Chapter 70: The Only Things You Can't Eradicate — Apart from Love and Arsenal — Are Xia Qi
In the stands, a young couple whispered to each other:
"Fighting makes you grow. I like Xia Qi now."
"I liked his cool look after scoring before, and I like him warm like this now, too."
"You're a blind fan. The old Xia Qi was too aloof."
"What does it matter? I like that he steps up when Arsenal are in trouble. I like that he leads Arsenal to victory after victory.
Whether he's a kingly coolness or warm like this, what difference? For me, in this world the only things you can't eradicate — besides love and Arsenal — are Xia Qi…"
Play resumed.
Tottenham still focused attacks down the Bale channel, but with the little tiger Theo Walcott tightly on him, Gareth Bale on Arsenal's right could no longer get free.
In the first half, Arsenal couldn't contain Bale because Mikel Arteta is much slower than Bale, and the pressure fell heavily on Santi Cazorla alone; if Cazorla couldn't hold, Arsenal would be in grave danger.
Walcott's speed is only a little less than Bale's; with Xia Qi helping ahead and Cazorla covering behind, Walcott had support on both sides. I wouldn't say Arsenal's right became impregnable, but at least Bale could no longer shred it the way he did in the first half.
Football is a contest — sometimes the east wind presses down the west wind, sometimes the west wind presses down the east wind.
If Tottenham's attack can't get going, then Arsenal's offense becomes more dynamic.
Especially Xia Qi's performance at the half-nine role was eye-catching.
Although Xia Qi had also shown his organizing and attacking talent against Manchester City and Chelsea, tonight it was even more obvious.
Under Xia Qi's organization, Arsenal played slow-to-fast, very targeted.
Bale and Lennon were suppressed; Tottenham's two wings couldn't fly together.
André Villas-Boas paced irritably at the touchline. He understood why, but as a half-empty bucket he couldn't find a solution.
He looked at Arsène Wenger with mixed feelings and thought, "A tactical master!"
Zhang Lu shared the same admiration:
"Wenger's change-up is magical — such a simple adjustment and Tottenham's wings have been broken."
A wingless Tottenham wasn't completely without counterplay.
In the 72nd minute, Gareth Bale made a blind run into the edge of Arsenal's box and collected a pass from Scott Parker.
He hadn't even had time to accelerate—
when he was surrounded by Theo Walcott, Mikel Arteta, and Santi Cazorla.
Bale looked at the arms and legs of the three and then at his own.
Okay, civilized people don't play barbarian games.
The ball returned to Parker, who didn't control it but sent it back out.
Of course not to Bale, but to the area behind him.
From the sight:
A white flash appeared there.
"Bale was boxed in, couldn't cut inside; Parker passed it out."
"Parker plays again — nice! He's found Emmanuel Adebayor making the front run into the center."
Per Mertesacker charged at Adebayor but was knocked aside by the accelerated "little monster"; behind him Vito Mannone was exposed to Adebayor's reach.
Spurs fans erupted in cheers.
Arsenal fans cried out in alarm!
Wenger buried his face in his palms, the corner of his mouth bitter. If Adebayor had played like this back then, who would have sold him? What resentments would not have formed?
Villas-Boas raised his fist toward the sky, waiting for the moment Adebayor would strike.
But as Adebayor prepared his lunge and shot, he suddenly felt the ground vanish under his feet and was upended.
"Ah!"
"Lovely defending!"
"It's Xia Qi!"
"Xia Qi's transition is rapid, his cover timely — a good B2B midfield prospect."
Tottenham fans were stunned; everyone looked up at the LED screen, trying to see when Xia Qi had returned.
Arsenal fans, of course, didn't pass up the chance to needle Adebayor.
"No good for more than three seconds!"
"With an ice-cream prince around, who'd want the little monster!"
"The little monster is small; compared to the real devil he's lacking."
"Short means weak!"
Adebayor, furious, pounded the turf and scrambled to his feet shouting at the referee: "He fouled! He fouled! Didn't you see it?"
The referee pointed to his eyes and made a gesture that Xia Qi had gotten the ball first.
Applause thundered through the Emirates Stadium…
Tottenham took the throw-in.
Lennon received with his foot, preparing to tee up Adebayor, but the pass was too obvious and Per Mertesacker intercepted with a sliding tackle, sending the ball to Cazorla.
Cazorla pushed it forward and Xia Qi took the ball to drive.
Adebayor tracked back quickly; Mousa Dembélé and Bale closed in to double-team.
Bale blocked the path;
Dembélé stretched a leg to interfere,
and Adebayor barreled into Xia Qi from behind, hard.
"Ah!"
"Careful!"
Amid the Arsenal fans' cries,
Xia Qi pulled the ball back with his left foot; it rolled between his legs to the rear, the outside of his left foot tapped it gently forward behind him, and the ball arrived at his right foot.
"A V-shaped drag!"
Dembélé's outstretched leg missed!
"Nice V-shaped drag."
Because the ball moved from left foot to right, Xia Qi gained space to shift; his right foot then pushed to the right and he drifted away with composure.
Xia Qi's escape left Bale in a terrible spot.
Adebayor, charging in full force, couldn't stop and collided with Bale, sending Bale skidding off.
Seeing Bale fly out, online fans joked up a line for him: "I'll be back." From then on Bale picked up another nickname.
"Triple tight!"
"Xia Qi's going to pass."
"V-shaped drag! That dribble — elegant, like a stroll above the mundane."
"After Xia Qi's dribble, Arsenal's central and wide attackers — Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott — sprint forward. Let's watch this Arsenal attack."
"Xia Qi passes."
The ball went to Walcott.
The little tiger charged forward, and Tottenham retreated entirely.
At the same time Xia Qi sprinted into Tottenham's penalty area.
Arsenal's counter was rapid. Podolski had just penetrated the box when Walcott's angled cross came in.
"Beautiful counter combination."
"Podolski judged the second ball perfectly."
"Tottenham defend well too; Jan Vertonghen and Michael Dawson are solid at aerial defense — pinching! Closing!"
Jan Vertonghen, the Belgian top-class center back, is complete technically and excellent at defending headers.
Michael Dawson, 1.91 m tall, is also good in the air.
For Podolski to head against those two was really tough.
In the air, Podolski half-turned and with a backheel-like flick sent the ball behind.
All eyes followed the flight to the second drop point.
Two flashes sprinted toward the ball — one white and one red: Scott Parker and Xia Qi.
Running, Parker collided with Xia Qi; Xia Qi seemed unfazed and continued, while Parker stumbled.
Tottenham fans covered their mouths in surprise, looking at Xia Qi: "A human monster?"
Xia Qi stopped the ball in front of him with his foot, pushed forward, dribbled and stopped in one smooth motion — flowing like clouds and water.
"Vertonghen and Dawson can't get back into position!"
"Breakthrough!"
"Xia Qi has broken through to form a one-on-one with only 12 meters to goal!"
"Hugo Lloris comes off his line!"
"This is a perfect timing for a keeper's rush."
"Xia Qi should shoot — oh no, he didn't! Lloris is close, all shooting angles are cut off."
Both sets of fans tensed, holding their breath as the two men faced off.
Lloris, uneasy, abandoned the line and came out; in the first eight meters he had been worrying that Xia Qi might shoot, because Xia Qi could do it — chip or low drive, whatever he wanted.
Those eight meters took just over a second but felt like a century.
At the crucial close moment, professional instinct told Lloris that danger was imminent; his pupils narrowed and his goalkeeper's reflexes made him drop his body to block low ground shots in all directions.
But Xia Qi didn't shoot.
That's the real danger!
Xia Qi slowed, lowered his right shoulder, shifted his weight left and stepped left.
Is that for a right-footed shot?
Lloris had to decide left or right!
However,
only schoolkids make choices!
He chose both.
If it's so close, Xia Qi can't chip either way; why not get both fish and bear paw?
His legs slid left while his body moved right and he threw himself, stretching his arms.
A sideways-swooping save!
Xia Qi stepped left, twisted his body and lifted his right leg to push the ball sideways to the left.
Holy shit!
He faces the one-on-one and doesn't shoot!
Walcott doesn't shoot? Cough! Xia doesn't shoot!
Truly deserving of the top of the scorers list!
Magnanimous!
The ball rolled into the left side of the box; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cut in past Walcott and met the ball, pushing it behind Lloris into the empty net.
"Lovely!"
"Goal!"
"Xia Qi stayed calm, looked around, and chose the best finishing option."
"This Arsenal counter displayed team cooperation, as brilliant as Xia Qi's earlier individual moments."
4:2!
Arsenal widened the margin and locked the win more firmly.
Villas-Boas punched the air and shouted at Walcott, "Concentrate! Who were you marking?"
After Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal he spread his arms and ran to the corner flag, signaling to Xia Qi and teammates to follow.
The Emirates shook with cheers at the moment of the goal.
This goal would very likely extend Tottenham's losing record at the Emirates.
How could Arsenal fans not be ecstatic?!
Near the corner flag a boy of about ten climbed over the advertising board; security rushed to grab him but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stopped them.
It turned out the boy was Oxlade-Chamberlain's little brother; they had agreed if Alex scored they'd take a photo together at the corner flag.
Little Alex held up his phone; Oxlade-Chamberlain half-crouched and leaned his head against his brother's shoulder to take a selfie.
When Xia Qi and others arrived, the kid asked for a group photo.
But he was too short, so Xia Qi took the phone, held it high, everyone lined up behind him, popped their heads out and took a family portrait.
"Xia Ge, after the match — can I have your shirt?"
"Sure, and I'll give you the match ball too."
"Ah! Thank you! Thank you so much! Please write: 'To the handsome, dashing, smart and charismatic little prince — George Oxlade-Chamberlain.'"
So it wasn't just Oxlade-Chamberlain who was narcissistic — the whole family was!
(END CHAPTER)
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