During the break, Wenger approached Kai and Arteta.
"You two have done well with the coded signals," he said, hands clasped behind his back. "But your system needs more depth. It shouldn't just be about shifting tempo. You'll need different cues for different situations—timing, transitions, even when to pull the midfield line."
Kai pulled a face. "Come on, Professor. Cut us some slack. We're still getting used to this setup. You can't expect a polished system overnight."
Arteta nodded in agreement. "We're still adapting—and so are the others. Every time the tempo shifts between me and Kai, it affects the entire rhythm. Everyone has to be in sync."
Wenger gave a slight nod. They were right—perhaps he had been a bit too eager.
Still, this new tactical flexibility stirred something in him. For the first time in a while, he felt hope brewing.
"If you're confident, I want you to try it in tomorrow's match," he said, turning to Kai.
Kai looked surprised. "We're trying it that soon?"
Wenger raised an eyebrow. "Why? Not up for it?"
Kai scratched the back of his head. "Shouldn't we play it safe first? Maybe collect some points? If we lose a few more games, we're flirting with relegation. Aren't you worried?"
"We'll catch up," Wenger replied calmly.
Kai grinned.
Well, you're the boss.
Just then, Cazorla jogged over, grinning. "Hey, Kai! I want a goal tomorrow."
Kai waved him off with a laugh. "Feed Luiz first. Our striker's been starved for goals."
Luiz Suarez winced a little at that, but also chuckled. He hadn't scored since the opener in the league. Still, the shout-out from Kai made him feel seen.
That's a real teammate.
Kai placed his water bottle down, stood up, and raised his voice to the group. "Alright, guys! Time to end this losing streak. Next stop—QPR!"
Kai pumped his fist. "Let's take the win!"
"Take the win!" the squad echoed, fists in the air.
The energy in the room was electric.
...
October 27, 2012.
Matchday 9- QPR vs Arsenal
Loftus Road, Queen's Park
QPR, short for Queens Park Rangers Football Club, is based in Queen's Park, London. This season, they were in free fall—bottom of the table, without a single win in eight matches.
Yet somehow, ahead of the game, QPR boldly claimed that they were about to get their first win.
"Because it's Arsenal," their manager had said.
The comment infuriated Arsenal fans. But given the team's recent form, there wasn't much to argue with.
They weren't just worried about missing out on Europe anymore. Relegation had become a real concern.
The pressure was mounting—and yet, something felt different.
For once, Arsenal looked composed. Controlled.
Had they abandoned the new tactics?
Just as that thought crossed the minds of anxious fans, Kai suddenly sprinted toward Arteta.
Arteta played the ball to him without hesitation.
Kai turned with it smoothly, released Cazorla with a crisp pass, and surged forward, ready for the next move.
The new rhythm had just begun.
Cazorla didn't find space to break through, so he sent the ball back. Kai took over and quickly shifted it to Podolski.
Podolski surged down the wing with purpose.
Suddenly, the tempo of the game kicked up a notch.
The QPR players scrambled to adjust, clearly caught off guard by the shift in pace.
Seeing no opening for a cross, Podolski returned the ball.
Kai received it, then passed it smoothly to Arteta before dropping back to hold his midfield position.
The tempo settled once more into a calm rhythm.
Spectators and pundits alike noticed something different—Kai was orchestrating play without the previous disarray that had marked his earlier attempts.
Not bad at all.
QPR captain Bobby Zamora narrowed his eyes at Arsenal's No. 4. The shift in Arsenal's flow had thrown them off, and Zamora could see that the heartbeat of it all was Kai.
He exhaled deeply, then refocused on the game.
Even QPR's home supporters were baffled. Arsenal had looked poor in recent weeks, so why this sudden cohesion against them?
Where was their long-awaited first win supposed to come from?
Then—bang!
A sudden roar accompanied a lofted pass sailing toward the left flank.
Podolski controlled it well, drove into the box, and faked a shot to draw defenders before sliding it across to Suarez.
Suarez made no mistake.
Goal!
Only five minutes had passed since kickoff.
The QPR home end fell into stunned silence.
Even the previously vocal commentators were caught speechless.
Suarez, Podolski, and the others wheeled away in celebration.
Kai didn't join them. He stood where he was, fists clenched tightly.
"That's it!"
For the rest of the half, Arsenal were relentless.
Kai turned into a midfield enforcer, intercepting passes, harassing opponents, and launching counters off every successful challenge.
On the ball, Arteta still served as the primary orchestrator.
Kai's playmaking was still developing. When he felt confident, he'd use subtle gestures or pre-arranged cues to call for the ball.
But what he lacked in polish, he made up for in his Foresight prediction.
His ability to read the game gave him a sixth sense for exploiting gaps in the defense.
It drained him quickly, though, and he couldn't rely on it constantly.
Still, whenever Kai took the reins in midfield, he delivered incisive, dangerous sequences.
With Arteta's composure and Kai's tactical intuition, Arsenal had finally unlocked a variable-speed engine in midfield.
Wenger couldn't have been more pleased.
He considered leaning fully into Kai's talent.
But it wasn't time yet.
If Arteta controlled the rhythm too long, Kai would see fewer touches. And when the opposition pressed hard—as they had against Liverpool—Arteta would fade, and Kai would be pushed back into a purely defensive role.
That wasn't the future Wenger envisioned.
Even if the balance wasn't perfect now, he could wait.
Kai could grow into the role, just as Fabregas had once learned alongside Vieira.
Now it was Kai's turn to learn from Arteta.
One or two seasons, that's all it would take. Pour enough minutes into him...
Wenger was sure of it. He could mold Kai into a true all-rounder.
By the 80th minute, QPR were in pieces.
Not only had they missed out on their first win of the season...
They were on the wrong side of a demolition.
Round 9 of the 2012/13 Premier League season ended with a stunning scoreline:
Queens Park Rangers 0 - 6 Arsenal.
...
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