The clock reached the 85th minute.
At most, only eight minutes remained, including stoppage time.
Arsenal were still behind.
They had thrown everything forward.
They had fought.
They had pressed.
They had created opportunities, but the equalizer simply refused to come.
Kai was completely drenched in sweat. Every part of his body felt heavy.
Even his legs were beginning to show signs of cramping.
That alone showed how intense the match had been.
He looked up at the scoreboard.
Time was disappearing.
For the first time tonight, even Kai felt a trace of helplessness.
He had done everything he could.
But football was never a one-man game.
His teammates were struggling.
Their movement was inconsistent.
Their understanding was lacking.
The connections that had made Arsenal so dangerous last season were no longer there.
Five minutes passed.
Then another three minutes of added time.
Still no goal.
The final whistle blew.
Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea.
. .
The Emirates Stadium fell silent.
The Arsenal supporters were frustrated, not because the team had lost to Chelsea.
That alone was not unacceptable.
It was because of the way they had lost.
In this match, aside from Kai, almost everyone else had failed to reach their usual level.
Kai had defended.
Created.
Carried the ball forward.
Attempted shots.
He had done everything a midfielder could do, but one player could not control an entire match. Football belonged to eleven players.
Individual brilliance could elevate a team.
But when the collective performance collapsed, even the greatest individual effort would eventually be swallowed by the game.
On the pitch, Chelsea's players celebrated wildly.
They had defeated Arsenal at the Emirates and had proven their worth. They had shown everyone that Chelsea were still the champions of England.
Conte clenched his fists and shouted in celebration.
For him, this victory represented a turning point. After this match, Chelsea could finally rebuild confidence and begin chasing the teams near the top of the table.
Losing to Chelsea was not embarrassing.
But for the reigning Champions League winners, Arsenal's current situation was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Their performances since the start of the season had been unstable, and under those circumstances, some players had begun to question the future.
One of them was Luis Suárez.
The Uruguayan striker looked disappointed as he walked toward the tunnel.
¿Fue realmente la decisión correcta quedarse en el Arsenal?
(Was staying at Arsenal really the right decision?)
At the beginning of the season, he had never imagined things would become like this. He was still among the Premier League's top scorers, but compared with last season, his goals had clearly decreased.
He was no longer the hungry player desperate for a chance to compete in the Champions League. He had already stood at the top of European football.
He had experienced that feeling, and now, he wanted it again.
Badly.
He believed Arsenal could still give him that opportunity.
But looking at the current situation...
Nobody could guarantee where this team would end up.
.
.
Post-match press conference
Conte faced the media with a confident smile.
"This was a very difficult match," he said.
"Arsenal are an excellent opponent. After we scored, we were forced into a very defensive position, but the players showed great determination and protected the result."
"Of course, I want to show respect to Arsenal. They played very well."
The reporters exchanged looks.
Some almost smiled.
Conte really knew how to speak.
The first half had hardly been a classic encounter.
Both teams had made numerous mistakes.
A reporter raised his hand.
"How would you evaluate Fabregas' performance today?"
Conte smiled.
"He played very well. He worked extremely hard. Perhaps returning to a familiar stadium helped him. His performance exceeded expectations."
Pat Rice, sitting beside him, raised an eyebrow.
Trying to stir things up?
The reporters immediately sensed an opportunity.
They turned toward Pat.
"How would you compare Kai and Fabregas' performances today?"
Pat first glanced at Conte.
Conte remained expressionless.
Pat gave a quiet snort before answering.
"This was a team failure and an individual's victory."
The reporters immediately became focused.
"We lost the match. That is the reality."
"But we also discovered something important."
"Kai is capable of taking on more responsibility."
"Everyone knows Arsenal needs him to continue improving, to become a stronger and more complete player."
"His performance today was excellent, but it was not perfect."
"And that is actually a good thing."
"Because it means there is still room for him to grow."
"As for the comparison between Kai and Fabregas, I think the match ratings will answer that question."
He paused.
"For me, Kai was the better player today."
Pat naturally defended his captain.
Although he had also helped develop Fabregas during his early Arsenal years, his feelings toward him were complicated.
More importantly...
Kai had simply been better.
Even Hazard, Chelsea's most influential player, had not matched Kai's overall impact.
Fabregas certainly had not.
The two managers soon ended the press conference.
However, they had already provided enough material for the media.
. . .
That night, newspapers and football websites across England were filled with reactions to the match.
"Arsenal Edged Out by Chelsea"
"Has Arsenal's 'Big Game Test' Failed?"
"Chelsea Claim Victory at the Emirates"
"Are Chelsea Still London's Best?"
Among the many reports, one article from a small local outlet unexpectedly gained attention.
The publication was not considered a major voice in English football, but its opinion piece quickly became one of the most discussed topics among fans.
The article stated:
"After eight Premier League matches, Chelsea's form has been far from convincing. Yet their only major victory came against Arsenal."
"Because of Chelsea's reputation and recent history, many people automatically assume they remain a top side."
"But should one victory be enough to prove that?"
"Has Arsenal exposed Chelsea's weaknesses rather than revealing their own?"
"Our conclusion is simple."
"Arsenal did not fail the test. Chelsea passed it."
"Arsenal lost because Chelsea were the better team on the day, but that does not mean Chelsea are currently a dominant force."
"Conte is trying to rebuild a squad that is no longer at its peak and immediately turn it back into a title-winning machine. That process will not happen overnight."
"Therefore, Arsenal's defeat should not be viewed as proof that Chelsea have returned to their best."
"Instead, it shows that Chelsea still has many problems to solve."
The article quickly became a major talking point.
Rather than focusing on Arsenal's decline, it shifted attention toward Chelsea's own struggles.
The debate surrounding the match changed completely.
Was Chelsea's victory a sign of a comeback?
Or had Arsenal simply exposed another team's problems?
Soon, another headline appeared.
"Chelsea's Title Defense Looks Far From Convincing."
Chelsea supporters were furious.
Conte was equally frustrated.
They had hoped the victory over Arsenal would silence doubts and rebuild confidence around the team.
Instead, the discussion had moved in a completely different direction.
They had won against the Champions League winners.
Why was that suddenly being treated as evidence of Chelsea's weakness?
. . .
The ninth round of the Premier League arrived.
Chelsea returned to Stamford Bridge to face Aston Villa.
And they lost.
It was another disappointing home defeat against a team they were expected to beat.
The result brought back memories of Mourinho's final days, when Chelsea had suffered an embarrassing home loss to Queens Park Rangers.
This time, Conte had no answers.
He was left struggling to understand how his team could produce such contrasting performances.
They had defeated Arsenal.
Then they lost to Aston Villa.
How could there be such a dramatic difference?
Surely Arsenal were not a weaker side than Aston Villa.
. . .
At the same time, Arsenal traveled away to face newly promoted Bournemouth.
They managed only a 3-3 draw.
The result did little to ease the growing concerns surrounding the team.
Their attacking play lacked the fluidity of the previous season, while their defensive organization had become increasingly fragile.
Conceding three goals against a newly promoted side highlighted the scale of the problems.
Čech, Koscielny, and Chambers were all involved in costly mistakes throughout the match.
The defensive unit had made several errors, and the lack of stability at the back was becoming impossible to ignore.
For a team that had lifted the Champions League trophy only months earlier, Arsenal's sudden decline had become one of the biggest talking points in English football.
. . .
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