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

Today, the North London derby.

Arsenal play away against Tottenham.

For these two arch-rivals, this is a rivalry that flows in their blood and a destiny etched into their bones.

However, the start of the afternoon was unusual.

When referee Michael Oliver's whistle blew again and again, but the penalties were mostly harmless throw-ins or goal kicks.

People gradually realized that this highly anticipated derby was being conducted in a rare, almost bizarre, "civilized" way.

The players from both sides seemed to have reached a tacit understanding, their movements were clean and efficient, and although the tackling was intense, it was all within the rules, with almost no malicious fouls. The game was so smooth that it was almost unsettling.

But this calm is merely an illusion before the storm.

The real storm begins the moment the ball rolls into the net.

Son Heung-min is playing like he's on steroids today.

He will perform even better than in the previous rounds.

From the very first minute of the match, he began testing Arsenal's defense with his signature runs.

In the first half, he cut inside from the left wing, dribbled past the defender, and delivered a precise low cross. Kane, anticipating the play, arrived in time and easily slotted the ball into the net, sending Tottenham's home crowd into a frenzy.

Arsenal's young players did not panic.

Captain Yan Yuan stabilized the rhythm in midfield.

Soon after a brilliant team play, Saka received the ball on the right side of the penalty area, calmly fired a shot, and the ball went into the net, 1-1!

Both sides are back to square one.

In the second half, Son Heung-min stepped up again, providing Kane with a crucial assist.

Kane received a pass from Son Heung-min just outside the penalty area.

Facing Saliba's close marking.

A clever feint created a tiny opening, and then he curled a beautiful shot into the top corner!

World wave!

Tottenham are in the lead again.

The pressure is now entirely on Arsenal.

This time, Yan Yuan stepped forward.

He first did it during a corner kick attack.

His leaping height surpassed that of all Tottenham's center-backs, and he headed the ball into the net.

2-2!

"That terrifying jumping height has appeared again!!!! I can hardly see a player as well-rounded as Yan in the entire football world anymore, he is simply omnipotent!!!" the commentator roared.

After scoring, Yan Yuan roared and rushed towards the away team's stands to celebrate with the traveling Arsenal fans.

The turning point of the match came in the 87th minute.

Arsenal launched a quick counter-attack, with Ødegaard delivering a highly penetrating through ball.

Yan Yuan made a run from behind and successfully beat the offside trap!

He controlled the ball perfectly, adjusted his position, and then, facing the onrushing goalkeeper Lloris, deftly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper.

The ball sailed over Lloris's head, arcing gracefully before disappearing into the empty net!

"Goal! Yan Yuan scores his second goal in the second half! Arsenal have now taken the lead, another victory!!!!" The commentator cheered for Arsenal.

In the away stands, the cheers of Arsenal fans almost lifted the roof off the stadium.

Yan Yuan ran wildly in celebration, and all the Arsenal players rushed towards him, piling up on top of each other as if they had already touched victory.

However, just as the revelry was in full swing...

The referee, Oliver, received a VAR notification through his headset.

He ran towards the monitor on the sidelines.

Yan Yuan saw the referee's action and immediately had a bad feeling. He said to everyone.

"Guys, look over there... why is the referee running over there?"

The Arsenal players then realized what was happening.

After a long wait of several minutes, Oliver returned to the field and made a clear gesture.

Goal disallowed!

The reason for the ruling was that at the moment Ødegaard passed the ball, the assisting full-back Achraf was in an offside position and was suspected of interfering with the game.

The decision was like a thunderclap, exploding among the Arsenal players.

"What?! This is impossible!" Saka was the first to rush over, his face filled with disbelief. He waved his hands and shouted excitedly at the referee.

"Referee, look closely! He's so far away! He wasn't even participating in the attack!"

Saka is usually the best-tempered player in the Arsenal team, but even he couldn't help but yell this time.

And there's Odegaard.

The usually mild-mannered Norwegian was now flushed red. He pointed at the screen, his voice trembling with anger, and said...

"Hey! What kind of interference is that?! He didn't even move!"

Saliba blocked the referee's path, repeating the same thing over and over.

"Wrong! This is a huge mistake! Referee, are you sure you're being fair?!"

Ashraf, the person involved, was equally furious.

"Hey!! Referee, I didn't foul, and I wouldn't make such a basic mistake. I demand a retrial!!"

Everyone wants an explanation.

Because this ball is very important.

If this goal is disallowed, the score will go from 3 points to 1 point.

The crowd was filled with excitement.

But the most angry and disappointed person was the team leader, Yan Yuan.

The winning goal that originally belonged to him was so easily erased.

Yan Yuan rushed up to Oliver, first trying his best to control his emotions and then trying to reason with him.

"Referee, please explain! According to the rules, this is not an offside foul at all! Ashraf did not obstruct the view or interfere with the defender! This goal is clean!"

Then, Yan Yuan pointed to his eyes and spoke in a hurried but restrained tone.

"Look me in the eyes, referee! Can you swear your judgment is true?!"

Referee Oliver repeated his judgment with a blank expression.

"My first decision is the final decision, and that result will not change. Ashraf was indeed in an offside position and on a line that could have influenced the goalkeeper's judgment."

Yan Yuan's composure snapped at that moment.

"Possibly? Just 'possibly'? You used 'possibly' to take away a clear goal from us?!"

The pent-up disappointment, the desire for victory, and the anger over the unfair ruling erupted like a volcano.

He can accept a draw, and he can also accept losing.

But he absolutely could not accept such an unclear outcome.

Yan Yuan abruptly shook off Cancelo, who was trying to hold him back.

He rushed up to Oliver's face and almost roared.

"You ruined the game! You ruined football!! Do you dare swear to the Bible? Do you dare swear this ruling was fair?! People who lie to the Bible will go to hell!!"

Yan Yuan's words were very strong.

This was the first time Yan Yuan had ever been so out of control among his teammates.

Oliver was clearly taken aback by the harsh words and actions, but then he pulled a yellow card out of his pocket without hesitation and showed it to Yan Yuan.

"Calm down, Yan! Stop talking!" Veteran Pepe quickly stepped forward, using his body to separate Yan Yuan from the referee, and hugged him tightly.

"Yan! Calm down! It's too late to change anything!"

Yan Yuan stared at the glaring yellow card, then at the scoreboard where the score remained at 2-2, and a tremendous sense of powerlessness instantly overwhelmed him.

He stopped roaring.

He just stared at Oliver with a look that was a mixture of anger and contempt, then suddenly turned around and kicked the mineral water bottle next to him away.

That yellow card was less of a punishment and more of a resounding slap in the face to all the Arsenal players.

The remaining three minutes of the game were spent in an eerie atmosphere.

Arsenal's morale was clearly dampened, while Tottenham took the opportunity to regain their composure and defend very well.

Referee Oliver had the remaining minutes.

They received the most enthusiastic greetings from the away Arsenal fans.

"Oliver! Oliver! You're a blind, useless piece of trash!"

"Oliver! If you dare come to the Emirates Stadium! We guarantee you'll die there!!"

The insults did not change the outcome.

Finally, Oliver blew the final whistle. The score was tied 2-2.

Tottenham players and fans celebrated the hard-fought draw as if they had escaped a disaster.

Meanwhile, Arsenal was completely silent.

The players lowered their heads and silently walked to the sidelines.

Today, Yan Yuan did not, as usual, immediately go to the Arsenal fans' stand who had traveled with the team to thank them for their unwavering support.

He went straight to the away team's bench.

He plopped down on the very edge of the field, without even taking off his soaking wet jersey.

The staff handed over water and towels.

Yan Yuan took the towel and covered his head with it.

He just sat there blankly, staring at the grass at his feet.

Now, his thoughts were somewhat jumbled.

"Why? That goal was 100% effective... I clearly chipped it over Lloris, such a beautiful goal..." His mind replayed the ecstasy of scoring the goal and the subsequent crushing defeat.

"Ashraf clearly did not make any mistakes. We cooperated very well. That was our most coordinated offensive tactic."

Yan Yuan recalled last season when they won the championship with an undefeated record, enjoying immense glory but also making countless enemies.

"Is it because we're too strong? So even a derby we should have won had to be balanced out in this way?"

A profound sense of powerlessness and suspicion of being targeted gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

As captain, he not only lost a victory that was almost within his grasp.

This was the first time he had received a yellow card for acting rashly.

Self-blame, anger, and resentment intertwined, giving him a long-lost sense of pressure.

……

Back at the Kearney training ground, it was already late at night.

The conference room lights were cold and white, illuminating every tired and unwilling face.

Nagelsmann stood in front, his expression serious.

He organized today's meeting.

He knew that the players' mentality had been greatly affected after the game, so a meeting was necessary to help them adjust.

He clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention.

"Alright, guys, perk up. I'll just give you a brief overview," Nagelsmann said calmly.

Everyone looked up at Nash.

"First," Nagelsmann began.

"Putting that ruling aside, I am very satisfied with our performance today, especially the resilience and quality of our counter-attacks when we were behind. Everyone played up to expectations today."

"At Tottenham's home ground, facing a team with Son Heung-min and Kane in such excellent form, we scored three goals and controlled the tempo for most of the time, which is a positive sign in itself."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each face.

Finally, it lingered on Yan Yuan for a moment.

"Now, let's talk about the third ball." The atmosphere in the locker room became even more tense.

"I watched the replay, and from my perspective, and from the perspective of anyone who understands football, Yan's goal was 100% valid. Ashraf was in that position, and according to the rules, it would be very difficult to call it interference. I'm just as certain of that as you are."

His words made some players raise their heads.

A rekindled flame of defiance ignited in his eyes.

"However," Nagelsmann said, his tone becoming serious.

"We must recognize a reality: the world of football has never been black and white."

Rules are inanimate, but the perspectives, interpretations, and even the pressures faced by those who enforce them can influence the final judgment.

Last season, we created an undefeated championship myth, which was remarkable, but it also made us the target of everyone's criticism. Everyone wanted to beat us, including... certain forces that didn't want to see us dominate.

Nash didn't say it explicitly, but everyone understood his subtext.

The Premier League is commercially driven and fiercely competitive.

Sometimes, it can indeed bring in some "off-field factors".

"Listen," Nagelsmann raised his voice.

"If we win today, what will the media write? 'Arsenal crush their arch-rivals again,' 'The North London Reds and Whites are unstoppable'? And then what? What awaits us in the next round? Perhaps even harsher standards and more controversy."

Today, the referee didn't disallow a valid goal and declare us the loser. From a somewhat distorted perspective, that might be considered a form of "politeness."

These remarks drew surprised looks from some players, but Nagelsmann's gaze was unusually sharp.

"I'm not saying this to make us accept injustice, nor am I saying we should resign ourselves to fate! Quite the opposite!" Nasser's voice continued, carrying a powerful and persuasive quality.

"I want to tell you all, don't let this draw or this one refereeing decision disrupt our mindset and rhythm! The league is a marathon, not a 100-meter sprint. Losing two points is regrettable, very regrettable! But it won't destroy us! Look at the standings, we're still at the top! Our goal remains the championship!"

He walked up to the tactics board and tapped it hard.

"True strength lies not in winning when things are going well, but in quickly refocusing on the next game after facing injustice! Let anger be our fuel, not our shackles!"

Take today's frustration to training and to the next match! Respond to all the doubts and injustices with more victories and impeccable performances! That's the best revenge!

Nagelsmann's words were like a shot in the arm, dispelling much of the gloom in the locker room.

The players' eyes regained their resolve.

Yes, the league is still long, and temporary gains or losses don't mean anything.

"Alright, meeting adjourned. Forget about this afternoon, but not about this feeling. Carry it with you and move on. Get a good rest tonight, and tomorrow is recovery training." Nagelsmann clapped his hands to everyone.

The players began to get up one after another, whispering among themselves as they packed their things to leave.

The oppressive atmosphere eased considerably.

At this point, Nagelsmann added seemingly casually, his voice low but clear enough:

"Yan, stay behind for a moment, come to my office."

Yan Yuan, who was about to get up, paused.

He looked up and met Nagelsmann's gaze.

There was no reproach on the coach's face, but there was an undeniable seriousness.

Yan Yuan nodded silently and slowly stood up.

The other team members cast concerned or curious glances at him, then silently began packing up their equipment.

Nagelsmann didn't say anything more, turned around and walked towards the head coach's office first.

Yan Yuan took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and took heavy steps to follow behind that thin but determined figure.