"Pat, check later to see if these media reporters were hired by Gao Shen."
At the Colney training base in North London, Wenger was in a foul mood as he watched a live interview featuring Gao Shen. Did these guys do it on purpose?
Bringing up a topic like that was completely unnecessary!
"It's unlikely there's a spy. These media outlets are always like this—they just want to stir up chaos." Assistant coach Pat Rice offered his thoughts
Wenger curled his lips but said nothing more. Still, he couldn't shake off his frustration.
It wasn't about Gao Shen claiming at the press conference that he had a "third method" to counter Senna, Wenger didn't take pre-match mind games seriously. He'd dealt with far more experienced figures than the young fox, Gao Shen.
After all, Wenger had been up against Ferguson for years—he knew how this game worked.
What really irked him was Gao Shen's statement to the media, suggesting that Wenger was a little afraid of him and Manchester City, and would set up conservatively as a result.
It was just an offhand remark, and the speaker may not have meant much by it. But Wenger took it to heart.
"By the way, Pat, this kid is 29, right?" Wenger suddenly asked.
Pat Rice was taken aback for a moment before replying, "Yeah, tomorrow."
September 13th.
"So, do you think I should prepare a cake for him? Celebrate his birthday?" Wenger asked.
Pat Rice couldn't help but laugh. "Since when were you so thoughtful?"
If you want to mess with him, just say so. Why phrase it like that?
"He'd probably be happy if you brought him a cake," Pat Rice said.
Wenger nodded. "With '4:0' written on it!"
Pat Rice fell silent.
It was clear Wenger hadn't forgotten the Champions League quarter-final between Napoli and Arsenal last season.
On the surface, Wenger appeared gentle and refined, but deep down, he was fiercely competitive.
If he wasn't, Arsenal wouldn't be where they were today.
In professional football, only the strong and ruthless survive.
Wenger had won many trophies, but the one thing missing from his collection was the Champions League.
Even at Arsenal's peak, the Invincibles era, he had still fallen short of lifting the biggest prize in Europe.
That was his greatest regret.
His best chance came in 2006, but just when he seemed destined to win, Gao Shen emerged from nowhere and snatched the title. In a way, Gao Shen had risen to prominence by stepping on Wenger's shoulders.
It would be strange if Wenger wasn't bitter about it.
To Gao Shen, whether it was Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho, Benítez, Ancelotti, or anyone else—personal relationships were one thing, but he was a nightmare to them all.
Because he was a monster.
Two Champions League titles in three years, was there anything more outrageous than that?
Meanwhile, Wenger had spent most of his career chasing that very trophy.
Seeing Gao Shen's success, how could he possibly be in a good mood?
"This kid hasn't picked up much else, but he's learned that old man's tricks, mind games, psychological warfare, and all sorts of nonsense. Does he really think I'll fall for it?" Wenger scoffed.
"Such a crude, immature tactic!"
Anyone with a discerning eye could see through it immediately. Of course Wenger saw right through it as well.
"But since the match happens to be on his birthday, we should prepare a little something, give him a proper celebration!"
The morning of match day.
When Gao Shen woke up, he found a series of missed messages, all birthday wishes.
Funny enough, in his three years as a manager, this was the first time his birthday had fallen on a match day.
He never paid much attention to birthdays. Most of the time, he completely forgot about them. But every year, without fail, when he woke up, his mother would have a special breakfast ready for him.
Back home, there was a tradition—on your birthday morning, you had to eat noodles. And there had to be two eggs: one chicken egg and one duck egg, symbolizing longevity.
He never really believed in that stuff, but it always made him feel warm inside.
Thinking of this, he called his mother in China.
Sure enough, the moment she answered, she asked, "Did you have your birthday noodles this morning?"
Gao Shen really wanted to say: Mom, why don't you fly over and cook them for me?
His parents had been in Chile recently.
Ever since he partnered with Ferguson, their wine business had exploded in China. Demand was overwhelming, supply was short, and the scarcity only drove the market even hotter.
Fortunately, his father, Gao Jianguo, and Su Zhijun were both level-headed and didn't chase profits recklessly. His father even flew to Chile to inspect everything personally. They were working harder than ever.
Gao Shen had no choice in the matter. He had only wanted to start a business, but now both families were caught up in it.
Still, despite being busy and exhausted, he had goals. And that made all the hard work worth it.
That was also why he supported Su Qing's decision to keep working.
As long as you're doing what you love, no matter how tiring it is, you enjoy it.
After hanging up with his parents, Gao Shen went downstairs, planning to call Su Qing. But just then, a delivery arrived at his door.
A high-end Braun shaver gift box.
The moment he saw it, he knew who it was from.
A few days ago, he had casually complained to Su Qing that his shaver wasn't working properly. She must have been thinking about what to get him for his birthday, and this was the perfect opportunity.
So she sent him a shaver.
When Gao Shen called, Su Qing's first question was, "Did you receive the gift?"
She had put a lot of thought into it.
With Gao Shen's current status, he already had everything he needed.
Clothing wasn't an option, he either wore sportswear or suits, both provided by sponsors.
Shoes? Both leather and sports shoes were gifted by sponsors as well.
Watches, ties, and other accessories? He never had to worry about them sponsors regularly sent him a fresh supply.
Take Kiton suits, for example.
Every quarter, the brand would send someone to his home to take his measurements. After updating his body size, they would tailor a suit and have it delivered straight to his door.
Given these circumstances, finding a birthday gift that he didn't already have and actually needed was a real challenge.
"As expected, you know me well—you even got me an 'electric' gift," Gao Shen said with a chuckle.
He had used a manual razor before, but it had left him traumatized after one particularly bad experience that ended with a bloodied face. Since then, he had stuck to electric shavers.
"As long as it's useful to you," Su Qing replied happily.
Gao Shen spent most of the day receiving birthday wishes.
Even at the morning pre-match meeting at Carrington, the players greeted him with birthday congratulations. The club even prepared a large cake for the occasion.
But Gao Shen insisted that the celebration should take place in the locker room after the match.
"Wait until tonight after we defeat Arsenal, we'll open the cake in the locker room!" he said confidently.
The players could feel his ambition and fighting spirit, and they responded enthusiastically.
Before the tactical meeting, Gao Shen had already spoken to all 18 players in the squad individually, making sure they knew who would be starting and who would be on the bench.
As per his usual approach, all South American internationals who had been on national team duty were left out of the starting lineup.
This time was no exception.
Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Neuer
Defenders: Wayne Bridge, Cahill, Kompany, Micah Richards
Midfielders: Javi Martínez (holding), David Silva, Rakitic
Forwards: Hazard, Giroud, Sturridge
Players like Felipe, Zabaleta, Suárez, and Robinho had all traveled long distances for international duty and only returned around noon the previous day. Gao Shen wasn't willing to take any risks, so he kept them on the bench.
However, one unexpected omission from the starting lineup was Robben.
The Dutchman himself didn't seem to mind, his attitude remained professional, and since he had no complaints, neither did anyone else.
In fact, many in the squad admired Gao Shen's ability to manage the locker room. Even a star like Robben accepted a bench role without issue.
"This match against Arsenal is going to be tough. I want everyone to be mentally prepared," Gao Shen said seriously.
"People say the Gunners lack ambition, but that was in the past. Right now, their top-four status is under threat, and Wenger will fight tooth and nail to secure it."
Arsenal had years of experience in maintaining a top-four finish. They knew exactly which games to prioritize and which ones they could afford to ease up in.
And there was no doubt—they wouldn't take an away game against Manchester City lightly.
"When we defend, watch out for two key players."
Gao Shen turned to the tactical board.
"Adebayor and Van Persie. Especially Van Persie, he's a top-class striker, and we cannot afford to lose focus against him. And then there's Fabregas, his passing is key to their attack."
Many believed that Fabregas was at his absolute best during his time at Arsenal.
That wasn't wrong.
At the Gunners, Fabregas had displayed incredible vision, creativity, and leadership.
Van Persie, on the other hand, wasn't seen as a major threat just yet. At this stage, he wasn't even Arsenal's standout player. In fact, he was often considered inferior to Adebayor.
One reason was his frequent injuries, which disrupted his performances. Another was that Adebayor fit the traditional Premier League mold of a center forward—strong, physical, and dominant in the air. Van Persie, by contrast, was more technical and intelligent in his movement.
But Gao Shen knew better than anyone, despite his injury history, Van Persie had immense ability.
All he needed was the right moment to shine.
At 26, he was approaching his peak.
As someone who had lived through football's future, Gao Shen knew exactly how good Van Persie would become.
As for Manchester City's attack, Gao Shen had a clear plan.
Giroud was tasked with wearing down Arsenal's defense, especially their two center-backs. He was to use his height and physicality to constantly challenge them.
Hazard and Sturridge had different roles.
Hazard was responsible for carrying the ball forward and linking up play.
Sturridge, meanwhile, was given a clear target—attack Gaël Clichy.
The French left-back was excellent going forward but vulnerable defensively, and he had struggled with his defensive positioning in recent matches.
Gao Shen firmly believed Clichy was the weak link in Arsenal's backline.
And tonight, he intended to exploit it.
(To be continued.)