Facing the defending Serie A champions—AC Milan!
In the first round of the Champions League group stage,
Arsenal had stormed into the legendary San Siro Stadium...
And obliterated Milan 4–0 on their own turf!
That match had also been Kai's Champions League debut.
That night, under the San Siro lights—
Kai scored a hat-trick in his debut,
even forcing Milan's midfield maestro Pirlo off the pitch!
The Serie A double champions, Milan, had become the first victims in Kai's conquest of the Champions League!
"Arsenal vs Milan, Round 2! Can Milan exorcise the nightmare of their home humiliation?"
"Pirlo meets Kai again! Milan's midfield general must prove he still belongs!"
European media were in a frenzy ahead of the match.
Reporters from La Gazzetta dello Sport boarded their flights with heavy hearts—
and arrived at the Emirates Stadium.
That night in North London—
Arsenal fans once again created a terrifying home atmosphere!
Even the seasoned Italian journalists trembled.
Though the Emirates was slightly smaller than San Siro in scale,
the power of its atmosphere was no less intense!
The Gazzetta reporters were shocked:
"What gives a trophy-less Arsenal such overwhelming morale?"
They soon found the answer.
On the touchline—
The one who drew the crowd's thunderous cheers...
Was Kai, Arsenal's young captain!
Tens of thousands of supporters erupted the moment they saw him.
Even the Italian reporters felt a chill.
This was the terrifying prodigy who, earlier in the year, had snatched the Golden Boy award from Italy's own Mario Balotelli...
And just months ago, in the Champions League opener—
Scored a debut hat-trick at San Siro, leading Arsenal in a 4–0 demolition of Milan!
"Recently, troubling news has emerged from within the Milan camp."
"Since being humiliated by Kai in that opening group match, Milan's midfield general Pirlo has frequently clashed with the coaching staff."
"Some at the Milan top brass believe that Pirlo's aura of greatness has faded!"
"The club even tried to modify his contract midseason, reducing it to a one-year extension—it was nothing short of an insult!"
"Pirlo now believes he no longer has Milan's trust. His agent has already begun looking for a new club."
Fans were left in disbelief!
"Rumors suggest Pirlo might be heading to Juventus!"
"After a rough half-season in Milan, the maestro of San Siro could be looking for a fresh start."
The Italian football world was in uproar.
No one had expected this.
Pirlo—the man who had brought Milan so much glory—
Now, because of one Champions League group match,
was on the verge of falling out of favor with the club...
He might even leave San Siro by the end of the season.
As for Pirlo himself—
His heart still clung tightly to Milan.
He wanted to fight for the Rossoneri.
And tonight's rematch against Arsenal...
Would also be his battle to reclaim honor.
8:00 p.m. sharp.
Under the night sky in North London—
The Emirates Stadium reached a fever pitch!
The players from Arsenal and Milan stood in formation inside the tunnel.
There was no chatter between the teams.
Even Ibrahimović stayed quiet for once.
But behind the silence...
Every Milan player carried visible pressure in their eyes.
Both teams had the same goal—victory—
But for very different reasons.
Arsenal wanted to secure first place in the group with a perfect win record,
and charge into the knockout stage in style.
Milan, however, had far more on the line.
They had drawn with Dortmund in the last round.
In this chaotic group, the standings between 2nd and 3rd place were anything but clear.
Arsenal had a firm grip on the top spot.
But Milan, Dortmund, and Ajax were locked in a close battle—each had wins, draws, or losses against one another.
It was anyone's game to take second place.
Milan couldn't afford another loss.
Back at the Emirates Stadium—
As the players emerged from the tunnel—
A thunderous roar erupted from every corner of the stadium!
Ibrahimović, Pirlo, Pato, Gattuso...
Milan had brought their full force.
Manager Allegri stood solemn on the sideline.
He forced himself to forget the 4–0 humiliation from the first match.
Tonight, at the Emirates—
He would go all-in, leading Milan into this must-win showdown for second place!
Under the dark North London sky—
"Peeeeep!"
The referee's whistle blew!
The 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage—
Arsenal vs AC Milan at the Emirates!
Kickoff!
Instantly, a deafening wave of cheers and screams surged from the stands!
At center circle, van Persie tapped the ball forward...
Then turned and charged ahead!
Kai received the pass and immediately dribbled past the halfway line—
Arsenal and Milan's formations shifted in an instant, locking into an intricate positional battle!
For this match, Pirlo returned to the deep-lying midfield role—
the position that had once cemented his reputation as a world-class maestro.
Under the excited gaze of the crowd, he proactively stepped forward to confront the ball-carrying Kai!
The commentators' eyes lit up with anticipation:
"Can Pirlo redeem himself tonight?"
"In the last match, he was completely outplayed by Kai—subbed off just after the 60th minute!"
On the pitch!
Arsenal's formation surged forward with swift, lethal efficiency.
After Kai crossed the halfway line with the ball,
he immediately threaded a beautifully curved through pass into the half-space on the right!
Gervinho made a sharp run to exploit the gap.
Milan's fullback Lopez instantly charged forward with aggression!
Gervinho played it back calmly.
Gibbs stepped up to receive the pass and sent it straight back to Kai.
Then—Pirlo lunged forward to press!
His flowing hair danced under the stadium lights.
Milan fans in the away section were stirred with hope!
But just as quickly, that hope turned to despair.
Kai shifted his body slightly to one side—
And with ease, shielded Pirlo off the ball.
Pirlo—smaller, weaker in duels—was completely outmatched.
He had no way to win the physical battle.
Kai took Gibbs' return pass and, with a slick pull-back move,
ghosted past Pirlo in a flash!
The crowd roared in frenzy as he followed up with a piercing ground pass—
A through ball driven straight into the box!
It cut cleanly between Abate and Nesta, slicing Milan's backline open!
Right into the path of Van Persie, who had timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap!
Van Persie charged in, unleashed a low-angle rocket!
Abbiati, Milan's keeper, lunged with all his might—
And managed to block the shot with one outstretched arm!
The ball deflected toward the byline...
A moment of breathless tension filled the stadium.
The crowd was just about to let out a collective sigh of regret—
But then—!
A massive gasp ripped through the stadium!
A figure burst in out of nowhere, slicing between Van Bommel and Lopez,
racing like a bullet toward the deflected ball!
Unbelievable speed—beyond anyone's expectations!
It was Kai!
On the sideline, Allegri's eyes widened in shock—
"What is he doing?!"
Inside Milan's box, chaos and confusion reigned.
Kai charged straight toward where the deflected ball was heading near the byline.
He twisted his body sharply—
And smashed his right foot into the ball with force!
BOOM!
The ball screamed along the edge of the line—
And tore into the goal like a cannon shot from zero angle!!
A stunning near-baseline rocket!
In front of goal, Abbiati stood frozen, completely stunned.
In an instant—
The Emirates exploded.
A thunderous roar erupted from all corners of the stadium!
The entire arena was swallowed in a wave of absolute, unhinged euphoria!
~~----------------------
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