With Dortmund in the past and Ajax ahead—
Arsenal's Champions League group stage, aside from AC Milan,
was packed with young, up-and-coming youth brigades.
Arsenal fans weren't having any of the hype surrounding others.
They firmly declared:
"Youth brigade? Did everyone forget how Dortmund was slaughtered at Westfalen?"
"There's only one true youth storm in all of Europe—Arsenal, led by our King of the Gunners!"
Amid the roaring discussions—
October 28th!
The third round of the Champions League group stage kicked off!
That night, all of North London was in an uproar.
Tens of thousands of Arsenal fans wearing their iconic red and white jerseys
rushed out from every street and alley, roaring in excitement.
The deafening momentum surged like a tidal wave,
converging on Emirates Stadium.
Tonight, Arsenal would defend their home turf
against the far-traveling Dutch "fallen giants."
This marked the third consecutive league champion Arsenal had faced in the Champions League this season.
A reigning champion from the Eredivisie!
As soon as the starting lineups were released,
the media went into a frenzy!
Blind, Vertonghen, Eriksen!
Most of Ajax's players had graduated from their own youth academy.
Ajax's academy was known as the greatest star factory in the world.
And all of it traced back to the legendary Johan Cruyff!
"We fight for Cruyff!"
"So what if it's Arsenal? We've got four Champions League titles in our history!"
"Ajax fears no one!"
Ajax's traveling fans poured into North London!
Under the night sky, the Emirates Stadium was packed to capacity.
Flags waved across the sky, and passionate chants echoed through the air—
transforming the entire stadium into a cathedral of Gunners' glory!
Half an hour later—
The iconic Champions League anthem played.
As Kai led the Arsenal squad out of the tunnel,
a tidal wave of thunderous cheers instantly enveloped him!
This was Arsenal's first home match of the Champions League season!
The Gunners' fans erupted with a force like a landslide or tsunami,
shaking the Emirates with an unparalleled fortress-like aura!
"Welcome to the third round of the 2011–12 Champions League group stage!"
"Arsenal host Ajax at home!"
"Tonight, Ajax lines up in a 4-1-2-3 formation,
a variant of the classic 4-3-3 with an inverted triangle midfield
—a shape once fervently advocated by Cruyff himself!"
"Clearly, current Ajax head coach Frank de Boer is a loyal disciple of Cruyffian football!"
"Vertonghen and Blind anchor the Ajax defense!"
"And the one player fans are especially watching tonight is their 19-year-old midfielder—Christian Eriksen!"
"The showdown between Eriksen and Arsenal's young captain Kai
will undoubtedly be the focal point of tonight's match!"
In the Chinese broadcast room,
commentator Zhān Jùn's voice carried rhythm and energy.
Back at the Emirates—
Under the night sky, players from both sides lined up in their respective halves.
Just promoted to Ajax's first team last season,
Eriksen was taking deep breaths to calm his nerves.
The atmosphere at Emirates Stadium was overwhelming—
even shaking the young midfielder's spirit.
He looked across the halfway line…
and locked eyes on that black-haired figure wearing the Arsenal captain's armband.
Eriksen clenched his teeth.
There was no turning back for Ajax tonight!
After suffering two dull losses in their first two group matches,
their chances of qualification looked grim.
Every Ajax player was on edge,
carrying enormous pressure!
On the sidelines, Arsène Wenger had his hands in his suit pockets,
his sharp gaze fixed on the pitch.
The stands reverberated with the Gunners' relentless chants!
And when the clock hit 8:00 PM—
"Peeep—!"
The whistle blew.
The battle had begun.
On the sidelines, De Boer's palms were sweating.
His eyes were fixed nervously on the pitch!
The Ajax fans in the stands were stunned.
How long had it been since kick-off?
Arsenal's formation had already pressed forward, players quickly getting into position—
the efficiency was terrifying.
On the pitch—
Just 5 seconds into the game!
Kai's footwork was agile and fluid!
With ease, he slipped past Eriksen and another Ajax midfielder, Lodewijks, who had pressed tightly onto him.
He charged forward at high speed toward the half-space in Ajax's defense!
Gasps erupted from the away section!
The Ajax fans felt a chill down their spines.
This young Arsenal captain—his speed was terrifying!
In just a few seconds, De Boer's palms were drenched in cold sweat.
The Ajax manager's heart was pounding!
On the pitch—
Facing Kai's direct advance with the ball,
Ajax's defensive midfielder Blind, who was deployed as the No. 4 tonight, decisively shifted over to apply pressure.
As Ajax's central shield,
Blind's defensive performance was critical for Ajax's backline tonight.
But in the blink of an eye—
The entire Emirates exploded with intensity!
After carrying the ball deep into Ajax's defensive half, Kai suddenly flicked it up!
The ball soared high into the air—
precisely dropping in front of Van Persie near the edge of the penalty area!
Already in position, the Arsenal forward held off Vertonghen, who lunged forward desperately—
Standing at the D-arc of the box, Van Persie gently nodded the ball forward with his forehead!
Kai instantly spun away from Blind!
He charged toward the falling ball!
The entire Ajax defensive line's expressions changed in shock!
Ajax fans widened their eyes in disbelief!
Under the gaze of 60,000 fans at the Emirates—
Just 7 seconds after kick-off!
Kai received Van Persie's headed pass at the edge of the box…
Without letting the ball drop—
He unleashed a thunderous volley right from the top of the D!
In that instant—
The Emirates erupted in screams!
The ball rocketed off his foot—
Following a golden trajectory, swirling up a roaring storm of wind!
It thundered across the Ajax penalty area skies—
and smashed toward the goal!
Vertonghen, who lunged forward trying to block, could only twist his neck in horror as the ball soared past him!
Ajax goalkeeper Vermeer faced a nightmare—
Kai's volley carried almost no arc, only pure power!
A terrifying roar of kinetic energy!
Vermeer instinctively dove—
But the ball had already flown past his outstretched fingertips!
It soared over his body—
And slammed into the top left corner of the Ajax goal!
BOOM!
The Emirates Stadium exploded like a tsunami!
The crowd screamed in disbelief, eyes turning to the giant screen above the pitch.
7 seconds!
A goal in just 7 seconds from kick-off!
The commentator on-site was roaring:
"GOALLLL!!!"
"My God! The Champions League fastest goal record has been broken!!"
"7 seconds—only 7 seconds!"
"Kai has scored the fastest goal in Champions League history at the Emirates!"
"A signature, earth-shattering cannonball strike!"
"My God… he is the one and only king of this pitch!"
Under the night skies of North London—
Every single Arsenal fan leapt from their seat!
A terrifying energy swirled through the air—
A mountain-crushing, ocean-splitting wave of thunderous cheers filled the stadium skies!
~~----------------------
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