Arsenal's commanding victory in the Champions League once again gave the team a significant boost in confidence.
However, their difficult period was far from over.
The upcoming schedule was brutal. Chelsea, Leicester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, and other strong opponents were waiting one after another, like a series of unavoidable battles lined up ahead.
For Arsenal, this was undoubtedly one of the most challenging periods of the season.
But regardless of how difficult the road ahead was, they had no choice but to face it.
Fortunately, their victories over Manchester City and Astana had restored some confidence within the squad.
And their next opponent, Chelsea, was also going through a difficult period.
The Blues were facing problems similar to Arsenal's, with inconsistent performances and questions surrounding their squad.
This match was not impossible to win.
"Big Game Barometer?"
"What kind of ridiculous nickname is that?"
"Who came up with such a terrible evaluation?"
Inside the Arsenal dressing room, the players complained one after another.
Because Arsenal had repeatedly defeated powerful teams before unexpectedly dropping points against weaker opponents, fans and media had started jokingly calling them the "Big Game Barometer"
If a team wanted to prove they were a true contender, they had to survive against Arsenal.
But if a supposedly weak team managed to defeat Arsenal, people would immediately question whether that team was actually stronger than expected.
The Premier League, being the most commercially developed league in the world, naturally produced countless jokes and memes.
Manchester United had their own ridiculous labels.
Chelsea also had its share.
And now Arsenal had received its own nickname.
Of course, compared with some of the more infamous jokes surrounding clubs in the past, Arsenal's current nickname was relatively harmless.
It was nowhere near as embarrassing as labels like "Top Four Specialist" or other jokes that had followed them in recent times.
In fact, these kinds of nicknames also represented something important.
Only clubs with enough attention and influence became targets of constant discussion.
Mid-table teams rarely received such treatment because most people simply did not care enough to mock them.
The fact that Arsenal was being discussed so heavily proved that they were still one of the Premier League's biggest clubs.
"Alright, enough complaining. Time to train."
Kai stood up and called out to his teammates before walking out of the dressing room.
Recently, Arsenal's training intensity has been reduced slightly.
This was a decision made by the coaching staff.
With the schedule becoming increasingly demanding, they needed to preserve the players' physical condition and prevent unnecessary fatigue.
After the Champions League victory over Astana, Arsenal had once again returned to a single-front battle situation.
However, their squad depth remained a serious concern.
The players brought in during the transfer window had yet to fully adapt and were unable to immediately replace the roles of the established starters.
At the same time, although Pat Rice had promoted several academy players, their impact was still limited.
This meant Arsenal still had to rely heavily on their core lineup.
As long as everything went smoothly, they could survive.
But if injuries appeared, Arsenal would once again face the same problems that had troubled them in previous seasons.
Inside the meeting room, Pat Rice and the coaching staff gathered with serious expressions.
The topic of discussion was injury prevention.
Through medical analysis and physical monitoring, the club could identify players who carried a higher risk of injury.
Having a warning sign did not mean an injury was guaranteed, but it indicated that the player's body was approaching a dangerous point.
It was similar to Kai's previous situation.
At present, six Arsenal players are on the injury risk list.
That was already a warning of a potential injury crisis.
Pat Rice's expression was extremely serious.
The season was already difficult enough, and now he had to deal with the possibility of losing key players.
If injuries began affecting the main squad, how could Arsenal maintain their position in the league?
"Damn it."
Pat Rice slammed his hand against the table.
The pain in his palm did nothing to reduce the frustration inside him.
For a moment, he even wanted to give up.
He wanted to leave all these problems behind, or simply drag Wenger back from his recovery.
But he knew neither option was realistic.
This was Arsenal.
And now, he was the person responsible for holding everything together.
"If we increase rotation, can we delay these injuries? Or prevent them completely?"
Pat Rice looked toward Dr. Gary O'Driscoll.
Gary remained silent for a moment before shaking his head.
"I wish I could give you a better answer, but medically speaking, that isn't possible."
"Rotation can reduce the risk. It can delay fatigue-related problems and lower the chance of certain injuries happening too frequently."
"But injuries themselves cannot be completely eliminated."
Gary sighed.
"Arsenal pushed themselves too far last season. The consequences are now appearing."
Pat Rice leaned back helplessly.
Wenger had enjoyed the greatest moments of that team.
Now he was left dealing with the consequences.
"How many reliable substitutes do we have?"
Pat Rice asked.
Gary hesitated before answering.
"Campbell's condition is not ideal. He hasn't been able to reproduce the form he showed during the World Cup."
Campbell had spent almost an entire season struggling for playing time at Arsenal. It would already be considered fortunate if he had not left during the transfer window.
Pat Rice rubbed his hair in frustration until it became completely messy.
"Regardless, we need to prepare emergency plans. We cannot wait until something happens before reacting."
Everyone understood what he meant.
But the problem was obvious.
Even if they wanted to prepare, Arsenal simply did not have enough options.
The available players were limited.
One by one, the Arsenal coaches left the meeting room with heavy expressions.
The challenges ahead were becoming greater with every passing day.
This season had truly been one disaster after another.
One problem appeared just as another was resolved. It seemed like there was no end to the troubles Arsenal had to deal with.
. . .
On the training ground.
"That's enough for today. I'm done!"
"Tonight, I'm going home to settle the score on Football Manager. My club is already in the Champions League semifinals. Time to crush everyone! Attack, attack, attack!"
"Anyone up for FIFA at my place?"
"Let's go. I'll drive over right now."
Laughter echoed across the training ground as the Arsenal players packed up their equipment and left in small groups.
After an intense training session, the atmosphere among the players was surprisingly relaxed. Some joked about their virtual teams, while others argued about who was the better FIFA player.
Kai watched them disappear into the distance before slowly letting out a breath.
Then he turned around and picked up the footballs scattered around the pitch, placing them back onto the field.
He still wanted to train for a while longer.
Although the coaching staff had reduced the intensity and volume of team training recently, extra training was always allowed for players who were willing to put in the work.
Kai placed the ball outside the penalty area and prepared to practice free kicks.
At that moment, a voice came from behind him.
"Captain, can I train with you?"
Kai turned around in surprise.
Standing by the sideline was a young man with dark skin wearing Arsenal training gear. His expression was slightly nervous, but his eyes were sincere.
"Joel?"
Kai was slightly surprised.
Joel Campbell.
The Costa Rican forward had returned to Arsenal after an impressive 2014 World Cup campaign ended his loan spell.
However, after returning to the Emirates, Campbell found opportunities extremely difficult to come by.
In an Arsenal squad filled with talented attacking players, he had struggled to establish himself.
He made only a handful of appearances in a season, spending most matches watching from the bench.
Yet now, Campbell had taken the initiative to approach him for extra training.
At the same time, Joel Campbell was feeling extremely nervous.
His time at Arsenal had been complicated.
When he first returned, he was full of confidence.
He believed that after his World Cup performances, he could finally earn a place in the team.
But reality quickly reminded him how difficult that would be.
He fought for opportunities, waited patiently, and tried to prove himself.
But as the seasons passed, his confidence gradually faded.
Campbell understood the situation.
Compared with Arsenal's established forwards, he still had a significant gap to overcome.
The rise of his compatriot Keylor Navas made that feeling even stronger.
While Navas continued to shine and eventually earned a move to Real Madrid, Campbell was still fighting for recognition at Arsenal.
However, entering this season, things had started to change.
Arsenal's unstable performances meant opportunities were appearing.
But Campbell had not played regularly for a long time.
Even if he was given a chance, he was unsure whether he could immediately connect with his teammates.
That was why he chose Kai.
The man standing in front of him was Arsenal's true leader.
Whether inside the dressing room or on the pitch, Kai possessed unquestionable authority.
Campbell wanted to build a connection with him, but he did not know how to approach him.
In the end, he chose the simplest method.
Train together.
After recovering from his surprise, Kai looked at Campbell for a moment before smiling.
"Come on. Let's train together."
Kai would never reject someone who genuinely wanted to improve.
Training was training.
Personal relationships were separate. There had been players who tried to get closer to him through extra training before. However, most of them eventually disappeared.
Part of it was because Kai's attitude never changed. He focused only on training.
The other reason was simpler.
His training intensity was too demanding.
Very few players could maintain their rhythm for long periods.
That was why many substitutes struggled to build a connection with him.
Kai could roughly guess what Campbell was thinking.
But recognition was not something gained through words.
If Campbell wanted to earn his place at Arsenal, he needed to prove himself through his actions.
Talent mattered.
But persistence mattered just as much.
. . .
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