Chapter 26: Impossible, Absolutely Impossible
Beep!
Having conceded a goal, Manchester City did not rush forward in attack; instead they probed Arsenal's solidity with short passes.
You can't see the true face of Mount Lu because you're in the mountain!
The plot twist was so sudden,
they were still a little dazed.
In their minds, Xia Qi's assist had to be a fluke; that would be the reasonable explanation. But the coach said otherwise…
After two or three minutes of passing and cautious probing, they convinced themselves the coach had overthought it — Arsenal was still Arsenal, and Xia Qi was only an accident.
Once David Silva realized he had frightened himself, he began directing teammates with runs and switches, sounding the rallying call.
Manchester City's midfield started to flex,
and Mikel Arteta again felt that sense of powerlessness: since losing Fàbregas and Jack Wilshere, when they play strong teams they have too much defense and not enough counterattack.
In the past, in such situations they would bow their heads for a point,
but now they had the Little Prince.
Arteta kept signaling to Xia Qi, hoping he would come back to help,
but Xia Qi was like possessed and gave no response.
Arteta was bitter: after "flirting" with Xiu Qin, now he's the disciplinarian?
Arsène Wenger and Pat Rice were puzzled too — could it really have been a flash of inspiration?
Pat Rice: "Why don't you sit back down? The kid might be scared."
Wenger was speechless. If he had that talent, why would I be angry? What coach wouldn't want to coach Messi?
Heartbroken…
Xia Qi was confused too; he didn't know what the AI gourd was selling.
Just having enjoyed the thrill of commanding his troops, now he wilted and stayed guarding his right-wing patch of turf.
No sooner had Wenger sat down than Xia Qi sped like lightning back into his own half.
That Li Yunlong was breaking discipline again.
Arsenal's midfield four, seeing Xia Qi return, suddenly surged with adrenaline and their combat power exploded.
David Silva and Touré resumed their usual wall-passing game, but this time they hit a brick wall.
Abou Diaby read Touré's passing intention; in a flash he flicked his leg behind him and intercepted the ball.
Maybe it was trust, most likely impatience.
After a few minutes of getting battered, not only did Arteta want to counterattack, Diaby did too.
He actually passed the ball across several players to Xia Qi.
Luckily Xia Qi reacted quickly and burst out through the crowd.
Wenger and Pat Rice instinctively leaned forward — whether it was talent or a flash of genius would be seen immediately.
Xia Qi trapped the ball on his chest, and before it fell he knocked it back to Arteta, giving him a gesture.
Here it comes,
that's the taste!
Arteta obeyed and laid the ball off to Aaron Ramsey.
Aaron Ramsey drove forward; Arsenal counterattacked quickly.
David Silva stepped up to defend Ramsey and at the same time urged his teammates back like a tide.
"Reaper, here!"
The same formula.
Aaron Ramsey saw Xia Qi beckoning to him from the center circle.
He immediately passed the ball.
This time, Manchester City players and fans all understood.
Xia Qi was taking over Arsenal; the coach had been right.
Tactical master Wenger had another trick up his sleeve!
The last victim had been the Reds of Liverpool,
this time…
Players and fans instantly tensed up…
On the pitch,
Arteta and Diaby — oh! a cry of alarm — they saw Aaron Ramsey's pass was too short.
Xia Qi could only turn to collect the ball; that stopped Arsenal's quick counter.
Scott Sinclair saw the ball come closer; after a moment of surprise he slid in.
But Xia Qi was faster!
He darted behind the ball and pulled it back toward his body.
He narrowly avoided Sinclair's tackle.
Having pulled the ball back, Xia Qi immediately performed a Marseille turn.
Ramsey's pass had been short, but Xia Qi recovered the ball and minimized the cost of that error.
That was already the best possible outcome.
Everyone at Arsenal was satisfied.
Pushed forward, Lukas Podolski had no complaint and retreated from City's penalty area to await Xia Qi's reshuffle.
"When did this kid gain so much authority in the team?"
"Talented and hardworking people, even if they have rough edges, will be popular. He's the most easy-going player I've coached. If he doesn't succeed, God is unfair."
On the pitch,
after the Marseille turn Xia Qi passed to Santi Cazorla, who made a one-two and brought the ball back.
Without taking a touch, he passed to Podolski.
Pat Rice frowned and asked: "Isn't that too impatient?"
Wenger replied: "He thinks City may have retreated but after a long sprint their formation is unstable. He wants Podolski to help him find the opening."
"This is the thinking of a chess player looking for an answer."
"Small but clever, treating teammates like pieces on a board."
To many, Xia Qi's pass looked like he was acting in haste.
David Silva and Touré looked at him with slightly diminished respect.
Podolski didn't have time to think and rushed forward to receive the ball.
Xia Qi didn't immediately make supporting runs; like the later "strolling Messi" at the Qatar World Cup ten years on, he leisurely wandered through the middle.
Touré shifted his step quickly and positioned himself to block Podolski's path.
Podolski didn't slow; with the outside of his right foot he nudged the ball out and Touré followed the ball.
Only then did Podolski slow and drag the ball back with his right foot.
But all of that had been in Touré's calculation.
When the ball returned, Touré struck like lightning and stuck his foot in.
Podolski was no longer the Cologne prince of old, but he still had fuel in the tank.
In a flash, he jabbed his foot too.
They exchanged tackles,
the ball bounced behind Touré,
which actually helped Podolski — he immediately accelerated to chase the ball while Touré had to turn and had lost ground.
Only then did Xia Qi hurry; the opportunity he'd been waiting for appeared.
Podolski dribbled into the box, City defenders came to close him down; as Podolski looked to keep pushing for another strike,
Xia Qi shouted, "Here."
Podolski chose to trust Xia Qi.
Xia Qi took the ball at the edge of the penalty area,
but Touré and Sinclair's double press closed in.
Just as everyone thought Arsenal's attack was over,
on the pitch,
Xia Qi gently tapped the ball left with his right foot, evaded Touré's stretching leg, then with his left foot brought the ball back.
Sinclair's press missed.
He touched the ball again with his right foot and pushed it forward behind Touré, then swept past.
Touré of course recognized the move — it's a basic oil-fried meatball (a common dribble).
Iniesta had even turned this into his own signature move.
But Xia Qi's version looked like art to Touré!
The calm long-distance touch and drag made the movement look flowing and unearthly.
Touré felt that a player with Xia Qi's technique should not be an Englishman — England wasn't worthy of him.
Seeing Xia Qi at the edge of the box, having beaten Touré with that move, Podolski, Diaby and Arteta immediately split into three points and sprinted toward City's goal.
City fans panicked and with strained voices warned their players: "Danger!"
They also booed Xia Qi loudly, hoping to throw him off.
Xia Qi chased the ball and didn't hesitate; it seemed he had already decided.
The ball didn't stop for a second; he rushed into the box.
The fans' booing seemed to have affected Xia Qi — with so many more dangerous options he chose to pass to the far corner of an empty goal?
"Pfft! Pfft pfft…"
The City fans had just sneered when they realized the clown had been themselves.
A shadow of a teammate flashed into the far corner and stretched a timely leg.
The ball hit the net!
Impossible,
absolutely impossible,
how could Xia Qi's vision be so wide?
This could only be the product of countless hours of practice and rehearsed combination.
He was only following the tactical instruction to pass…
(END CHAPTER)
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