---
Date: Sunday, August 18th, 2027
Location: Emirates Stadium, London
Rain had given way to cloudless skies, and the Emirates bathed in gold beneath the afternoon sun. The perfect theatre for another Premier League battle.
Arsenal vs Aston Villa.
Tobi Oliveira stood near the halfway line, his boots already scuffed from warmups. His head was bowed, both hands clutched behind his back as he closed his eyes.
It was the first time he wasn't nervous.
Not because the pressure was gone — but because he'd started to own it.
---
Kickoff
The match began with Villa on the front foot. Their new midfield signing from Napoli, Danilo, was aggressive and precise — closing down Ødegaard, clipping at Tobi's heels, and cutting off Arsenal's passing lanes.
In the first 10 minutes, Tobi touched the ball only twice.
Arteta yelled, "Drop deeper!"
He did.
And from there, he started conducting.