Maël, Van Persie, Arteta, and others sat on the bench, leisurely watching the game as if they were watching it at home.
They trusted the team's rotation players, believing they could easily achieve a big win against the Kitchee team.
"Bang!"
As they expected, just seven minutes into the game, Giroud received a cross from Podolski and scored with a volley.
1-0!
In the 19th minute, through rapid organized passing from the backfield, Arsenal launched a sharp passing play, advancing the ball into the opponent's territory after four consecutive one-touch passes.
"Bang, bang!"
Gilbert, who started the game, received the ball and played a through ball into the penalty area. Podolski on the left side darted forward and curled a shot into the far corner of the goal.
2-0! Podolski's first goal, Gilbert's first personal contribution since returning! The two went to the sidelines together, punching the air in celebration, their faces filled with sunny smiles, as if they were very much looking forward to their future with the team.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Maël also stood up to applaud Gilbert. Although it was just a game against a weaker team, he was happy to see his brother wearing an Arsenal jersey and fulfilling a long-held dream.
The U17 captain, who had been striving outside for two years, finally announced his arrival to the Arsenal First Team!
"Especially good relationship?"
Van Persie clapped along with Maël, turning his head to ask curiously, "I noticed in training that he has a lot of intensity and is very mature. Did you grow up together?"
"Yes and no."
Maël smiled, shook his head, and sat back down, explaining, "We met when we were 17, but we spent the most difficult days of our careers together, so you could say we grew up together.
"During that season in the EFL Championship, I lived with him. We not only ate and slept together, but we also went to the gym, played pool on the street, and went shopping, almost like the same person.
"We've seen each other at our most naive and watched each other step by step to where we are now."
Van Persie nodded, a look of envy appearing in his eyes. He hadn't had such a friendship since joining the First Team, and he had almost forgotten about his youth team days.
In a player's entire career, it's fortunate to have such a friendship and to be able to play for the same team together after initial success, continuing to strive for greater heights.
No matter what success they achieve in the future, they can stay together and reminisce, piecing together the bits and pieces of their journey, so they don't forget why they started and how they got here.
Maël looked at Gilbert with gentle eyes, noticing that he wasn't celebrating wildly, perhaps waiting for his first official goal or assist to really let loose.
His heart was also filled with anticipation. If it were an assist, he hoped it would be from Gilbert to him, so he could finish the goal.
"He wasn't originally a defensive midfielder. At Sheffield United, he was also the one responsible for organizing the attack."
Maël opened up, taking the initiative to introduce Gilbert to Van Persie, "But he felt that his talent in that area had reached its limit and might not reach a very high level, so he strengthened his physical fitness and running ability, transitioning to a defensive midfielder.
"All the choices he made were to return to Arsenal and have a place in this team."
Van Persie slowly nodded, then smiled, "I hope he gets his wish, and I hope you get yours too... We will have a wonderful year and reach even greater heights."
Maël didn't say anything more, just smiled and imagined the future.
"Bang!"
By the time he came back to his senses, Ramsey was outside the box and blasted a shot at the ball cleared by the defender, once again piercing Kitchee's net.
Three to zero! The Emirates Cup championship was in hand! The referee then blew the whistle for the end of the first half, and the players from both sides returned to the bench to rest.
Gilbert came down and headed straight for Maël, cheekily saying, "How was that through ball? Did it have a bit of Xavi's flair?"
"Haha...!"
Maël laughed and knocked away the hand that was reaching for his head, teasing, "Xavi had fewer assists than me last season, why don't you take me as your goal?"
"Tch!" Gilbert waved his hand dismissively and walked away, but turned back and laughed after walking a distance.
Maël looked at his smug look, sighed softly, and turned to look at the faint light sprinkled on the field. He suddenly felt that he loved this summer even more. What a wonderful summer.
"Beep!"
After the second half started, the Arsenal players still firmly occupied the initiative on the field, maintaining more than 75% ball control against Kitchee.
Friendly matches are always very mysterious, a field where upsets frequently occur. Even weak teams can play back and forth with strong teams.
But today's Arsenal didn't give Kitchee any chance for an upset, launching a barrage of attacks from beginning to end, making it difficult for the opposing players to breathe.
"Bang!"
In the 67th minute of the match, in a chaotic scene in front of the goal, Ramsey fell to the ground and poked the football into the net, further extending the team's lead.
Four to zero! Nine minutes later, it was Ramsey again. He headed the ball into the goal from an unmarked position during a corner kick, scoring a goal that no one expected.
Five to zero! In the 78th minute of the match, Maël and Van Persie and others finished warming up and prepared to come on for a run. After all, winning this match meant winning the first minor championship of the season, and they naturally deserved to make an appearance.
"OhOhOhhh!!"
The two who came on the field had some opportunities and often showed off their Fancy Footwork, using Fancy Footwork and fancy passes to stir up waves of cheers from the fans.
But perhaps because they were too engrossed in playing, neither of them managed to score.
Only Maël, in the stoppage time of the match, assisted Giroud in front of the goal to score another goal after a close-range Volley hit the goalpost.
Six to zero! "Beep! Beep! Beep——!"
In the 3rd minute of stoppage time, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the match, and Arsenal achieved two consecutive victories in the friendly match.
With 6 points from 2 games and 10 goals scored, they won the Emirates Cup one round in advance!
"Ohhhhh!"
"Yeahhh!"
Soon, amidst the cheers of the fans, Maël raised his first Championship Trophy after becoming the captain of Arsenal, and the Arsenal players wearing Gold Medals jumped and danced on the podium.
This is just a friendly match trophy, but it is of extraordinary significance. Perhaps from this day on, the new team led by the new captain will officially set sail! "Congratulations!"
"Champion!"
The Arsenal players talked and laughed, and they passed the trophy around, each smiling and taking photos in front of the camera.
"We need to get used to winning!"
"Haha...!"
After the match, Maël turned his gaze towards Wenger at the side of the field, winking his right eye after making eye contact, as if to tell him that the road to the championship in the new season had begun.
Wenger clapped his hands with a smile, then turned to the fan area to thank the more than 40,000 Arsenal fans who witnessed this moment.
Maël was later invited to a box, where he met several Emirates Airlines executives wearing traditional Arab national costumes with black bands around their heads, who may also hold important positions in the UAE government.
"Clap clap clap," they welcomed him with warm applause as soon as he arrived, and then one of them stood up and invited him to take a seat.
He nodded to them and sat down, his expression slightly calm, wondering what they wanted from him.
"Emirates Airlines has invested in Arsenal, named the Emirates Stadium and hosts the Emirates Cup."
One of the people sitting in the main seat smiled kindly and greeted him in a very direct way, "Naturally, we also want to sign the club's best players and make you our spokesperson.
"There's no other reason for inviting you here, just to meet our spokesperson in advance.
"To be honest, you are more likable in person than in the photos. We are prepared to agree to Mendes's request to increase your endorsement fee to £4.65 million a year."
The calmness on Maël's face was gradually replaced by joy. He could imagine that Mendes must be making a fuss about Dior Perfume's price increase in order to get other companies to raise their prices as well, and Emirates Airlines had agreed.
He extended his friendly right hand to the man, his attitude changed, and he said politely, "Thank you for your generosity. We have wanted to cooperate with a large company like Emirates Airlines for a long time."
"Haha..."
The representative of Emirates Airlines was certainly not stupid and could tell that Maël was just being polite, but they had always enjoyed the feeling of changing other people's attitudes by throwing money at them, and they were always immersed in it.
He waved his hand behind him, and one of them brought up several exquisite gift boxes.
Maël looked at them curiously, watching as they opened the boxes step by step, and then took out four watches that looked very valuable.
"These are two Rolex watches and two Patek Philippe watches, with a total value of about 860,000 euros."
The Emirates representative held the four watches worth a total of 860,000 euros in one hand, as if he was holding a handful of model watches, and brought them to Maël, "Consider this a gift for meeting you, I hope you don't mind."
Maël was stunned, completely shocked by the other party's inhuman 'wealth'. Before he could even decline, the other party took his left arm and put one of the watches on him.
As the watch was put on his wrist, a genuine smile of surprise gradually replaced his face, and even the last trace of politeness disappeared, and the way he looked at the other party became clear.
On the one hand, the feeling of picking up money was indeed very good, and on the other hand, he had always heard that these oil tycoons liked to throw money around. It was the first time he had seen it, and he had personally experienced it, so naturally he felt fresh.
"Very good looking."
The Emirates representative looked at the watch on Maël's hand and gave a thumbs up, "This watch should have been yours. It looks ugly on our hands."
"Haha..." Maël laughed heartily, looking at the Rolex on his wrist, thinking it was indeed not bad... Things that come for free always look good.
"There will be bonus clauses in our endorsement contract, but I assure you that we will also give you bonuses out of our own pockets."
The Emirates representative turned to look at the other Emirates people and asked, "Right? We talked about it, as long as Maël wins an important championship, we will buy him some houses and cars in private."
"That's right!" *10+ Looking at the firm gazes of a group of White Hats, Maël pursed his lips and nodded, indicating that he would do his best to win the championship. This endorsement contract was really worth it.
He didn't stay here for too long and soon went to the interview area to accept interviews from the media.
A reporter saw that he had been smiling and asked, "Are you happy to win the Emirates Cup? We thought you, who won the European Cup, wouldn't care about this small championship."
"I'm quite happy." Maël smiled along with his words, "I care about completing achievements with the Arsenal players. Of course, part of the reason I'm happy is because I met a group of interesting people."
Time passed in this way to August, to the month when the season officially began.
On July 31st, Maël also celebrated his 19th birthday, hosting a grand banquet at home, only replacing the wine he often drank with beverages, celebrating his birthday healthily.
Compared to the simple celebration with only him and Gilbert for his 17th birthday, and the 18th birthday spent with Arsenal players in the locker room after winning against Bayern in his debut, this year's birthday seemed particularly lively.
"What a great day."
"We're here!"
"Haha, no suit today?"
Most of the Arsenal players came to his house, even the coaching staff, including Hans and others, attended in suits, and Sheffield United's Gareth Speed and Joelson, among others, also rushed over.
Also present were Peter and Emilia from Football Record, Orto and several executives from Puma, and Mendes' agent, Pepino, etc.
Even Wenger, Deschamps, and Michel, who didn't come for fear of ruining the atmosphere, called to congratulate him, and explained that they had bought gifts and told him to remember to check them.
These were all people he had befriended throughout England and France in the past year, and gradually, his network of relationships had become quite extensive.
"Brother...!"
With the arrival of Ava's family, who had been studying in London for half a semester, the birthday party officially began. They had a meal together, drank some beverages, and then brought out the cake tower to prepare to sing the birthday song.
"Click." Isabella turned off the lights, took out the bouquet of roses she had prepared long ago from the cabinet, and asked her good friend Aisha to help turn on the flashlight.
"Happy birthday, my boy!"
She walked to Maël's side with a smile, handed a large bouquet of flowers to Maël, and gave him a kiss, "I have a special gift for you, I'll tell you later."
"Ooh ooh ooh!"
"Happy birthday, Maël!"
"Score more goals, break more records, and win more championships in the new year!!"
Amidst the cheering and blessings, Aisha turned off the flashlight, and many people lit 18 candles for Maël and sang the birthday song.
"Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday! Ohhh!!"
In the lively atmosphere, the birthday song ended, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Maël, anticipating his wish.
Maël then closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, piously making a wish.
The candlelight shone on his face, making his angular features even more three-dimensional, captivating Isabella and other female comrades for a moment.
Soon, Maël finished making his wish and blew out the candles with force: "Whoosh!"
All the candles went out instantly, and the scene was pitch black, until Aisha groped over and turned the lights back on, "Click!"
"Clap clap clap!"
"Yes!"
"What did you wish for?"
Everyone clapped their hands and shouted excitedly, and some began to curiously ask Maël what his wish was.
Maël shook his head, not intending to tell everyone, "I'll tell you what I wished for when it comes true."
"Boo boo...!" Many people booed, but then laughed.
They then started sharing the cake, and even those who didn't like cream took a plate to show their congratulations.
Maël looked at Isabella's best friend, Aisha, during the process and smiled, "I need to book a few suits from you earlier this time. Around August, I have to attend the UEFA Awards Ceremony."
"Leave it to me." Aisha patted her chest heartily, "I'll send Isabella some pictures later, you guys choose the styles and designs, and leave the rest to me."
"Okay."
Maël took two bites of cake, then turned to see Emilia holding her phone, taking a selfie while leaning in to take a picture with him. He smiled, managed his expression, and took the photo with her.
After taking the photo, he whispered, "Is the documentary almost edited? Any news on the copyright?"
"It'll be done this week."
Emilia put down her phone and replied with a light smile, "The copyright bidding is very competitive, and mainstream media from various continents have offered seven-figure exclusive regional buyout fees."
"That's great." Maël nodded and smiled, "The Arsenal program and mine need to continue in the new season, and the Arsenal documentary also needs to start filming. This is the best way for us to take it a step further."
Emilia responded and then took the cake that Gilbert had cut and handed to her, walking to her seat to eat.
As the birthday party was about to end, Hans came over and said to Maël with a smile, "Your girlfriend has prepared a special gift for you, and the Arsenal fans have one too. Do you want to see it?"
"Sure." Maël stood up curiously, wondering what the gift was.
Hans motioned for him to sit down first, then ran to the TV to connect his phone, and then opened a video.
"Yeahhh!" This was a video that had clearly been carefully edited, starting with Maël's somersault celebration and the fans' roars, as well as the commentator's voice.
After a high-energy mix, the picture gradually stabilized, and a string of subtitles appeared on the screen.
"Happy 19th birthday. You have achieved unprecedented accomplishments in the past year at 18 years old. We hope to make these into a summary video, lighting up all your footprints in this year step by step!"
The video had a voice-over, which sounded like a very young male voice. From his tone, you could feel his love and appreciation for Maël.
"." The scene gradually quieted down, and people focused their attention on the TV, wanting to see what kind of year Maël had spent.
"Ma-ehl!"
The picture switched to the game footage, Arsenal versus Newcastle United in the first round of the 11-12 Season Premier League.
Maël shook down Newcastle defender Danny Simpson on the wing, then passed Steven Taylor, and sprinted past Ryan Taylor, who was catching up.
"Oh my god! Ma-ehl dribbled past three players and shot!!"
"Bang!"
A sound of touching the ball sounded, and he curved shot from the edge of the penalty area, and the football drew a beautiful arc, passed through the hands of Newcastle goalkeeper Krul, and rolled into the goal.
"Goooaaaalll!!" Under the roar of the English commentator, Maël ran to the side of the court under the pursuit of a group of Arsenal players, making a shut-up celebration with a serious expression.
A string of subtitles and voice-overs also appeared, "August 14, 2011, on the 15th day after your 18th birthday, you scored your first Premier League goal and first Arsenal goal, and completed a Hat-trick on the same day, making a stunning debut.
"Soon you gained a firm foothold in Arsenal, and your worth also exceeded 30 million, and you were considered a strong contender for the Golden Boy Award that year."
Maël looked at the screen, his eyes gradually lost in thought. This video pulled him back to this period last year.
The others smiled, and many turned to observe Maël's reaction and expression.
"Szczęsny's powerful throw! Now Piszczek is defending Maël, can he withstand Maël's impact?!"
The scene then switched again, arriving at Westfalen Stadium, for the first round of the 11-12 Season Champions League group stage match between Arsenal and Dortmund.
"Dortmund's defense is a bit careless, Piszczek seems to be struggling! Maël's Ball Control and turn, this is a combination of Ball Control and dribbling! A world-class touch! After the Ball Control, he goes One-on-One directly!"
In the scene, Maël gracefully turned to unload the ball, immediately shaking off Piszczek by four or five meters, and charged towards Dortmund's undefended backfield.
A legendary Ball Control moment! "Facing Weidenfeller, will he choose to dribble past the goalkeeper? Or will he go for a direct shot?"
Maël in the video immediately responded to the commentator's speculation with a powerful shot, hitting the right upper corner of the goal from a distance while still some way from Weidenfeller.
"Goal! This is a goal that is flawless from any angle! Maël! The amazing Maël!"
Following the camera, Maël sprinted all the way to the front of Westfalen's devilish stands, jumped onto the advertising boards, and raised his arms high towards the Dortmund fans, celebrating the goal.
"September 18th, you scored your first Champions League goal in the group stage match against Dortmund, and defeated Götze head-on in the Golden Boy competition, laying the foundation for winning the award later."
The scene changed again, arriving at the North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham in the 7th round of the Premier League. In the final moments, the score was tied at two-two, and Arsenal kicked off from the center circle.
After a series of ball rotations, Maël, in the midfield position, suddenly received a pass from a teammate.
"Bang!"
Just as everyone was thinking about what he would do next, he suddenly pushed the ball forward, past the opponent's entire midfield and defensive lines, and then began a violent pursuit mode.
His strides were large, and soon, under the commentator's constant exclamations, he arrived a step ahead of everyone else to receive the ball and complete a One-on-One.
Dribbling past four people in one go!
The subsequent shot was even more steady and accurate, piercing through the goal guarded by Friedel, helping Arsenal complete the Game-winning goal in the final moments.
"Yeah!" After scoring, he once again jumped onto the advertising boards, screaming hysterically, waving his arms, like a demon lord descending from the heavens.
"October 2nd, you won your first North London Derby in your life, and also scored your 10th Premier League goal, reaching a milestone. After this match, you sat at the top of the scorer list, and remained there until the end of the season."
"."
"November 16th, you were selected for the French Team training camp for the first time, and in your debut match, you joined hands with Deschamps, facing the formidable Belgium team and scoring 3 goals, starting your national team journey with a Hat-trick.
"It was also during that period that your value reached 45m, becoming the most expensive player under the age of 20!
"At that time, people did not expect that you would become the captain of this team in just over half a year, leading the team to win the most valuable intercontinental championship trophy of your career."
"."
Looking at his heroic self in the scene, Maël unconsciously wore a faint smile. This video had given him a lot of feelings, as if it had truly illuminated the path he had walked.
"Thank you!"
The scene changed again, he was holding a golden trophy in front of an advertising board, greeting the reporters and thanking the people who were applauding for him.
"December 22nd, after taking down the last strong enemy Manchester City in the first half of the season with 2 amazing goals, you flew to Turin, Italy, to receive your first major individual award, the Golden Boy Award."
"."
"January 14, 2012, was an important day for you. You attended the Ballon d'Or Awards Ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, for the first time on this day.
"With a goal against Sheffield United, you won the Puskas Award, and with your excellent performance in the first half of the season, you ranked tenth in the Ballon d'Or, reaping a great harvest!
"After this, your value quickly soared to 70m, becoming a potential hundred million man."
"."
After intercutting several goals and celebrations, the camera turned again, arriving at the Champions League Round of 16, the second leg against AC Milan.
"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"
After editing together Maël's Brace, the camera flashed to the moment the final whistle blew, the moment Milan eliminated Arsenal.
Having been substituted long ago, he sat on the bench, looking at the score on the scoreboard, biting his lip with disappointment.
"After scoring his 7th Champions League goal, Arsenal, eager to streamline their lines, were eliminated by AC Milan in the Champions League Round of 16.
"That seemed to become a regret for the club, and the team received a lot of ridicule, but no one blamed you, who played less than 5 full games in 8 matches and scored 7 goals."
"."
Maël looked at the desire for the Champions League and the compromise with reality in his expression at that time, and the smile on his lips deepened. If there was any regret at the age of 18, the Champions League would be one.
But fortunately, he won a lot last year, and now he can look back at the helplessness and unwillingness at that time with a smile.
Moreover, he is still young. At only 19 years old, he has plenty of time to take it all back!
The Champions League will be his most important goal this season, without exception!
The progress bar moved forward again, arriving at Wembley Stadium, where the EFL Cup final between Arsenal and Cardiff City was in full swing.
"Boom!!"
In a free kick near the end of the game, Maël aimed left and shot right, completing a feint in the free kick, and blasted the ball into the goal guarded by Cardiff City goalkeeper Heaton.
"Aaaahhhh!" After scoring, he tore off his clothes and rushed towards the fans in the stands, waving them wildly. The score became four to one, and they killed the game.
"Not long after being eliminated from the Champions League, in the EFL Cup final on February 28, you defeated Cardiff City four to one, and you also lifted the first First Team trophy of your career.
"In that game, you scored your third Hat-trick of the season, the second time you scored a Hat-trick. After the game, you and your friends left a very warm and classic photo at Wembley.
"That day, you won the EFL Cup Best Player and the EFL Cup Golden Boot, sweeping all the awards!"
The photo taken that day appeared on the screen. In the photo, Maël was squatting on the ground, Isabella was making a 'V' sign behind his head, and Davis and Lewis were flexing their muscles.
José and Harry raised their arms and roared, Safina and Aisha posed as models one after the other.
Multiple elements, coupled with the embellishment of the Championship Trophy, together formed a beautiful picture.
"Ahahaha!" Many people at the villa laughed. Those people from that day are all here today.
However, unlike that time, Maël has more friends, and he has also changed from the supernova at that time to an international superstar who is famous all over the world.
The more Maël looked at it, the more moved he became. Sometimes he would blur some of his past memories, but now he remembered all the precious images he saw, and he also substituted himself into the emotions of that time.
"On April 12, in the 33rd round of the Premier League against Wigan Athletic, you came off the bench in the second half and quickly helped the team equalize with a super Long Shot World Wave! Scoring your 35th goal of your career! "That moment was an important moment for you. You broke the record that Alan Shearer and Andy Cole had sealed for many years and sat on the top of the Premier League scorer list.
"But you didn't celebrate. You quickly picked up the Football and returned to the center circle to fight for the team's final victory.
"A few minutes later, in the midst of chaos, you scored another goal with a Header, completing the achievement of equalizing + Game-winning goal. That was your 36th goal, and you celebrated wildly on the sidelines."
"."
"Yeah!!"
In the video, Maël raised his arms high, leaning back and roaring towards the stands, fully venting his excitement of breaking the record and scoring the game-winning goal. He then turned around and 'shot down' a group of Arsenal players with his imaginary dual pistols.
"Haha!" Laughter rang out again, as the Arsenal players seemed to recall that moment, while some looked visibly moved.
"April 28th, a special day when Arsenal faced their final match in the title race. That day, Arsenal fans from all over the world flocked to London to cheer for the team."
"You defeated your direct title rivals, Manchester City, with an Overwhelming Three-Pronged Axe, and lifted the Premier League Championship Trophy at the Emirates Stadium. This is your first top-tier league title and the second title of the season!"
"..."
"May 13th, the final day of the Premier League season. In that match, you scored your 100th and 101st goals of your career. With 43 goals and 20 assists for the season, you led Arsenal to finish the Premier League!"
"The team finished with a miraculous record of 31 wins, 7 draws, and an undefeated streak, accumulating 100 points!"
The scene quickly flipped again, arriving at the championship parade celebration. The red smoke from the Arsenal fans enveloped all the passages through which the bus passed, and the players paraded in glory on the float.
During the final celebration at the Emirates Stadium, Maël was the first to appear. After the introduction by the on-site DJ, he ended the season with a dashing front flip and a flying punch.
"Oh!" A burst of cheers erupted at the villa, and everyone applauded Maël.
Perhaps at the time, people were too busy reacting to the continuous impact brought by Maël, and sometimes they inevitably forgot that he was just an 18-year-old kid.
But when looking back at all of this at his 19th birthday party, with the mindset of 'this is what he did at 18,' everyone would have different feelings and be even more amazed.
Maël was still staring at the screen because he knew that the video was not over yet.
"June 12th, you started a new journey. In the first round of the European Cup group stage, you announced your arrival with a long-range blast."
"In the second half, after Gerrard missed a Penalty Kick, you launched a quick attack and Volleyed down the England Team! Achieving the first victory! After that match, you took the European Cup Golden Boot and continued until the end."
"..."
"June 29th, in the European Cup semi-final against the Germany Team, you experienced a difficult match, but in the end, with a high-altitude bombardment of looking back at the moon, you scored a Header that killed the game!"
"That was your 9th goal in the European Cup, you tied Platini's record, and led the French Team into the final."
"..."
"July 3rd, one of the most important days of your life. Facing the powerful Matador Legion, you opened your goal account with a Long Shot, breaking Platini's record! And at the last moment, with a One-on-One goal, you sent the French Team to the top of Europe, lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy!"
"..."
The scene changed, and a civil aviation plane appeared in the sky, followed by two fighter jets from behind, surrounding the civil aviation plane on the left and right.
"Thank you for your heroic performance in the European Cup. We represent the French Air Force to escort you!"
"..."
Amidst the pilot's powerful call, the civil airliner slowly landed, Passing Through the Water Gate. Maël, holding the Henri Delaunay Trophy, appeared at Paris International Airport, and then took a bus for a float parade along the Champs-Élysées.
Nine planes pulled out contrails, tens of thousands of French fans set off smoke bombs, and escorted by the cavalry regiment, Michel pinned the Medal of Honor on them.
"Swish!"
The screen suddenly went black, and everything finally came to an end. The last line of text appeared on the screen—"All Arsenal fans pay tribute to your passionate and wonderful 18 years, and look forward to you achieving even more dazzling success at 19!"
"Ooh ooh!" After the playback, another burst of shouts rang out at the scene, and everyone turned their attention to Maël in the center.
Under everyone's gaze, he put his hands together to thank the Arsenal fan who made the video, and at the same time, he raised his head with a look of emotion, not letting the tears in his eyes fall.
Unexpectedly, before the video ended, after a black screen, a match poster for Arsenal's opening game of the 12-13 Season, the Community Shield Cup final, appeared on the screen.
"August 12, 2012, you will begin your 19-year-old journey at Wembley Stadium, marking the start of another great and legendary journey."
Everyone was somewhat speechless, shocked by the creativity and meaning of the video. Maël's face was even more moved, to the point where he subconsciously pursed his lips and shook his head repeatedly.
Yes, everything above was just his 18 years old. He still has a broader future.
At the age of 19, he wants to accomplish more achievements and reach even greater heights! He hopes that in next year's similar videos, he can still see himself constantly climbing upwards, experiencing countless highlights and wonderful moments!
He also hopes that when he ends his career and chooses to retire, he will see himself crushing everything from the moment he emerges, step by step towards the number one spot in history, ending all debates about who is the best, and becoming the one and only Football God! "Cheers!"
Isabella picked up a glass of drink, sat next to Maël, and signaled everyone to raise their glasses together, "To his past, and to his future! Go for it!!"
Everyone raised their glasses together again, and this birthday party came to an end.
At night, Isabella came to Maël's side after taking a shower and revealed her birthday gift, "Don't you want to start your own company? I want to give you my sports brand and merge it in."
Maël didn't expect this and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Really? But why? Isn't that your career?"
"Yes." Isabella said with a smile, "But maybe without you, I wouldn't have been so determined to bring it to where it is today. I will find another industry to realize my value."
"Now it has reached a new bottleneck again. I think, only if it's yours, can it go further."
Maël stared at Isabella, realizing that she was saying these words very seriously.
Before he could reply, Isabella continued, "Actually, the brand wasn't originally called Primacy. I only changed it to this name shortly before collaborating with you."
"Because I think you have always been pursuing 'excellence' and pursuing 'the best,' which is very consistent with you."
"After falling in love with you, I regarded it as our child, so I hope we can raise it together."
Seeing that Maël hadn't said anything, Isabella smiled, turned over, and sat on Maël's waist, her thin lips slightly parted: "Maël, although it's a bit too early to say this, I'm just asking, do you want to marry me?"
"...I think so."
"Then Primacy is one of the dowries that the McCabe family gives you. From tomorrow on, it's yours, but I will still stay in my position and work hard for our company."
The two became entangled again. Having spent their first birthday together after being together, their relationship gradually underwent new changes.
August 4th, the last round of the Emirates Cup, Arsenal against Cologne from the Bundesliga.
This is Podolski's former team. Perhaps it was because they met in the transfer market that Arsenal was able to invite them to participate in this Emirates Cup.
The game started at 5:30 in the evening, and Arsenal, with another full rotation lineup, launched a strong attack.
Facing his old club and old teammates, Podolski seemed eager to show his new look and new situation in life, and he played explosively in this game without holding back.
He scored three goals in the 6th, 55th, and 87th minutes of the game, completing a Hat-trick.
In addition, Maël, who came on in the 56th minute of the second half, also scored 1 goal and 1 assist while playing very casually, helping Arteta open the scoring.
5 to 1!
This was the final score. Arsenal once again achieved a great victory with a 4-goal difference! "Clap!"
"Clap!"
When leaving the field, Maël high-fived and hugged each teammate and coaching staff member, celebrating the successful conclusion of the pre-season warm-up match.
In eight days, awaiting them is the Community Shield Cup final, the first championship battle of the new season!
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