127. Againts QPR PT.2

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Francesco wiped the sweat off his forehead, stealing a quick glance at Wenger on the touchline. The manager remained calm, watching intently, arms folded. He knew this was the kind of game Arsenal had to grind through.

At the 24th Minute Arsenal had started to settle into their rhythm, passing with more confidence and pushing QPR deeper into their own half. The intensity of the opening exchanges had begun to wear on the home side, and Arsenal sensed an opportunity.

Francesco, positioned slightly ahead of Coquelin, found himself in a pocket of space near the right flank. Bellerín, ever the energetic full-back, made a darting run inside, dragging his marker with him and opening up space for Francesco to exploit. Özil spotted the movement and played a quick pass out to him.

Francesco took a steadying touch, lifted his head, and assessed his options. Giroud was lurking in the box, closely marked by both Steven Caulker and Nedum Onuoha. The French striker, known for his aerial ability, signaled with a slight movement of his body—he wanted the cross early.

Without hesitation, Francesco swung his right foot, delivering a precise, curling cross toward the six-yard box. The ball floated perfectly, bypassing the first defender, and dropped just over Caulker's reach.

Giroud, with the instincts of a true number nine, read it to perfection. Timing his leap, he rose above both defenders, his powerful frame giving him the edge. With a snap of his neck muscles, he directed a bullet header toward the far corner.

Robert Green dived desperately, stretching his left arm as far as he could, but the placement was perfect. The ball nestled into the top corner of the net.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 QPR

The away section erupted, and Arsenal's players swarmed Giroud in celebration. Francesco, who had just delivered the assist, was the first to reach him, clapping the striker on the back as Giroud pumped his fists toward the traveling fans.

"Brilliant ball, Frankie!" Giroud grinned, ruffling Francesco's hair as they jogged back to their positions.

Francesco grinned, but his mind was already back in the game. They had the lead, but QPR wouldn't roll over.

QPR's Response – Arsenal Under Pressure

Predictably, the goal only fueled QPR's aggression. The home team, spurred on by their fans, ramped up their intensity, pressing higher and pushing more bodies forward.

Matt Phillips and Bobby Zamora became their main outlets, with QPR frequently sending long balls into the Arsenal half, testing Mertesacker and Gabriel.

In the 30th minute, a dangerous free-kick was conceded just outside the Arsenal box after Sandro was brought down by Coquelin. Joey Barton stood over the ball, eyeing the top corner.

The referee's whistle blew.

Barton stepped up and struck it sweetly, curling it over the wall. The ball was dipping toward the bottom corner, but Ospina reacted superbly, diving low to his right to push it around the post.

Arsenal breathed a sigh of relief.

Francesco knew they needed to weather this storm. He started dropping deeper, helping Coquelin shield the backline while also acting as the link to transition Arsenal forward when they won possession.

As the half-time whistle approached, at 40th Minute Arsenal had started to regain control. Francesco, playing with composure beyond his years, continued dictating the tempo, spreading passes wide to Rosický and Alexis to stretch QPR's compact defense.

Then came another chance.

This time, it started with Cazorla, who danced through midfield before slipping a pass to Özil on the edge of the box. The German playmaker feinted, sending his marker the wrong way, before rolling a perfectly weighted ball into Francesco's path.

Francesco didn't hesitate. With a quick shift of his body, he unleashed a low, driven shot toward the bottom corner.

Green was beaten, but the ball struck the post and rolled across the face of goal before being cleared at the last moment by Onuoha.

Francesco put his hands on his head in frustration. That had been inches away.

The atmosphere inside Loftus Road was tense as the game neared halftime. QPR were still pressing hard, trying to claw their way back into the match after Giroud's towering header had given Arsenal the lead. But Arsenal, led by the composed and confident midfield of Francesco, Özil, and Cazorla, were starting to control the tempo again.

As the clock ticked toward the 43rd minute, Arsenal found themselves in possession deep in their own half. Gabriel intercepted a long ball intended for Zamora and calmly played it back to Mertesacker, who immediately shifted it wide to Bellerín. The young Spaniard looked up and saw Özil dropping into space near the center circle.

With one graceful touch, Özil controlled the ball and turned, his vision scanning the field in an instant. He spotted Francesco making a bursting run down the right flank, finding a pocket of space behind QPR's defensive line. Without hesitation, Özil lifted a delicate long ball over the top, perfectly weighted to land in Francesco's stride.

Francesco's eyes lit up as the ball came toward him. His first touch was immaculate, cushioning it forward as he surged toward goal.

QPR's left-back, Yun Suk-young, rushed in to close him down.

Yun lunged in an attempt to slow him down, but Francesco had already anticipated it. With a quick flick of his right foot, he sent the ball through Yun's legs and darted past him effortlessly, leaving the defender stumbling.

The crowd gasped—he had completely outclassed Yun with a moment of sheer technical brilliance.

But the danger wasn't over yet.

Steven Caulker, one of QPR's strongest defenders, came charging in.

Francesco could see the desperation in Caulker's eyes; the defender was going for a last-ditch tackle.

Staying calm under pressure, Francesco feinted to his left, tricking Caulker into committing early. The instant the defender lunged, Francesco swiftly shifted the ball to his right and breezed past him like he wasn't even there.

Now, it was just Francesco versus Robert Green.

The QPR goalkeeper rushed off his line, arms wide, trying to make himself as big as possible.

But Francesco was ice-cold.

With a composed step, he opened his body and calmly slotted the ball past Green's outstretched arm, curling it into the bottom corner.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 QPR!

The Arsenal fans erupted in the away end. Francesco spread his arms wide in celebration before being mobbed by his teammates. Özil, who had provided the assist, jogged over with a satisfied grin and patted Francesco on the head.

"What a goal!" Rosický shouted, shaking Francesco by the shoulders.

Even Giroud, known for his physical style of play, was impressed. "You made that look too easy!" he laughed.

Wenger, standing on the touchline, allowed himself a rare smile, clapping approvingly. He knew Francesco's potential was sky-high, and this goal had just reinforced that belief.

QPR Struggle to Respond Before Halftime

With only two minutes left until the break, QPR desperately pushed forward, hoping to salvage something before heading into the dressing room.

They nearly did.

In the 45th minute, Joey Barton once again tried his luck from distance, launching a venomous shot from 25 yards. It swerved dangerously in mid-air, but Ospina, who had been rock-solid all night, reacted quickly and palmed it over the bar.

The referee signaled one minute of added time, and Arsenal focused on closing out the half professionally. Francesco, now oozing confidence after his goal, played a key role in slowing the game down, drawing fouls and keeping possession.

When the halftime whistle finally blew, Arsenal walked off the pitch with a 2-0 lead, their dominance showing.

As they entered the tunnel, Wenger put an arm around Francesco.

"Excellent first half," he said. "Keep playing with that confidence."

Francesco nodded, but he knew the job wasn't done yet. QPR wouldn't go down without a fight in the second half.

As the Arsenal players stepped into the cramped away locker room at Loftus Road, the atmosphere was a mix of satisfaction and focus. The team was up 2-0, but they knew they couldn't afford to relax.

Francesco, still riding the high of his brilliant solo goal, took a seat next to Özil, who handed him a bottle of water. The German playmaker gave him a slight nod, a silent acknowledgment of the young midfielder's performance so far.

"That was some run," Özil finally said, smirking.

Francesco chuckled, catching his breath. "You made it easy with that pass."

Before the conversation could continue, Arsène Wenger walked into the room, his presence immediately commanding attention. The chatter died down, and the players turned their focus toward their manager.

"Good first half," Wenger began, his voice measured but firm. "We controlled the game, played with intelligence, and took our chances well. But," he paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, "QPR will come out fighting in the second half. They have nothing to lose. Expect them to press harder, to be more aggressive."

He turned to the defensive line. "Per, Gabriel—be ready for long balls. Zamora will look to bully his way into space. Stay compact, stay strong."

Then, Wenger's eyes landed on Francesco. "Frankie, you've done well dictating the tempo. Keep finding those spaces, but don't be afraid to drop deeper when needed. We will need composure in midfield."

Francesco nodded. He understood what was coming. QPR wouldn't sit back—they would throw everything at Arsenal in the second half.

The rest of the team received their tactical adjustments before Wenger clapped his hands once. "Stay focused, stay disciplined. We finish this game strong."

With that, the players rose from their seats, did their final stretches, and made their way back out onto the pitch, greeted by the roar of the crowd.

As soon as the referee blew his whistle to start the second half, it became clear that Wenger had been right. QPR came flying out of the gates with renewed aggression, pressing Arsenal high up the pitch and forcing them to retreat into a defensive shape.

Within the first five minutes, QPR's Bobby Zamora nearly capitalized on a loose ball in the box, only for Gabriel to throw his body in the way and block the shot.

Moments later, Matt Phillips whipped in a dangerous cross that Mertesacker barely managed to clear before Charlie Austin could get a foot to it.

The home crowd sensed the shift in momentum and grew louder, urging their team forward. Arsenal were now being pinned back, unable to string together the same fluid passing moves they had enjoyed in the first half.

Francesco, positioned deeper now alongside Coquelin, found himself under constant pressure. Barton and Sandro were relentless in midfield, snapping into tackles and preventing Arsenal from playing through the center.

At the 55th minute, QPR won a corner. Barton swung it in, and Zamora rose highest, powering a header toward goal. The ball seemed destined for the back of the net, but Ospina reacted superbly, diving to his left and palming it away.

The rebound fell to Onuoha, who lashed a shot toward goal—only for Bellerín to make a crucial block.

Arsenal were holding firm, but the pressure wasn't letting up.

Despite QPR's dominance in the early part of the second half, Arsenal remained disciplined.

Mertesacker, using his experience, constantly barked instructions, ensuring the backline stayed compact. Gabriel was aggressive, winning aerial duels against Zamora.

In midfield, Coquelin was tireless, throwing himself into challenges, disrupting QPR's rhythm.

Francesco, though not a natural defensive midfielder, understood the need to adapt. He positioned himself smartly, offering a passing outlet whenever Arsenal regained possession, helping to relieve the pressure.

By the 65th minute, Arsenal had weathered the worst of QPR's storm. Though the home side still pushed forward, they had run out of ideas. Their initial intensity had drained them, and Arsenal, patient and composed, began to grow back into the game.

With the defensive job done, Francesco sensed the opportunity to reassert control. He started demanding the ball more, moving into pockets of space to receive passes from the defense.

In the 68th minute, he linked up beautifully with Cazorla, exchanging quick one-touch passes before spraying a diagonal ball out to Alexis on the left wing. The Chilean controlled it effortlessly and drove toward the QPR box, forcing Yun Suk-young into a last-ditch tackle.

Moments later, Francesco orchestrated another attack. Picking the ball up near the halfway line, he skipped past Sandro with a clever feint and surged forward. Özil made a run to his left, while Giroud peeled off to the right.

Francesco slipped a pass to Özil, who immediately tried to return it, but Onuoha intercepted at the last moment.

Arsenal were knocking on the door again.

Despite their resurgence, Arsenal still had to be cautious. In the 73rd minute, a misplaced pass from Cazorla led to a QPR counterattack.

Phillips broke free down the right and whipped in a low cross toward the penalty area. Zamora managed to get a toe to it, but his effort went inches wide of the post.

A warning sign.

Francesco clapped his hands, signaling his teammates to stay sharp. They were close to securing all three points—now was not the time to lose focus.

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Name : Francesco Lee

Age : 16 (2014)

Birthplace : London, England

Football Club : Arsenal First Team

Championship History : None

Match Played: 17

Goal: 23

Assist: 12

MOTM: 7