opponents were a Premier League side.
The home supporters made sure of that.
Every tackle was greeted with encouragement.
Every Arsenal misplaced pass drew noise.
Blackpool defended with determination, forcing Arsenal to work through compact areas rather than simply opening the game for them.
Denis quickly became involved.
He dropped toward the ball, turned away from pressure and switched play toward the flank.
A few minutes later he combined with Smith Rowe, moving into the space behind the first defensive line before returning the pass.
Smith Rowe carried forward.
The move eventually broke down.
Denis jogged back without frustration.
He was beginning to understand that control did not always mean dominance.
Sometimes it meant patiently finding another route.
Arsenal's breakthrough eventually came through experience.
Giroud received the ball outside the area with a defender tight behind him.
Instead of turning, he held his position and waited for support.
Denis moved toward him.
The pass came.
Denis touched it first time into Ramsey's path.
Ramsey immediately moved it wide.
The return cross came toward the penalty area.
Giroud had already adjusted his position.
He rose above his marker and directed a firm header toward the far corner.
The goalkeeper stretched.
He could not reach it.
1–0 Arsenal.
Giroud landed and immediately turned toward the players who had helped build the move.
Denis arrived among them.
"Good ball," Giroud told him.
Denis smiled.
"Good finish."
The match remained competitive.
Blackpool tried to respond through direct attacks and quick movement down the sides.
Arsenal's defence had to remain disciplined.
Wenger was constantly communicating from the touchline, but there was no panic.
He wanted his team to manage the game.
Before halftime, Arsenal nearly doubled their advantage, but the home goalkeeper made a strong save.
The interval arrived with Arsenal ahead by one.
Wenger's message was straightforward.
"Do not give them hope."
He did not ask for reckless attacking.
He wanted Arsenal to continue moving the ball and force Blackpool to defend.
The second goal came after Arsenal patiently recycled possession.
Denis was involved again, receiving near the edge of midfield and drawing two players toward him.
Rather than forcing a forward pass, he moved the ball sideways.
Smith Rowe picked it up.
Saka pulled a defender wide.
The opening appeared centrally.
Smith Rowe attacked it.
He exchanged a quick pass with Ramsey before entering the final third.
The ball came back.
Smith Rowe took one touch and finished low through a crowded area.
2–0.
He turned away smiling.
Saka ran toward him first.
Denis followed.
Smith Rowe pointed toward the midfielder.
"Good choice."
Denis shook his head.
"You did the hard part."
Arsenal now had greater control.
Blackpool continued trying to make the game uncomfortable, but Arsenal's experience began to tell.
Wenger made sensible changes as the match progressed, managing workloads and protecting players where possible.
The rhythm became slower without becoming passive.
Arsenal moved the ball from side to side, forcing Blackpool to chase.
Then, with the home side committing forward in search of a way back, Arsenal found the third.
The attack began on the left.
The ball was moved through midfield before reaching Saka.
He carried it toward the penalty area, paused and waited for the supporting run.
Smith Rowe moved inside.
Saka continued.
The defender hesitated.
That was enough.
Saka cut the ball back toward the arriving winger's position, but the pass took a slight deflection and fell back into Saka's path.
He reacted first.
A quick touch opened the angle.
His finish went across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
3–0.
Saka raised both arms.
The Arsenal players congratulated him.
The goal had settled the match.
There were still minutes remaining, but Blackpool no longer had the same belief that a comeback was possible.
Wenger continued managing the game from the sideline.
No unnecessary risks.
No chasing a fourth.
Arsenal's job was to finish professionally.
Denis remained involved until the closing stages, continuing to offer himself for passes and helping Arsenal retain possession.
His performance was not spectacular.
It did not need to be.
He had looked comfortable.
He had connected midfield to attack, helped Arsenal keep control and shown that his Chelsea debut had not been a one-night occurrence.
When the referee finally blew the whistle, Arsenal had won 3–0.
The players acknowledged the travelling supporters.
The applause from the away end was loud enough to carry across Bloomfield Road.
Giroud, Smith Rowe and Saka received congratulations from teammates, while Denis stood nearby, taking in another successful night.
Two competitive appearances.
A goal involvement in his first.
A start in his second.
The transition was moving quickly.
But Wenger would not allow anyone to become distracted by it.
As the players headed back inside, the manager reminded them that the next fixture would arrive soon enough.
The squad changed, completed the usual post-match routines and began the journey back.
There was satisfaction.
Nothing excessive.
Another competition had been negotiated successfully.
And another group of players had demonstrated that Wenger could trust them.
The following days brought the squad back to London Colney.
Recovery was followed by training.
The workload increased.
Tactical work returned.
The regular first-team players gradually moved back toward full intensity while those who had played at Blackpool were managed carefully.
The schedule gave Wenger another problem to solve.
West Ham United awaited in the Premier League.
This time, there would be no heavily rotated XI.
Wenger wanted his strongest and most established players ready.
Francesco returned to the starting lineup.
So did the familiar core around him.
Čech.
Robertson.
Van Dijk.
Koscielny.
Walker.
Kanté.
Xhaka.
Özil.
Alexis.
Gnabry.
And Francesco.
The regular group.
The team that had spent so much of the season learning one another's movements almost instinctively.
When Arsenal arrived at the London Stadium, the atmosphere was immediately different.
West Ham supporters created a demanding environment.
The stadium was louder, more confrontational and more intense than Bloomfield Road had been.
This was not a cup match in which Arsenal could simply manage their way through the evening.
This was Premier League football.
Every challenge mattered.
Every misplaced pass could become dangerous.
Wenger's instructions before kickoff were concise.
"Stay together."
He looked toward his midfield.
"Control the centre."
Then the forwards.
"Be patient. The opportunity will come."
Finally, Francesco.
"Lead them."
Francesco nodded.
The match began at a high tempo.
West Ham did not sit back.
They challenged Arsenal physically and tried to disrupt their passing rhythm.
Kanté had to work hard to protect the midfield.
Xhaka repeatedly dropped between lines to help Arsenal play through the pressure.
Özil searched for pockets.
Alexis and Gnabry switched positions.
Francesco moved across the defensive line, looking for the smallest gap.
Chances came at both ends.
Čech made one strong save after West Ham worked the ball into the area.
At the other end, Arsenal nearly scored when Alexis found Gnabry at the far post, but the winger's attempt went wide.
The match remained level.
West Ham's midfield continued battling for second balls.
Arsenal responded through possession.
Neither side could establish complete control.
Francesco was involved without forcing the game.
He dropped toward midfield when necessary.
He pulled defenders away.
He made runs that created space for Alexis and Gnabry.
Then, midway through the second half, the opening finally appeared.
Xhaka won possession near the centre circle and immediately found Özil.
Özil took one touch and looked forward.
Francesco was not running behind the defence.
Instead, he drifted toward the right side, dragging a defender with him.
Özil played the ball into his feet.
Francesco received with his back to goal.
A defender closed quickly.
He did not turn.
Instead, he laid the ball back toward Walker, who had advanced from the right.
Walker returned it immediately.
Francesco had already spun away.
The defender was half a step late.
Walker slipped the ball into the space.
Francesco reached it inside the area.
Rather than shooting immediately, he took the ball toward the byline.
The goalkeeper shifted across, expecting a cross.
Francesco stopped sharply.
The defender committed.
Francesco cut back onto his left foot.
For a split second, the goal opened.
He struck low toward the near corner.
The goalkeeper got a hand to it.
But the ball squeezed underneath him and crossed the line.
1–0 Arsenal.
Francesco turned toward the supporters.
Alexis reached him first.
Then Gnabry.
Walker arrived laughing.
The Arsenal players formed around their captain.
It was not an extravagant celebration.
They knew what the goal meant.
It was an away match.
A difficult one.
And now Arsenal had something precious: a lead.
Wenger remained near the touchline, applauding once before turning immediately toward his coaching staff.
There was still work to do.
West Ham pushed harder after the goal.
The final stages became uncomfortable.
Arsenal defended deeper at times, but without losing their structure.
Kanté covered enormous ground.
Van Dijk and Koscielny dealt with crosses.
Robertson and Walker defended the wide areas.
Xhaka cleared one dangerous ball from the edge of the box.
Čech commanded his area.
Francesco continued chasing when Arsenal lost possession, even as fatigue began to settle into his legs.
The supporters behind the goal grew louder with every defensive clearance.
West Ham had opportunities.
Arsenal refused to give them a clean one.
Then the final whistle came.
West Ham 0–1 Arsenal.
For a second, Francesco stood with his hands on his hips.
He breathed deeply.
The match had demanded everything.
Behind him, his teammates were already acknowledging the travelling supporters.
Francesco joined them.
The Arsenal fans celebrated the narrow victory, appreciating what had been required to earn it.
There had been no flood of goals.
No comfortable finish.
Just one decisive moment and a disciplined defensive performance afterward.
Wenger eventually walked toward the players.
"Well done."
That was all.
He knew the value of the result.
A clean sheet away from home.
Three points.
And another match successfully navigated during an increasingly crowded season.
As the players headed back toward the dressing room, the contrast between the two recent fixtures was impossible to miss.
At Bloomfield Road, Wenger had trusted the rotation group.
Denis had started.
Giroud had scored.
Smith Rowe had scored.
Saka had scored.
Arsenal had won 3–0.
At the London Stadium, Wenger had restored the regular first team.
The match had been tighter.
More physical.
More demanding.
And Francesco had supplied the only goal.
Two victories.
Two very different performances.
The underlying principle was the same.
Trust the squad.
Manage the workload.
Protect the important players.
Keep collecting results.
Arsenal were still involved in every competition that mattered.
The Carabao Cup semi-final remained alive, with Chelsea waiting for the second leg.
The FA Cup had moved forward.
The Premier League campaign continued.
And somewhere between all of it, Wenger was carefully managing the balance between development, fitness, rotation and ambition.
Francesco stepped into the dressing room, still feeling the weight of the match in his legs.
Denis would be watching from home or following the result with the rest of the squad.
Another night would eventually come when they would share the pitch again.
For now, Arsenal had another three points.
And another fixture was already waiting on the horizon.
Then the morning after the victory at the London Stadium arrived without any sense of celebration at London Colney.
There was satisfaction, certainly. Arsenal had taken three points from a difficult away match, kept a clean sheet and left West Ham with nothing to show for their effort.
But the season did not slow down to acknowledge it.
By mid-morning, the first cars were already arriving at the training ground.
The players emerged one by one, some moving more slowly than usual after the physical demands of the previous evening. Nobody looked injured, but there was a noticeable heaviness in the way several of the regular starters carried themselves.
A Premier League away match had a way of lingering in the body.
Francesco arrived with his training bag over one shoulder, exchanging brief greetings with staff as he walked inside. He had slept well enough, but his legs still felt the match. The repeated changes of direction, the defensive work after Arsenal had taken the lead, the final twenty minutes spent helping the team protect the result as all of it had left its mark.
Inside the dressing room, the atmosphere was relaxed.
Alexis dropped into his seat and stretched his legs out.
"Everyone walking like they're forty," he said.
Walker looked across from another locker.
"Speak for yourself."
Alexis raised an eyebrow.
"You were limping yesterday."
"I was not."
"You were."
Walker pointed toward him.
"You scored nothing."
Alexis grinned.
"Exactly. I had less work."
A few players laughed.
Francesco sat down and began changing.
The mood was comfortable, but nobody mistook it for a day off.
The medical and performance staff had already prepared the morning programmes.
The players who had completed the entire match against West Ham would have the lightest workloads.
The priority was recovery.
Those who had played limited minutes, or had remained unused, would have more substantial work before joining the rest of the group.
It was another example of the balance Wenger and his staff had maintained throughout the season.
Every player had a programme.
Every body had different requirements.
And nobody was treated simply according to whether they had played or not.
Francesco began with mobility work before moving onto a stationary bike. The resistance was kept moderate, allowing his legs to loosen without creating additional fatigue.
Kanté was nearby, pedalling quietly.
Neither said much at first.
They had spent ninety minutes covering enormous distances.
Eventually Kanté glanced over.
"Better than yesterday?"
Francesco considered it.
"My legs disagree."
Kanté smiled.
"Mine too."
Across the room, the players who had not played against West Ham were already moving through a more demanding circuit.
Smith Rowe was completing short acceleration exercises.
Saka worked through changes of direction.
Tielemans moved between strength and mobility stations under the supervision of a fitness coach.
Denis completed his own programme, carefully monitored by the performance staff.
His adjustment to Arsenal was becoming increasingly natural.
There was no longer the hesitation of someone trying to understand where he belonged.
He knew which staff members wanted to see him after training. He knew the rhythm of the sessions. He knew when Wenger wanted him closer to the ball and when the manager expected him to attack space.
It was still an adjustment.
But it was becoming his adjustment.
Van Dijk and Koscielny eventually joined the treatment area after completing their own recovery work.
Robertson sat with an ice pack on one knee.
Walker walked past and looked down.
"You alright?"
Robertson nodded.
"Fine."
"You look terrible."
Robertson looked up.
"So do you."
Walker laughed.
"Fair."
The recovery session continued for nearly an hour before the group gradually began to separate.
Those who had played the full match were allowed to finish earlier.
The others moved toward the training pitches.
The distinction was deliberate.
Arsenal could not prepare properly for Chelsea by exhausting the players who had just played ninety demanding minutes.
At the same time, the rest of the squad needed to maintain their sharpness.
By the following session, the difference was already beginning to disappear.
The heavier legs had loosened.
The recovery work had done its job.
The pitch at London Colney became livelier again.
Passing patterns returned.
The coaches arranged small groups across different areas, demanding quick movement after every pass.
There were no long tactical lectures.
Instead, the players were expected to read the exercises themselves.
Move.
Scan.
Receive.
Release.
Move again.
Francesco worked through the session with Alexis and Gnabry, occasionally dropping deeper to connect with Özil before turning and attacking the space ahead.
Özil barely needed to look before returning one pass into Francesco's path.
Francesco reached it, touched it around a mannequin and finished into the small goal.
Alexis immediately complained.
"That was too easy."
Francesco smiled.
"You want me to make it harder?"
"Yes."
"Then defend."
Alexis laughed.
The intensity increased as the session continued.
By then, Wenger's attention had shifted toward the next opponent.
Chelsea.
There was no need for anyone at London Colney to explain why the fixture mattered.
Chelsea had already lost to Arsenal twice this season.
The first defeat had come at Stamford Bridge.
The second had been more recent and considerably more painful for Chelsea which a 3–0 Arsenal victory in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates.
Three goals without reply.
A significant advantage.
But Wenger understood something his players also knew.
The next Chelsea match would not be played against the memory of those results.
It would be played against Chelsea themselves.
And Chelsea would arrive with something to prove.
That afternoon, Wenger gathered the squad inside the tactical room.
The lights dimmed.
A large screen illuminated the front of the room.
The players settled into their seats.
Francesco sat toward the front, elbows resting lightly on his knees.
Denis sat nearby.
Wenger stood beside the screen with a remote in his hand.
He did not begin with Arsenal's previous victories.
Instead, he showed Chelsea.
A sequence from one of their recent matches.
Then another.
Then a third.
The screen paused.
"This," Wenger said, "is what we need to understand."
The players watched.
"Chelsea will not necessarily play the same match against us that they played before."
He clicked forward.
Different movement appeared on the screen.
"They have reasons to change things. We have given them reasons to change things."
The room remained focused.
Wenger brought up a tactical diagram.
"If you expect the same game because you have beaten them twice, you have already made a mistake."
He pointed toward the midfield.
"They may press higher. They may try to create overloads here. They may ask their wide players to attack earlier."
Another click.
A Chelsea sequence appeared in which the ball was recovered and moved quickly toward the wings.
"They are dangerous when they turn the first pass after winning possession into an attack. We cannot allow them to play forward freely."
He paused.
"But we also cannot chase everything."
That distinction drew Francesco's attention.
Wenger continued.
"Pressing is not running."
A few players nodded.
"Pressing is deciding when to run."
He moved the video backward.
"Communication. Compactness. If one player goes, the others must know why. If we press and lose our shape, we help them."
He turned toward the midfielders.
"Kanté. Xhaka. Özil. You will have an important role in controlling where the match is played."
Then toward the defenders.
"And the back four must recognize the moments when Chelsea try to attack the space behind us."
Van Dijk nodded.
Wenger moved to another sequence.
This time, Arsenal were shown losing possession.
Chelsea immediately attacked the space.
"Transition."
The word hung in the room.
"The first five seconds after losing the ball may decide whether they counter or whether we get our shape back."
He looked around.
"That is why the reaction must be immediate."
The video changed again.
Arsenal possession.
Chelsea's defensive block.
Wenger highlighted an area around the edge of the penalty area.
"And when we have the ball, we must not attack simply because we can."
Francesco glanced toward Özil.
"We will have opportunities to move quickly. Take them. But if they close the space, keep the ball. Make them move."
He shut off the screen.
The room remained silent for a moment.
Then Wenger spoke more directly.
"They have lost twice to us."
Everyone knew that.
"They will remember."
His tone remained calm.
"They will arrive with pride. They will arrive with intensity. They will want to show that the previous results do not define them."
Wenger rested the remote against his palm.
"That makes them dangerous."
He looked from one player to another.
"Do not give them motivation by assuming they are already beaten."
No dramatic speech followed.
He did not need one.
"History cannot win the match for us. The score from the last game cannot win it. Our reputation cannot win it."
He nodded toward the players.
"We start again."
Francesco spoke quietly from his seat.
"They'll come hard."
Wenger looked at him.
"Yes."
Francesco nodded.
"Then we have to be ready for that first spell. If we stay together, they'll have to work for everything."
Wenger gave a small approving nod.
"That is the idea."
The meeting moved into questions and adjustments.
Players discussed situations they had noticed themselves.
Özil pointed out how Chelsea sometimes created space behind their midfield when their full-backs advanced simultaneously.
Koscielny mentioned the importance of communication when the first defender stepped out.
Xhaka discussed the need to avoid being pulled too far toward the ball.
Denis listened carefully.
When Wenger showed a sequence involving Chelsea's midfield pressing aggressively, Denis offered a thought about the space appearing behind the first pressure.
"If we move the ball quickly enough," he said, "there's space behind them before the second player can close."
Wenger nodded.
"Exactly. But the pass must arrive early."
Denis nodded.
It was a small contribution.
But it showed how quickly he was becoming part of the football conversation around the squad.
The meeting eventually ended.
Wenger stood.
"Now we train it."
The players rose.
Outside, the afternoon had settled over London Colney.
The next session was more demanding.
The warm-up began conventionally, with mobility, dynamic running and short passing sequences.
Then the coaching staff increased the tempo.
The first exercise focused on pressing.
A possession group attempted to circulate the ball while the defending group had to recognize specific triggers to close down.
A poor touch.
A pass played backward.
A receiver facing his own goal.
Those were the moments Wenger wanted them to identify.
"Don't wait until they're comfortable!" he called.
The ball moved.
Alexis pressed.
Gnabry covered.
Francesco adjusted behind them.
"Good. Again."
The next repetition broke down when the press became too aggressive.
Chelsea's simulated midfield found a gap.
Wenger immediately stopped the exercise.
"Francesco, where are you?"
Francesco pointed toward the space.
"Too high."
"Yes."
Wenger gestured toward the midfield.
"And if he's there?"
Xhaka answered.
"We're open."
"Exactly."
Wenger reset the players.
"Don't solve one problem by creating another."
They went again.
This time, the movement was cleaner.
Francesco held his position slightly longer before stepping forward.
Kanté moved across.
Xhaka closed the central lane.
The passing option disappeared.
The ball went backward.
"Better."
The exercise progressed into transitions.
Now the players had to react immediately after losing possession.
The moment the ball changed teams, Arsenal's shape compressed.
Francesco turned and chased.
Alexis stepped inward.
Gnabry recovered toward the centre.
Kanté covered behind them.
The coaches repeatedly changed the direction of play, forcing the players to make decisions rather than memorize movements.
Then came the scrimmage.
The teams were divided.
The regular starters were mixed with other squad players, creating a competitive environment rather than simply recreating the expected Chelsea lineup.
Denis played centrally, moving between midfield and the attacking line.
Smith Rowe drifted into spaces around him.
Tielemans offered another passing option.
Saka stayed wide before cutting inside.
On the other side, Francesco worked with Alexis, Özil and Gnabry.
The opening minutes were fast.
Too fast, perhaps.
Players were eager to win.
A challenge between Saka and Robertson drew laughter when both immediately demanded the ball again.
"Again," Saka said.
Robertson grinned.
"You're getting it."
The next attack ended with Francesco receiving near the edge of the penalty area.
He tried to combine with Özil, but Xhaka stepped across and intercepted.
"That's the pass they want," Xhaka said.
Francesco nodded.
"Fair."
"Don't make it easy."
"Noted."
The game continued.
Denis began finding pockets between the lines.
He received from Tielemans, turned and slipped the ball toward Saka.
Saka drove forward.
Van Dijk stepped across.
The attack was stopped.
"Good defending," Wenger called.
A few minutes later, Denis did it again.
This time he held the ball for an extra second, drawing Kanté toward him before releasing it wide.
Gnabry was forced to recover.
The simulated attack had created exactly the sort of problem Wenger wanted.
He stopped play.
"That's the danger."
The players looked toward him.
"We have two lines too far apart."
He pointed.
"The ball travels faster than you do. If the distance is wrong, one pass takes three players out of the game."
The players repositioned.
"Again."
The next sequence was better.
Francesco dropped slightly deeper.
Özil moved into the half-space.
Alexis remained between the full-back and centre-back.
The ball circulated.
When the opening appeared, Francesco attacked it.
He received from Özil and immediately returned the ball.
Özil slipped it back.
Francesco shot.
The goalkeeper saved.
Alexis arrived late and tried to finish the rebound.
The ball went over.
"Good," Wenger called.
Then he added:
"Again."
The intensity continued for another period.
There were arguments over challenges, quick laughs after mistakes and constant communication.
Nothing about the session felt rehearsed.
That was precisely the point.
Chelsea would not give Arsenal perfect situations.
They would create problems.
Arsenal needed to learn how to solve them while tired, under pressure and without losing their shape.
Francesco remained vocal throughout, but never dominated the session.
When Saka lost possession, Francesco simply pointed toward the recovery position.
"Inside."
Saka nodded and sprinted back.
When Smith Rowe made a run too early, Francesco gestured for him to hold.
"Wait."
Smith Rowe stopped.
The next pass came at the right moment.
The younger midfielder received it cleanly.
"Better," Francesco said.
Smith Rowe smiled.
Wenger noticed.
So did the other coaches.
Leadership did not always require a speech.
Sometimes it was simply knowing when to say one word.
Eventually Wenger checked his watch.
The scrimmage had reached the point where the intensity could become counterproductive.
"Enough."
The players slowed.
A few were breathing heavily.
Kanté bent forward with his hands on his knees before straightening.
Walker walked past him.
"Still alive?"
Kanté nodded.
"Unfortunately."
Walker laughed.
The coaches gathered the players for a final few minutes of controlled movement before beginning the cooldown.
The pace dropped.
Stretching replaced sprinting.
The noise softened.
Wenger stood nearby with his staff, watching the players finish.
He had seen enough.
There were things to improve.
There always were.
But the squad had begun to understand the nature of the challenge ahead.
Chelsea would not arrive at the Emirates simply hoping to survive.
They would arrive angry about two defeats.
They would arrive determined to change the story.
And Arsenal would have to be prepared for that from the first whistle.
Francesco walked slowly toward the dressing room beside Özil.
Özil glanced across.
"Think they'll be different?"
Francesco nodded.
"They have to be."
Özil smiled faintly.
"Good."
Francesco looked back toward the pitch.
"Means we'll have to be too."
Behind them, Denis and Saka were still talking about one of the earlier sequences, while Alexis and Gnabry argued about whether a shot had gone in during the scrimmage.
Nobody had completely switched off yet.
There was still football on their minds.
But the day had accomplished what Wenger wanted.
The players had recovered from West Ham.
They had increased their workload.
They had studied Chelsea's likely response.
And they had spent a demanding session practicing how to deal with it.
The 3–0 victory from the first leg remained an important advantage.
The two victories over Chelsea remained part of the season's record.
But neither could be carried onto the pitch as protection.
When Chelsea came to the Emirates, Arsenal would have to earn everything again.
And as the players disappeared inside London Colney, the preparation for that challenge had properly begun.
__________________________________________________
Name : Francesco Lee
Age : 20 (2018)
Birthplace : London, England
Football Club : Arsenal First Team
Championship History : 2014/2015 Premier League, 2014/2015 FA Cup, 2015/2016 Community Shield, 2016/2017 Premier League, 2015/2016 Champions League, Euro 2016, Premier League Champion 2016/2017, FA Cup 2016/2017, 2016/2017 Champions League, 2017/2018 Carabao Cup, Premier League 2017/2018, FA Cup 2017/2018, Champions League 2017/2018, 2018 World Cup, and 2018/2019 Community Shield.
Season 17/18 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 28
Goal: 31
Assist: 1
MOTM: 0
POTM: 0
England:
Match: 2
Goal: 2
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 17/18 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 59
Goal: 76
Assist: 6
MOTM: 7
POTM: 0
England:
Match: 11
Goal: 14
Assist: 1
MOTM: 7
Season 16/17 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 55
Goal: 87
Assist: 5
MOTM: 14
POTM: 1
England:
Match: 1
Goal: 1
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 15/16 stats:
Arsenal:
Match Played: 60
Goal: 82
Assist: 10
MOTM: 9
POTM: 1
England:
Match Played: 2
Goal: 4
Assist: 0
Euro 2016
Match Played: 6
Goal: 13
Assist: 4
MOTM: 6
Season 14/15 stats:
Match Played: 35
Goal: 45
Assist: 12
MOTM: 9