Chapter 162: Arsenal's Worry

The second half of Leeds United's clash with Liverpool was less a contest and more a formality. With the scoreboard reading 4–0, the visitors had clearly abandoned any hope of turning things around. Liverpool fell back deep, forming two defensive walls in front of Reina and playing simply to avoid embarrassment. They tightened their lines, packed the midfield, and only sent players forward in timid, half-hearted bursts. Arthur, watching from the sideline with his arms folded, recognized it instantly: damage control. No need to press further. At the sixty-minute mark, Arthur began rotating the squad. Off came Ibrahimović to a standing ovation. Podolski was subbed for a fresh-legged winger from the youth team. Even Rivaldo, the midfield veteran, made way for De Bruyne to soak up some minutes. Arthur knew there was no reason to risk fatigue or injuries, not with the December schedule looming like a thundercloud. As the clock ticked down, Leeds controlled possession, playing with maturity beyond their years. No overambitious long shots, no fancy flicks. Just crisp passing, smart movement, and quiet dominance. When the final whistle blew, Elland Road erupted. The home crowd, drenched in winter rain but warmed by victory, cheered like they'd just won a cup final. Flags waved, scarves twirled, and chants echoed into the night sky. Arthur turned to the bench, nodded once, and headed for the tunnel. Two days later, there was no time to bask in the glory. Arthur and the team traveled to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough—a side lingering near the bottom half of the table. It was an away match, and more importantly, one of six brutal fixtures jammed into a ruthless December stretch. Knowing full well what was ahead—Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United all within a fortnight—Arthur made his move. He rotated. Mills and Lahm were rested. Ibrahimović stayed on the bench. Mascherano, still nursing a knock, didn't travel. And the creative reins were handed over to the likes of De Bruyne, Camoranesi, and even a returning Darren Bent. The game wasn't flashy, but it was efficient. Middlesbrough showed grit in the opening half-hour, parking the bus with five across the back and hacking at anything in white. But just before the break, Mauro Camoranesi—the ageless maestro—picked up a loose ball outside the box and unleashed a swerving thunderbolt with his right foot. The net rippled. 1–0, and that's how it ended. The victory wasn't dramatic, but it was priceless. Three more points in the bank, and more importantly, no injuries. Arthur, however, was still glued to his phone as they headed back to Leeds on the team bus. That night, in a parallel match, Chelsea were hosting Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Arthur watched the game from the back of the bus, earbuds in, screen glowing, while most players dozed off. The final score: 1–1. Goals from Essien and Flamini, but no winner. Arthur smiled. With that result, Leeds United—now on 36 points—had narrowed the gap at the top of the table. Chelsea remained first on 39, but the buffer was down to just three points. And the real kicker? In just over two weeks, Leeds would host Chelsea at Elland Road. Beat them, and they'd go top on goal difference. But that dream came with conditions. Arthur knew the deal: they had to stay perfect until then. That meant no stumbles, no fatigue, and no mistakes—especially in the looming clash with Arsenal. The congested calendar that plagued Leeds wasn't random. It all traced back to a rescheduled league match against Arsenal that had been bumped from earlier in the season due to Champions League commitments. Now, that postponed fixture had been shoehorned right into the middle of December—a month that already included title rivals, grueling travel, and constant lineup rotation. Arthur's December looked like a gauntlet: Liverpool. Arsenal. Middlesbrough. Chelsea. Manchester United. And, sandwiched between, a tricky clash with Sheffield United. It was madness. But it was also the Premier League. Only one day after returning from Middlesbrough, Arthur and his squad faced their next trial: Arsène Wenger's Arsenal. The Frenchman arrived at Elland Road with a full-strength squad and quiet confidence. Unlike Leeds, Arsenal had only two major fixtures in December—Chelsea and Leeds. They were fresher. Hungrier. And clearly targeting three points. Arthur, reviewing the match tape in his office late into the night, knew he couldn't match Arsenal man-for-man in terms of rest or sharpness. So, he turned to tactics. For the first time in months, he abandoned his usual 4-3-3 in favor of a compact and aggressive 3-5-2. It was a bold choice. In the backline, Arthur benched the ever-present Lahm and Mills. Instead, he trusted Kompany, Gerard Piqué, and Thiago Silva to form a trio of center-backs. Strong, mobile, and calm under pressure. In midfield, he stacked the core with muscle: Yaya Touré and Mascherano sat at the base, tasked with absorbing Arsenal's short passing and protecting the line. Out wide, Bale and Camoranesi were deployed not as traditional full-backs, but as wing-backs—required to attack, defend, and run until their legs gave out. Arthur's locker room instructions were razor sharp: "Bale, Mauro—you're my engines today. I don't care if your lungs burn. I want you up and down the line all day." Ahead of them, Kevin De Bruyne, just 20 years old, was handed the keys to the midfield. It was a gamble. But Arthur had seen the spark in him—he had the vision, the guts, and most importantly, the legs. Up top, the forward pairing of Ibrahimović and Torres was chosen for their blend of brute force and off-ball movement. While Arthur rotated, Wenger went all-in. Arsenal's starting XI was star-studded. Fàbregas, Van Persie, Walcott, Hleb, Rosický—the full deck. Wenger's message was clear: he wanted to end Leeds' rise right here, right now. Arthur stood in the tunnel, arms behind his back, as the players lined up to walk onto the pitch. The stadium buzzed. Rain tapped gently against the roof. This wasn't just a league match—it was a test of endurance, depth, and tactical nerve. And Arthur was ready. **** As Arthur had predicted, the game opened like a thunderstorm. The moment the whistle blew, Arsenal seized control of the ball with the sort of precision that had become their trademark under Arsène Wenger. Their style was like a symphony—short passes, movement off the ball, and total confidence in possession. In the first ten minutes alone, the London club launched wave after wave of attacks, most of them funneling through the center where Cesc Fàbregas was orchestrating like a young maestro. The Spanish midfielder seemed to have an invisible tether to the ball—every touch soft, every pass sharp. From just outside the Leeds box, Fàbregas kept pinging precise balls between the lines. Twice, he slipped passes through to Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Adebayor, who each got clean looks on goal, but were denied by Kasper Schmeichel, who had clearly shown up today with ice in his veins. Schmeichel's saves were not just blocks—they were statements. And yet, the danger was real. Arsenal were probing expertly, particularly through Tomáš Rosický and Alexander Hlebon the flanks. The two wide men would stay tucked just inside the channels, then dart diagonally toward the box, hoping to exploit the half-spaces behind Leeds' wing-backs. Arthur watched closely, arms crossed at the edge of his technical area. He had expected this. Arsenal were relying heavily on Fàbregas's vision. The moment Leeds' defensive line stepped forward, Fàbregas would look for a runner and deliver a quick ball into space behind the back three. If the defenders hesitated, he'd switch wide to Rosický or Hleb, who would immediately cut inside or try to combine with the strikers near the box. It was beautiful, clever football—but predictable. Around the 18th minute, Arthur turned to his assistant and muttered, "It's all coming through the middle. They're counting on us to chase the ball. But what happens if the ball can't find Cesc?" Then came the moment. In the 22nd minute, Gilberto Silva committed a tactical foul, dragging down Kevin De Bruyne as the youngster turned toward goal near the halfway line. The referee blew his whistle and awarded a free kick. Arthur took the moment. He called over Yaya Touré. The two spoke quickly, with Arthur using sharp hand gestures and brief phrases. "Tighter on Fàbregas. Cut the supply line. Don't let him receive on the turn. Masch will shadow—your job is to smother." Touré nodded, eyes steely, and jogged back into position. The change was immediate. From that point forward, Fàbregas had no room to breathe. Whenever he dropped deep, Touré was there, close enough to step on his laces. When he pushed higher, Javier Mascherano was on his back like a shadow. If the ball came to him, he had no time. If it didn't, Arsenal's attack stalled. Deprived of their playmaker, Henry and Adebayor were left stranded. The fluidity of Arsenal's offense turned rigid. Instead of instinctive combinations, the Gunners were now forcing plays, turning possession into sideways passes and aimless long balls. Arthur's midfield setup—a risk when announced—was working perfectly. Wenger, ever the pragmatist, quickly spotted the issue. If the center was shut down, the wings had to carry the weight. He gave a hand signal, urging Gilberto to push wider and use the flanks. Arsenal began shifting the ball more frequently to the touchlines, attempting to find Rosický and Hleb in space. But there, too, they found resistance. Gareth Bale and Mauro Camoranesi, playing as high-energy wing-backs, were relentless. They tracked every run, pressed every touch, and harassed Arsenal's wide men every time the ball came near them. Camoranesi, in particular, played with a veteran's grit—blocking crosses, making smart fouls, and constantly calling for help when needed. Behind them, Piqué, Kompany, and Thiago Silva held firm, commanding the box like sentinels. It wasn't pretty football, but it was suffocating. Leeds United were digging in—and Arsenal were running out of ideas. Then came the turning point. The game ticked into the 43rd minute, and tension hung in the air like fog. Arsenal were slowly working the ball out from the back. Jens Lehmann, under no pressure, rolled the ball out to Gilberto Silva. The Brazilian took a touch and began inching toward the center circle, eyes scanning for an opening. Leeds had fallen into their mid-block, compact and organized, cutting off angles. Every Arsenal midfielder had a shadow, every passing lane had a body lurking nearby. Gilberto's eyes darted across the pitch, but every option seemed marked. Fàbregas was double-covered. Rosický had dropped too deep. Hleb was lurking near the right flank, but Leeds had already tightened the channel. Gilberto hesitated. On the touchline, Wenger's frustration boiled over. "Alexander! Drop in! Come to the ball!" he shouted, urging Hleb to retreat and offer Gilberto a clean outlet. But the cry—innocent in intent—sparked a chain reaction that Arsenal would instantly regret.