In eight years under George Graham, Arsenal—once a club brimming with potential for even greater glory—had managed two league titles, a League Cup, an FA Cup, and last season''s European Cup Winners'' Cup. Yet despite those achievements, the success had begun to fade, and the fall from grace was swift.

    This season in the Premier League, things had taken a darker turn. Following George Graham''s dismissal due to a bribery scandal, Arsenal were no longer just failing to contend for the title—they had lost their identity under Bruce Rioch. They now struggled even to hold their heads high in their own city. In London derbies, they looked fragile.

    Richard shook his head. The ups and downs of this team were a classic case of coaching responsibility. But he was curious—where was Arsène Wenger? Wasn''t he supposed to take charge of Arsenal in the 1996 season? Why was Bruce Rioch still managing the team?

    He then cast a wistful glance at Arsenal''s lineup. Rioch had nearly fielded his entire first-choice squad.

    Defenders: Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Steve Bould, Nigel Winterburn.

    Midfielders: Ray Parlour, David Platt, John Jensen.

    Forwards: Ian Wright, Paul Merson.

    Still no Dennis Bergkamp.

    Richard was visibly disappointed to see the Dutchman absent from the lineup. He would''ve been a perfect test for City''s defense—technically gifted, intelligent, and dangerous in tight spaces. A real challenge. But perhaps it was just as well. With Arsenal fielding five defenders, it would be City''s forwards who now faced the real test instead.

    Defenders: Javier Zanetti, Marco Materazzi, William Gallas, Gianluca Zambrotta

    Midfielders: Mark van Bommel, Neil Lennon, Jackie McNamara

    Forwards: Andriy Shevchenko, Thierry Henry, Ronaldo

    Today marked the first match where City would play without Roberto Carlos and Cafu, shifting to a 4-3-3 formation.

    In the previous two matches, they had used a 4-4-2. The reason for the change was unexpected—Henry had been on fire, prompting Robertson to start him from the beginning as striker with Ronaldo on the left. Robertson was determined to use this game to help the team adapt and become more comfortable with the new setup.

    "I hear City signed an African and an Asian player this transfer window?"

    Richard heard David Dein ask, his eyes still scanning the pitch as the players began lining up.

    "Yes," Richard replied with a faint smile.

    David raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. I remember you previously brought in a few players from South America. But Africa and Asia now—any particular reason?"

    Richard simply smiled, offering no further explanation.

    He wasn''t about to share his secret sauce. In time, they would all come to understand the importance of City''s efforts to expand their global appeal—to be seen as a progressive, globally-minded club ahead of its time.

    PHWEEEE!

    The referee''s whistle brought Richard back to reality.

    From the outset, City played with exceptional composure, choosing not to rush the ball forward but instead working it methodically through the midfield.

    After refining their skills for more than half a season, City''s performance had been steadily improving. With the return of Ronaldo, their left wing became the trump card in dismantling Arsenal''s defense!

    This directly disrupted Arsenal and hamstrung their ground-based attacks, making it impossible for them to find their forwards. As a result, they were forced to revert to a more traditional English long-ball strategy, attempting to bypass the midfield entirely.

    However, Marco Materazzi and William Gallas were no easy opponents. In physical duels, Arsenal''s forwards struggled to hold their ground.

    With half an hour gone in the match, City grew more energetic and confident as their midfield partnership flowed seamlessly, while Arsenal''s Ray Parlour, David Platt, and John Jensen were left puffing and wheezing.

    Frequent shots from range left Arsenal''s defense frustrated, as Adams and Keown shouted for their backline to push forward.

    They weren''t afraid of leaving gaps behind them—their defense was not only renowned throughout the Premier League, but also infamous across Europe for the irritation it caused other teams. They had a specialty: creating offside traps.

    The chemistry of their defense was difficult for other teams to replicate, and successfully orchestrating offside traps had become their proudest skill.

    In the 35th minute of the first half, Tony Adams noticed Neil Lennon pass the ball to the right flank, where Shevchenko stood ready.

    Seeing that Shevchenko had no intention of dribbling, Adams quickly stepped forward, placing Henry in an offside position behind him.

    The other two center-backs, Martin Keown and Steve Bould, acted in harmony, ensuring Henry fell into the offside trap, while Shevchenko unexpectedly didn''t cross the ball and instead waited.

    But... what was he waiting for?

    That question flashed through everyone''s minds—fans, players, even the Arsenal bench.

    Wait, Roberto Carlos! No, that''s City''s new guy—Javier Zanetti! sea??h thё N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Like lightning out of nowhere, Javier Zanetti emerged on the right flank with a perfectly timed overlapping run.

    Adams raised his hand, signaling that Zanetti was offside.

    But the assistant referee didn''t raise his flag, and this made Tony Adams furious. He stormed toward the assistant referee, shouting, "That guy in the middle was offside! That goal should be disallowed!"

    The assistant referee remained unfazed. "That player was not offside."

    Replays showed that Arsenal''s offside trap had faltered. Technically, Adams was correct—as long as Henry remained in his original position and didn''t drop deeper.

    Since Adams was actively in the play, his vision was naturally limited—unlike the assistant referee, who clearly saw that Henry had already dropped deeper by the time Shevchenko received the ball.

    The 4-3-3 formation was Henry''s forte, as Monaco had used it in nearly every match. When Henry saw that Ronaldo never pushed forward and always stayed central to receive the ball, he understood he needed to stay upfront—but he was also aware of Arsenal''s intention to catch him in an offside trap.

    Players in an offside position could be penalized even if they weren''t directly involved in the play, depending on how the referee interpreted "interfering with play."

    It was only after the 2003 rule update that the definition of offside was clarified and relaxed—particularly concerning passive offside. Players not interfering with play were no longer penalized unless they: touched the ball, interfered with an opponent, or gained an advantage from being in an offside position.

    Zanetti didn''t sprint blindly. Instead, he surged forward with purpose, scanning the field as he approached the edge of the box. With Nigel Winterburn momentarily distracted by Lennon''s presence, Zanetti feinted wide but cut inside with characteristic elegance.

    As he did, Henry—initially positioned in the center—had already dropped deeper, dragging both Tony Adams and Martin Keown with him and creating a sudden pocket of space on the left.

    Zanetti didn''t hesitate. With one sharp touch, he slipped a diagonal pass across the box toward the left flank—right into the path of Ronaldo, who had timed his run to perfection!

    With the defense stretched and off-balance, Ronaldo now had time, space, and the ball at his feet—three things no backline ever wants to give him.

    Lee Dixon, Arsenal''s right-back, naturally wasn''t going to let Ronaldo roam free just like that.

    Or so he thought.

    Because mere seconds after moving to mark him, Dixon found himself lying flat on the grass, staring at the sky, wondering where Ronaldo—and possibly his dignity—had gone.

    "Look at this—Ronaldo gets the ball just outside the box… watch the feet... one step-over, two—now the drop of the shoulder... and BOOM! He sells Dixon the dream with that signature double step-over. Then, with a lightning-quick shift of balance, he cuts inside. Dixon''s momentum is still going one way, and Ronaldo''s already gone the other! That''s not just dribbling—that''s deception at speed!"

    Now it''s one-on-one with David Seaman—Arsenal''s last line of defense. Everyone in the stadium knows how this situation usually ends… the ball at Ronaldo''s feet, space ahead, and the keeper trapped in a nightmare.

    You don''t stop him—you just hope he misses.

    "You put your right foot in~"

    "You drag the ball out~"

    "You do the Ronaldo, and you turn them about~"

    "You stick the ball past the keeper''s head~"

    "The ball''s in the back of the net~"

    "Oh, Ronaldo, oh, Ronaldo~"

    "Oh, Ronaldo, that''s what it''s all about~"

    After Ronaldo scored, City''s players rushed to the sidelines to celebrate as the familiar rhythm of the crowd erupted.

    Bruce Rioch''s face turned pale as panic set in. He shouted from the touchline, urging his players to push forward aggressively.

    But the harder Arsenal pressed, the more ruthlessly City punished them.

    In the 41st minute, John Jensen attempted a risky pass between McNamara and Zanetti. He miscalculated—because before the ball even reached Ian Wright, Zanetti, once again, intercepted it.

    Ronaldo kept Arsenal''s left side busy with his dazzling dribbling, while Zanetti literally choked the right with his relentless two-way play.

    Zanetti looked up, saw Henry making a run, and didn''t hesitate.

    A perfect through ball split Arsenal''s defense.

    Henry sprinted past Tony Adams, received the ball gracefully with his chest, and with one touch—one finish—he struck the ball mid-air toward the top-right corner of the net.

    GOAL!

    Arsenal 0–2 Manchester City!

    Silence. Shock. The away end exploded.

    In the 44th minute, just moments before the end of the first half, Arsenal had already thrown everything forward.

    They took a short corner, hoping to recycle possession.

    Instead, Jackie McNamara intercepted it and launched a long ball forward.

    Henry chased it down, sprinting past Adams before squaring it across to Shevchenko, who was completely unmarked on the right.

    Shevchenko calmly lobbed the ball just as David Seaman lunged—leaving Highbury in stunned silence.

    GOAL!

    Manchester City 3–0 Arsenal!

    In the executive box, Richard was ready to pump his fist in celebration—until he caught a glimpse of David Dein''s darkened, expressionless face. At this point, the result between Manchester City and Arsenal felt all but set in stone.

    The only question now was: could Arsenal avoid further humiliation—or would the floodgates open even wider?

    In the second half, City made several substitutions, and unexpectedly, Okocha, Lampard, Nakata, and Robbie Savage came on to replace Mark van Bommel, Neil Lennon, Jackie McNamara, and Ronaldo. They also changed their formation from a 4-3-3 to a classic 4-4-2.

    The result?

    City fans roared with delight at the performance of their debutants, while Gunners supporters sat in silent despair for their beloved club.

    In the 64th minute, the new guy, Okocha, danced past both Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn before burying a low shot into the bottom corner.

    Manchester City 4–0 Arsenal!

    Then, in the 88th minute, something ridiculous happened.

    City won a free-kick deep inside their own half. Nakata, being the closest player to the ball, picked it up—initially intending to play a short pass. But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed David Seaman far off his line.

    Instead of laying it short, Nakata struck the ball cleanly.

    It flew—high and true—over everyone.

    David Seaman, caught way too far forward, backpedaled in panic as he followed the ball''s arc.

    But it was too late.

    It sailed over his head and straight into the empty net.

    GOAL!

    Manchester City 5–0 Arsenal!

    What an utterly embarrassing day for Arsenal. Instead of taking revenge for their League Cup loss, they were demolished.

    PHWEEEE!

    The final whistle blew.

    After the match, Richard extended his hand toward David Dein.

    Dein shook it—briefly, coldly—his eyes fixed forward, jaw clenched. Not a single word left his mouth as he stormed out of the executive box, his footsteps echoing with quiet fury.

    Richard watched him go, then gave a slight shrug.

    What could he say? The scoreboard said it all.

    A statement win for City.

    A nightmare for Arsenal.

    The very next day seemed like any other. Richard, after waking up in his new room at the Marine Road training camp—which was already 80% complete—headed to Maine Road Stadium for work as usual.

    However, just before he could hang his coat in his office, shocking news hit him:

    Bruce Rioch had been fired by the Arsenal board!

    Officially, the reason given was a dispute with the board of directors over transfer funds.

    But everyone knew the truth.

    The 5–0 demolition.

    Not long after the sacking of Bruce Rioch, another major announcement sent shockwaves through English football.

    Rumors were swirling—Arsenal wanted to appoint Arsène Wenger as their new manager.

    Wenger had been managing Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan for the past year, far from the spotlight of European football.

    Many fans and pundits asked, ''Arsène who?''

    Ridiculous!

    And while the media questioned the decision, one thing was clear: change was coming to Arsenal.