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...
But if there was a medal waiting at the end of the afternoon, Arsenal intended to take it.
Then a few days has pass and in the following morning, Wembley was waiting.
Arsenal's team bus passed through the stadium entrance shortly before the scheduled arrival, and for a few seconds the players could see the upper tiers through the windows.
The sight changed the mood inside the bus.
Conversations became quieter.
A few players looked toward the stadium.
Others kept their eyes down, headphones still on.
Francesco sat forward in his seat, elbows resting loosely on his knees.
He had played at Wembley before.
He had lifted trophies there.
He had experienced the noise, the pressure and the strange feeling of looking up at thousands of people wearing Arsenal colours.
But this felt different.
This was the first competitive match of another season.
Last season's trophies were behind them.
Everything they had achieved had become history.
Today was about beginning again.
The bus stopped.
The doors opened.
Players stepped down one after another.
Francesco adjusted his jacket before following the others inside.
Kanté walked beside him.
"Ready?"
Francesco glanced over.
"Yeah."
Kanté gave a small smile.
"Good."
They continued through the stadium.
Inside the Arsenal dressing room, the atmosphere was controlled but noticeably tense.
There were no unnecessary speeches.
Nobody needed reminding what the afternoon represented.
Boot bags opened.
Shirts were laid out.
Water bottles were placed beside seats.
Players went through their usual routines almost automatically.
Francesco sat down and began taping his boots.
Across the room, Alexis was speaking quietly with Gnabry.
Özil sat nearby, headphones around his neck.
Van Dijk was already dressed.
Koscielny checked the positioning of his shin pads before standing.
Walker looked toward Francesco.
"First one."
Francesco looked up.
"What?"
"First competitive match."
Francesco smiled.
"That's what you're worried about?"
Walker shrugged.
"Someone has to make sure you're nervous."
Francesco laughed.
"I'm fine."
"You say that now."
The exchange brought a little life back into the room.
Soon afterward, the players changed into their training kits and headed toward the pitch.
Wembley looked enormous from ground level.
The stands were steadily filling.
Red and white dominated one side of the stadium, while Manchester City supporters occupied their own sections across the ground.
The noise grew with every passing minute.
Arsenal began their warm-up.
Stretching first.
Then light jogging.
Movement patterns.
Short passing.
Francesco exchanged quick passes with Alexis before moving into a larger group involving Özil and Gnabry.
The ball moved quickly.
One touch.
Return.
Move.
Again.
The coaching staff watched closely.
Shots followed.
Francesco struck one toward the corner.
Bravo pushed it away.
Another attempt went across the face of goal.
Alexis applauded.
"Good."
Francesco smiled.
"Save the praise."
"Why?"
"You'll use it all up."
Alexis laughed.
At the other end, Petr Čech was going through his own preparations.
Crosses.
Low shots.
Reaction work.
Distribution.
The goalkeeper shouted instructions throughout.
"Again!"
A coach sent another ball toward him.
Čech caught it cleanly.
He immediately rolled it out.
The warm-up continued as Wembley grew louder.
Francesco paused for a moment while waiting for the next exercise.
He looked around.
The stands were nearly full now.
The realization settled quietly in his mind.
This wasn't Singapore.
This wasn't a tour match.
This wasn't another exercise designed simply to restore fitness.
He was about to captain Arsenal in the first competitive match of the new campaign.
He took a breath.
Then joined the next passing drill.
Eventually the coaching staff called the players inside.
The squad returned to the dressing room.
Showers ran briefly.
The training shirts came off.
Match kits were pulled from the lockers.
Red and white.
The Arsenal crest.
The sponsor.
The number on the back.
Francesco pulled his shirt over his head and looked down at the captain's armband.
He adjusted it carefully.
Koscielny noticed.
"Comfortable?"
Francesco looked at him.
"With the armband?"
"With everything."
Francesco nodded.
"Yeah."
Koscielny smiled.
"Then let's play."
The room became quiet as Wenger entered.
He held the team sheet.
The players gathered around.
Wenger looked at each of them before speaking.
"Petr."
Čech nodded.
"Robertson. Virgil. Laurent. Kyle."
The defenders listened.
"N'Golo. Granit."
Kanté and Xhaka exchanged a quick glance.
"Mesut."
Özil looked up.
"Alexis. Serge."
Gnabry straightened.
"And Francesco."
Francesco nodded.
"Captain."
The responsibility was accepted without ceremony.
Francesco simply tightened the armband.
Wenger then moved into the tactical details they had worked through during the week.
"The first pass must be clean."
He pointed toward the midfielders.
"We cannot allow them to dictate the rhythm without resistance. Stay close enough to support one another, but do not collapse into the same space."
His attention moved toward the wide players.
"When we win the ball, attack quickly if the opportunity is there. If it isn't, keep possession."
Then he looked toward Francesco.
"Do not become isolated."
Francesco nodded.
"Use the movement around you."
Alexis nodded.
Gnabry did the same.
Wenger's voice remained calm.
"Manchester City are very good when you give them time. Do not give them time."
He paused.
"But we do not need to play frightened."
That was important.
"Be brave."
The players nodded.
Wenger stepped back.
"Let's go."
The squad moved toward the tunnel.
Manchester City were already nearby.
Their players stood together, waiting.
Francesco recognized the faces immediately.
Bravo.
Zinchenko.
Otamendi.
Stones.
Danilo.
David Silva wore the captain's armband.
Rodri stood beside him.
Kevin De Bruyne was speaking quietly with Bernardo Silva.
Leroy Sané and Raheem Sterling were preparing on the other side.
Francesco looked across at them.
There was no hostility.
No unnecessary confrontation.
Just the quiet awareness between two teams that understood what awaited them.
This was different now.
No friendly.
No tour.
No experimental exercise.
The first competitive fixture of the season.
The stadium announcer called the teams forward.
Arsenal walked out first.
The noise from the stands rose immediately.
Francesco looked toward the supporters and raised one hand.
The response was enormous.
Manchester City followed.
Both teams lined up.
The official presentation took place beneath the bright Wembley lights.
Players acknowledged the supporters.
Then came the handshakes.
Francesco moved along the line, greeting the City players.
David Silva shook his hand.
"Good luck."
"You too."
The players moved into position for the photographs.
Arsenal stood together.
Francesco in the center of the front line.
Cameras flashed.
Then the captains and referee moved toward the center circle.
Francesco stood beside David Silva.
The referee held the coin.
It went into the air.
A decision was made.
The captains shook hands.
They returned to their teams.
Francesco jogged toward the Arsenal half.
He looked around Wembley one more time.
Then the whistle sounded.
Arsenal had the kickoff.
Francesco tapped the ball backward.
The Community Shield had begun.
Manchester City immediately pressed.
The first challenge came within seconds.
Xhaka received the ball under pressure and moved it toward Kanté.
Kanté turned away from De Bruyne.
Özil dropped deeper to offer an option.
Arsenal refused to panic.
City began circulating the ball.
David Silva drifted between midfield lines.
Rodri positioned himself centrally.
De Bruyne moved constantly, looking for a passing lane.
Arsenal's midfield stayed compact.
Kanté followed movements.
Xhaka communicated.
Özil searched for space.
Francesco remained high.
The first ten minutes passed at an extraordinary pace.
Every challenge was contested.
Every loose ball drew players toward it.
Walker raced back to deal with Sané.
Robertson followed Sterling's movement.
Van Dijk and Koscielny communicated constantly.
"Stay!"
"Hold!"
"Right!"
Čech's voice carried from behind them.
Arsenal eventually found their first sustained spell of possession.
Gnabry moved inside.
Alexis switched sides.
Francesco dropped between Stones and Otamendi.
Özil saw the movement.
The German received the ball and immediately looked forward.
Francesco turned.
A pass came toward him.
He controlled it under pressure, held off Otamendi and released Alexis.
Alexis crossed.
Bravo caught it.
A warning.
City responded.
De Bruyne found Sterling with a diagonal pass.
Sterling accelerated.
Walker matched him stride for stride.
The ball was eventually forced out.
Walker looked toward Francesco.
"Fast."
Francesco grinned.
"Very."
The match continued.
Arsenal pressed when the trigger appeared.
City attempted to play through them.
Neither side gave an inch.
Then, in the seventeenth minute, Arsenal found the opening.
Kanté won possession in midfield.
He immediately played toward Özil.
The German took one touch.
Francesco had started moving.
He drifted toward the left channel before suddenly cutting inside.
Stones followed him.
Otamendi hesitated.
That was enough.
Özil waited for the smallest opening.
Then he slipped the ball between the defenders.
Francesco accelerated onto it.
His first touch took him into the area.
Bravo rushed forward.
Francesco kept his composure.
He opened his body and guided the ball beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
Goal.
1–0.
For a moment Francesco simply stood there.
Then Wembley erupted.
Alexis reached him first.
"Captain!"
Francesco laughed as Alexis grabbed him.
Gnabry joined them.
Özil arrived a second later.
Francesco turned toward the supporters, punching the air once.
The noise rolled around Wembley.
Arsenal's first competitive goal of the season had been scored by their captain.
And it had come from a move they had rehearsed all week.
Wenger remained near the technical area.
He clapped once.
Then immediately turned back toward the pitch.
"Focus!"
The players began moving back.
Manchester City restarted.
And they came harder.
The equalizer arrived in the thirty-first minute.
City patiently moved the ball across the midfield.
Rodri found David Silva.
Silva turned and fed De Bruyne.
The Belgian saw Sterling beginning his run.
One pass.
Perfectly weighted.
Sterling accelerated behind the defensive line.
Čech came out.
Sterling reached the ball first.
A controlled finish.
1–1.
The City supporters erupted.
Arsenal's players stood disappointed for a moment.
Francesco looked around.
"Come on."
He clapped his hands.
"Forget it. We go again."
Koscielny nodded.
Xhaka picked up the ball.
Wenger remained calm on the sideline.
There was no panic.
The match continued.
Arsenal nearly responded immediately.
Alexis collected the ball on the left, cut inside and forced Bravo into a save.
The rebound fell dangerously.
Gnabry arrived.
His shot was blocked.
City survived.
At the other end, De Bruyne tested Čech from distance.
The goalkeeper pushed the ball over.
The intensity never dropped.
For several minutes, City controlled possession.
Then Arsenal began pressing higher again.
Kanté stepped forward.
Francesco closed the central passing lane.
Alexis chased the full-back.
Gnabry recovered.
The pressure forced City backward.
But Guardiola's players were too composed to be rushed into mistakes.
The tactical battle became increasingly obvious.
Wenger wanted Arsenal to remain compact and strike when space appeared.
Guardiola's side wanted to control the ball and move Arsenal until an opening developed.
Every decision mattered.
Özil tried to find pockets between Rodri and the defence.
David Silva kept drifting into dangerous areas.
Walker and Robertson had to judge exactly when to advance.
Van Dijk and Koscielny faced constant movement from Sterling and Sané.
Francesco was involved in almost every Arsenal attack.
He dropped deep.
He turned.
He ran behind.
He pressed.
But City refused to give him another clear opportunity.
As the half approached its final minutes, the match settled into a stalemate.
Arsenal created a chance through Gnabry.
City responded with a Sané run.
Alexis tested Bravo.
Čech denied De Bruyne.
Neither side could break the deadlock.
The fourth official eventually indicated the added time.
Francesco looked toward the scoreboard.
1–1.
One minute later, the referee blew his whistle.
Half-time.
The Arsenal players walked back toward the tunnel breathing heavily.
There was little talking.
The first forty-five minutes had been too demanding for casual conversation.
Francesco walked beside Koscielny.
"Still there."
Koscielny nodded.
"Very much."
They entered the dressing room.
Players sat down.
Water bottles were opened immediately.
Towels went around shoulders.
The room was filled with heavy breathing.
Wenger waited a few moments before speaking.
"Good."
The players looked up.
"You have competed well."
He paused.
"But the match is open."
Nobody disagreed.
"We cannot become passive because the score is level."
Wenger pointed toward the board.
"When we have the ball, we must still attack."
Then he moved to the defensive side.
"And when we lose it, especially in dangerous areas, we must be careful."
He looked around.
"They counter very quickly."
Kanté nodded.
Wenger continued.
"Do not give them the opportunity."
Francesco listened carefully.
As captain, he knew the players would look toward him as well.
He stood.
"We've got them," he said calmly.
The room quieted.
"They're hurting us when we lose the ball, but we're finding them when we move it quickly. Stay together. Don't rush."
He looked toward the younger players.
"Keep playing."
Then toward the senior players.
"Keep talking."
Alexis nodded.
Özil looked up.
Kanté gave a small thumbs-up.
Francesco sat down again.
Wenger smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
The players began preparing to return.
Boots were tightened.
Shirts adjusted.
Armbands checked.
The noise from Wembley filtered through the tunnel and into the dressing room.
The supporters were waiting.
The score remained 1–1.
Manchester City had answered Arsenal's opening goal, but neither side had taken control.
Francesco stood near the doorway.
The second half was waiting.
He stepped forward first.
The rest of the Arsenal players followed.
As they emerged from the tunnel, the sound of Wembley seemed to rise with them. The supporters had been waiting through the interval, and the moment Arsenal appeared, another wave of noise rolled down from the stands.
Francesco lifted his head.
The players spread across the pitch.
Manchester City were already taking their positions.
Guardiola stood inside his technical area, speaking quickly to one of his assistants before turning his attention toward the players. Wenger was doing much the same on the opposite touchline.
There was no need for either manager to say much more.
The score was level.
The trophy was still there for either side.
The referee checked his watch.
Francesco exchanged a final glance with Xhaka.
"Come on."
Xhaka nodded.
The whistle sounded.
The second half began.
Arsenal immediately pushed forward.
There was no cautious opening.
No period of settling.
Francesco dropped slightly to receive the first forward pass, turned and released it toward Alexis. Alexis drove inside, drawing Danilo toward him before switching the ball toward Robertson.
Robertson crossed early.
Otamendi got his head to it.
The ball dropped toward the edge of the area.
Xhaka arrived.
He struck it first time, but Rodri threw himself across and blocked the attempt.
The rebound fell loose.
Gnabry fought for it.
Stones won the challenge.
City escaped.
"Good!" Wenger shouted from the sideline. "Again!"
Manchester City responded almost immediately.
Rodri collected the ball and found David Silva, who turned away from Kanté and moved it into De Bruyne.
De Bruyne's first touch took him forward.
Sané sprinted into the space behind Walker.
The pass came.
Walker reacted instantly.
He turned and chased, matching Sané's pace before getting his foot across the ball and forcing it behind.
Sané looked frustrated.
Walker simply got up.
"Not today."
The corner was delivered.
Van Dijk rose above everyone.
He headed clear.
City recovered possession.
They kept it.
One pass became two, then three, then six.
David Silva drifted toward the right.
Bernardo Silva moved centrally.
Sterling stayed wide.
Arsenal had to shift with them.
Kanté pointed.
"Right!"
Xhaka moved across.
Özil dropped deeper.
Francesco stayed between Stones and Otamendi, waiting for the moment Arsenal could win the ball and break.
When Kanté finally stepped in and intercepted a pass, Francesco immediately turned and accelerated.
Alexis was already running.
Gnabry was moving through the opposite channel.
Özil received Kanté's pass and played forward.
Francesco took it in stride.
Stones recovered.
Otamendi moved across.
Francesco tried to slip the ball into Alexis.
Danilo read it.
He stretched out a leg and intercepted.
Another opportunity disappeared.
The match was becoming a series of small battles.
Every possession had a consequence.
Every mistake was punished.
Arsenal continued attacking.
Alexis cut inside and shot from distance.
Bravo held it.
Gnabry raced onto a loose ball and crossed toward Francesco.
Stones cleared at the last possible moment.
Robertson then delivered another cross.
Bravo came through traffic and punched it away.
At the other end, City were dangerous whenever De Bruyne found space.
One curling pass sent Sterling behind Robertson.
Sterling crossed low.
Koscielny slid across and cleared.
Sané collected the loose ball.
He struck toward the near post.
Čech got down quickly and pushed it away.
The rebound nearly fell to Bernardo Silva, but Van Dijk arrived first.
"Clear!"
He launched the ball toward halfway.
The Arsenal supporters applauded the defensive effort.
Francesco turned toward his teammates.
"Keep going!"
The game refused to settle.
Then, in the 57th minute, Arsenal found the breakthrough.
Kanté won a challenge in midfield.
The ball rolled toward Xhaka.
He took one touch forward.
City's midfield retreated.
Francesco was ahead of him.
Alexis moved across.
Gnabry drifted toward the right.
For a brief moment, Manchester City's defensive line hesitated.
Xhaka looked up.
There was space.
Not much.
Just enough.
He carried the ball a few more yards.
Rodri moved toward him.
Xhaka did not wait.
He planted his left foot and struck through the ball with his right.
The shot rose violently.
It seemed to keep climbing as it travelled toward the edge of the penalty area, before bending slightly through the air and accelerating toward the top corner.
Bravo moved.
He stretched.
He could only watch.
The ball flew beyond his fingertips and crashed into the net.
2–1.
Wembley exploded.
Xhaka stood frozen for half a second, almost unable to believe what he had just done.
Then he turned and shouted.
His arms spread wide.
"Come on!"
Francesco was already running toward him.
Alexis reached Xhaka first, jumping onto his back as Gnabry arrived beside them.
Kanté came sprinting across.
Özil grabbed Xhaka around the shoulders.
Francesco wrapped an arm around him.
"That was ridiculous!"
Xhaka was laughing.
"I saw the space!"
"You saw Wembley!"
Xhaka laughed even harder.
The Arsenal supporters were still celebrating.
The noise was enormous.
On the touchline, Wenger clapped firmly, a smile appearing briefly across his face.
Then his expression changed.
He pointed toward the centre circle.
"Back! Focus!"
Xhaka finally turned away from his teammates.
The celebration ended.
Manchester City were already waiting for the restart.
Guardiola was speaking urgently to his players.
The goal had changed the match.
And he knew it.
City came forward with greater purpose.
The next ten minutes were difficult for Arsenal.
De Bruyne began finding more room.
David Silva pushed higher.
Sané switched sides.
Sterling attacked Robertson repeatedly.
Bernardo Silva moved between the lines.
Arsenal were forced deeper.
Čech made one save after De Bruyne found Sterling inside the area.
Sterling's shot was low and powerful.
Čech dropped quickly and pushed it around the post.
"Good save!" Koscielny shouted.
The corner followed.
Rodri rose.
His header seemed destined for the bottom corner until Čech reacted and caught it.
The goalkeeper immediately shouted.
"Move!"
Arsenal pushed out.
Van Dijk stepped forward.
Kanté followed.
The defensive line moved together.
Another City attack came moments later.
Sané beat Walker to a loose ball and crossed.
Koscielny threw himself toward it.
The ball struck his chest and bounced away.
Walker cleared.
The supporters applauded again.
Arsenal were being tested.
But they were not breaking.
Wenger looked toward the bench.
Then at the clock.
Sixty-eight minutes.
He made his decision.
Three substitutions.
Mesut Özil came off.
Granit Xhaka followed.
Serge Gnabry was next.
Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Bukayo Saka stood ready.
Francesco walked toward them.
He hugged Özil briefly.
"Good work."
Özil smiled.
"Finish it."
Xhaka walked past holding his shirt in one hand.
"Don't let them score."
Francesco laughed.
"After that goal? We're not giving you the chance to be the hero again."
Xhaka shook his head.
"Fair."
Cazorla entered first.
Ramsey followed.
Then Saka.
The young winger looked toward Francesco.
"Let's go."
"Let's go."
Across the pitch, Guardiola was making changes of his own.
Raheem Sterling came off.
David Silva followed.
Kevin De Bruyne was the final player replaced.
Sergio Agüero entered.
İlkay Gündoğan came on.
Phil Foden joined them.
The substitutions immediately altered City's shape.
Agüero stayed central and gave Arsenal's defenders a different problem.
Gündoğan offered control in midfield.
Foden moved into pockets of space and looked eager to get involved.
Guardiola stood with his arms folded, watching carefully.
The match restarted.
And somehow it became even faster.
Cazorla's first contribution was a delicate pass around Rodri.
Ramsey chased it.
Saka received on the right and drove forward.
He crossed.
Bravo caught it under pressure.
City immediately countered.
Foden found Agüero.
The Argentine turned inside the area.
Koscielny stayed with him.
Agüero shot.
Čech blocked it with his legs.
The rebound bounced toward Foden.
Van Dijk arrived with a perfectly timed challenge.
The ball went out.
Foden looked disappointed.
Van Dijk simply got up.
"Keep going."
Arsenal broke from the resulting throw.
Cazorla found Ramsey.
Ramsey carried the ball through midfield before feeding Alexis.
Alexis accelerated.
Francesco ran through the middle.
Saka raced down the right.
Three against three.
Alexis waited.
Then he played Francesco through.
Francesco reached the edge of the area and shot.
Bravo got down.
Save.
The rebound bounced toward Saka.
Saka struck it first time.
Stones blocked it.
Arsenal supporters groaned.
Francesco clapped.
"Good!"
Saka looked toward him.
"Nearly."
"Keep doing that."
The chances continued.
City crossed.
Arsenal cleared.
Arsenal countered.
City recovered.
Čech saved from Agüero.
Bravo denied Alexis.
Koscielny blocked a Foden shot.
Van Dijk cleared a dangerous cross with Agüero waiting behind him.
Robertson sprinted forty yards to stop Sané.
Walker made another recovery run.
Kanté seemed to be everywhere.
Ramsey threw himself into challenges.
Cazorla slowed the game for a few seconds whenever Arsenal needed to breathe.
But City kept coming.
The clock moved beyond seventy.
Then seventy-five.
Then eighty.
Arsenal were beginning to understand that protecting a lead did not mean retreating completely.
Wenger kept shouting from the sideline.
"Keep the ball!"
"Move!"
"Don't give them another attack!"
Francesco repeated the instructions.
"Stay together!"
Whenever Arsenal won possession, he looked forward.
There were spaces now.
City were committing more players.
That meant danger for Arsenal.
It also meant opportunity.
At eighty-two minutes, Saka nearly exploited one.
Kanté intercepted another pass and immediately found Ramsey.
Ramsey played toward Saka.
Saka accelerated into open space.
Francesco sprinted through the centre.
Alexis moved left.
Saka carried the ball toward the penalty area.
Danilo recovered.
Saka tried to cross.
The defender blocked it.
Corner.
The Arsenal supporters rose again.
Francesco walked toward the box.
Koscielny and Van Dijk took their positions.
Cazorla delivered.
Bravo punched clear.
The ball eventually returned to Saka.
He collected it near the right touchline.
This time, he did not rush.
He waited.
The pressure came.
Saka kept the ball close to his feet, shifted inside and found the smallest passing lane.
Alexis had begun moving.
Francesco saw it.
He shouted.
"Alexis!"
Saka looked up.
The pass came.
Eighty-four minutes.
Saka slipped the ball between two City defenders and into Alexis's path.
Alexis took one touch.
That was all he needed.
He opened his body and drove the finish beyond Bravo and into the far corner.
3–1.
For a moment, Arsenal's players simply stared at the net.
Then Alexis turned and screamed.
Saka was already running toward him.
Alexis grabbed him.
"You beauty!"
Saka laughed as the rest of the team arrived.
Francesco reached them moments later.
He hugged Alexis, then grabbed Saka by the shoulders.
"That was brilliant."
Saka was smiling from ear to ear.
Alexis pointed at him.
"His assist!"
Francesco nodded.
"Absolutely."
The Arsenal supporters were celebrating as though another trophy had already been lifted.
Francesco looked toward the clock.
Then back at his teammates.
"Come on. Still work to do."
Alexis nodded.
Saka took a breath.
"Right."
They jogged back.
Manchester City refused to surrender.
Guardiola stood near the technical area, demanding movement.
Agüero tried to find space between Koscielny and Van Dijk.
Foden kept drifting into dangerous positions.
Gündoğan pushed forward.
Sané attacked Walker.
Bernardo Silva crossed from the opposite side.
The final minutes became a test of Arsenal's discipline.
Čech commanded his area.
"Mine!"
He came through a crowd and caught a cross cleanly.
Koscielny immediately pushed the defensive line forward.
Van Dijk stayed beside him.
Robertson tracked the runner.
Walker did the same on the other side.
Kanté closed the central space.
Ramsey chased every loose ball.
Cazorla tried to keep possession whenever Arsenal recovered it.
City created one final serious opportunity.
Foden slipped a pass through toward Agüero.
Agüero controlled it inside the area.
Koscielny stepped across.
The shot came.
Van Dijk blocked it.
The ball rolled loose.
Čech dropped on top of it.
He held it against his chest.
For a second, nobody moved.
Then Čech stood.
The Arsenal supporters roared.
Francesco clapped toward the goalkeeper.
"Excellent."
Čech nodded.
"Two more minutes."
The final minutes passed slowly.
Almost painfully slowly.
City still had possession, but Arsenal were no longer allowing them through the centre.
Every pass was contested.
Every cross was challenged.
Whenever Arsenal recovered the ball, Francesco moved toward the corner or offered himself as an outlet.
The referee checked his watch.
Ninety minutes.
Wembley was standing.
The fourth official indicated added time.
Francesco looked toward the Arsenal supporters.
He could see scarves raised above heads.
He could hear the chants.
Last season felt distant now.
The quadruple.
The celebrations.
The photographs.
The history.
This was something else.
A new season.
A new beginning.
The final whistle sounded.
Arsenal had won.
3–1.
Francesco stopped for a moment.
Then the emotion finally reached him.
Alexis ran toward him.
"Captain!"
They embraced.
Saka joined them.
Kanté came running over.
Ramsey was laughing.
Cazorla smiled broadly.
Koscielny grabbed Francesco by the shoulders.
"Again."
Francesco laughed.
"Again."
Around them, Arsenal players celebrated.
Čech raised both fists.
Van Dijk hugged Robertson.
Walker was shouting toward the supporters.
Xhaka, now wearing his substitute's tracksuit top, ran onto the pitch and immediately found his teammates.
Francesco pointed toward him.
"You started it."
Xhaka smiled.
"You finished it."
Manchester City's players began making their way across the pitch.
There was disappointment on their faces, but no bitterness.
David Silva shook hands with Arsenal players.
Guardiola spoke briefly with Wenger.
A few City players exchanged words with their opponents before heading toward their supporters.
The respect remained.
For Arsenal, however, the celebration was only beginning.
Staff began preparing the presentation area on the pitch.
A stage was assembled.
The Community Shield trophy was brought out.
The Arsenal players gathered nearby, still wearing their match kits.
Some were sweating.
Some were laughing.
Some simply stood quietly, taking in the moment.
One by one, they received their medals.
Kanté smiled as the medal was placed around his neck.
Ramsey applauded when Cazorla received his.
Saka looked almost overwhelmed.
Francesco watched his teammates before eventually receiving his own medal.
He touched it briefly.
It was a small weight around his neck.
But it meant something.
Not because the Community Shield carried the same significance as the Premier League, Champions League or FA Cup.
It didn't.
Everyone understood that.
But silverware was still silverware.
And winning mattered.
Especially when it came at the beginning of a new campaign.
The announcer called Arsenal's captain forward.
Francesco stepped onto the stage.
His teammates gathered behind him.
Alexis was already shouting.
"Come on, Francesco!"
The trophy was brought toward him.
He placed both hands around it.
For a second, he looked down.
Then he looked toward the Arsenal supporters.
He thought about everything that had happened since the previous season.
The trophies.
The World Cup.
The holiday.
The return to training.
The long flights.
The pre-season matches.
The work at London Colney.
The tactical sessions.
The pressure of today.
All of it had led here.
But this wasn't the end of anything.
It was the beginning.
Francesco lifted the Community Shield above his head.
Wembley erupted.
His teammates crowded around him.
Alexis jumped beside him.
Saka threw both arms into the air.
Kanté was laughing.
Xhaka pointed toward Francesco.
Cazorla applauded.
Van Dijk and Koscielny stood close behind him.
The trophy gleamed beneath the stadium lights.
Then fireworks erupted around the presentation area.
The Arsenal supporters roared.
Cameras flashed continuously.
Francesco lowered the trophy slightly before raising it again.
The entire squad joined in the celebration.
They had beaten Manchester City 3–1.
Francesco had scored the first.
Xhaka had produced the spectacular second.
Alexis had finished the third.
And Arsenal had begun the new season with another piece of silverware.
Last year's quadruple was already history.
Those trophies would remain part of the club's story forever.
But they were no longer playing for last season.
They were playing for what came next.
And as Francesco stood beneath the Wembley lights with the Community Shield held high above him, surrounded by his teammates and the deafening roar of thousands of Arsenal supporters, the message was clear.
The new season had begun, and Arsenal intended to make history all over again.
__________________________________________________
Name : Francesco Lee
Age : 19 (2017)
Birthplace : London, England
Football Club : Arsenal First Team
Championship History : 2014/2015 Premier League, 2014/2015 FA Cup, 2015/2016 Community Shield, 2016/2017 Premier League, 2015/2016 Champions League, Euro 2016, Premier League Champion 2016/2017, FA Cup 2016/2017, 2016/2017 Champions League, 2017/2018 Carabao Cup, Premier League 2017/2018, FA Cup 2017/2018, Champions League 2017/2018, 2018 World Cup, and 2018/2019 Community Shield.
Season 17/18 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 1
Goal: 1
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
POTM: 0
England:
Match: 0
Goal: 0
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 17/18 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 59
Goal: 76
Assist: 6
MOTM: 7
POTM: 0
England:
Match: 11
Goal: 14
Assist: 1
MOTM: 7
Season 16/17 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 55
Goal: 87
Assist: 5
MOTM: 14
POTM: 1
England:
Match: 1
Goal: 1
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 15/16 stats:
Arsenal:
Match Played: 60
Goal: 82
Assist: 10
MOTM: 9
POTM: 1
England:
Match Played: 2
Goal: 4
Assist: 0
Euro 2016
Match Played: 6
Goal: 13
Assist: 4
MOTM: 6
Season 14/15 stats:
Match Played: 35
Goal: 45
Assist: 12
MOTM: 9