Kai stepped up and dispatched the penalty with complete composure. Sanchez's foul had earned the opportunity, and Kai made sure it counted. Arsenal were ahead.
At the Westfalen Stadium, the Gunners had imposed themselves early. The intensity, the structure, and the control in midfield left Borussia Dortmund and Jurgen Klopp with real problems to solve.
On Sky Sports, Martin Taylor's voice carried a note of admiration.
"What a start from Arsenal. Calm from Kai, and thoroughly deserved."
Alan Smith followed. "They've dictated the tempo from the first whistle. Cazorla and Kai are in sync, and when those two are clicking, Arsenal are very difficult to contain."
A pocket of travelling supporters erupted high in the stands. Old Jack, cap pulled low over his brow, turned to his friend with a grin.
"I told you we had to come. Look at this. They're playing proper football tonight."
His companion threw both arms in the air. "We've scored!"
For Arsenal fans, this was not just another goal. It was in the Champions League, away from home, against a Bundesliga heavyweight in Borussia Dortmund. Performances like this had been rare in recent European campaigns until last season. And even with that, they savored every opportunity they got.
On the pitch, Kai was mobbed by his teammates. He made a point of high-fiving each of them. When he reached Sanchez, he pulled him into a firm embrace.
"Well done," he said quietly.
Sanchez had won the penalty. Kai's gesture did not go unnoticed.
As the celebrations faded, Arsenal jogged back into their own half.
. . .
Dortmund players passed them on the way to the centre circle, eyes burning with frustration.
"Wake up!" one of them shouted. "Let's get one back!"
"Don't let them run this game!"
The initial shock began to wear off. Hands clapped, voices rose, and the home side gathered themselves.
Kai glanced across at the Dortmund half. They were staring straight at Arsenal's goal. There was no hint of surrender.
Containing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would be crucial. He was still developing into the devastating striker he would later become, but the pace and instinct were already there.
The whistle sounded. Dortmund restarted and immediately surged forward, true to Klopp's philosophy. If they were behind, they attacked with even greater urgency.
Yet breaking through was another matter.
Kai and N'Golo Kanté sat in front of the defence, disciplined and alert. Together, they formed a barrier that Dortmund struggled to read.
After one failed attempt to slip past Kanté, Aubameyang swore under his breath and laid the ball off, staring at the Frenchman.
Dortmund's attackers were growing irritated. Ciro Immobile gestured for the ball repeatedly, but he did not drop deep to help. The midfielders hesitated. Any forced pass risked being swallowed up by Arsenal's double pivot.
Kai's reputation was already known. Dortmund had felt his presence in earlier duels. Kanté, on the other hand, had arrived without headlines. Yet he was disrupting everything.
At first, they assumed it was Kai directing the defensive structure. But even when Kai stepped forward to join the attack, Arsenal's shape held firm. Kanté covered ground tirelessly, reading danger before it developed.
"This is outstanding from the two holding midfielders," Alan Smith observed. "Dortmund can't find a lane through them."
While Dortmund searched for solutions, Arsenal went on a break.
Kanté appeared from behind an unsuspecting opponent and nicked the ball cleanly. With a simple touch, he fed Kai.
Kai lifted his head. Sanchez was drawing defenders to the left. The right side was open. Angel Di Maria was free.
The pass was immediate and precise. A long diagonal, weighted perfectly. Di Maria controlled it smoothly.
Martin Taylor's voice rose. "That is a fabulous switch of play."
Dortmund shuffled across quickly, so Di Maria chose not to force it. He slipped the ball inside to Cazorla, who turned neatly and returned it to Kai.
Kai stopped the ball under his boot and motioned forward with both hands. The signal was clear. Push up.
Cazorla advanced. Di Maria edged closer to the touchline. Kai carried the ball a few yards and played it back to Di Maria, pointing toward the penalty area.
Di Maria smiled to himself. Freedom.
He approached Schmelzer with a measured step, then knocked the ball past him and accelerated. Schmelzer tried to match him and tugged at his shirt, just enough to disrupt the rhythm before releasing.
Di Maria hesitated, half appealing, but play continued. With no immediate opening, he checked back and found Cazorla again.
The ball moved to Sanchez on the left, but that channel was closed. Cazorla recycled possession.
Kai received it once more, sidestepped Aubameyang's press with ease, and rolled away from him. The attack had lost momentum. Dortmund had retreated in numbers. There was no need to force it.
From the commentary position, a German broadcaster exhaled audibly. The control Kai exerted over the rhythm of the game was relentless.
Midfield contests rarely grab headlines in the way strikers do, yet here lies the heart of the match. From the outset, Kai had taken command, and Arsenal were steadily turning that control into sustained pressure.
Alan Smith summed it up calmly. "If Arsenal stay like this, composed and disciplined, they're very hard to stop. Once they get into their stride, they usually see it through."
The numbers supported that claim. When Arsenal moved ahead, they closed games out with ruthless efficiency. A lead often meant the contest was slipping beyond reach.
At Westfalen, Dortmund could feel that danger growing with every passing minute.
. . .
. .
.
"Dortmund's counter is building," Kai said quietly, scanning the pitch.
After Arsenal took the lead, Borussia Dortmund responded with increasing urgency. By the 35th minute, the tempo had clearly shifted. The running intensity rose, the transitions became quicker, and the game felt stretched.
On Sky Sports, Martin Taylor noted the change. "You can sense the energy from Dortmund now. The pace of the match has gone up a level."
Alan Smith agreed. "That's very much in keeping with Jurgen Klopp's sides. They train hard, they run relentlessly, and they try to overwhelm you physically."
Klopp had clearly prepared his team well. Dortmund's players were covering ground tirelessly. Arsenal were fit too, but not everyone could sustain the kind of output Kai or Ramsey produced. Dortmund's stamina was more evenly distributed across the team.
Years later, when Klopp would lift trophies with Liverpool, the joke about them being an athletics team would follow. It was never an insult. Modern football demands running power, and Dortmund were already ahead of the curve in that regard.
On the left flank, Cazorla found himself trapped under pressure. He wriggled free and released the ball quickly, but the pass lacked precision.
Kai reacted immediately, sprinting toward the touchline. Aubameyang was charging toward the same spot. They ran side by side. At the last moment, Kai shifted slightly and leaned into him.
The collision was firm. Aubameyang staggered before regaining his balance, only to see Kai calmly control the ball and feed Sanchez.
Aubameyang's expression tightened. He muttered under his breath. From his perspective, it felt unnecessary.
Just play, why always push?
For Kai, it was simple. Physical pressure was part of the contest. If he had the strength advantage, he would use it.
"Arsenal still in control of the middle of the park," Martin Taylor said as the clock approached 40 minutes. "Dortmund yet to carve out a clear chance."
The German commentator sighed in frustration. From his viewpoint, Dortmund were reacting rather than dictating. Their defence was cautious, their rhythm disrupted, their midfield struggling to breathe under Arsenal's structure despite their tireless running. If Arsenal increased the pressure further, it threatened to unravel.
There was a brief thought of Marco Reus, the kind of player who could change a game. Yet even last season, Reus had found himself contained by Kai.
.
Back on the Arsenal bench, Arsene Wenger spoke calmly to Pat Rice.
"Trying to suppress Kai through individual duels is the wrong approach," Wenger said. "If you block his forward lanes, he simply drops deeper and protects the defence. And when he focuses purely on defending, he becomes even harder to handle."
Pat nodded. "So you stretch him? Force him to run?"
"Yes. You need coordinated movement in midfield. Make him adjust constantly. Disrupt his rhythm while draining his energy. But that is easier said than done."
Pat smiled faintly. "He can run too."
Wenger allowed himself a brief smile. "Exactly. To truly dominate him, you would need something exceptional. A midfield partnership like Xavi and Iniesta, with a player like Messi breaking lines."
For a second, Wenger's thoughts drifted to an old Champions League final and what might have been. He shook his head.
"Still that red card," he muttered.
Pat glanced at him. "Sorry."
"Nothing."
.
Inside Westfalen Stadium, the Dortmund fans refused to fall silent. Even at a disadvantage, they roared encouragement. Wave after wave of noise rolled down from the stands.
We are still here.
Then came a flashpoint.
Bang.
Aubameyang drove forward and clashed with Kai. This time, Kai slipped slightly, losing his footing. Aubameyang sensed an opening, but before he could escape, a compact figure burst in from behind.
Kanté.
He poked the ball away cleanly.
Aubameyang stretched desperately, but the ball had already rolled away. Sagna gathered it, and Kai, regaining his balance, received the return pass and moved it on quickly.
For a split second, Kai's expression betrayed frustration. He had lost the initial duel, even if it was a slip. Still, he reset immediately and glanced at the stadium clock.
44 minutes.
"One minute left," he shouted. "Stay sharp!"
Several Arsenal players responded loudly. A few Dortmund players who caught the message looked unsettled. Time was running out, and they were still behind.
At the other end, Navas stood alert between the posts, organising the back line with sharp gestures. Since arriving at Arsenal, he had become the first-choice keeper. He often felt he had little to do, largely because the shield in front of him was so effective.
As long as Kai and Kanté were positioned properly, opponents struggled to create clean shooting opportunities.
. . .
. .
Kanté glanced toward the wing as Aubameyang accelerated.
"Careful! Careful!" he shouted. "He fast."
Aubameyang beat Gibbs down the flank and whipped a cross toward the centre. The delivery was awkward. It was neither a clear shot nor a measured pass. It looped high and dipped dangerously toward the crossbar.
Players converged beneath it. Navas looked up into the glare of the floodlights, judging the flight.
"This is awkward," Alan Smith said. "That could drop under the bar."
"Now!" Navas launched himself upward, arms extended, wrists locked.
The ball struck his palm with force. The impact shot through his wrist, but he adjusted instantly and tipped it over the crossbar.
Martin Taylor's voice rose. "Brilliant from Navas. That was drifting in."
Landing on his knees, Navas flexed his wrist, testing it.
Kai hurried over and knelt beside him. "You okay?"
Navas nodded, rotating his hand. "Little sting. I move it, it's fine."
"Need the doctor?"
"I will check at halftime. I'm good."
Kai patted his head lightly. "Hold on a bit longer."
Dortmund earned a corner, their final chance of the half. Several yellow shirts crowded into Arsenal's penalty area.
The delivery came in fast toward the near post. Mkhitaryan flicked it on, redirecting it toward the centre. Immobile was prepared to head, but Kai surged forward and met it first, powering the clearance away.
Cazorla latched onto the loose ball and drove it upfield.
The referee's whistle followed almost immediately.
Halftime at Westfalen, Arsenal still in front, and very much in control.
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a