Martin Taylor's voice rose above the noise at the Emirates Stadium.
As his words echoed through the air, the roar from the stands swelled in response.
Then, figures began to emerge from the players' tunnel.
At the same moment, the big screen flickered and changed. A close-up appeared—an Asian figure in Arsenal red and white, the captain's armband wrapped firmly around his arm.
The stadium erupted.
The stadium announcer sounded genuinely stirred.
"He is the youngest captain in Arsenal's history, beating Tony Adams by a few days. The backbone of their midfield—and one of the pillars of this team."
"He is—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Because the fans had already taken over.
"Kai!!!!!!!!!!"
The sound rolled through the stadium like a crashing wave.
At the front of the line, Kai stepped out first, head high, shoulders square.
The camera lingered on his left arm, zooming in on the captain's armband.
In the stands, Arsenal supporters grinned like children and thought.
That's our captain.
Behind him came Navas, followed by the rest of the Arsenal players.
The applause and chanting showed no sign of easing. If anything, it grew louder, heavier—an unmistakable message aimed straight at the visiting side.
"Ohhhhhh Kai, Kai, he's our pride!
Born to fight in red and white!
Pass or strike, he makes 'em cry,
Arsenal's star—our boy Kai!"
(clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
"Our boy Kai!"
(clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
"Our boy Kai!
Pressure, immediate and overwhelming.
On the Arsenal bench, N'Golo Kanté licked his lips unconsciously.
His eyes followed Kai.
Kai seemed to glow under the lights, drawing every gaze on the pitch.
Captain of Arsenal.
After the two teams lined up and completed the pre-match photographs, Kai stepped forward for the coin toss alongside Crystal Palace captain Jason Puncheon.
The routine was familiar.
He had done this often enough last season while Vermaelen was sidelined.
"Heads," Kai said calmly.
"Tails," Puncheon replied.
Referee Jonathan Moss flicked the coin into the air. It landed—heads.
Without hesitation, Kai spoke. "We'll take the ball."
Puncheon nodded and chose the left side of the pitch.
The two captains shook hands, then greeted the referee, before jogging back to their respective halves.
As players took their positions, Kai moved purposefully, loosening his shoulders and rolling his neck, already switched on.
Martin Taylor returned to the broadcast.
"This is the opening fixture of the 2014–2015 Premier League season—Arsenal against Crystal Palace."
As he spoke, the camera found Kai again.
Alan Smith chuckled softly. "He's cut quite an imposing figure there, Martin."
Martin nodded. "His World Cup was outstanding."
"China went out in the round of sixteen," Alan added, "but Kai still made the 2014 World Cup Best XI. The only Asian player selected. That tells you everything about how he's rated."
Martin moved on smoothly. "Let's take a look at Arsenal's lineup. A front three of Suarez, Di Maria, and Sanchez. In midfield: Kai, Cazorla, and Flamini. The back four—Sagna, Mustafi, Koscielny, and Gibbs. Navas in goal."
"The biggest changes are clearly up front," Alan said.
"Absolutely," Martin replied. "It's a very different look."
Alan expanded, "Sanchez impressed at the World Cup, Di Maria is often underrated. He was happy to do the hard work at Real Madrid, but he always delivered when it mattered—goals, assists, big moments. That's his strength."
The broadcast then shifted to Crystal Palace's lineup, displayed clearly on the big screen.
Martin offered a brief overview, letting the graphics do the rest.
Moments later, the camera returned to the centre circle.
The referee checked his watch, then stepped away.
The noise inside the Emirates peaked.
Everything was ready.
Beep!!
Suarez rolled the ball back to Kai, who returned it first time.
Almost immediately, Kai dropped deeper to receive again.
Crystal Palace didn't rush out to press. Their intention was obvious—stay compact, hold shape, don't get dragged out early.
Kai collected the ball cleanly, fed it into Mathieu Flamini, then lifted his head toward the opposition half.
With a subtle motion of both hands, he gestured forward.
Push up.
Arsenal's entire shape responded. The lines crept higher, passes moving briskly between red shirts.
Before long, Arsenal were camped outside Crystal Palace's penalty area, probing patiently.
"Arsenal already turning the screw here," Martin Taylor observed. "Crystal Palace want to slow this down, but Arsenal are pushing right up, forcing them deeper and deeper."
The pressure felt relentless.
Once Arsenal reached the edge of the box, the tempo shifted slightly. The ball began to circulate quickly—short passes, constant movement.
Kai held his position centrally, anchoring everything. Ahead of him, Cazorla, Di Maria, and Sanchez became the sharp edge of the attack, taking turns to dribble, cut inside, and test their markers.
The moment Palace showed signs of collapsing inward, the ball went straight back out again.
Under this rhythm, Crystal Palace were forced to defend continuously.
Kai watched calmly, receiving and recycling possession before sliding the ball back to Sanchez once more.
Keep going.
Wear them down.
Against a deep block like this, patience mattered more than flair. One rushed decision could invite a counterattack.
Kai wasn't having that.
Together with Flamini, he controlled the half-spaces relentlessly. Unless Palace hit a hopeful long ball toward their striker, they simply couldn't escape Arsenal's grip.
From the opening minutes, Arsenal dictated everything.
In the stands, the Emirates responded. Each forward pass, each shot attempt, was met with rising noise.
The pattern of the match was clear.
Crystal Palace wanted a point.
Arsenal wanted all three.
Wave after wave followed.
As the minutes ticked by, cracks began to show.
On Arsenal's right, Sanchez was becoming a serious problem for Martin Kelly, who was struggling to match his pace and sharp changes of direction.
Kai noticed immediately.
Without hesitation, he began funneling play toward that side, repeatedly feeding Sanchez.
And Sanchez was enjoying himself.
He attacked with freedom, rarely glancing back.
Because he trusted Kai.
As long as nothing extraordinary happened, nothing was getting through their captain.
That confidence spread. Arsenal's attackers committed fully to the final third.
"Sanchez again on the left," Martin Taylor said. "He's driving at Martin Kelly, and the full-back is having a very difficult afternoon already."
Alan Smith agreed. "Kelly isn't the quickest over the ground, and he's slow to turn. Defending Sanchez one-on-one is a tough assignment. You'd expect some help to arrive sooner rather than later."
And it did.
Crystal Palace captain Jason Puncheon dropped deeper, offering support on the flank.
It eased the pressure slightly—but only slightly.
Even when Palace managed a touch, possession rarely lasted. A hurried clearance, a loose pass, and Arsenal were back on the ball.
Crystal Palace weren't parking the bus entirely.
They always left themselves a way out.
Their two holding midfielders hovered, ready to spring forward the moment an opening appeared.
But for now, Arsenal were firmly in control.
. . .
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