Chapter 48: No Matter How Great Your Skill, You Fold When You Meet a Premier League Referee
Equalized!
A hard-fought, uphill equalizer!
Arsenal's players couldn't remain as calm as Xia Qi; although they knew time was precious, each of them ran over to ruffle his hair and pat his backside.
What a lucky kid — he's scored in five consecutive Premier League matches.
Especially Jack Wilshere, who leapt onto Xia Qi's back excitedly and shouted in his ear: "I was so damn worried! You couldn't see that gap?"
"You tell me — were we brothers or married in a past life that we're so in tune?"
The Xia Qi in his head quickly answered: brothers, definitely brothers! If married, I'd rather be Lin Pingzhi in this life...
A draw wasn't enough for Arsenal; Norwich, though a little disappointed, were happy to have grabbed a point off Arsenal.
When the referee signaled two minutes of stoppage time, the stadium erupted.
Anyone with eyes could see that more time would favor Norwich.
Beep!
Norwich kicked off,
Arsenal surged to intercept.
Arsenal's midfield superiority showed: after five passes Norwich couldn't hold it and the ball was cut out by center-back Johan Djourou.
After three quick passes, the ball found Jack Wilshere.
Pilkington immediately turned to mark Xia Qi tightly.
But—
"That kid's gone again!"
Hearing Pilkington's shout, Norwich's defenders panicked and searched for Xia Qi everywhere.
Suddenly Xia Qi darted out from behind Sébastien Bassong and sprinted toward the far corner; there was no one there but the keeper.
Bassong and Russell Martin chased after him amid their teammates' shouts.
Xia Qi burst from behind Bassong, and Wilshere's pass landed to the left of the penalty spot.
Seeing Xia Qi in his first-choice position, Wilshere slapped his own face in frustration.
He remembered Xia Qi telling him in training: "Pass where you want to pass — don't worry about me."
Back then he thought Xia Qi was arrogant; now he realized he'd been blind.
His teammate — Xia Qi — was on another level!
The left-of-the-penalty-spot was still a good place; Olivier Giroud reached the ball and struck ferociously, but Michael stretched his leg and blocked it.
Norwich escaped.
"Mark him! Two men on him! Lock Xia Qi down!"
Norwich's coach got anxious, but he had no better plan: if one man wasn't enough, two; if two weren't enough, three.
But numbers don't always change the quality.
Xia Qi intensified his off-the-ball movement, and his runs were disorderly — hard to predict.
He also used other players on the pitch cleverly to hide his own movements.
Pilkington was nearly driven mad playing this hide-and-seek; he wanted to tell Xia Qi: "Wait here, I'll bring my four-year-old to play with you."
"Xia Qi's runs are clever — did you teach him that?" Arsène Wenger asked Pat Rice, rubbing his brow in exasperation.
"Isn't that your job? You want to pin the credit on me?"
"Ah, Arsène, it's instinct and sensitivity… genius is different from ordinary minds. Let's not guess."
Wenger massaged his forehead and murmured like a lovesick puppy denied affection: "Now there's another potential development path for him, what to do?"
"That's your job. I'm not working overtime."
"..."
Time was running out; play had entered stoppage.
Arsenal pushed everyone up. Cazorla — usually a defensive fulcrum — suddenly powered a super-long pass directly to Xia Qi's front point.
At the instant Cazorla played it, Xia Qi accelerated forward.
But Norwich's defenders weren't dead weight; in that split second they all charged up in unison.
Offside!
The assistant referee immediately raised his flag, ruling Xia Qi offside.
Slow-motion replay showed Xia Qi's timing was correct — the call was wrong.
The linesman had been led by the defender's rhythm.
With just over a minute left and Norwich in possession, happy with a point, they played out the seconds at the back.
Arsenal had to press high and commit men forward.
Bassong didn't wait for Xia Qi to reach him; he passed back to keeper John Ruddy, who punted the ball into Arsenal's half.
Norwich's forward Grant Holt darted forward like an arrow.
Arsenal center-backs Johan Djourou and Per Mertesacker scrambled back after Holt.
Djourou was slightly faster but not by much. As Holt entered the box he slowed to check the goalkeeper and Djourou seized the chance to slide in.
On slow motion it looked like a clean, beautiful tackle.
But the referee, seeing Holt's pained expression, imagined a foul "scene" and sent a stunned Djourou off.
Arsenal surrounded the referee to plead for a reversal, but the official was convinced he was right.
Reluctantly, Arsenal accepted the red-card package.
Holt earned the spot kick himself
and slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner.
Norwich had somehow, at 91:46, executed a last-gasp winner against Arsenal.
Carrow Road shook.
They clapped in unison, stamped their feet and sang the Norwich anthem.
While the players and referee argued, Wilshere whispered in Xia Qi's ear: "If it's a penalty, wait — when I take the kick, you attack the six-yard spot."
Xia Qi's eyes glittered: referees don't usually blow the final whistle immediately after a penalty is scored.
Arsenal might still have a kickoff opportunity — how much time would be added back?
Thinking of time, Xia Qi frantically signaled Wilshere with his eyes to find the referee and demand lost time be restored.
But Wilshere couldn't read such a complicated look.
"Hey Xia, you're so rude — what about my 'steal-the-kick' plan? Say something, at least!"
Nonsense!
If I could move on my own I'd already be over there talking to him.
"Hey! Say something!"
Xia Qi's eyes said: don't cling to me, go pester the referee.
Sure enough!
After Norwich celebrated, Arsenal kicked off.
Arteta saw his forwards surge into the box and played the ball to Wilshere, who lofted a long cross into the area.
One second before:
Xia Qi had been jostling in the box with Pilkington and Garido, then suddenly broke free and sprinted out of the area.
Pilkington and Garido, not knowing what had happened, kept their focus on Xia Qi — keeping eyes on him was the safe move.
Both followed Xia Qi out, drawing everyone's attention outside the box.
In the rush,
Xia Qi suddenly
slammed the brakes!
He cut back!
Then using the run-up in the crowd he leapt high, met the incoming cross with an inside-foot strike mid-air — the lion's head whip!
The ball flew toward goal. Norwich keeper John Ruddy launched himself but the ball had crossed the line a split second earlier.
After Norwich's supposed winner, Arsenal had equalized!
Arsenal's players erupted!
Fists raised, wolf-like screams filled the air.
But their joy was premature!
The referee made an obscure gesture and disallowed the goal.
His reason:
when Xia Qi jumped, Giroud had also leapt in front. The referee decided Giroud's action interfered with the keeper's judgment.
Ruled: interference with the goalkeeper — goal disallowed.
Arsenal exploded with fury!
Wenger exploded!
Xia Qi exploded!
Cough — look at that face!
No matter how great your skill, when you meet an English Premier League referee you're done for.
No matter how much Arsenal raged and howled, the final result stood: Norwich 2–1 Arsenal.
Round 8 of the Premier League produced its biggest upset. Arsenal suffered their first loss of the season.
(END CHAPTER)
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