After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

In the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, Arsenal hosted Chelsea, who were fighting for their lives.

The flames of revenge continued to burn in Chelsea's eyes, but Arsenal, with their 2-0 away advantage from the first leg and their unstoppable momentum, built an impregnable fortress of victory.

The match was still thrilling.

When the final whistle blew and the electronic scoreboard showed 3-1, the entire Emirates Stadium erupted in a frenzy of red cheers!

Yan Yuan's penalty kick opened the door to victory like a bottle opener, while Aubameyang's brace sealed the win.

Although Chelsea managed to pull one back, giving them a brief moment of excitement, the fortress built by Arsenal's young players and veterans ultimately made their dream of reaching Wembley a reality.

The players embraced in celebration, and Wenger and his coaching team high-fived, their smiles revealing a long-lost sense of relief and contentment.

We've already secured our ticket to the League Cup final.

……

The January calendar has been torn down to its last few pages, and the atmosphere before the big competition is getting increasingly tense.

Soon, the Champions League knockout stage, the highest stage in European football, will kick off in mid-February.

Arsenal's opponent in the round of 8 is Paris Saint-Germain, a giant from Ligue 1 with superstars such as Neymar, Mbappe, Cavani, and Di Maria.

This is no longer just a London derby; it's a heavyweight clash that crosses the English Channel and faces the global spotlight.

Today, the sun is shining brightly at the Kearney training ground.

Although the Champions League is approaching and the recent training intensity has indeed been quite high, Wenger knows the importance of balancing work and rest.

Beyond the daily tactical drills, physical conditioning, and analytical meetings targeting Paris, the team's mental state and atmosphere are equally important.

Today, this team, which combines the experience of veterans with the vigor of youth, is more like a big family with a firm goal and a harmonious atmosphere under Wenger's guidance.

The afternoon training session was drawing to a close, and the routine exercises had been completed.

The players, slightly out of breath, gathered in twos and threes to stretch and relax.

Yan Yuan and Saka were exchanging their insights on the passing and cutting combination they had just finished, while Aubameyang was joking with Ramsey.

Wenger, watching this scene from the sidelines, had a subtle gentleness in his wise gaze.

The old man picked up the whistle and blew it.

"Kids! Come and gather here!"

The players quickly gathered around.

With a rare, relaxed smile on his face, Wenger magically took a bag full of colorful ropes from his assistant coach.

"Today's training was tough, everyone did a great job. Before we finish, let's play a little game. The winner... well, gets the privilege of being half an hour late for training tomorrow morning."

"My God!" The guys instantly got excited, their eyes shining. Who wouldn't want an extra half hour of precious sleep time?

Wenger announced the rules.

"The rules are simple: two people form a group, freely paired, with each group having one colored rope."

The first step is to tie your adjacent ankles together with colorful rope. From now on, you are a community of shared destiny.

The second step is to start from the starting line, dribble the ball around the obstacle course consisting of three marker cones, and then run back to the starting line! The team that brings the ball back the fastest and most steadily wins!

As soon as the rule was announced, Aubameyang, a veteran in the locker room, immediately let out a strange cry.

"Ankle bindings? Coach! Are you sure this won't make us forget how to walk tomorrow?" This drew a burst of laughter.

Yan Yuan and Saka, the speed-type duo, quickly exchanged a glance and gave each other a high five in perfect unison.

"It's just the two of us!"

Aubameyang immediately focused on Ramsey: "Hey, Aaron, it's your turn! You're rock solid!"

Pepe pulled Monreal aside: "Alright, buddy, let's show them what it means to be an experienced veteran!"

Lacazette, Odegaard, Rodri, James Madison, Iwobi, Cancelo, Ashraf, and others quickly formed a team...

For a moment, chickens and dogs flew about on the grass.

The process of tying the rope was full of joy.

"Brother Yan, your legs are too long. Loosen them a little, or I'm going to be dragged along."

"Bukayo, slow down a bit, let me tie this end first."

Aubameyang and Ramsey crouched on the ground, trying to tighten the rope.

"Ramsey, don't pull too tight, it'll affect my sprint tomorrow!" Aubameyang yelled.

Ramsey retorted irritably, "Shut up, is my ankle more important than your sprint tomorrow?"

Pepe and Monreal, on the other hand, were much more composed. Their experience as veterans proved advantageous at this moment, and they tied the ropes tightly and neatly.

Seeing that everyone was almost ready, the match began with Wenger's whistle!

"Charge!" Yan Yuan and Saka, with their excellent teamwork and starting speed, took off almost in sync.

The colorful ropes tethered them, yet miraculously they didn't stumble much.

The two seemed to share a single brain, their steps perfectly synchronized as they charged toward the first marker cone with the ball.

"Great! Youth is fast!" Aubameyang exclaimed, and he and Ramsey started moving.

But their rhythms weren't quite in sync.

"Left! Left!" Ramsey shouted.

"I know, ouch... my arm... my arm can't keep up!" Aubameyang retorted, the two of them pulling at each other, their dribbling movements were a bit distorted, and the ball was almost stolen by Rodri and Iwobi who rushed up from behind.

The pole-driving segment was particularly prone to problems.

Yan Yuan and Saka's teamwork became increasingly fluid, circling the marker barrels like a duet, their movements swift and rhythmic, the ball firmly under their control.

"Great! Beautiful!" The assistant coach watching from the sidelines couldn't help but applaud.

Pepe and Monreal, on the other hand, focused on playing it safe.

We don't aim for the fastest speed, but for the most stable.

The two adjusted their steps in small increments, coordinating with each other's pace; their movements were a little clumsy but very synchronized.

Pepe controlled the ball, with Monreal providing cover, and they managed to get through smoothly.

The pairing of Aubameyang and Ramsey was nothing short of a disaster.

"Turn right! Brother! It's right!"

"I'm the one doing the spinning! You're the one holding me back!"

"Ouch... Hahahaha..."

In front of a marker cone, the two completely lost their footing. Aubameyang lost his balance and was about to fall, pulling Ramsey down with him.

The two cried out "Ouch!" and stumbled, falling to the ground in each other's arms, the ball rolling away with a clatter.

This caused the entire audience to burst into even louder laughter.

"Hahahahahaha..."

"Gapen's lightning and Wells' ironman combination has failed!" Goalkeeper Martinez, who was acting as a temporary commentator, shouted.

In the end, without any suspense, Yan Yuan and Saka crossed the finish line with an absolute advantage.

The young men jumped up excitedly, high-fiving and bumping their chests.

"We won!"

Pepe and Monreal arrived steadily in the second group.

Ashraf and Cancelo's third group arrived...

Aubameyang and Ramsey finally arrived, supporting each other in a disheveled state, to the sound of good-natured boos and laughter.

Wenger walked over with a smile: "Well done, champions." He looked at Yan Yuan and Saka, "Tomorrow morning, you're allowed to be half an hour late! Aubameyang, Ramsey..."

"Professor!" Aubameyang immediately raised his hand. "Our 'tough duo' deserves some...consolation prize, right? Like, ten minutes?"

Wenger couldn't help but chuckle, and deliberately put on a stern face to tease him.

"A 'partner in adversity'? All I see are two kids fighting in a mud puddle. Okay, I'll allow you to be twenty minutes late tomorrow, but you two will have to clean up the equipment after training today."

"NO—!" Aubameyang wailed, which only elicited more cheerful laughter.

As the sun set, the Arsenal players jokingly packed up their belongings, teasing each other about their embarrassing moments that day.

Sweat, mud, and laughter created a harmonious scene.

Wenger stood on the sidelines, looking at the warriors he had nurtured, his gaze deep and gratified.

Before a tough battle, nothing is more valuable than a cohesive locker room filled with relaxed laughter.

This is Arsenal now, a home where players can rely on each other.

……

At Paris Saint-Germain's training ground, preparations for the Champions League are also in full swing.

Compared to Colney's relaxed and joyful demeanor, the Paris Saint-Germain training ground appeared more focused, even... somewhat oppressive.

The French Ligue 1 champions are currently engaged in a high-intensity group stage match.

Mbappe, like a rocket taking off, forcefully beat his opponent down the right flank and crossed the ball, but unfortunately Cavani, who was rushing in at the front of the goal, was a step too slow.

On the other side, Neymar strolled leisurely through the middle, using a series of dazzling stepovers to get past the defenders before attempting a delicate through ball to Di Maria, who was making a forward run, but it was intercepted and thwarted.

On the sidelines, head coach Tuchel had a furrowed brow.

The tactics board was filled with detailed running routes and defensive strategies, aimed at Arsenal, whom they would soon face in the Champions League.

Tuchel repeatedly emphasized Arsenal's recent form, especially the outstanding young core player Yan Yuan, in the meetings.

After the match ended, the players, panting heavily, headed to the sidelines to rehydrate.

Tuchel's gaze inadvertently swept over the players.

He saw a natural gathering: Neymar, Marquinhos, Alves... several South American players who spoke Portuguese were gathered together, enthusiastically communicating in their native language about their previous play.

A little further away, Mbappe was chatting with French players Kimpembe, Kurzawa, and Areola, their conversation occasionally punctuated by cheerful laughter in French.

Thiago Silva and Draxler were in the middle; they got along well with both groups of people in the team and could chat with both sides.

Tuchel seems to see the shadows of the South American and French factions, which is not a good sign for a team.

Although Mbappe and Neymar maintained basic courtesy and professionalism both on and off the field.

After a successful combination play on the field, Mbappe will applaud Neymar, and Neymar will pat Mbappe on the back after he scores a goal.

However, off the field, language barriers, cultural differences, and different lifestyles converge in the locker room like invisible streams.

Neymar is used to going to familiar restaurants with his South American teammates after training to relax with familiar activities like dancing, drinking, and playing games.

Mbappé also has his own established social circle and leisure activities with his French-speaking friends.

These circles themselves are not problematic, but when they begin to unintentionally influence daily communication habits and the closeness of social interactions outside the stadium, two centers are formed invisibly.

Tuchel is an expert in the locker room.

He doesn't naively believe that everyone on the team has to be a close friend.

But with the Champions League just around the corner, their formidable rival Arsenal serves as a mirror, reflecting the danger that any tiny crack could be magnified and exploited.

The team members assembled, ready to listen to the head coach summarize today's training.

Tuchel's gaze swept over them all.

"Everyone, you all did very well in training today," Tuchel said in a steady and powerful voice.

"In the final few minutes, we further strengthened our methods for breaking Arsenal's high press and our quick transition from defense to attack, and everyone executed them well."

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject.

"However," Tuchel's tone became more serious, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone,

"In preparation for the upcoming top-level European competition, we need more than just technical preparation. Arsenal is a very united and passionate team, which is a powerful hidden weapon under Wenger's leadership."

He specifically used the term "stealth weapon".

"In our locker room," Tuchel didn't spell it out, but the implication was clear.

"I certainly saw top-notch individual talent, that's undeniable. However, football is not a sport where everyone plays individually." He walked to the tactics board and tapped on the area where the complete formation was drawn.

"Every person's running, shouting, and filling in should be like each line on this screen, precisely connected and mutually supportive."

"The essence of a champion lies in the fact that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts! It lies in 11 hearts beating for the same goal, and in putting the team's success above all personal preferences, regardless of whether you come from São Paulo or Paris, or whether you speak Portuguese or French!"

Tuher's voice echoed across the quiet training ground.

"I don't care who you like to drink with in private, or which neighborhood you like to relax in on weekends." Tuchel's gaze was sharp as a knife.

"What I care about is that the moment we step onto the Emirates Stadium, everyone must forget all barriers and focus only on our teammates and the ball at our feet! Fight for our brothers! Fight for the team's honor! No excuses! No holding back!"

"For Paris, for everyone who supports us! We must become a true unit! An inseparable force of steel! This is the only way we can overcome this obstacle, understand?!"

"Yes, Coach!" the players responded in unison, their voices loud and clear.

Neymar nodded, and Mbappe nodded in return. The two looked at each other and shrugged.

However, language barriers, cultural inertia, and even some potential minor frictions and suspicions are difficult to eliminate.

Tuchel waved his hand: "Very well, that's enough for today. Dismissed. Get some rest, stay focused and united."

The players dispersed and headed towards the locker room.

The South American players spoke Spanish and Portuguese, while the French-speaking players continued their conversation. Beneath the surface of Paris Saint-Germain's unity, undercurrents were still silently surging.

Compared to Arsenal in North London, a place brimming with sweat and laughter.

Paris Saint-Germain is more like an ultimate war machine undergoing precise adjustments, yet harboring an underlying concern that some internal gears may not mesh perfectly.

A more brutal road to another European summit has quietly begun to unfold between the two top clubs.