Arsenal fans were in a frenzy!
If they could win just one more Premier League match,
they would achieve a historic feat worthy of being written into the record books:
Winning the title seven rounds early!
This was something unprecedented in Premier League history!
Before this, the record for the earliest title win belonged to Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the 2000–01 season.
That Red Devils dynasty clinched the league five rounds early.
But now, Arsenal had every chance of shattering that record and creating a brand-new legend!
Seven rounds early?!
The entire English, and even European, football world erupted in excitement!
Such a triumph would not only prove Arsenal's absolute dominance in the Premier League this season,
but also, for the players and fans, mean something even greater:
if they could pull it off, all pressure in the league would instantly vanish!
This season, Arsenal had been fighting on four fronts:
the Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League.
They had already won the League Cup.
If they could clinch the Premier League seven rounds early,
then only the FA Cup and Champions League would remain as true tests!
The pressure would drop dramatically.
That would allow Arsenal to fully focus on the FA Cup and, especially, the Champions League.
And when it came to the Champions League—
Arsenal, in their century-long history, had never touched the "Big Ears" trophy.
Their hunger for it was beyond doubt!
So, as soon as the FA Cup quarterfinals ended,
Arsenal fans turned their eyes eagerly to the Premier League's next round.
The reaction was instant—
first came shock, then came laughter!
Arsenal's opponent in Round 31 of the league?
None other than Tottenham Hotspur!
Talk about fate's cruel humor!
Yes, a North London Derby was always guaranteed in the second half of the season,
but for it to line up with Arsenal's chance to clinch the title seven rounds early—it was destiny!
When Spurs fans heard the news, they were stunned.
What?!
They had just played Arsenal not long ago!
Back in the FA Cup fifth round at White Hart Lane,
Spurs were utterly destroyed by Arsenal led by Kai.
That match was so disastrous it cost Mauricio Pochettino his job.
This season's three North London derbies had been nothing short of a nightmare for Spurs fans.
In all three, Kai had been ruthless,
leaving Spurs with nothing but crushing, lopsided defeats.
So, when the Round 31 matchup was confirmed,
the whole of English football buzzed with excitement.
The London media had a field day:
"The fourth North London Derby of the season!"
"Arsenal will host Spurs at the Emirates!"
"If they win, Arsenal will clinch the Premier League title seven rounds early!!"
The English football world shook with anticipation.
For Arsenal, this match meant everything.
For the league, the opponent made it even more dramatic.
"In the most crucial Premier League match of the season, Arsenal will once again face their fiercest North London rivals!"
"The Gunners might well clinch the title by stepping on the face of their greatest enemy!"
Arsenal fans were ecstatic.
Winning the league early was already thrilling.
But winning it while crushing their hated rivals?
That would be another monumental milestone in the club's history.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans, legends, and even their sympathetic media were left in silence.
They could hear the mocking from the outside world, but they had no rebuttal.
Everyone knew the truth: Arsenal were simply too strong.
In the three derbies already played,
Spurs hadn't scored a single goal,
while Arsenal had put nineteen past them!
Spurs fans still remembered the Premier League opener this season:
Kai's debut in the league,
a six-goal demolition of Spurs,
setting the tone for their nightmare season.
"This season, Spurs have been battered by Arsenal, Son Heung-min is out injured for the season, they've just sacked Pochettino, and their new manager raises plenty of eyebrows."
The media quickly caught on to the turbulence.
After failing to find a better candidate, Spurs had shockingly appointed André Villas-Boas,
recently sacked by Chelsea for causing chaos in their dressing room.
Fans were bewildered.
A man shunned by most clubs, yet Spurs welcomed him in?
A sacked coach, their star players surrounded by transfer rumors, a season-ending injury to Son,
and now a controversial new boss—
Spurs were utterly cursed with debuffs stacked high.
Most Spurs fans had lost all hope for Round 31.
But among their diehard supporters, some clung to stubborn dreams:
"Yes, Arsenal will probably win the league, but we can't let them do it against us!"
"Even if they win it in Round 32, fine—but in Round 31, in the North London Derby, we cannot let Arsenal clinch the title on our heads!"
The Spurs faithful gritted their teeth.
As Round 31 of the Premier League approached, Spurs' diehard fans began putting pressure on the club and on their new manager, André Villas-Boas.
Within the Tottenham camp, the pressure was overwhelming.
Every media outlet in England was locked in on this one match.
The eyes of the entire football world—fans and press alike—were fixed on Round 31!
At Arsenal's Colney training ground, the players continued with their usual pre-match preparations, following the standard training schedule.
But every Gunner already knew deep down just how important this match would be.
The significance of the upcoming fixture could no longer be captured by simply calling it the "fourth North London Derby" of the season.
This was bigger.
This was, for Arsenal, nothing less than a final in the Premier League.
If they won,
Arsenal would be officially crowned champions—seven rounds early!
Another trophy!
Counting the League Cup they had already secured, Arsenal would claim the season's second title, becoming double winners well before the campaign's end.
For both the players and the fans, the thought was intoxicating.
After eight long years without a single trophy, Arsenal were now on the verge of lifting two in a matter of months.
The hunger for silverware had built up over many years, reaching levels that words could hardly describe.
And their League Cup victory hadn't dulled that desire in the slightest.
If anything, it had sharpened it.
They wanted more.
As their talisman had declared,
Arsenal's goal this season was every trophy.
Every single one.
"At home, against our deadliest rivals, we'll crush them and take the title in style!"
After training ended, Kai gathered his teammates together for an early pre-match talk.
"This game—go all out!
We're going to sweep our rivals aside with a resounding victory.
At our home ground, we'll win the Premier League title seven rounds early!!"
The response was instant.
His words ignited the squad, and the training ground erupted with passion.
The Premier League title—
the crown Arsenal had chased in vain for so many years—
was now within touching distance.
All that stood between them and glory was one more league victory.
And the value of that title needed no explanation.
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