# Chapter 124 August's Dense Schedule! Gilbert's Call! Hans Shows Off! Maël's Premier League Debut Arrives!
August 13th, with only one day left until the start of the new Premier League season.
The schedule had already been set. Arsenal had five matches in August: three Premier League games and two Champions League playoff matches.
Because Arsenal finished fourth in the league last season, and at this time, the fourth-place team in the Premier League didn't automatically qualify for the Champions League group stage, they had to play two playoff matches against Udinese, the fourth-place team in Serie A.
The winner would advance directly to the group stage, while the loser would be eliminated, bidding farewell to this season's Champions League.
"Focus on the Champions League playoffs."
This was the most important thing Mr. Wenger said at the meeting the day before the season started: "We must participate in the Champions League main competition. Everyone should know the reason. I won't make any other excuses."
"I will make large-scale rotations in the three Premier League games this month, especially the two Premier League games before and after the playoffs. The task of five games in 15 days is still a bit heavy. I don't want anyone to get injured."
What he meant was quite clear: don't pay too much attention to the team's Premier League ranking in August; it's just a start.
It was equivalent to lowering the players' psychological expectations in advance, to prevent them from losing confidence in the entire season after looking at the potentially low league table ranking at the end of August.
After the meeting, Mr. Wenger announced the 18-man squad for the first Premier League game tomorrow, without revealing the starting lineup at this time.
This caused tension among many people. Maël was also a little worried, afraid that he wouldn't be able to appear in the new season's opening match.
But it should be fine, right? His performance in the warm-up matches was obvious to all, scoring two goals and providing two assists. Mr. Wenger had also talked to him many times, with the intention of cultivating him as a core player.
"Stop overthinking."
He focused his mind on other things, going home to pack his things. The team was leaving for the away game this afternoon.
Their first-round opponent was Newcastle United, a mid-table team in the current Premier League, with a certain amount of strength.
After returning home, Maël's phone vibrated, a call coming in.
He picked up the phone and saw that it was Gilbert's number. This kid hadn't called him in a long time.
"Maël, there's an embarrassing thing I have to tell you. After saying goodbye to Sheffield United last season, I'm going back this season."
Gilbert's voice was a bit excited and a bit embarrassed. "Three Premier League teams showed interest in me, but after choosing, Barnett still suggested that I choose Sheffield United from last season."
"Their midfield signings this season are very average, basically the same as last season. After I go, I might still be able to start."
"That's a good thing." Maël hadn't heard his voice in a long time. Hearing him say such a long paragraph at once, he said with emotion, "How have you been lately? Have you improved a lot?"
"It's a good thing, but after saying goodbye, I even shed a few tears, and then I went back, hahaha."
Gilbert's tone didn't change, and his voice rose a little: "The improvement is not bad. I hired a stamina coach and have been strengthening my physical strength. I also usually study defensive skills and awareness, trying to get closer to Vieira's direction."
"But the improvement is definitely not as big as yours. I watched your warm-up match in China. It was too explosive. Speaking of which, I'm quite envious. In just over two months, you've already scored goals in front of Robben and Van Persi."
"Is your starting position stable in the new season?"
"It should be stable." Maël didn't act modest with his brother, and laughed, "See you in the Premier League. I really hope you have an explosive performance in the Premier League this season, and come back to play as a starter directly at Arsenal next season."
"I will."
Gilbert paused and said, "After all, I set the goal of fighting alongside you before I left. Okay, I won't say so much, bye."
"Bye, waiting for you."
After Maël finished the last sentence and hung up the phone, he continued to pack his luggage, preparing for tomorrow's game.
After packing up, he saw that it wasn't noon yet, and wondered if he had anything else to do.
The season was about to start, and he needed to concentrate. It was best to finish many trivial matters in life now.
"Hans."
Maël thought of his U17 team coach, thought of those shoes, and also remembered the other party's several invitations for him to sit at his home.
He sent a message to Hans, asking if he had time at the moment, hoping to freeload a meal at noon.
On this day when he was about to step into the next stage of his life, it would be good to catch up with this person who he had known since the youth team and who had helped him when he was at his lowest.
——"Leave in half an hour, we'll prepare, you're very welcome!!!"
Hans replied to his message almost instantly, with three exclamation marks at the end, and he could feel the other party's excitement through the screen.
Maël smiled, put down his phone, tuned into a football match recording on the TV, and studied the playing styles of other top strikers.
Half an hour later, he drove his Ferrari towards the address Hans sent him, a residential area near Colney Base.
"He's here, he's here!"
At the entrance of Hans's house, when everyone saw a red Ferrari driving from afar, many people looked excited.
Being able to invite an Arsenal First Team player to their home for dinner, especially a highly anticipated young man with immense popularity, was definitely an exciting event for ordinary people.
"He's Mr. Wenger's favorite player."
Hans proudly introduced him to his relatives and friends, as he had invited many people to his home. "Arsenal's non-selling item, an EFL Championship phenomenon, and just in the friendly match against Bayern, he scored 2 goals and 2 assists! You could say he will ignite the Emirates Stadium in the new season, just watch!"
His wife stood beside him, her face also glowing, and she spoke more, "And he's a very nice person. He took the initiative to message us today; he didn't forget our invitation."
Hans's parents, uncles, aunts, and some friends and neighbors stood together, watching the approaching Ferrari, causing a stir.
"Football stars all live in luxury homes and drive sports cars. Do you think he'll look down on our home?"
"Probably not."
"I often see his videos and news on Twitter. I think he already has over 3 million fans; he's a very popular young player!"
"Hans, you're amazing! Did you really train him? Or are you just bragging to us?"
"He must have played on Hans's team; otherwise, how would Hans know him? Ask for a few photos after dinner."
Maël's car slowly parked in a roadside parking space. He got out of the car, closed the door, locked it, and opened his arms towards Hans.
"Leaving today, right?"
Hans hurried forward, his face even more proud. He could already imagine the expressions on his relatives' and friends' faces behind him.
Luckily, he was a kind person in his daily life. That day, he carefully noticed Maël's shoes were coming apart and kindly lent him a pair.
Otherwise, how would he have this opportunity to show off in front of his relatives and friends!
"Yes." Maël hugged him and smiled, "Leaving this afternoon, arriving in Newcastle city tonight."
"Please come in!"
Hans enthusiastically pointed towards the house, leading Maël forward, and asked his wife to bring his relatives and friends inside.
Maël nodded to Hans's wife, followed Hans into his home. It was a house of about 150 square meters, with a large living room. A long table in the distance was already filled with fruits and various grilled meats and vegetables.
It was clear that they had prepared carefully in the past hour.
Maël sat down in a spot indicated by Hans. His wife and relatives and friends also quickly came in and sat at the long table, looking slightly cramped. Although they all had smiles on their faces, the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
"Coach Hans once helped me."
Maël spoke first, breaking the silence. He wasn't ashamed to talk about his past embarrassing moments. "At that time, I was about to be eliminated by Arsenal and was in a low point in my life, unsure whether to continue playing football.
"My shoes were coming apart, but I didn't have money to buy a new pair. Coach Hans lent me a pair in the end.
"I wore those shoes until before I went to Sheffield United. You could say they laid the foundation for my future, haha."
On the day before he was about to represent Arsenal, he couldn't help but feel a sense of bittersweet emotions when he thought of that time. Time really flies.
"Hans has always been kind."
"Yes, he's been like that since he was fourteen or fifteen. He was past his mischievous stage then."
"It was many years ago. I still remember the first time our whole family went to Highbury Stadium to watch a game, haha."
The people at the table finally started chatting. They weren't very familiar with each other and could only talk about Hans based on what Maël said, which evoked many memories for them.
Hans was busy preparing food and red wine, and when he heard Maël mention this matter and heard his relatives and friends praising him, his face flushed with pride, and he had more energy even when serving dishes.
How to describe this feeling?
It was like the day every youth training coach had fantasized about since they started working in youth training.
The players they personally trained slowly grew into stars, still treating you with no airs. Even though the two people's identities and classes were completely different, they could still sit together and chat happily.
"Look."
After serving the dishes, Hans took out the pair of shoes from a shelf and brought them to everyone, laughing loudly, "Maël even asked if he could buy these shoes from him for ten thousand pounds. I said I wouldn't sell them."
"These shoes must be kept well." His wife came over with a drink, raising her eyebrows and saying, "Who knows, their value in the future might allow us to exchange them for a house."
The group laughed together, and Maël also smiled. He didn't mind Hans selling the shoes later; he wrote that line specifically to make the shoes more valuable.
Hans selling them and using the money would be his way of repaying the favor from back then.
"Definitely wait a little longer."
Maël looked at Hans and joked, "Wait until it reaches its highest point, then sell it off in one go."
"When do you think it will be the highest point?" Hans sat next to Maël, following his joke and asking.
"The Grand Slam then." Maël shrugged and raised his eyebrows, stating his true thoughts in a joking manner, which made everyone laugh again.
"Okay, I'll wait."
Only Hans raised a glass of red wine and toasted with everyone, "Praying for Maël's Grand Slam."
After dinner, Maël glanced at the time and realized it was already two o'clock. He said goodbye to Hans and walked out of the house.
Everyone came out to see him off, and many people took out their phones to take pictures with him.
"Thank you, Maël!"
"Thank you, Hans too!"
"Hans, I'll buy you a drink tomorrow."
The group of friends and family were very happy to have a meal with the star, and they praised Maël and Hans enthusiastically.
Hans was so praised that he was a little unsteady on his feet, feeling lightheaded, and the smile on his face remained constant.
"Good luck!"
Hans waved to Maël, saying goodbye, "I can't go to the away games, but after returning to the Emirates Stadium, I'll watch every game of yours."
"Okay." Maël waved to him, got into the Ferrari, and drove towards home.
He had just settled a matter of concern, chatted with his 'past self' for a few words, reminisced about the gains and losses of the past year, and talked about recent events.
Now, he was about to embark on a new life, with the Premier League waiting for him ahead!
...
At night, the Arsenal bus parked in front of a hotel in Newcastle City.
Maël and Van Persie got off the bus together, carrying their luggage into the hotel. Along the street, they could see many Arsenal fans who had already arrived for the away game.
"Have you decided on the number?" Van Persie asked, thinking about the game tomorrow.
"Yes, I have."
Maël nodded. After returning from China, he had confirmed the new season's number with Mr. Wenger. He would wear the number 11 jersey, a typical winger number.
"That's good." Van Persie took two steps, hesitated, and turned to ask, "I heard you're about to renew your contract with the club?"
"Yes," Maël answered honestly. The matter was indeed close. "The basic term and salary have been discussed, but the Signing Fee hasn't been negotiated yet. I estimate there might be some changes in the end."
"I also estimate there will be changes."
Van Persie was older and more experienced, and he said in a low voice, "The contract negotiated before playing in the Premier League is difficult to complete as is after officially playing in the Premier League. I estimate it will change based on your performance."
"If the performance is poor, then sign as is. If the performance is good, then increase the term, salary, and Signing Fee to sign."
"Even after playing against Bayern Munich, your value is different from before. You should feel it very clearly. Your agent and Mr. Wenger have put the matter aside again."
Maël nodded in agreement with his words. Mendes hadn't contacted him recently, as if he was waiting for something.
"There's also a possibility."
Van Persie looked around and lowered his voice even more, "Some clubs will suppress players' playing opportunities before renewing contracts to avoid players from achieving too high-profile data performances during this stage, demanding higher prices."
Maël looked up at him. These were somewhat sensitive words.
Fortunately, before he could speak, Van Persie smiled and explained to him, "But Arsenal won't do that. The team values sincerity more, and with the salary structure in place, any increase won't be too outrageous."
As he spoke, the two had already entered the elevator. After reaching the seventh floor, they walked towards their respective rooms.
"Maël."
Before parting, Van Persie patted Maël on the shoulder and encouraged him, "All Arsenal people are looking forward to you, including Mr. Wenger, including me. The performance in that one warm-up match is not enough."
"The Premier League is about to begin. I hope you can deliver a satisfactory answer in these 38 league games, one that meets your own expectations and satisfies others' expectations."
"Looking forward to working with you, remember to pass me the ball, haha."
Maël didn't answer him, just smiled slightly. He could feel Van Persie's anticipation for the new season, and his expectations for him.
He cheered himself up in his heart, confirming that he was fully prepared to step onto the Premier League pitch tomorrow.
When he initially only had long shots, he had jokingly told Gilbert that he would use long shots to bombard Bramall Lane.
Now, he had many, many skills, and many of them had the exquisite technique of 'curve balls'.
He could completely set a small goal for himself in his heart: tomorrow, let a beautiful arc streak across the sky of St James' Park and smash into the net!!
August 14th, the day of the battle arrived.
"Newcastle! Newcastle!!"
At three o'clock in the afternoon, St James' Park, which could accommodate more than fifty thousand fans, was filled with a deafening roar as Newcastle United fans in black and white stripes took their seats.
This was a long-established strong team, which had some impressive performances around the millennium, but later, due to lack of funds and some internal changes, their results slowly declined.
But undeniably, it had a very large fan base worldwide, and the team's season ticket sales were even queued up for 4 years.
Inside the stadium, in the Arsenal locker room.
Mr. Wenger was making the final arrangements, writing on the tactical board as he read out the starting lineup for this round of the league, "Szczęsny, Gibbs, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Sagna.
"Alexandre Song, Frimpong, Ramsey, Maël, Van Persie, Gervinho."
As the voice fell, some people looked calm, some looked happy, and some immediately showed disappointment in their eyes.
Almost the same as the game against Bayern! Mr. Wenger chose to trust the new player in the season opener, and replaced him with a brand new front line combination!
Maël lowered his head and put on his shin guards, his heart churning, and a surge of excitement welled up in his chest, making him excited.
First start after returning! Directly ushering in the Premier League debut!
Moreover, Mr. Wenger's trust in him was very obvious, and he had equipped him with the defensive midfielder Frimpong behind him in the starting lineup!
"Kids."
After Mr. Wenger briefly talked about the tactics, he signaled everyone to stand up. He finally clapped his hands and shouted: "Newcastle United is a tough opponent, but we must take them down and get off to a good start this season!
"Come on! Arsenal!!"
"Come on!!"
"Let's go, let's go!"
"I'm ready to show them some color, I'm going to shut St James' Park up!"
The players encouraged each other, saying arrogant words in excitement, as if this would make them more confident to step onto the field.
"Pa pa.!" Maël clapped his hands hard, his emotions already rising, his first Premier League game was about to begin.
Must seize it well!
"Oh!" Following his teammates out, he came to the player tunnel of St James' Park, and could already vaguely hear the exciting shouts of the fans outside.
"Beep beep!"
When the referee blew the whistle to enter the field, the players of both sides stepped towards the inside of the player tunnel, and the scene became completely hot from this moment.
Maël walked out of the player tunnel step by step, walked over the smooth ground, and walked towards the soft turf. At the moment of stepping out of the player tunnel entrance, he saw the home stadium of the Premier League team from this perspective for the first time.
"Newcastle! Newcastle!!"
"Oh!!"
The home fans chanted the team's name in unison, and added a burst of cheers at the end, the momentum was very amazing, it seemed that they had been looking forward to the new season for a long time.
They waved the team flags in their hands, large or small, and soon pulled out a banner spanning the entire North Stand, which was shocking.
"Come on!"
Looking at this scene, all the pores on Maël's body opened up, and he clenched his fists excitedly to cheer himself up.
Premier League debut, Arsenal league debut, first official game in a 'professional stadium' with more than 50,000 people so many firsts, must perform well and strive to make it a more memorable day! After the pre-match ceremony, he came to his position, jumped a few times to keep his body hot at all times.
"Beep!"
At 3:30 p.m., the referee on duty raised his right hand and blew the whistle to start the first round of the 11-12 season of the Premier League.
The new season has arrived!
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