"Forget the goal we conceded," Jürgen Klopp said, scanning the room. "What matters now is how we respond in the second half."
He knew the first half had slipped away from them. Alexis Sánchez had carried the ball through pressure more than once, forcing Dortmund's midfield to retreat. Even when Sánchez was crowded out, Ángel Di María and Luis Suárez were quick to exploit the gaps.
Klopp had not expected Arsenal's attack to look this cohesive. Last season, they were still experinting, adjusting shapes, testing patterns. Now the structure looked settled. The pieces fit.
At the heart of it was Kai.
On the surface, his role seed quiet. Short passes. Safe options. Tracking back. Nothing spectacular. No constant dribbling, no flashy through balls. Yet Klopp understood the danger. Every simple pass from Kai linked to the next movent. One touch led to another, and suddenly Arsenal were in behind.
Kai was not the final touch, but was the connection.
He tied the other ten together.
That was what made this Arsenal side so difficult to contain. Their collective rhythm. Their discipline in structure. The way they moved as a unit.
. . .
Inside the away dressing room, Arsène Wenger kept his ssage brief. A few words of praise, then minor tactical adjustnts. No sweeping changes. There was no need to rush. If anyone had to gamble, it would be Dortmund.
"Stay calm. Control the tempo," Wenger told them. "Let them take the risks."
He almost hoped Dortmund would commit extra n to marking Kai. If they did, Kai would simply drop deeper, and the front line would still have space.
Suárez. Di María. Santi Cazorla. Sánchez. Even N'Golo Kanté could arrive late into the box.
Finishers were not the issue.
There was only one connector.
And Wenger knew he could not replace him.
Kai emptied a bottle of water over his head, letting it run down his face and shirt. The first half had drained him a bit. He had been reading movents constantly, tracking teammates and opponents at the sa ti. It demanded total concentration.
He walked over to Cazorla. "Second half, I'll drop a bit deeper and focus on defense. You take more responsibility going forward."
Cazorla nodded. "Understood. Leave it with ."
Kai then turned to Kanté.
"When we defend, watch my positioning. Stay connected to . Don't press too hard unless it's clear. We stay compact."
This was Kanté's first appearance in the Champions League. He had been sharp, but the ntal load was heavy.
Kanté nodded seriously. "Yes. I see you. I stay close. I no rush."
He valued this opportunity. If Arsenal won, he would likely keep his place. He had integrated quickly, moving from the bench to the starting eleven in a short period.
Kai gave him a light pat on the shoulder before sitting back down.
. . .
On the broadcast, the tone was analytical.
"Dortmund were on the back foot for much of that first half," said Martin Taylor on Sky Sports. "They had monts, certainly, but their midfield struggled to impose itself."
Alongside him, Alan Smith leaned forward. "What's impressed is Arsenal's balance. When Kai pushes on, that midfield line still holds. Kanté, especially, has covered an enormous amount of ground."
"There were questions about the young man wearing seventeen," Taylor added, "but he's handled the occasion well. He's even taken the ball cleanly off Aubayang more than once."
Smith nodded. "Supporters sotis judge everyone by Kai's standards. That's unfair. There's only one player who can dominate gas at nineteen the way he did. Kanté's performance tonight has been more than solid."
Back on the pitch, the players erged for the second half.
Kai stepped out of the tunnel, took one last drink, and glanced across at Dortmund. They looked focused, speaking in small groups, faces tight with concentration.
He remained calm. Arsenal's structure was intact. If they avoided basic errors and kept their shape, chances would be limited.
Dortmund were also missing key figures. Without Marco Reus and Mats Humls, their spine lacked experience and composure. Klopp had options like Shinji Kagawa on the bench, but depth was an issue.
The whistle went.
Monts later, the stadium gasped.
The ball struck the crossbar with a sharp tallic ring.
It was Kai.
He had collected possession outside the box and struck it cleanly. The bar shook violently as the ball flew into the stands. For a second, everyone watched the fra tremble.
"Kai hits it from distance… oh, it's off the bar!"
On Sky Sports, Martin Taylor raised his voice. "That is almost a carbon copy of his effort against Manchester City in the Premier League."
Beside him, Alan Smith nodded. "That ball was dipping dangerously. He may not have scored, but it tells you everything about his mindset. He's sharp, positive, and he's not hiding."
The Arsenal supporters behind the goal erupted.
"Kai, again!"
"One more, Kai!"
"Hit it harder next ti!"
The roar carried across the stadium. Since the restart, Arsenal had picked up exactly where they left off. The away end sensed it. This team felt different.
For years, Arsenal had carried the reputation of faltering in major European nights. Strong dostically, uncertain abroad. Fans had learned to temper expectations. A stable display without costly errors was often enough to satisfy them.
Now they were seeing sothing else.
Composure. Structure. Control.
Against a strong Dortmund side, Arsenal had taken the lead away from ho and continued to dictate spells of the match. That alone fed belief.
The ga remained intense.
After Kai's effort, Dortmund pushed forward quickly. Yet their transitions felt rushed. The link between midfield and attack kept breaking down. Every ti they tried to build centrally, Kai and N'Golo Kanté were there.
Up front, Pierre-Erick Aubayang grew visibly frustrated.
Each touch invited pressure. Kanté snapping at his heels. Kai stepped in at the right mont. When Kanté pressed alone, Aubayang could sotis spin away. When Kai joined, space vanished.
From the back, Sven Bender looked up and clipped a pass forward.
Aubayang moved sharply, glancing around before the ball arrived. Kanté charged toward him. Kai shifted laterally rather than directly engaging.
Good, Aubayang thought. As long as it's not him.
He let the ball run between his legs and burst forward to chase it, leaving Kanté montarily flat-footed.
"Yes," he muttered.
For a split second, he saw a channel opening.
Then ca the impact.
Bang.,
It felt like running into a wall.
Kai had stepped across at exactly the right angle, planting himself between man and ball. Aubayang tried to muscle through, tugging at the shirt, leaning with his shoulder, but Kai did not yield an inch. By the ti the full back recovered possession, the chance was gone.
Aubayang swore under his breath and glared.
Kai turned slightly, eyes calm.
"Still want to go?" he smiled.
Aubayang shook his head and walked away, muttering.
Kai jogged back into position without another word.
On comntary, Martin Taylor sumd up the mont. "That's intelligent defending. He reads the situation early and commits his body at exactly the right ti."
Alan Smith added, "Aubayang thought he was through."
As the clock ticked toward the final quarter hour, the tension rose.
On the touchline, Klopp reacted first.
Sebastian Kehl and Ciro Immobile were withdrawn. On ca Shinji Kagawa and Adrián Ramos. More attacking intent, more bodies forward.
The impact was imdiate.
A loose ball inside the box dropped to Aubayang, who stabbed at it instinctively. Keylor Navas reacted quickly, smothering the shot against his chest.
Arsenal responded with changes of their own.
Bacary Sagna and Kanté ca off to warm applause from the away section. On ca Héctor Bellerín and Mathieu Flamini.
As Kanté left the pitch, he exchanged a brief word with Kai.
"I try my best," Kanté said, breathing heavily.
Kai smiled faintly. "You did well. Recover properly."
With Flamini added to the midfield, Wenger sought control. Bellerín's pace was insurance against Aubayang's runs in behind.
The adjustnt worked. Dortmund's montum faded again.
By the 85th minute, anxiety had crept into the ho crowd. The earlier noise had softened. Every Dortmund attack ended the sa way: a block, an interception, or a recovery run.
Even when they broke quickly, Arsenal's tracking was relentless. A half-second of delay, and red shirts filled the gaps.
Ninety minutes approached.
In stoppage ti, Wenger made one final defensive move. Shkodran Mustafi made way for Per rtesacker, added height to guard against late crosses.
Klopp exhaled, adding a late change more out of necessity than belief.
The final whistle cut sharply through the air.
Arsenal had done it.
At Signal Iduna Park, they secured a 1-0 victory in their opening Champions League group match.
Martin Taylor concluded, "Dortmund defeated at ho, one goal deciding it, but the quality on show over ninety minutes was high."
Alan Smith followed. "Injuries hurt Dortmund tonight, no doubt. But Arsenal were disciplined and mature. That's an impressive away performance."
For Dortmund, frustration lingered.
For Arsenal, belief grew stronger.
. . .
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
User Comments
0 comments from readers