A sharp hiss rolled through the Etihad, followed by a wall of boos.
Manchester City supporters made their feelings clear. Arsenal were not welcome.
The noise poured down from the stands in waves.
The Arsenal players stayed calm. They had seen this before. Away grounds were always like this.
Hostility or fear, it made no difference.
An opponent was still an opponent.
Kai raised his voice.
"Do not hold back. You all know how to play. They have eleven. We have eleven. Play our football."
His tone was firm. Clear.
Heads lifted around him.
Kai was not a quiet captain. He was not soft either.
The players trusted him. If something happened, if a challenge crossed the line, Kai would be the first one there.
Because of that, they followed him without hesitation.
On the other side, Kompany shouted just as loudly.
"This is our ground. Let them feel it. This is the Etihad Stadium. This is not their place."
The smiles from before kickoff disappeared.
Once the whistle went, there would be no courtesy. Not in this league.
A weak captain could not survive nights like this.
Manchester City: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart.
Defenders: Clichy, Demichelis, Kompany(C), Zabaleta
Def. Midfielders: Fernandinho, Lampard
Att. Midfielders: Milner, David Silva, Jesus Navas.
Forward: Agüero.
Arsenal: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Navas.
Defenders: Sagna, Mustafi, Koscielny, Gibbs.
Def. Midfielders: Kai(C), Flamini
Att. Midfielders: Di María, Cazorla, Sanchez.
Forward: Suarez.
Manchester City kicked off.
Agüero tapped the ball back. The match was on.
From the Sky Sports booth, Martin Taylor opened calmly.
"Welcome to the Etihad. Fourth round of the Premier League. Manchester City at home against Arsenal. A match with real weight."
Alan Smith followed.
"City has beaten strong sides already. Arsenal want their first statement win of the season. This feels important."
Taylor continued.
"Both teams line up in a 4-2-3-1. Both managers want control through the midfield. That area will decide everything."
Smith agreed.
"Lampard. David Silva. Cazorla. Kai. That is serious quality. Whoever controls that space controls the match."
Almost on cue, City changed tempo.
Lampard took a touch and slid the ball to David Silva.
One touch. Straight through.
Agüero was in.
He drove toward the box but ran straight into Koscielny and Mustafi.
Bodies tangled.
Agüero still shot.
"Agüero shoots," Taylor called.
Navas dropped quickly, one knee down, arms tight. He smothered the ball and rolled onto it.
Smith exhaled.
"Clever idea from City, but Arsenal reacted well. Agüero was under pressure. Not enough power. Too central."
Before the crowd settled, Navas released the ball.
He threw it fast. Long.
Straight to Kai.
Kai cushioned it with his chest, turned in one motion, and struck a long pass without letting it drop.
Taylor's voice lifted.
"Arsenal break immediately."
The tempo spiked.
City attacked. Arsenal answered.
The ball flew wide right. Di María sprinted onto it and slid, meeting it before it hit the grass.
One touch. Back into the air.
Straight toward the box.
Suarez read it early. He shaped for a header, then stepped away.
Kompany bought the feint.
The ball dropped at the far post.
Sanchez arrived at full speed and hit it the first time.
The shot flashed towards the goal.
The stadium gasped.
"SANCHEZZ! Oh, that was close," Smith said. "Very close."
Martin Taylor reacted instantly, hands half raised in the booth.
"This game has started at a frightening pace," he said. "You can feel it already."
Alan Smith nodded. "Three minutes in and both sides are flying. No one wants to blink. This is what is expected of this calibre of a match."
Shots had come at both ends. The tempo was relentless.
Both teams wanted speed. Both wanted to pin the other back.
David Silva tried to accelerate the game with a quick probe through the middle.
Kai answered immediately. He pushed the tempo even higher.
If City wanted speed, Arsenal would match it.
No slowing down. No pause.
Arsenal committed to high pressing in the final third. City had no choice but to play faster.
City responded in kind.
"This game has turned into a gunslinging match," Smith said. "Absolutely relentless".
Midfield turned into a collision zone.
The moment one side hesitated, the other surged forward.
It felt like a sprint where no one dared to breathe.
Cazorla and David Silva crashed together.
Neither yielded ground.
Cazorla leaned in, driving forward. Silva braced, elbow tight against his chest.
They ran like that for several steps before Silva finally slipped the ball wide to Raúl Navas.
But Flamini was already charging.
"Careful," Lampard shouted.
Raúl Navas saw Flamini and tried to roll the ball back inside.
Cazorla appeared from nowhere.
He did not say a word. His eyes said enough.
Raúl Navas hesitated.
That moment was costly.
Flamini closed the gap. Raúl Navas shielded the ball, waiting for support.
It never came.
A heavy shoulder hit him. He lost his balance. The ball was gone.
Raúl Navas did not need to look.
It was Kai.
"Diablos," Raúl Navas muttered in frustration, chasing him down.
Kai stayed calm.
As Raúl Navas lunged, Kai pulled the ball back, shifted right, and released it cleanly to Di María.
Smith said. "Composure by the Arsenal skipper."
Di María took off down the flank.
Clichy tracked him all the way.
Near the byline, Di María slowed and shaped his body.
Clichy stayed patient. Eyes fixed on the ball.
Di María feinted. Right foot over the ball. Body leaned left.
Clichy did not bite.
He stepped in sharply and poked the ball away.
In one motion, he burst forward and sent a long pass upfield.
Perfect weight.
Agüero moved early, reading the drop. One clean touch could send him through.
The ball fell.
Agüero prepared to cushion it.
A figure rose beside him.
A firm header cut the ball away to Flamini.
Agüero swore under his breath.
Taylor identified it immediately. "Kai again. Reading danger before it forms."
Kai landed and raised his hands, pressing them down.
Calm. Slow it.
Arsenal listened.
The impatience faded. The shape returned.
. . .
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