179. Match that Decide the Title PT.2

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Chelsea responded instantly. A quick throw from Azpilicueta found Hazard, who danced past Coquelin before sliding a pass to Oscar. Oscar held off Koscielny, spun, and fired—but Ospina, again, was equal to it, parrying the shot wide. The game had become a relentless back-and-forth, neither side willing to cede control.

Then, on the 52nd minute, the Emirates fell into a stunned silence.

It started innocently enough—Oscar, who had struggled to impact the game thus far, suddenly dropped deep into Arsenal's half, just a few yards outside the center circle. Koscielny, usually disciplined, took the bait. He stepped forward, pulled instinctively by the Brazilian's movement, trying to keep the space compact. That one decision was all it took.

Fabregas, the puppet master, saw it unfold in an instant. With a single glance, he recognized the vacuum behind Koscielny. He didn't hesitate. A perfect through ball—weighted like a dream and curled with an artist's touch—split Arsenal's backline in two. It was the kind of pass that made everything else on the pitch stand still for a moment.

Hazard was already on the move.

The Belgian's timing was flawless, ghosting in from the left just as the ball arrived. Nacho Monreal scrambled, trying to track back and block the angle, but Hazard had seen it all before. A subtle feint sent the Spaniard the wrong way, and then with that trademark low center of gravity, Hazard danced past him like he wasn't there. The crowd collectively held its breath as he surged into the box.

Ospina came out, desperate to narrow the angle, but Hazard kept his composure. With the outside of his right boot, he slid the ball low and hard into the far corner. It kissed the inside of the post before nestling into the net.

Chelsea 1, Arsenal 0.

Blue shirts erupted. Hazard wheeled away towards the corner flag, arms spread wide, his face a mask of triumph. Behind him, Monreal punched the turf in frustration, and Koscielny threw his hands up in apology. Ospina sat up slowly, blinking, trying to process it. The Emirates, which had been a cauldron of noise, was now an uneasy murmur of disbelief.

On the touchline, Wenger clenched his jaw but said nothing. His hands were folded across his chest, the only betrayal of his emotion a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. Mourinho, on the other hand, allowed himself a fist pump and a barked instruction to his midfield—"Focus now! Reset!"

Back on the pitch, Francesco stood near the halfway line, staring at the ball nestled inside the Arsenal net. His lungs burned, his heartbeat thumped in his ears, and his mind raced—not with panic, but with resolve.

"We're not out of this," he muttered under his breath.

As play resumed, Arsenal upped the tempo again, driven by anger, frustration, and a fierce desire to answer back. The crowd responded, finding its voice again. Every pass was cheered, every inch gained roared with hope.

In the 56th minute, Coquelin stole possession from Ramires with a perfectly timed slide. The ball spilled to Cazorla, who played it immediately to Özil. Mesut turned, glancing over his shoulder to spot Francesco peeling wide again.

The pass came—low, fizzed, and sharp. Francesco took it in stride, his first touch cushioning the ball as Ivanović closed in. Just as the Serbian tried to lunge, Francesco feinted inside before pushing it down the line with the outside of his left foot. Ivanović bit. Too slow. Too tired.

Francesco was gone.

He zipped toward the edge of the box, looked up, and saw Giroud making a near-post run. He drilled in a low cross—perfectly weighted—but Cahill, stretching to his limits, managed a toe to it, diverting it just enough to put Giroud off. The ball glanced off Giroud's shin and rolled wide.

Groans echoed around the stadium. So close.

Wenger turned to the bench, calling for Walcott and Ramsey to start warming up. Arsenal needed more movement. More chaos. More options.

But before the changes could be made, Chelsea nearly struck again.

A long clearance from Courtois bounced awkwardly between Mertesacker and Oscar. The Brazilian read it first, flicking the ball over the German's head and sprinting into open space. Ospina, quick off his line, came charging out again. Oscar chipped the ball over him, aiming for the top corner—but this time, it drifted just wide.

It was a warning shot. Arsenal were living dangerously.

By the 63rd minute, the changes came. Walcott replaced Giroud, bringing a new burst of pace to Arsenal's front line. Ramsey came on for Cazorla, adding more bite and verticality to the midfield. Wenger was shifting the dynamics, searching for the spark.

Francesco was still at the heart of everything. Every time he touched the ball, the crowd lifted. He cut inside once and curled a shot toward the top corner—Courtois tipped it over with his fingertips. Moments later, he squared for Walcott, whose shot was blocked by Terry at the last second.

Then, on the 65th minute, it happened.

The moment the Emirates had been waiting for. The moment Francesco had been chasing since the first whistle.

Arsenal's build-up was crisp, purposeful, and crackling with urgency. Ramsey intercepted a lazy pass from Matic just outside the Chelsea box and quickly shifted it to Özil. The German barely looked up—he knew exactly what he wanted to do. The run was already there. The timing was perfect.

A delicate, surgical pass threaded through the smallest of gaps between Ivanović and Cahill—two defenders who, just ten minutes ago, would have closed that space in an instant. But not now. Not after sixty-five minutes of relentless chasing. Not after being run ragged by a teenage whirlwind in red.

Francesco was already on the move before the ball left Özil's foot.

Ivanović saw it coming and tried to adjust. He threw his weight to the left, pivoted his hips, but his boots betrayed him. Whether it was the fatigue or the pressure or simply the cruel judgment of time, his foot slipped, his balance faltered, and he went down in a desperate sprawl—palms scraping the grass, eyes wide with panic.

Francesco didn't even blink.

He brushed past the fallen defender, barely acknowledging his presence. Cahill came storming across to cover, shouting at Courtois to step up, to close the angle. But Francesco, calm as ever, pulled out a piece of magic—a Marseille turn, smooth and fluid, spinning past Cahill as if the Chelsea defender were a training cone.

The crowd rose.

Suddenly, it was just Francesco and Courtois. One on one. Seventy thousand hearts frozen in a single beat.

Courtois rushed forward, arms wide, knees bent, eyes locked on the ball. But Francesco didn't panic. He waited for the slightest shift—the moment Courtois committed—and then, like threading a needle through a storm, he placed his shot low and true, sliding it just beyond the Belgian's outstretched leg.

The net rippled.

The Emirates exploded.

GOAL! Arsenal 1, Chelsea 1.

Francesco didn't celebrate right away. He just stood there for a moment, fists clenched, chest heaving, eyes fixed on the crowd. Then, with a scream of pure release, he sprinted toward the corner flag, sliding on his knees, arms spread wide like wings. Teammates mobbed him—Özil was the first, followed by Ramsey, then Coquelin, all pouring their energy into a chaotic embrace.

Wenger allowed himself a small fist pump, a nod to Bould beside him. Mourinho, arms crossed, seethed in silence on the touchline.

Ivanović sat on the turf, staring blankly at the grass beneath him. Cahill slammed a fist into the ground. Courtois picked the ball out of the net and booted it away in frustration.

The crowd was bouncing now, alive with belief. Chants of "Come on, Arsenal!" echoed like thunder through the North London night.

Francesco trotted back to the halfway line, breathing heavily, sweat glistening on his forehead, a smear of grass across his sleeve. But his eyes burned with focus.

There was still time.

From the restart, Chelsea looked shaken. For the first time, doubt crept into their usually ironclad resolve. Passes were rushed, touches were heavy, and Hazard—who had been their crown jewel—suddenly found himself double-teamed by Coquelin and Bellerín at every turn.

In the 69th minute, Arsenal nearly took the lead.

A flowing move from back to front saw Ramsey play in Walcott down the right. He whipped in a venomous cross toward the penalty spot, where Francesco met it with a glancing header—but Courtois, reacting with lightning speed, tipped it over the bar.

The Emirates gasped again, hands on heads, hearts in throats.

The corner came in—Özil to the near post. Mertesacker flicked it on. Ramsey lunged.

Blocked. Somehow.

Chelsea cleared, barely.

The game had become a storm. A beautiful, violent storm of pace, power, and precision.

By the 70th minute, Mourinho made changes. Willian came off for Juan Cuadrado that change to a fresh leg.

But Arsenal smelled blood.

Wenger, sensing the momentum, urged his players forward. "Push them back!" he barked from the sideline. "Keep the pressure!"

Francesco, now fully in rhythm, was everywhere—picking up the ball deep, darting into channels, drawing fouls. Ivanović, visibly breathing hard, stopped stepping up. He stood off, wary of another slip, another embarrassment. Francesco noticed.

Then on the 72nd minute, the chessboard shifted again.

Wenger made the first move. Coquelin, who had put in a warrior's shift, was summoned to the touchline. His jersey clung to his back, streaked with sweat and grass stains. As he jogged off to a warm round of applause, Jack Wilshere stepped on, every inch the embodiment of controlled chaos. With fire in his eyes and a point to prove, Wilshere exchanged a firm handshake with Wenger and darted into the heart of midfield.

Wenger's message was clear: we're not just settling—we're coming for the win.

Seconds later, Mourinho responded. Not with hesitation, but with brute force and fresh legs. He'd seen enough of Francesco tormenting Ivanović, and the Serbian's number was finally up. Ivanović's face said it all—drained, humiliated, unable to contain the young whirlwind who had just tied the match and nearly taken the lead. Mourinho barked instructions, and on came Filipe Luís, the Brazilian full-back with fresher legs and a more agile frame, tasked now with keeping Francesco on a tighter leash.

But Mourinho wasn't done.

Off came Oscar, too—despite his clever drop that led to the opener, his influence had waned. Mourinho's next move was bold, almost nostalgic: Didier Drogba. The legend. The one who had haunted Arsenal so many times in the past. His name alone drew murmurs of unease from the home crowd, even now.

Drogba trotted onto the pitch like a man called back to war. His presence changed the temperature instantly. No one needed reminding what he was capable of.

Chelsea now had more steel, more danger in the box, and more cover at the back. But Arsenal? Arsenal had momentum. And they had Francesco.

The next ten minutes were breathless.

Wilshere immediately brought bite and urgency. He pressed high, snapping at Fabregas' heels, forcing rushed clearances. He combined quickly with Ramsey and Özil, threading tight passing triangles that began to overload Chelsea's midfield.

In the 75th minute, Wilshere took a heavy touch that invited a challenge from Matic—but the Arsenal man rode it, turned, and played a beautiful diagonal toward Francesco, who had peeled wide once more.

Filipe Luís was ready. Or thought he was.

He stepped up, timed his body to block the run, but Francesco let the ball run across his body, then flicked it inside with the sole of his boot and burst down the flank with such acceleration that the Brazilian's head whipped around in disbelief.

The crowd surged to its feet again. Francesco cut inside, ignored Özil's run, and shaped to shoot—but instead, dinked a cheeky ball over the top toward Walcott. It was almost perfect, but Terry—veteran instincts in full force—got there first with a desperate header.

"Keep going, keep going!" Wenger roared from the technical area, almost out of breath himself.

Mourinho, ever the prowler along the sideline, paced like a man watching a dam crack inch by inch.

In the 78th minute, Chelsea finally reminded Arsenal that the danger was still very real.

A long ball from Fabregas found Hazard on the break, and the Belgian managed to wriggle past Bellerín again, cutting inside toward Drogba. For a second, time slowed—Hazard to Drogba, the old story.

But Mertesacker read it. Just. A massive sliding challenge took the ball cleanly, and the German pounded the ground once in triumph before springing to his feet.

Then slowly the clock ticked into the 90th minute, and still, neither side was willing to blink.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea pressed forward with furious energy, searching for that one final moment of brilliance that could tilt the game, the league table, and maybe even the title race. The Emirates buzzed with a volatile mix of hope and dread. Every clearance, every misstep, every pass drew gasps or groans. It was no longer just football—it was survival, defiance, and destiny, all wrapped into one.

Then, the fourth official lifted the board.

+4.

Four minutes. Four more heartbeats stretched into eternity. Four minutes for heroes to emerge or hearts to break.

Chelsea were the first to seize the moment. They earned a corner after a deflected shot from Cuadrado ricocheted off Monreal's shin and out. Drogba jogged toward the box like a myth come to life. The crowd grew tense. Everyone knew his history—how many times he'd crushed Arsenal spirits from this very scenario.

Fabregas stood over the ball, eyes scanning the box. The delivery was precise, curling toward the penalty spot. Drogba rose, but Mertesacker, mustering every ounce of strength left in his weary legs, launched himself into the air and met it first. His header flew high and wide—but more importantly, it was away.

And then, everything changed.

Özil was already moving.

As Mertesacker's header dropped out of the sky, the German maestro was there to greet it, chesting it down with the casual grace of a street performer. He looked up once—and he saw it.

Francesco.

The kid was sprinting. Beyond the halfway line already. A crimson blur tearing through the middle of the pitch. Behind him, Chelsea's backline was scattered—some still jogging back from the corner, others too slow to react.

Özil didn't wait.

With a delicate touch, he lofted the ball forward. It was beautiful—arcing high above desperate defenders, spinning with just enough backspin to hold up as it landed like a feather in an open field of dreams.

Francesco never broke stride.

The ball dropped perfectly into his path as the crowd gasped in unison. Filipe Luís was the first to chase, Terry scrambling alongside. Both had stayed back, the last sentries on the Chelsea wall—but now they were under siege.

Francesco took one touch. Then another.

Luis stepped in, trying to shepherd him wide. Terry edged over to cut off the inside channel, his arms flailing, barking instructions, doing everything he could to slow the inevitable.

But Francesco was locked in.

He dropped his shoulder, toyed with the ball, then in a blink, danced through the narrow gap between the two defenders. Filipe Luís lunged—and missed. Terry tried to reach out, his hand tugging at Francesco's sleeve, desperate for anything to stop him.

His boots gave way.

Terry hit the ground, arms outstretched like a man trying to hold back a flood. But it was no use.

Francesco was gone.

And now, it was déjà vu all over again.

Just like in the 65th minute—it was Francesco versus Courtois.

The Belgian goalkeeper sprinted out of his goalmouth, spreading himself as wide as he could. But Francesco was cool. Icy cool. He took one look, angled his run slightly, and then, with the outside of his left boot, slipped the ball across the keeper's body and into the far corner.

The net bulged.

The stadium erupted.

Arsenal 2, Chelsea 1.

Francesco turned toward the crowd, arms spread wide, mouth open in disbelief and joy. He didn't just slide this time—he sprinted toward the corner, ripped off his shirt, and flung it into the air. His teammates followed, a blur of red swarming around him. Walcott leaped on his back, Wilshere punched the air, Özil arrived last, tapping his chest as if to say, "I saw it before anyone else."

It was pandemonium.

In the stands, strangers hugged. Grown men cried. Children shouted the name Francesco Lee into the night sky like a prayer.

Wenger? He jumped. Actually jumped. Arms above his head, fists clenched, eyes wet. Bould grabbed him around the shoulders, shaking him like a man who'd just won the lottery. And maybe, in a way, he had.

Mourinho stood still. Hands on hips. Motionless. He watched as his defense crumbled and his old rival's prodigy tore through what he had built. It was a bitter pill, and he had no answer for it.

The scoreboard now read 90+3.

Francesco had just handed Arsenal a precious three points. Points that meant everything. Points that pushed Arsenal four clear at the top of the table. Points that might be remembered for years—decades even—as the night a teenager stepped into the spotlight and refused to blink.

There was still a minute left. A minute of tension, of desperate Chelsea long balls, of Arsenal players throwing themselves into tackles like their lives depended on it.

Drogba had one last header—but it looped harmlessly over the bar.

And then, the whistle.

The final whistle.

The roar that followed could be heard all across North London. The Emirates shook, not with fear, but with joy. With belief. With the thunderous roar of a fanbase witnessing something special.

Francesco walked off the pitch shirtless, boots muddy, socks torn, sweat glistening like victory. Cameras followed his every step. Fans chanted his name. He glanced once at the scoreboard—just to make sure it was real.

2-1.

He had done it.

As the lights blazed down and the crowd sang his name, Francesco Lee stood on the pitch, soaking in every second. This wasn't just a win—it was a moment etched into Arsenal history. A night when a 16-year-old stood tallest among giants and delivered a memory fans would carry for a lifetime. Reporters scrambled, cameras flashed, but Francesco just smiled—a quiet, knowing grin of a boy who had dreamed of this and now lived it.

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Name : Francesco Lee

Age : 16 (2014)

Birthplace : London, England

Football Club : Arsenal First Team

Championship History : None

Match Played: 31

Goal: 37

Assist: 12

MOTM: 8