Chapter 73: Why You Only Appreciate an Ex After You've Lost Them
Before the match, Manchester City asked Arsenal for half of the away allocation.
Arsène Wenger agreed — that's the biggest difference between Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Manchester City had 44 league points, seven behind Arsenal; losing this game would pretty much end their hopes.
City had failed to advance from their Champions League group, so defending the Premier League title had become the only thing on their fans' minds.
This match was so crucial that more than thirty thousand City supporters travelled with the team.
Arsenal were only two points ahead of Manchester United, so this fixture could not be taken lightly either.
Outside the Emirates Stadium the City arrivals were met with courteousness rather than hostility from Arsenal fans — no curses, no middle fingers.
They thanked City for their "friendly sponsorship" that sold them Xia Qi and Mario Balotelli.
But that friendly atmosphere evaporated when everyone got inside the Emirates.
Arsenal supporters booed the "sponsors" warming up with the loudest decibels they could muster.
City fans wouldn't be outdone; the two sets of supporters had a scuffle while the players warmed up.
The Emirates became buzzing.
Sitting in the Arsenal stands that night were several familiar yet strange faces.
They were Mario Balotelli, Kevin De Bruyne, Serge Aurier, Samuel Umtiti, and Luke Shaw.
Luke Shaw was only 17 this year, a year younger than Xia Qi, signed from Southampton for £15.8 million.
That explains why Arsenal fans had been so friendly to City outside the stadium.
Left-back Luke Shaw: £15.8m (Southampton)
Center-back Samuel Umtiti: £28.8m (Lyon)
Right-back Serge Aurier: £14.4m (Toulouse)
Attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne: €20m (Chelsea)
Forward Mario Balotelli: €20m (Manchester City)
The board had given eighty million, which seemed like a lot, but it was spent quickly.
Wenger sold a few players to make room: Andrei Arshavin, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Denilson, Łukasz Fabiański, Gervinho, and Marouane Chamakh.
Oxlade-Chamberlain had left by his own choice; he felt his development would be better elsewhere and went to Liverpool.
Those four transfers had been signed and were awaiting FA confirmation, so they could only watch this match from the sidelines.
…
Although both teams needed to win, the atmosphere was friendly as the players lined up to walk out.
Xia Qi joked with former teammates and arranged to meet Joe Hart and Mario Balotelli after the match.
Penguin Sports broadcast:
"Good evening, viewers, welcome to Penguin Sports. I'm your old friend Zhang Lu, and I'm Zhan Jun.
"Tonight is a Premier League Round 22 fixture: Arsenal hosting Manchester City for the 2012–2013 season.
"Arsenal are the hottest team in the Premier League right now, topping the Mancunian clubs, and they've already qualified from their Champions League group stage.
"Manchester City are last season's champions. After exiting the Champions League, they can focus on the league — that's their advantage.
"But before the title run-in they must get past Arsenal, otherwise the gap will grow and hopes will fade.
"Okay, the match is about to start. Zhang, please rundown the starting lineups for our fans."
"Right.
"The away side's setup tonight isn't much different from their previous meetings. Goalkeeper: Joe Hart. Center-back pairing: Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany — Kompany has been called the best center-back this season by the British media.
"Left-back is Gaël Clichy, right-back Pablo Zabaleta.
"City's backline is the strongest in the Premier League; they've conceded the fewest goals.
"The reason for City's Champions League exit and their current league deficit isn't their defense but a lack of firepower up front.
"Letting Xia Qi go was their biggest mistake.
"Currently Xia Qi has 38 Premier League goals — crushing Messi and Ronaldo in the first half — while Edin Džeko has 8, Sergio Agüero 12, Carlos Tévez 7, Mario Balotelli 7.
"Xia Qi alone equals their entire forward line.
"Mancini has been searching all season for a striker to score 20 goals, not realizing the best one had already been in his squad.
"That will become a stain on his managerial career.
"City's midfield: Gareth Barry and Javi García as the double pivot. David Silva on the left of midfield, James Milner on the right.
"Milner is versatile — he can play almost any position except goalkeeper.
"Forwards: Džeko and Tévez. Agüero, Yaya Touré and Maicon are out injured.
"Arsenal are set up in a 4–4–2 tonight. Goalkeeper: Vito Mannone. Center-back pairing: Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker.
"With Umtiti signed, Vermaelen may find himself on the bench in future.
"Kieran Gibbs at left-back — his natural position — and Carl Jenkinson at right-back.
"Those two winter signings mean Luke Shaw won't immediately displace Gibbs in the starting XI.
"Jenkinson will need to fight with Aurier for a starting spot.
"Midfield remains Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta as the double pivot — that has become an Arsenal staple. Wenger should have strengthened the defensive midfield more; thin in the middle is punished in the Champions League.
"Wide midfielders: Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott. The two strikers: Xia Qi and Lukas Podolski.
"Okay, fans, the players are at the center circle ready to kick off."
Beep!
"The match begins. Manchester City in blue attack from the left to the right of your screen; Arsenal in red and white attack from right to left…"
…
On the pitch:
"Ding dong."
"Please choose 'Training' or 'Match' mode."
"Match."
"Please choose your position on the field: A Forward, B…"
"A."
"System detects the host team is currently in a dilemma; matching host with the [Wings of Freedom] attribute."
"Flying is not your limit; cutting inside is the king's way — a combination of dribbling, speed and agility. The host owns his own corridor on the pitch."
"Please select 'Manual Mode' or 'One-Click AFK Mode'."
"Friendly reminder: in AFK mode, the system will automatically perform all required actions."
"One-Click AFK!"
"Relax and AFK; the system will automatically complete everything, freeing your feet and bringing the host an easy and joyful match experience! Match experience begins."
Beep!
City kick off cautiously.
Mainly they're concentrating on Xia Qi.
Xia Qi's "infamous" 38 goals put him ahead of Messi and Ronaldo for the European half-season golden boot, making him City's defensive priority.
After a few passes the ball reached Carlos Tévez.
Tévez — the man who made Balotelli leave — earned a cheer from the travelling City fans.
Tonight Tévez and Xia Qi both play as right wingers, but they don't line up opposite each other.
Balotelli in the stands sighed softly; he still felt some resentment about leaving Manchester City.
Kevin De Bruyne nudged him with his shoulder, the two shared a smile — fellow travellers who had left to prove their old club wrong.
Tévez burst down the flank and crossed into the middle; Džeko controlled and turned to fire a right-footed shot.
Maybe provoked by the "catfish" (an agitator), veteran Vermaelen overperformed, rushed forward to block the shot and cleared the ball out of the box.
Cazorla lofted a long pass — the ball flew more than sixty meters and dropped in front of Xia Qi.
Arsenal fans roared.
"The Premier League is really watchable — transitions happen at lightning speed…"
City players got back quickly, but Xia Qi was faster; in a few strides he was only separated from the keeper by Gaël Clichy.
Xia Qi dribbled toward Clichy.
Many hadn't noticed that Xia Qi had something different tonight, but the ever-watchful Wenger did.
"Why has Xia's dribbling changed?" Pat Rice inspected and saw it too — indeed, it was different.
He used to stride big, like Kaká or Gareth Bale…
Tonight it was small intricate steps, like Lionel Messi or Ricardo Quaresma…
Dribbling is like handwriting; only a rare handful of players can write in two distinct styles.
It's not that Kaká couldn't do tiny touches, it's that his flowing motion is the big-stride style.
Like handwriting — a few words might resemble someone else, but long passages reveal unique style.
Tonight Xia Qi's entire style had changed.
Fans only felt he was fast, but two veteran coaches scowled and walked to the sideline worried.
They weren't worried about the immediate attack but feared that changing style abruptly could cause the muscles to misfire and lead to injury.
Pat Rice looked innocent — he hadn't noticed Xia Qi's change before tonight. But who overnight changes style? He'd have to take the blame.
As Xia Qi closed on Clichy his left foot moved toward the ball but missed, falling in front of it.
His right foot followed the same motion.
A step-over!
The Emirates buzzed a little more.
"Xia Qi's pulling out tricks and the fans love it."
The crowd cheered, but Wenger and Pat Rice's brows remained furrowed.
Wenger was sure his old counterpart didn't know Xia Qi had changed his style; otherwise with Mancini's temperament he'd have told someone to hack Xia Qi's legs off long ago.
It isn't only Sir Alex who hates showboating — coaches and fans differ.
On the field, after a few step-overs Xia Qi's moves annoyed Clichy — he'd calculated Xia Qi's rhythm and closed in.
Xia Qi's right foot immediately popped back, using the heel to flick the ball to his left side.
His left foot planted and drove him left; playing from the right wing, Xia Qi's left was the infield side.
Clichy thought: of course he'll cut inside!
He wasn't stupid; Xia Qi doing so many tricks surely wasn't going to run to the byline and cross!
So his close approach was actually a trap to force Xia Qi to reveal his move early.
Arsenal fans cheered as Xia Qi cut inside, but the next second the cheer turned to boos.
Clichy had recovered and positioned himself in front to stop Xia Qi.
Xia Qi failed to beat him!
And after the tussle City's defenders were all back.
That's why coaches dislike showboating.
Roberto Mancini looked at Wenger with an alienated gaze — he couldn't understand how Wenger, a man famed for nurturing youth, would lead Xia Qi down this "wrong" path.
Wenger read Mancini's look and flushed — even the professor's ego had limits.
Xia Qi didn't know Wenger was being mocked because of him.
He continued to cut inside.
This time Clichy wouldn't let him — another cut inside would be dereliction of duty for Clichy.
He stepped in and tried to poke the ball away; he had noted Xia Qi's rhythm and felt confident.
But Xia Qi switched frequency in an instant, speeding up: with his right foot he pulled the ball and it vanished from in front of Clichy's studs.
Clichy was stunned — the lad had set a trap for him too!
Losing his balance, he couldn't stop Xia Qi's second cut; he could only shout behind him, "Watch out!"
The crowd gasped and Vincent Kompany scrambled forward to cover.
Yet facing Kompany, Xia Qi lifted his right foot and shot.
At the moment Kompany moved to cover, Xia Qi used the outside of his right foot to curl the ball.
The underside of the ball was struck with spin, it rose with a strange trajectory, arced around Kompany and headed for the far post of Joe Hart's goal.
Kompany leapt in a desperate dive and couldn't touch it; he turned to watch the ball…
Joe Hart never relaxed against Xia Qi — he kept moving along his line according to Xia Qi's position.
After beating Clichy, Xia Qi shot quickly, exactly as Hart expected — City's defenders were back, and Xia Qi took the chance in the split second before they were fully organized.
Hart didn't expect Xia Qi's shot to be a "Quaresma arc" — and into the corner.
Hart sprinted and launched himself like an eagle, stretching every limb and finger as far as possible.
But it wasn't enough!
It was the corner — the dead spot.
He watched helplessly as the ball brushed past his fingertips.
Hart must have cursed inwardly: Xia Qi, you bastard! Why didn't you score on the first shot? I'm done for — tonight I'll call two, no three girls!
"Xia Qi shoots directly!"
"Goal!"
"Xia's arc — the blade draws blood!"
"Goal! It's in the corner, wonderful — Hart's save was great, but this was an unsavable shot; even Buffon couldn't have stopped it."
"Xia Qi's sole was on fire — his first shot of the match is a goal. Is tonight City's day of suffering?"
Arsenal fans didn't expect a shot — they'd assumed the defense would be organized when the defenders returned.
And this was Arsenal's first shot of the match.
Yet Xia Qi, who had dallied with tricks, turned the impossible into reality with an unbelievable goal.
A rare "Quaresma arc" on the pitch!
When the ball hit the net they all leapt wildly, then saw Xia Qi wave to teammates to stop them celebrating.
How could they let the goalscorer be lonely?
They waved club flags and scarves and shouted:
"Xia Qi!"
"Xia Qi!"
"Xia Qi!"
City fans watched Xia Qi's curving shot make the impossible possible and felt bitter. Seeing Xia Qi not celebrate eased the sting a little.
Why only after losing do you realize the goodness of your ex?
Why???
(END CHAPTER)
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