Chapter 72: Who Is De Bruyne?
Seeing Xia Qi with the swagger of Eric Cantona,
Tottenham fans went numb.
Hadn't they already given Xia Qi enough greetings and jeers?
But what did that matter?
Four goals, four critical blows — beyond that, Xia Qi had thoroughly dominated in physical duels.
Faced with this monster who only grew stronger as the jeers rose, Tottenham fans were at a loss.
Xia Qi returned from his celebration and the match continued.
But Tottenham's "chicken-blood" intensity had drained away and they no longer posed a threat to Arsenal.
When the referee blew the final whistle, players from both Arsenal and Tottenham simply collapsed to the turf.
Xia Qi, gritting his teeth against the pain, asked the referee for the match ball — something he had promised Zhang Xiaodi — though the autograph would have to wait until the locker room. For now, he just wanted to lie on the grass and look at the blue sky and white clouds.
What?
You can't see the blue sky and white clouds tonight?
Look with your heart, not your eyes…
Wenger stood in the interview corner, camera flashes going crazy, but he declined to be interviewed. Instead it was the loser — André Villas‑Boas — who rambled on to excuse the defeat.
…
After 12 rounds of the Premier League, two shocks had occurred: Norwich beat Manchester United 1–0 at home, and West Bromwich Albion beat Chelsea 2–1.
For Arsenal, the only blemish was that rival Manchester City thrashed Aston Villa 5–0.
Premier League table after 12 rounds:
Arsenal 8 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss — 27 points,
Manchester City 8 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss — 27 points,
Manchester United 8 wins, 0 draws, 4 losses — 24 points,
Chelsea 6 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses — 21 points.
Arsenal continued to lead the league on goal difference. After 12 rounds, Manchester United had become the strangest team — they either win or lose, there were no draws.
The media tactfully criticized Ferguson for a "better to shatter than to survive" tactical approach. For example this round, if he had been less extreme, a 0–0 draw was entirely possible.
Isn't one point better than none?
Ferguson, however, wouldn't accept the criticism.
He said coolly, "You don't understand Manchester United."
Wenger, holding the league table ranking, was already calculating how to persuade the board at the meeting the day after tomorrow.
Winter transfer window — ah, the winter break!
Wenger, who had been a coach for so many years, had never taken so deep an interest in the January window.
The Premier League winter break starts at the end of December and ends in late January — only four short weeks.
Wenger had to pick targets in November, settle details, and enter contract negotiations by the end of December, otherwise time would run out.
Of course, before that he had to convince the board. Wenger prepared two plans: one with budget, one without.
…
Arsenal's 5–3 win over Tottenham sent shockwaves through European football — more accurately, Arsenal's results against the Big Six shook Europe.
Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham — all had fallen to Arsenal.
An eight-year cycle had completed;
the invincible Arsenal had returned!
That was the consensus among football people.
Bookmakers shortened Arsenal's odds for winning the title by another two percentage points.
British media began to probe why Arsenal had risen.
Former Arsenal great and now TV pundit Paul Dickov said on his network talk show: "Before the season my heart was dark, angry, even despairing.
Because my beloved Arsenal sold their third captain — I couldn't understand that move. I still can't forgive the man who moved for the title.
Then that dark-haired youngster came. Although he had 9,320 highlight moments, at the time I wondered — if he were really so good, why did Manchester City let him go?
The professor must have treated us like children, saw us crying, and bought us a lollipop.
I remember telling my boss I'd never comment on Arsenal games again.
Yes, I broke that promise — I need to eat and raise kids."
The studio audience laughed.
"What happened next everyone knows — that lollipop led us forward… honestly, I never imagined it would be so sweet…
It's undeniable: that dark-haired boy I once underestimated shouldered us forward; he is our ice-cream prince."
Dickov pointed the mic to the audience and they shouted together: "Xia… Qi."
When Sir Alex Ferguson was interviewed by the media he was blunt: "Next door lives a bunch of fools who handed their ten-year future to a title rival…"
"Sir Alex, you once said if you could turn back time you'd still choose Van Persie. Do you still hold that view?"
"Did I say that? Fine, I'm a fool too — maybe influenced by the neighbours. Of course I'd take Van Persie and Xia Qi together."
"If you had to choose one, who would you pick?"
"Of course Van Persie — because he's mine. Ha…"
Ferguson laughed at his own answer…
Reporters joked: a roasted duck, still so stubborn.
The next day, the all-powerful The Sun reported Manchester City were willing to send Mario Balotelli to Arsenal after the winter window opened.
Ferguson, on hearing this, cursed Mancini as stupid and accused him of aiding the enemy.
After the match, Xia Qi filtered out all reports and trained seriously.
The biggest takeaway from the Tottenham game wasn't the system's attribute rewards but the gap he felt between his autonomous play and the "one‑click AFK" mode.
He wanted to train the skills quickly — if the system ever left, he still wanted to surge forward on his own.
…
On 18 November 2012 the Champions League group stage began. Arsenal visited Olympiacos; Xia Qi played as the attacking midfielder and scored one and assisted two, helping Arsenal take three points away while keeping Schalke 04's qualification hopes alive.
After that match, Arsenal had won all four group matches and secured qualification early with 12 points.
Back in London, after a day's rest, Arsenal played away at Aston Villa. Xia Qi sat on the bench as Jack Wilshere and the lads saw out a 2–0 win.
In the Premier League's 13th round, Chelsea and Manchester City played a 0–0 draw, and Arsenal began to truly lead the table.
Top of the league and top of their Champions League group, the club's appetite for wins was inflamed; they swung their scythe and began a harvest spree.
On 21 November Arsenal fielded a half-strength side in the Champions League and beat Montpellier 2–0 away.
On 28 November, in their second consecutive away league match, Xia Qi produced another hat-trick, leading the team to a 5–0 demolition of Everton.
By the end of November, Arsenal still topped the table, ten points clear of fourth-place Chelsea. But they hadn't shaken off the tracking pair from Manchester.
Premier League table after 14 rounds:
Arsenal 10 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss — 33 points,
Manchester City 9 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss — 31 points,
Manchester United 10 wins, 0 draws, 4 losses — 30 points,
Chelsea 6 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses — 23 points.
Xia Qi had scored 30 goals in 14 rounds this season; nobody doubted he might break the single-season Premier League record of 34 goals set by Andy Cole (1993–94) and Alan Shearer (1994–95.
People were instead guessing in which round Xia Qi would break that record.
Xia Qi and Wenger were respectively named Player and Manager of the Month for November.
Arsenal and Xia Qi's fame soared, enhancing the club's reputation and appeal in the winter market.
On the last day of November the board agreed to Wenger's request, allocating an additional £80 million for transfers.
Not a huge sum, but it widened Wenger's options in the market.
In December Arsenal kept up the harvest.
On the 1st, Xia Qi scored a brace at the Emirates in a 2–0 win over Swansea.
On the 8th, Xia Qi had a goal and an assist in a 2–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.
On the 12th Wenger fielded a reserve side in the League Cup and deliberately exited to concentrate on the league and Champions League.
On the 15th, Xia Qi scored two and assisted two in a 4–1 away win at Reading, and in doing so pushed his seasonal tally to 35 goals in 17 matches, breaking the Premier League single‑season scoring record.
The media dubbed him: the goal beast.
On the same day, Manchester City's stadium entrance was smeared with excrement by angry fans.
On that same day Arsenal fans chanted: "We are invincible — winter champions!"
On the 18th Arsenal played the final Champions League group game. Arsenal fielded a full reserve side and lost 0–1 to Schalke 04; Schalke's victory ensured both teams advanced together.
Thus the Champions League group stage concluded; the qualifiers were:
Paris Saint‑Germain, Porto,
Arsenal, Schalke 04,
Málaga, AC Milan,
Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid,
Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk,
Valencia, Bayern,
Barcelona, Celtic,
Manchester United, Galatasaray.
Round of 16 pairings pit group winners against other group runners‑up.
The draw could be cruel — runners‑up Bayern and Milan were the two first‑place teams any group winner least wanted.
One week later at the Round of 16 draw, Arsenal's luck was perverse — they were drawn against Bayern Munich.
Arsenal would travel on 13 February 2013 to face the Bavarian giants.
Back to the Premier League.
On 22 December 2012, Xia Qi rested; Arsenal lost 0–1 away to Wigan Athletic, the biggest upset of Round 18.
Arsenal fans were embarrassed!
The players were embarrassed!
On 26 December, the day after Christmas, Xia Qi rested again — this time the team didn't falter and beat West Ham 5–1 at home.
On 29 December Arsenal hosted Newcastle and Xia Qi produced another hat-trick, steering a 7–3 thrashing.
After that round Arsenal were awarded mid-season champions.
Xia Qi had 38 goals in 19 matches, leading the scoring charts — at the same time Messi had 36 in La Liga and Cristiano Ronaldo 35.
Europe's Golden Boot race between the three of them intensified.
…
On New Year's Day Mario Balotelli arrived; the club rented him a suite at a hotel.
Xia Qi wanted to stay at the hotel too, but Wenger refused on the basis that he was underage. The real reason was that Wenger worried Balotelli might be a bad influence.
Still, Xia Qi often used the hotel gym.
Xia Qi's training bar filled faster as a result and was nearly maxed out.
The first match of 2013 began on 3 January — Xia Qi scored a brace and led his team to a win at Southampton.
He pushed his single-season tally to 40 goals.
Premier League table after 21 rounds:
Arsenal 16 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses — 51 points,
Manchester United 16 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses — 49 points,
Manchester City 13 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses — 44 points,
Chelsea 10 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses — 35 points.
Chelsea had effectively dropped out of the title race; rumor had it José Mourinho might return.
Arsenal's 22nd round opponent was Manchester City, Xia Qi's former club and Arsenal's main rival for the title this season.
Arsenal could not be complacent; Xia Qi and his teammates trained hard.
On that day an uninvited guest appeared at the training ground.
He stood at a distance, watching Xia Qi and Mario Balotelli practice free kicks.
Because Balotelli was unreliable, Xia Qi didn't use one‑click AFK — he feared being toyed with by both the AI and Balotelli.
Tiredness made one of Xia Qi's free kicks ridiculous — the ball flew off the pitch and landed in front of that man. He took it without first touch and with a single strike sent the ball back to Xia Qi.
Deadly touch!
A master!
Seventh-floor kind of master.
Who is he?
"Hi, hello, I'm Kevin, Kevin De Bruyne."
Who is De Bruyne?
Xia Qi and Mario Balotelli looked at each other in surprise!
Kevin De Bruyne was 22 years old. His ownership belonged to Chelsea, and in the summer of 2012 he had been loaned to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen.
He had performed very well in the Bundesliga and attracted Wenger's attention, who invited him to join in the winter window.
De Bruyne had only played one friendly for Chelsea and hadn't appeared in the Premier League; the Bundesliga didn't have huge visibility in England.
Although De Bruyne had raised his value at Bremen, he wasn't yet as illustrious as he would later become at Wolfsburg — where he would win Europe's assist crown and German Footballer of the Year.
At this point he was only modestly known — far less famous than Xia Qi and Balotelli.
So it was understandable that Xia Qi and Balotelli, not following the Bundesliga closely, didn't know him.
Yet with that one long pass, both realized the squad had acquired a powerful addition.
They warmly greeted him.
"Hi, Kevin, I'm Xia Qi — hehehe, not important."
"Xia, you can't say that. I'm Mario, I play striker. You?"
"I play behind the striker or…."
Hearing that he was a midfield brain, the two were more polite.
"That yellow‑skinned guy plays in positioning conflict with you — I'm actually with you."
Hey, who says Mario Balotelli isn't smart? He's put that to good use!
"No, no, I'm just looking — I mean, I haven't…."
De Bruyne always wanted to come back to the Premier League; whether to Chelsea or Arsenal was not crucial to him.
Xia Qi's off-field social energy flared again. Seeing De Bruyne hesitate about signing, he introduced him to teammates and took him on a tour of Colney training ground.
De Bruyne asked quietly: "May I ask — people say you're socially anxious…"
"Hey, that's on match days. Off the pitch I'm quite lively."
"If possible, could you teach me sometime? I'm the opposite — confident on the pitch, shy off it…"
"No problem!"
"From now on, the three of us are sworn brothers like Liu, Guan and Zhang from Peach Garden…"
"What?"
"That's a very long, melancholic and passionate story…"
(END CHAPTER)
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