Chapter 190: Before Facing Atlético — The Prince Is Hurt, The Girlfriend Breaks Up
When Cazorla took the corner kick, the Arsenal players and coaching staff on the sidelines stood up impatiently at the edge of the pitch.
The moment the whistle sounded, they rushed onto the field to celebrate with the players.
Tonight was not just an ordinary victory, but a victory that eliminated Barcelona for two consecutive seasons.
This was a magnificent victory!!!
On the pitch, Arsenal players hugged each other, jumping up and down like little rabbits. Arsenal fans in the North Bank stand also rushed down from the stands to join the celebration queue.
At the moment the whistle blew, Barcelona players lowered their heads, wiped away tears, and quickly walked back to the locker room.
"Oh my, Messi is crying. Who could accept such a disastrous defeat..."
"The match is over! Not just this match, but the next one is over too. Wenger can consider the next opponent."
"Who could have predicted this before the match? The 'Cosmos Team' eliminated directly in the first leg? Who could have thought Arsenal's 'Defense of Earth' would be fought so easily?"
"This was a magnificent match. Xia Qi contributed greatly; he is the biggest hero in Arsenal's ability to advance to the semi-finals..."
At the post-match press conference, Barcelona manager Enrique emphasized that the match was not over and anything was possible.
But even he didn't believe the words he was saying.
When reporters asked why there was such a disastrous defeat?
Enrique replied: "We didn't pay enough attention to Xia Qi and gave him too much space. We knew he was extremely excellent, but his performance was even more outstanding than our cognition, so much so that all the preparations we made for him turned into useless work."
When a reporter asked: "Then who do you think is better, Messi or Xia Qi?"
Enrique replied: "They are quite similar but completely different. Leo's achievements have been verified by time, while Xia Qi has just started, so I think currently Leo is still stronger."
Regarding this question, Wenger held a different view.
Wenger strongly supported his disciple: "Who is better between Xia Qi and Messi? This year's Ballon d'Or has already explained it, and I believe Xia Qi will win next year's Ballon d'Or again."
That night, the first legs of the Champions League quarter-finals concluded synchronously. The results were as follows:
Manchester United 0:1 Borussia Dortmund; Real Madrid 3:0 Chelsea.
Barcelona 1:7 Arsenal; Paris Saint-Germain 2:0 Atletico Madrid.
Such results greatly disappointed the Spanish media. Originally, they thought La Liga could occupy three seats in the semi-finals, but now it seemed only Real Madrid had victory firmly in hand.
Thus, the media wrote extensively about the "Miracle of the Emirates Stadium" and the "Miracle of the Vicente Calderón" (for the second leg), calling on Barcelona and Atletico not to give up easily.
However, everyone knew that no team in Champions League history had ever overturned a four-goal deficit to advance, let alone a six-goal deficit. So, the exit of Barcelona, the second-strongest team, was already a foregone conclusion.
To be honest, Spanish media professionals wished they could tear Enrique into pieces.
In contrast, the mood of the British media was vastly different.
Chelsea and Manchester United losing to Real Madrid and Dortmund respectively was within expectations.
In terms of fame, Manchester United was greater than Dortmund, but Manchester United's form this season was poor. Losing by only one goal at home was still within an acceptable range.
And Arsenal's 7:1 thrashing of Barcelona to lock in a semi-final spot was undoubtedly an unexpected joy for the British media.
This surprise diluted the other two defeats. Moreover, the British media believed that Arsenal's next opponent, whether it be Paris or Atletico, would find it difficult to stop Arsenal from advancing to the final.
This was the root cause of the British media's jubilation.
On the British media side, major outlets spared no effort in praising Xia Qi and Wenger, hailing Xia Qi as a leading figure capable of turning the tide.
Fueled by the media, as soon as Arsenal returned to London and got off the plane, they were met with fanatical pursuit from the media and fans.
At the arrival gate, Wenger told the media in an interview: "The past is past. We need to forget the Champions League and focus on preparing for the FA Cup and the league."
When asked who he would prefer as the opponent in the Champions League semi-final,
Wenger replied humbly: "Whoever it is, they will be a difficult opponent for Arsenal. If I could choose, I really wouldn't want to meet either of them on the road ahead."
But Xia Qi and the other players were not so humble.
Xia Qi answered: "It must be Atletico. If we can defeat them, and then defeat Real Madrid again in the final, then we will be 'Anti-Spain Heroes,' and the Premier League can solidify its position as the world's number one..."
The answers from Xia Qi and others offended both Atletico and Paris simultaneously. No, they offended more than just two teams; they made the La Liga teams unite in hostility.
The Spanish media is actually divided into Catalan media and other media. They always have two different viewpoints, but this time they united to cheer for Arsenal's opponent.
Spanish media called on Barcelona fans to cross the English Channel for an expedition to the Emirates Stadium and fill the stadium.
They appealed: Although a miracle is slim, the football is round, and anything is possible.
The Spanish media's expedition mobilization was noisy, but the British media was very calm because the score difference between the two teams was simply too large.
So Arsenal was not disturbed. They welcomed their first training session after returning to London.
Before training began, Wenger spent half an hour emphasizing mindset.
He was afraid the players would become arrogant due to a big victory. Wenger knew that an arrogant army is bound to lose, and there are no weak teams in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Ideological education was useful. The whole team quickly unified their thinking and earnestly prepared for the FA Cup and the league.
January 25, 2014. The fourth round of the FA Cup commenced.
Xia Qi was still in excellent form, contributing two goals and two assists, helping Arsenal defeat Coventry City 4:0. Their fifth-round opponent would be Liverpool.
Due to focusing on Champions League preparation, Manchester United sent substitutes to play and failed to advance to the fifth round.
Chelsea was different. Although they wouldn't give up on the Champions League, the hope of advancing was too slim, so they didn't give up on the FA Cup. After eliminating their opponent, they would face Manchester City away in the fifth round.
There were 16 teams in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Four of the Premier League Big 6 entered the fifth round, and as a result, they were drawn against each other in pairs. With such draw results, would you still think there was nothing fishy going on?
From this, one could speculate that the Champions League and other tournaments were the same.
After successfully advancing in the FA Cup, Arsenal began their journey in the 24th round of the Premier League. This time sitting at home, they welcomed the duel against Crystal Palace.
In this round, the coaching staff arranged for De Bruyne and Cazorla to rest, while Arsenal's "Crown Prince" Wilshere announced his comeback this round.
Xia Qi's girlfriend Emma Watson and Wilshere's girlfriend Lauren appeared in the South Stand of the Emirates Stadium to cheer for the two.
This confrontation between Arsenal and Crystal Palace was also called a London Derby.
Whenever there is a derby, it is associated with red and yellow cards.
This match was no exception.
To disrupt Arsenal's passing and control, Crystal Palace players used rough tackles and savage collisions.
The match also became fragmented due to their fouls, intermittent like a prostate patient.
In the Arsenal squad, Xia Qi and the frontcourt commander Wilshere were the players who suffered the most fouls in the whole team.
Under Crystal Palace's savage defense, both sides ended the first half at 0:0.
After the second half started, Xia Qi feared no fouls. After consecutive dribbles on the left side, he feinted a shot and passed, assisting Balotelli to score the leading goal.
Trailing in score, the Crystal Palace team played even more roughly.
In the 60th minute of the second half, something happened that angered everyone at Arsenal. Wilshere was tackled from the side.
Wilshere, who already had "glass attributes," rolled on the ground holding his ankle after suffering this violation.
Xia Qi quickly ran over and knelt to look; his ankle was already at ninety degrees.
He hurriedly called for the team doctor to enter the field. Due to the severity of the injury, he was sent to the hospital on the spot.
In the stands, Wilshere's girlfriend Lauren was already crying like a tearful person. Xia Qi signaled to Emma Watson, asking her to accompany Lauren to the hospital.
The match continued. With De Bruyne resting, Xia Qi dropped back to take over the team's command. Wenger sent "Grim Reaper" Aaron Ramsey on to assist Xia Qi.
In the match, Crystal Palace was extremely rough on Xia Qi as well, but Xia Qi had injury immunity and didn't fear confrontation.
However, it made Wenger and the Arsenal fans watch with fear and trembling.
After Xia Qi assisted Gnabry to score another city (goal), Wenger, worried about Xia Qi getting injured, substituted him off.
After leaving the field, Xia Qi asked Wenger for leave and rushed to the hospital.
Outside the operating room, only Lauren was lowering her head and weeping; Emma Watson was nowhere to be seen.
At that time, Xia Qi was a bit angry in his heart. He called Emma Watson, only for her to claim she was at the hospital.
Xia Qi was completely angry. Did she really think I was still playing the match?
Inevitably, their words were full of the smell of gunpowder. Both were in the rising period of their careers in their respective fields, each with their own pride, refusing to give way to each other. The talk quickly collapsed.
The next day, both parties officially announced that due to the need to focus on work, they announced their breakup.
The gossip news of the two breaking up actually overshadowed the news that Wilshere would miss the rest of the season, including the World Cup.
Logically, this was a catastrophic event for England, but on the trending list, it still couldn't beat the celebrity breakup.
Xia Qi thought of a line of poetry: The merchant woman knows not the hatred of a fallen nation; across the river, she still sings 'Flowers of the Backyard'.
Wilshere's season reimbursement actually had a huge impact on England. This meant "Steven Gerrard & Frank Lampard" (The Double-Gerrard/Lampard midfield dilemma) lacked a substitute. Don't say Xia Qi could play midfield.
How could the Ballon d'Or winner be a substitute?
England, originally full of talent, suddenly discovered that their own "Emperor Stars" were not many, and there were no successors to the Double-Gerrard/Lampard legacy.
England's odds of winning the championship increased by 2% because of this.
After Wilshere's injury and Xia Qi's breakup, Arsenal welcomed the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
When Barcelona arrived in London, Enrique's Barcelona was criticized heavily.
Enrique, who had declared after the last match that the game wasn't over and anything was possible, surprisingly didn't bring Messi, Neymar, Pique, or Iniesta to London.
Of the MSN trio, only Suarez came, while defensive stalwart Pique and midfield playmaker Iniesta were all resting.
Was this lineup a "match is not over, anything is possible" lineup?
The British media laughed in anger, wishing they could smack Wenger to death with a block of tofu.
Facing Barcelona's remnant squad, if leading by six goals he still allowed the opponent to advance successfully, then what use was keeping such a Wenger and such an Arsenal alive?
After seeing Barcelona's expedition lineup at the airport, the Spanish media scattered in an uproar. At the pre-match press conference the next day, only one Spanish media outlet attended.
At the press conference, Enrique was still stubborn, saying the whole team would strive to advance and strive to create the Emirates Stadium miracle.
Wenger tremblingly sent out the main lineup according to the original plan.
Frustrated in love, triumphant on the pitch!
A truth of ancient and modern times, China and abroad!
In the first half of the match, Xia Qi seemed to have been injected with chicken blood (adrenaline), performing a hat-trick with headers and kicks, leading the team to a 3:0 lead to end the first half.
After the halftime break, Xia Qi did not play again.
In the "chickens pecking each other" (scrub match) between Arsenal II and Barcelona II, Barcelona had superior skills and scored three consecutive goals in the second half, tenaciously equalizing the score.
Finally, both sides tied at 3:3!
After the match, Xia Qi and Messi were still unavoidable topics, even though Messi didn't play at all.
When interviewed, the heartbroken Xia Qi was full of aggression: "Don't compare that person to me. I will lose, I will bleed, I will shed tears, but I will never be a deserter..."
Enrique tried his best to defend Messi, claiming Messi's injury hadn't healed...
But who believed it?
On the same night, the Champions League quarter-finals all concluded.
The highly-watched Red Devils, Manchester United, failed to create a miracle at Iduna Park (formerly Westfalenstadion).
They were stung severely by the fierce Hornets.
Defeated 0:2 away, eliminated with a total score of 0:3. In both matches, Manchester United was restrained to death by Dortmund. The media exclaimed: "Manchester United's severe winter has come..."
At this time, Ferguson and the fans didn't know that after the severe winter came the Ice Age, and after the Ice Age came the Cryogenian Period... In short, Manchester United's true winter hadn't arrived yet.
Real Madrid almost capsized at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho's home win rate was truly terrifying.
At home, Chelsea defeated Real Madrid, who possessed the BBC trio, 3:0, successfully dragging them into extra time.
Unfortunately, they fell just short in the end!
C. Ronaldo exploded in adversity, scoring the winning goal in extra time to successfully eliminate the opponent.
In this match, Mou believed the referee blew away (disallowed/ignored) at least two of his penalties.
Objectively speaking, Ramos blocking Lampard's shot with his arm in the penalty area should have been given a penalty. If it had been given, perhaps there wouldn't have been extra time.
In short, Chelsea was blacked by the referee yet again.
Russians received unfair treatment everywhere in Europe, even if he tried very hard to integrate...
Finally, the Champions League semi-final list was released:
Upper Half: Dortmund VS Real Madrid; Lower Half: Arsenal VS Atletico Madrid.
Under the leadership of Simeone, Atletico Madrid completed a hearty reversal at home at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, winning 3:0 and advancing with a thrilling 3:2 aggregate victory.
This match allowed people to witness the fanatical home atmosphere of the Vicente Calderón, which was no less than that of Iduna Park.
The Calderón wasn't big, only seating fifty thousand people, yet because it was small, the home fans' cheering was even more powerful.
So Arsenal's schedule of playing home first and then away worried the British media.
Now, Arsenal was the only seedling left for the Premier League in the Champions League, becoming the whole village's only hope.
The British media offered suggestions one after another, hoping they could settle the matter in one hammer blow like they did against Barcelona, finishing the opponent in one round.
These people were just standing by and talking without back pain (armchair experts); how could it be that easy?
Amidst the disturbance, Arsenal welcomed the 25th round of the Premier League.
Arsenal went north to challenge Liverpool and was pummeled by the Reds at Anfield.
Liverpool won a big 5:1 victory over Arsenal at home, reviving the suspense of the league title race.
Unfortunately, the next day, Manchester City, who was following closely behind Arsenal, overthought things and suffered from gains and losses, being held to a 0:0 draw by the weak team Norwich away, failing to further narrow the point difference.
After the 25th round, Arsenal at the top of the table was only three points ahead of Manchester City.
(In the 23rd round, Southampton held Arsenal to a 2:2 draw; the gap between the two sides was only four points then.)
Under these circumstances, Arsenal welcomed the Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal hosting Atletico Madrid.
(END CHAPTER)
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