"They really are strong this year."
Inside the VIP box, one of the FA officials could not help expressing his admiration after watching the first half.
New Manchester United were still a First Division club.
Yet after winning the league title, they had also reached the FA Cup final and the UEFA Cup final.
How many strong opponents had they beaten along the way?
How many difficult matches had they survived?
If they could win both remaining finals, they would complete an extraordinary treble while still playing in England's second tier.
Perhaps no second-division club in English football, or even European football, had ever achieved anything comparable.
The previous season's treble could still be dismissed by some because it had come at a lower level.
But if the Red Rebels did it again this year, nobody could reasonably question their strength.
The FA naturally welcomed the rise of new challengers.
From the perspective of managing a league system, a competition dominated indefinitely by only one or two clubs would eventually lose some of its appeal.
It was no different from Formula One.
Whenever Ferrari and Schumacher became too dominant, regulations were adjusted in an effort to restore competitiveness.
The Premier League was growing rapidly.
Its international influence was expanding every year.
But if it wanted to enter a true golden age, the dominance of Manchester United and Arsenal eventually had to be challenged by more clubs.
Something closer to the old era of Serie A's Seven Sisters would make the league stronger and more exciting.
Modern football was becoming increasingly dependent on money.
Even the FA, with all its traditional instincts, understood that.
That was why wealthy owners like Ethan, people willing to invest heavily while genuinely caring about football, were exactly the type English football wanted to attract.
And Ethan was hardly alone.
Several Premier League clubs were already attracting foreign interest.
The strongest recent rumours suggested that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was preparing to acquire a London club, with Tottenham and Chelsea both mentioned.
"Leading at half-time makes the second half difficult for Arsenal," Prince Charles said.
He watched football often enough to understand the basic situation.
Ethan smiled.
"Arsenal are still dangerous.
"Look at the players they have.
"Henry, Pires, Ljungberg, Bergkamp.
"Any one of them can decide a match with a single moment.
"And even if you don't give them an obvious opportunity, players like that are capable of creating one themselves.
"This isn't over."
A 1-0 lead was one of the most dangerous advantages in football.
Especially against Arsenal.
They could strike at any moment.
New Manchester United were also young and still lacked experience in matches of this magnitude.
It was up to Mourinho to protect them from those weaknesses.
...
After the fifteen-minute interval, the second half began.
"Neither manager has made a substitution," Martin Tyler observed immediately.
"Wenger clearly believes he can change the match with the players already out there.
"Mourinho feels the same."
But within moments, Tyler noticed a slight tactical adjustment.
"De Rossi and Essien have dropped a little deeper.
"Juninho and Kaká haven't changed much.
"Villa and Hleb are still staying close to Arsenal's defensive line."
Andy Gray nodded.
"That's an important part of New Manchester United's shape.
"Even when they're defending, the front players continue pressing the opposing back line.
"They also react very aggressively when possession is lost.
"With the score at 1-0, Mourinho is effectively reminding Wenger that he still has players positioned to counter."
Tyler continued.
"Wenger has adjusted as well.
"Lauren is pushing higher to support the attack.
"Ljungberg is moving much farther forward.
"Henry is dropping deeper more often.
"The intention is obvious.
"Arsenal want to bring their right side into the game too.
"And when Arsenal can attack effectively from both flanks, they're extremely difficult to stop."
Gray admired the tactical battle developing between the two managers.
From the commentary position, the patterns were visible.
But Mourinho and Wenger were the ones creating and responding to them in real time.
That said everything about their understanding of the game.
"Neither Ashley Cole nor Lauren can afford to push forward recklessly," Gray said.
"Hleb is always waiting for space.
"And behind him is Kaká.
"Then behind Kaká is Juninho.
"Juninho has been given more defensive responsibility today, but he's still controlling the midfield extremely well.
"He's made life difficult for both Parlour and Gilberto.
"And his ability to switch play means Wenger can't ignore the danger behind his full-backs."
Gray shook his head.
"This is a genuine tactical chess match.
"Both managers are constantly attacking the other's weaknesses.
"But Arsenal are the side under greater pressure simply because they're behind."
Tyler chuckled.
"Mourinho's plan now seems very simple.
"Wait.
"Wait for Arsenal to lose patience.
"Wait for the clock to run down.
"Then, when they push too many players forward and leave space behind, finish them."
The second half remained intense.
Arsenal still had more of the initiative.
They attacked repeatedly.
But New Manchester United's defensive block held firm.
With De Rossi and Essien providing protection, Arsenal struggled to create clean chances.
Ljungberg was pushed farther forward but continued to disappoint.
On one excellent opportunity, Bergkamp arrived unmarked through the middle.
A simple pass would have left him with a tap-in.
Ljungberg chose to shoot instead.
Čech gathered comfortably.
Wenger roared in frustration from the touchline.
Then he immediately signalled towards Wiltord.
Warm up.
Mourinho remained still, hands in his pockets.
His expression was calm.
His mind was anything but.
He was constantly studying the match.
Every movement.
Every space.
Every adjustment.
When he saw Wiltord beginning to warm up, Mourinho glanced at the clock.
71 minutes.
Still 1-0.
Wenger was running out of patience.
This was a final.
There was no second leg.
If Arsenal failed to score, New Manchester United would win the FA Cup.
After everything Wenger had said before the match, finishing the season without a trophy was not something he could accept.
Sooner or later, he had to take a risk.
"Wiltord for Ljungberg?" Cassell asked as he approached.
Mourinho shook his head.
"I'm not sure."
Ljungberg had been poor.
But not because he lacked quality.
Evra and De Rossi had simply given him very little room to play.
Mourinho's structure had suffocated him.
Under normal circumstances, replacing Ljungberg would have been the obvious choice.
But this was no longer a normal match.
"What do we do?" Cassell asked.
Mourinho kept watching the pitch.
"Wait."
Cassell understood.
A substitution now could easily upset the balance.
Mourinho wanted to see Wenger's move first.
...
In the 75th minute, Wenger finally acted.
Wiltord came on.
But not for Ljungberg.
Ashley Cole was withdrawn.
Lauren dropped into a three-man defence.
Pires moved more centrally.
Henry shifted towards the left.
Arsenal effectively changed to a 3-5-2.
"He finally went for it," Mourinho said quietly.
Then he turned.
"Drogba.
"Warm up."
A few minutes later, both sides made their changes.
"Arsenal have brought on Wiltord for Ashley Cole," Gray said.
"And New Manchester United respond by replacing Villa with Drogba.
"Interesting choice from Mourinho."
Tyler immediately understood it.
"This looks entirely tactical.
"Villa has played very well.
"But Mourinho now wants Drogba's physical presence against Arsenal's ageing centre-backs.
"If Drogba can hold the ball up, Hleb and Kaká can attack the spaces around him."
Once Drogba entered, New Manchester United stopped retreating any deeper.
Instead, they pushed their defensive block slightly forward.
They did not want Pires receiving possession comfortably in central areas.
On the left, Henry was now operating without Ashley Cole overlapping behind him.
That forced him into more individual situations.
Kolo Touré handled those surprisingly well.
His pace and acceleration were excellent.
He was agile enough to stay with Henry.
And Curtis remained behind him as cover.
Ljungberg began finding slightly more space on Arsenal's right.
Even so, New Manchester United still refused to give him a clear route to goal.
On the counter, the plan became even more direct.
Find Drogba.
Juninho repeatedly sent long passes towards him.
Drogba moved intelligently across the line and used his body against Keown and Luzhny.
Hleb and Kaká immediately positioned themselves around him, waiting for second balls and layoffs.
Then, in the 85th minute, the chance came.
Juninho sent a long pass forward.
Drogba dropped off the defensive line.
Luzhny tried to follow.
Drogba held him off with his body.
Then, without bringing the ball fully under control, he flicked it into Kaká's path.
Kaká did not take a touch.
He immediately lifted a delicate pass over Arsenal's defensive line.
Hleb had already started his run.
He beat the offside trap.
The ball dropped into the penalty area.
Hleb controlled it on his chest.
Turned.
Left-footed shot.
Seaman was beaten.
The ball struck the post.
Out.
Hleb immediately put both hands over his head and dropped into a crouch.
So close.
Arsenal responded almost immediately.
Henry collected the ball on the left.
Kolo Touré backed away.
Henry suddenly unleashed a powerful shot from near the edge of the penalty area.
It came without warning.
Čech reacted quickly.
He threw himself across goal and tipped it behind.
Corner.
The final minutes became frantic.
Arsenal threw everything forward.
Even Lauren began joining attacks regularly.
New Manchester United were forced deeper.
At the same time, the Red Rebels began managing the clock.
Slow restarts.
Longer walks to dead balls.
Kolo Touré took so much time over one throw-in that the referee booked him.
Arsenal's players were furious.
The atmosphere became increasingly hostile.
Then the fourth official raised the board.
Three minutes of stoppage time.
Arsenal were almost desperate now.
Still 1-0 down.
Mourinho showed no sign of relaxing.
Even Drogba had dropped deep to help defend.
If Arsenal equalised now, after New Manchester United had protected the lead for so long, it would be devastating.
Mourinho glanced towards the bench.
Yaya Touré.
Philipp Lahm.
Both had been warming up.
He gestured towards them.
Come over.
The message was obvious.
He still had two substitutions available.
And he intended to use them.
Slowly.
One after another.
Anything to consume a little more time.
Wenger saw exactly what he was doing.
His face darkened.
But there was little he could complain about.
Mourinho's side were leading.
They had every right to use their substitutions.
Wenger could only stand there, jaw clenched, glaring across at the Portuguese manager.
Tyler laughed softly.
"These two really are made to be rivals."
Gray joined in.
"Yes.
"And if this is what we're getting now, next season's Premier League could be very entertaining."
By then, almost everyone inside the Millennium Stadium sensed it.
The match was nearly over.
Arsenal had run out of time.
New Manchester United had done it.
They had beaten Arsenal.
And for the first time in the club's history, the Red Rebels were FA Cup champions.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)