Chapter 252: Arsenal, It's Time to Stop Dreaming
As Barcelona's undisputed nemesis in recent years—having even surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo—Li Ang was voted by Barça fans as their most disliked player. Even though he was no longer in La Liga this season, his name still triggered waves of complaints and rants among the massive Barça supporter base whenever mentioned.
It all came down to one simple fact: Li Ang had played ruthlessly against Barcelona during his time at Real Madrid. At worst, he had drawn against them—but never lost.
Barça fans often made fun of Ronaldo with ease and without guilt, especially considering how many times he had lost to them while at Manchester United and Real Madrid, including some pretty humiliating defeats.
Li Ang, by contrast, seemed like someone blessed by fate.
In his first season with Real Madrid's first team, Mourinho protected him by not including him in the squad for matches against Barça. But after gaining experience during his loan in Serie A and returning, Mourinho's Real Madrid was in full swing—just as Barcelona had started to decline. The result? Two consecutive seasons of Real Madrid dominating Barça on the pitch!
By this season, Barcelona had finally seen cracks in Madrid—conflicts between players and coaching staff, the usual locker-room turmoil. Mourinho left, Neymar was brought in, and Barça seemed to be regaining strength.
Just as Barça fans started dreaming about exacting revenge on Li Ang this season… the guy up and left with Mourinho for the Premier League!
Of course, if Li Ang had stayed at Madrid, even without Mourinho, it's questionable whether Barça could've actually beaten them in the league's first meeting.
But most Barça fans didn't bother with those hypotheticals anymore.
All they knew was that Barça beat Madrid this season, and that victory felt like sweet revenge for the past two years of being crushed.
However, just as their confidence was building again, they were once more drawn against their most hated coach and their most hated player—and on the most hated stage of all: the Champions League.
Suddenly, the confidence they thought they had seemed to waver. Even though Li Ang had already taken the initiative and fired the first playful shot, Barça fans weren't as quick to respond as expected.
Sure, there were those who replied to Li Ang's tweet, telling him to shut up—but they were fewer in number than in years past.
Maybe it was because they'd been burned too many times over the last couple of seasons.
After so many painful lessons, Barça fans had to admit—Li Ang had some sort of mystic power over their team.
No group of fans in Europe knew better what happened when you taunted Li Ang before a match.
Deep down, maybe Barça fans had a thousand reasons to convince themselves their current squad was stronger than Chelsea's.
Maybe they wouldn't fare so well against Bayern, but against Chelsea? Surely they could handle that.
But the moment they recalled Li Ang's smirking photo, posted just after the draw, they hesitated.
They decided to wait until after the first leg to see how things played out before talking trash to Chelsea fans.
After all, they had beaten Real Madrid this season—that was a fact.
But until they actually defeated Mourinho and Li Ang on the pitch, they would never truly feel at ease.
Thankfully, the wait wouldn't be long. On April 2nd, Barça and Chelsea would face off at Camp Nou for the first leg of the quarterfinals.
Would Barça conquer their demons and rise again atop the corpses of their old rivals, or would they repeat past mistakes and fall once more at the feet of Mourinho and Li Ang? The answer would soon be revealed.
Barça fans were nervous—but also excited.
Meanwhile, the night before Chelsea's league clash with Arsenal, after posting that teasing tweet toward Barça, Li Ang slept like a baby.
Nervous? Not even close.
In the past two seasons, Barça hadn't even been Madrid's toughest opponent.
Li Ang had already chewed up Bayern—the most fearsome team in Europe—twice.
Facing this still-rebuilding Barça team again? He and Mourinho had one undeniable advantage: psychological dominance.
Even the tweet wasn't meant to get in anyone's head. Li Ang genuinely wanted to know—after this long season, had Barcelona missed him?
Did his old rivals back in La Liga—Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, and his greatest ever opponent, Messi—ever think about the days they shared the pitch?
Yeah, he was just that direct and honest about it.
If he had a choice, Li Ang would've actually preferred to face Real Madrid in the Champions League.
But UEFA clearly had its eye on making this a ratings bonanza. Just look at how the draw and bracket were set up.
UEFA had dangled the possibility of a Mourinho and Li Ang reunion with Real Madrid on the big stage—but only if they could first defeat their longtime rival Barça and the hottest team in Europe: Bayern.
If Chelsea pulled it off, it would be a marketing goldmine and UEFA would hit the jackpot.
If not, there would still be powerhouse teams in both brackets ready to deliver a blockbuster final.
No matter how you looked at it, UEFA couldn't lose.
From another angle, though, Li Ang understood why many Premier League fans believed UEFA just didn't like English clubs.
That wasn't just paranoia. It was something that had shown itself time and again—past, present, and likely in the future.
But in the end, Li Ang didn't care much about that kind of petty suppression.
He'd already walked the toughest paths in football. Mourinho, from the moment he became a household name, had been clashing with the best in the world.
When it came to mental resilience, they were unmatched. There wasn't a coach-player duo in football with thicker skin.
So drawing Barcelona? Whatever. Train hard, prep well, and then—on April 2nd—give the old rival a nice little iron-fisted surprise.
But first, they had to show proper respect to Arsenal.
Even though Arsenal had been overtaken by Liverpool and slipped to fourth in the league—eleven points behind Chelsea despite playing one game more—it didn't matter.
What mattered was Mourinho believed:
In their second meeting of the season, as long as Arsenal still had even the slightest hope of contending for the league title, they'd go all out!
Because this was it—their last shot. Lose to Chelsea, and all they'd have left was a mathematical possibility.
Wenger might make tactical blunders from the sidelines now and then, but he wasn't about to screw up at such a critical juncture in the season.
It wasn't just Chelsea going all-in—every team was fighting now. With only eight or nine matches left, who wasn't giving it their all?
With that cautious mindset, Chelsea prepared for a war at Stamford Bridge, determined to give Arsenal a tough, grinding battle.
March 22nd, nearly 1 PM local time in London.
Under the warm afternoon sun, Stamford Bridge was already packed with passionate fans from both Chelsea and Arsenal.
As the players from both teams lined up in the tunnel, awaiting the referee's signal to enter the pitch, commentators across the world were already deep into pre-match coverage.
It was Saturday—and with a 9 PM kickoff time back in China, this was the perfect prime-time viewing slot.
So the moment the live stream began on Sina Sports, a flood of Chinese fans poured into the broadcast room.
In the studio, familiar commentators Zhan Jun and Coach Zhang Lu appeared right on schedule for the domestic audience.
After their usual greetings, Zhan Jun handed off the analysis of the teams' recent form to Coach Zhang.
Only when the players began walking out onto the pitch did Zhan Jun take the mic back and introduce the starting lineups.
"Alright, let's go over today's starting elevens:
For the home side, Chelsea are sticking with the classic one-big-two-small up front—Zlatan Ibrahimović spearheading the attack, flanked by the ever-familiar Hazard and De Bruyne on the wings.
In midfield, the trio remains unchanged: Li Ang on the left, Lampard on the right, and Matić anchoring the middle.
At the back, the center-back partnership is Terry and Gary Cahill.
Although David Luiz has returned from injury and made the matchday squad, Mourinho has opted to keep him on the bench for safety.
Azpilicueta starts at right-back, Bertrand at left-back, and Čech guards the net."
"As for the visitors, Arsenal's lineup is as follows:
In goal, it's Poland's international Wojciech Szczęsny.
Center-backs are Germany's Per Mertesacker and France's Laurent Koscielny. Kieran Gibbs starts on the left, Bacary Sagna on the right.
In midfield, Arsenal are going with a five-man setup today—Arteta, Toulalan, Cazorla, Podolski, and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Leading the line up front is the tall French striker Olivier Giroud…"
Zhan Jun quickly wrapped up the lineup introductions, and Coach Zhang followed up with season-to-date stats for key players from both teams.
But the biggest regret for Arsenal heading into this match?
Their top scorer, Edinson Cavani—who had already netted 21 goals in the Premier League—was out with an ankle sprain suffered in training.
And so, Arsenal had no choice but to start the French striker Giroud.
In terms of tactical options and link-up play, perhaps Arsenal had more variety than before.
But when it came to finishing efficiency, there was no question—they'd have to find another way today.
After all, Giroud was never known for clinical finishing. He was a big target man, not a ruthless poacher.
As for Podolski, after enjoying a honeymoon period following his transfer to Arsenal last season, his form and fitness had taken a significant hit this year. His goal contributions had dropped sharply.
Last season, Podolski played around forty matches and delivered an impressive double-double—16 goals and 11 assists.
But this season, up to now, he'd only managed 9 goals and 1 assist in all competitions.
For a mid-table Premier League team, that might've been fine.
But at Arsenal—where he was the second-choice goal scorer behind Cavani—those numbers were just not enough.
Still, even if Arsenal's attack was underperforming, the return of Mertesacker before the season's end had at least bolstered their defense, especially in the air.
Together with the stable Arteta-Toulalan double pivot in midfield, Gunners fans could rest a little easier about the back line.
Had Toulalan not been injured for a month and a half in the second half of the season, Arsenal might be right up there with Manchester City in the standings.
But it couldn't be helped. In recent years, Wenger hadn't really found any great young talents for the defensive midfield position, and their depth in that area was paper-thin.
It was sheer luck they'd even managed to sign Toulalan this season.
Just look at Flamini, who spent more time in the treatment room than on the pitch. Compared to him, Toulalan—who had made 25 Premier League appearances this season—was practically an "Iron Man" in Arsenal's midfield.
That's why, in this moment, the thousands of traveling Gunners fans at Stamford Bridge weren't envious of Chelsea's strikers or defenders.
But when they saw Li Ang and Matić—strong, tireless, indestructible—they couldn't help but salivate with envy.
If Arsenal had just one of those two midfield engines, they'd have had a real shot at the title this year!
Of course, that was just wishful thinking. Everyone knew Mourinho would never part with his midfield treasures.
Back at Real Madrid, Mourinho was already notorious for hoarding central midfielders, earning jokes from fans across Europe.
But now? Those same fans wished their managers would act just like Mourinho and scour the globe for elite holding mids.
The truth was, in terms of eye for talent in midfield, very few managers could compare with Mourinho.
Before the match officially kicked off, even the Sky Sports commentators didn't hold back.
Whether or not Arsenal could take any points from Stamford Bridge today would come down to whether their midfield could hold up.
If Wenger could use numbers to match Chelsea's strength and hold the line, a draw wasn't out of the question—Arsenal's defense was solid, after all.
But if they couldn't stand their ground? Then Li Ang wouldn't be showing Arsenal any mercy.
Their offense was already weakened; if the midfield collapsed too, things would get dangerous—fast.
With the referee's whistle, this early Premier League blockbuster from Round 31 of the 2013–2014 season officially began!
Chelsea had the kickoff and didn't immediately press forward or try anything fancy.
Li Ang took control and quickly signaled for his teammates to spread out and establish their shape.
Facing pressure from Giroud and Cazorla, Li Ang coolly spun twice—two tight 180-degree turns—to evade both challengers, before switching the ball out wide to De Bruyne.
With Arsenal crowding midfield, Podolski and Arteta immediately closed down De Bruyne in a pincer move.
Li Ang quickly moved wide again to support and called for the ball.
De Bruyne didn't hesitate. He turned and laid it back, and with just a minor adjustment, Li Ang pinged a long ball toward the left wing, where Hazard had already been waiting.
It wasn't quite a cruise missile—but it was damn close. A pinpoint, beautiful diagonal ball.
More than anything, it was a testament to Li Ang's expanding vision.
Any Real Madrid fans watching this match would notice: Li Ang's field awareness had improved significantly compared to his days in Spain.
That kind of ability—to see more, and deeper—was a trait usually reserved for true midfield masters.
And Li Ang? He was starting to resemble legends like Luka Modrić or Pirlo more and more with each match.
Chelsea's opening attack flowed from Hazard and Ibrahimović linking up.
Hazard's through ball came in fast, but Koscielny was sharp and stepped in front just in time, preventing Ibra from receiving in the Arsenal box.
Wenger, however, didn't look too pleased on the touchline.
Seeing Li Ang so comfortable and in-form with his passing from the very start gave him an uneasy feeling.
Yes, Arsenal had packed the midfield with defenders.
But Li Ang, with his world-class passing and vision, could still carve open that dense midfield structure.
His ability to switch the ball cleanly from one flank to another was already creating real problems—Hazard and De Bruyne's runs were becoming increasingly threatening.
Wenger grew anxious. He signaled to Gibbs and Sagna not to push up too early.
But honestly, for a team like Arsenal—with attacking full-backs built into its DNA—asking those players to stay back permanently was asking the impossible.
Fortunately, Arteta and Cazorla were still keeping Li Ang relatively contained.
And Arsenal's lateral movement on defense was pretty solid.
So for now, their back line and midfield were holding up well.
Even though they'd inevitably start pressing higher later in the match, Arsenal didn't allow Chelsea a single clear-cut chance in the first ten minutes.
The pace of the game slowed slightly, and with Chelsea's attack fizzling out, it seemed it was nearly time for Arsenal to begin asserting their own pressure.
After all, no team could keep pressing for ninety minutes. Especially not this late in the season—fatigue always played a role.
Wenger began to feel a bit more relaxed.
But then, in the twelfth minute, just when Chelsea looked like they were about to lose control of the midfield…
Li Ang again broke through a double team from Cazorla and Podolski and slipped the ball wide to De Bruyne, who had raised his hand to signal for it.
Seeing Li Ang pass the ball away, Arsenal's defenders naturally leaned toward their left, ready to block the wing progression.
But this time, De Bruyne didn't combine with Azpilicueta or try anything down the flank.
He cut inside immediately, and without even glancing up, unleashed a sweeping diagonal long ball to the opposite side!
"A brilliant long pass from De Bruyne! It seems Arsenal forgot—Li Ang's not the only one in Chelsea's squad who can hit world-class long balls!"
Zhan Jun shouted with excitement in the commentary booth.
Hazard received the ball perfectly on the left and found himself facing an undermanned Arsenal back line.
He was grinning before he even touched it.
Arsenal were about to pay the price for a moment of defensive complacency.
Sagna was simply too old—he was blown past cleanly by Hazard's burst of speed.
Once Hazard cut into the penalty area, Mertesacker was left in a terrible position.
With his notoriously slow turning radius, any mistake would allow Hazard a clear shot at Szczęsny's goal.
Mertesacker hesitated, choosing to delay rather than challenge.
But Hazard moved faster than expected.
He sliced a low pass across the box toward Ibrahimović, who had already positioned himself in the center.
Mertesacker had no choice but to abandon Hazard and close in on Ibra.
But seeing himself about to be sandwiched between Koscielny and Mertesacker, Ibra abandoned his shooting attempt and held up play with his back to goal.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both Lampard and Li Ang arriving from deep.
He instinctively laid it off to Li Ang, who had taken up a central position.
Already having shaken off Toulalan with his pace, Li Ang didn't hesitate.
He knew if he tried to adjust or take an extra touch, Toulalan would immediately foul him.
So, without breaking stride, he surged into the Arsenal box.
Koscielny rushed in frantically, but Li Ang didn't flinch or cut inside—he just smashed the ball with all his power toward the far top corner!
A wave of familiarity rushed over Li Ang. He grinned in his heart.
"All those hours practicing penalties… totally worth it!"
Szczęsny's line of sight was briefly obstructed by Mertesacker's massive frame. That slight delay in reaction was fatal.
By the time Szczęsny saw the shot, it was too late.
The ball screamed into the top left corner—barely brushing the underside of the crossbar.
Stamford Bridge erupted like a volcano!
Li Ang cupped his hands behind his ears and strutted toward the corner flag with a cocky grin.
His swagger said it all—loud and clear—to the stunned Arsenal faithful:
It's time.
Time to stop dreaming and face reality.
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