"For tonight's match, Arsenal return to their most frequently used 4-2-3-1 formation this season!"
"Kai sits in the central No.10 role, with Rosický and Arteta deployed as the double pivots in midfield!"
"Van Persie leads the line!"
"On Valencia's side, their formation is basically unchanged from the first leg."
"Worth noting, though — Pablo Piatti, nicknamed the 'second Messi,' is absent due to injury. Dani Parejo anchors the Bats' midfield."
"Former Real Madrid striker Soldado starts as the lone forward."
With the Arsenal fans' thunderous roars echoing across the stadium,
the match kicked off.
Arsenal had the opening kick-off.
After Van Persie tapped the ball forward,
Kai carried it into his stride!
Arsenal's midfield and attack quickly pushed up,
immediately pressing into Valencia's half!
The away supporters from Spain soon wore pained, uneasy expressions.
In their hopes,
perhaps tonight the Bats still had a sliver of a chance to turn things around.
But such hopes were nothing more than illusions.
Right from the start,
under Kai's orchestration, Arsenal unleashed a suffocating wave of attacks
that left the Valencia fans breathless!
Kai dribbled past the halfway line,
effortlessly gliding past Parejo, his direct marker.
He brushed off Parejo's attempt to press and counter.
Then, with power and precision,
he released a piercing ground pass!
The ball curved at just the right angle,
skidding perfectly toward the flank!
Theo Walcott darted forward to meet it!
After more than half a season of cohesion,
Arsenal's tactical variations this season — whether wing interplay, wide overloads, or central combinations —
had all been honed to perfection!
On the touchline, Emery felt his scalp prickle.
After the first-leg thrashing in the Champions League,
he had returned to Spain and focused heavily on analyzing Kai's passing.
But facing him again tonight,
the Valencia manager was horrified to realize
that no amount of study could prepare a team to deal with this terrifying prodigy!
Take this ground pass to the flank as an example.
Even if Valencia's full-back on that side had positioned early,
even with anticipation,
there was still no way to stop it!
Emery sank into despair.
From his perspective, Kai looked as though he had divine sight,
able to see every flaw in a defensive line.
One strike, and it was fatal —
straight through the heart of the formation!
On Arsenal's left wing,
Walcott latched onto Kai's perfectly-timed through ball.
He pushed diagonally toward the byline.
As Valencia's full-back frantically tracked back,
Walcott nudged the ball with his left instep,
creating just a sliver of space, then cut inside!
Arsenal's attacking players spread out in sync across the front.
Kai burst into the central channel!
Walcott fired a horizontal pass,
decisively picking out Kai!
A Valencia center-back rushed up from the box.
Kai swung his leg —
a deceptive feint, pretending to shoot but slipping a disguised pass instead.
With the inside of his foot,
he deftly hooked the ball forward,
poking a perfectly weighted through ball past the defender's challenge!
Van Persie ran onto it in the box,
then cut it back with a clever reverse pass
toward Kai, who had continued his run into the channel!
And facing this reverse ball,
Kai flicked it stylishly with his heel!
At the far post, Gervinho arrived at full speed!
He controlled with his left,
then whipped a curling shot with power!
As the Emirates erupted,
the ball arced beautifully
and smashed into the top left corner of the net!
GOAL!
"It's in! What a goal! That combination play was absolutely stunning!"
"Kai's attacking organization is just brimming with imagination — and so direct in its purpose!"
The commentary at the Emirates boiled over with excitement!
Not even two minutes into the game,
the scoreline had already been rewritten!
Across two legs, Arsenal now led 6–0!
The home supporters broke into unrestrained celebration!
In Valencia's penalty area,
Arsenal players piled together in jubilation.
The Bats' players stood bewildered.
On the sideline, Emery let out a long sigh, shook his head,
and slumped back into the dugout.
There was just no way to play against this!
With Kai on the pitch, Arsenal's attacking play in the final third was dazzling.
His elegant dribbling and imaginative orchestration — capped by that stylish backheel assist — made Emery feel deeply that Valencia's defensive half was nothing more than Kai's personal playground.
For a La Liga powerhouse like Valencia, there was simply no way to cause this Arsenal side any real trouble!
The aggregate score had already stretched to 6–0.
Even though the second leg had only just begun,
the Valencia manager could clearly sense that his team's hopes were gone.
On the pitch, play restarted from the center circle.
For the rest of the first half, Valencia played flat and lifeless.
Their attack never sparked.
And on defense, facing the relentless waves led by Kai,
their backline looked on the verge of collapse.
36th minute!
Kai delivered another assist!
Van Persie latched onto his surgical through ball,
and made no mistake — finishing clinically!
And just before halftime,
Kai struck from the edge of the box with one of his trademark thunderous long-range efforts!
Halftime: 3–0!
Arsenal had completely sealed the tie.
When the second half began,
with the aggregate score already at 8–0,
the match drifted into garbage time.
Wenger rotated several starters.
72nd minute.
Kai produced a stunning solo run down the wing!
With maxed-out dribbling and blistering pace,
he transformed into an unstoppable world-class winger.
Valencia's flank was torn apart.
Jordi Alba, highly admired by Barcelona,
was utterly burned — Kai blew past him by five or six strides!
Cutting inside from the wing,
Kai stormed into the box.
Then, with a rocket into the far corner —
GOAL! 4–0!!
The Emirates erupted,
trembling under the deafening cheers of Arsenal fans!
On the touchline, Emery was completely broken.
This kind of player… able to attack and defend,
serve as the midfield brain,
yet also transform into a one-man wrecking crew on the wing —
how could anyone stop him?!
A chill ran down Emery's spine.
Valencia, third in La Liga,
looked like mere cannon fodder against this Arsenal side.
Perhaps only Real Madrid and Barcelona in all of Spain
might be able to challenge this version of Arsenal.
In the final minute of stoppage time,
Valencia managed a consolation goal from a corner.
But when the full-time whistle blew,
the Emirates exploded in celebration!
4–1!
9–1 on aggregate!
Arsenal had demolished a La Liga powerhouse,
storming into the Champions League quarter-finals with unstoppable momentum!
Under the London night sky,
the Emirates thundered with the ecstatic roars of Arsenal fans!
Meanwhile, across Europe,
the other Round of 16 ties had also concluded.
When the fans saw the final quarter-final bracket,
uproar erupted!
With Arsenal's emphatic qualification,
La Liga sent both Real Madrid and Barcelona through.
In Germany, Dortmund were knocked out by Barcelona,
but Bayern Munich advanced.
Thus, the so-called "Big Three" — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern — all made the quarter-finals.
What thrilled the fans most was this:
Bayern and Real Madrid were drawn into the same half of the bracket as Arsenal.
In the next knockout round,
there was every chance they could face Kai's Arsenal!
Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Bayern —
any one of them clashing head-on with this Arsenal side led by Kai
would be the kind of clash that every football fan in Europe longed to witness!
It would be nothing less than a battle of titans —
a true collision of worlds!
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