On the evening of December 2nd, at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
When referee Chris Foy blew the final whistle, Gao Shen couldn't stop smiling.
Even in front of the live broadcast cameras, he didn't hide his happiness.
The scoreboard displayed the final score: 4-0!
The home team—Manchester City. The away team—Arsenal.
Yes, Manchester City beat Arsenal 4-0 at home!
This was one of the eight quarter-final matches in the League Cup. With this victory, Manchester City advanced straight into the semi-finals.
In fact, the moment Gao Shen saw Arsenal's starting lineup, he already knew the match wouldn't hold much suspense.
With the league in full swing, both teams fielded rotated squads.
But even among backup lineups, there's still a significant difference in quality.
Manchester City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Goalkeeper: Shay Given.
Defenders: Gareth Bale, Gary Cahill, Micah Richards, and Trippier.
Midfielders: De Jong and Henderson as holding midfielders, with Robinho, Ireland, and Sturridge playing ahead.
Striker: Giroud.
This lineup might not be luxurious, but it's undoubtedly top-tier in the Premier League. Players like Stephen Ireland and Micah Richards were regular starters for City just last season.
The weakest link in the starting eleven was arguably Trippier, but the young right-back performed well.
Arsenal also played a 4-2-3-1.
Goalkeeper: Fabianski.
Defenders: Traoré, Silvestre, Alexandre Song, and Eboué.
Midfielders: Merida, Wilshere, Rosický, Eastmond, and Ramsey.
Forward: Vela.
It was clear from Wenger's lineup that his intention was to give young players experience. The only regular first-teamer was Alexandre Song, whom Wenger deployed as a center-back.
Arsenal's youngsters have plenty of experience in domestic cup competitions. Managers like Wenger and Ferguson have long used these tournaments to develop youth. For instance, when Fabregas first joined Arsenal, he was blooded in the cup competitions.
But clearly, even with rotated squads, Manchester City was much stronger.
And by a wide margin.
Just three minutes into the game, Robinho fired a shot from the edge of the penalty area, putting Arsenal under immediate pressure.
City continued to attack in waves. In the 16th minute, Sturridge drove to the right byline, squared the ball back, and Giroud unmarked near the penalty spot, struck the ball off the left post.
Manchester City kept piling on the pressure, but Giroud and Sturridge both wasted excellent chances. It wasn't until the second half that City capitalized—intercepting a misplaced pass from Rosický, Gareth Bale cut inside from the left and fired in with his left foot to open the scoring.
It was a carbon copy of his previous three goals against Manchester United.
Bale's control and finishing in that area of the pitch have been remarkably consistent.
Soon after, Giroud missed yet another clear-cut opportunity with the goal wide open, leaving Gao Shen visibly frustrated on the touchline.
He already knew Giroud's finishing wasn't the most efficient, but this was just too poor!
Fortunately, Giroud's tactical presence remained valuable.
In the end, Manchester City ran out 4-0 winners over Arsenal with goals from Sturridge, Robinho, and substitute Adam Lallana.
…
"Do you know how I feel right now?"
After the match, Gao Shen stood beside Wenger on the sidelines, chatting casually.
Despite the age gap, they were both head coaches and shared a lot in common.
Most importantly, before Gao Shen took over, there had been rumors that Manchester City would raid Arsenal's squad. But once Gao Shen arrived, City changed direction and abandoned those plans, which left Wenger with a good impression of him.
At least—when it wasn't match time.
Before Gao Shen could respond, Wenger sighed and said, "I feel like a bus."
Gao Shen almost burst out laughing and nearly replied, More like an electric bus with a dead battery.
Fortunately, he held back.
The truth is, things haven't been easy for Wenger.
Many fans only see his stubbornness with finances and his obsession with finishing top four. Few realize the challenges Arsenal's management faced during his tenure.
After Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates, they launched a real estate development project on the old stadium site, hoping to profit significantly.
But no one could have predicted the subprime mortgage crisis in the U.S., followed by the European debt crisis, which turned Arsenal's real estate venture into a financial black hole. Wenger could barely keep the team in the top four.
In many ways, Wenger did his best under extremely difficult circumstances.
During that time, a wealthy Russian shareholder on the board once tried to acquire the club, which could have turned Arsenal into a Premier League powerhouse. Unfortunately, it fell through for various reasons.
Arsenal's current squad is not very strong. According to the information Gao Shen received, discontent is already simmering among Arsenal's players.
Why?
Because their wages are too low.
Some might scoff: That's nonsense. Arsenal has always been one of the most profitable clubs in the Premier League, even Europe. They charge the highest ticket prices in Europe. Last season, their revenue reached £313 million. How could they be short of money?
That's true. But behind the impressive revenue, Arsenal is still carrying £300 million in debt.
So far this season, Fabregas and a few others top the wage bill at £80,000 a week—which is nothing by current Premier League standards. The club's total annual wage bill is around £100 million.
What about other teams?
Chelsea's is £172 million.
Manchester City hasn't made theirs public, but Gao Shen knows it's even higher than Chelsea's.
In terms of wage control, Wenger's record is actually outstanding. The return on investment he's managed to achieve justifies his status as a world-renowned coach.
People criticize Wenger for being tight with money, but they forget: if he really went for big names, their salaries would demand a restructuring of Arsenal's entire wage system. Could the club afford that?
Gao Shen still remembers that in 2021, before he transmigrated—several major firms, including Deloitte, published reports highlighting how European football's debt levels had reached staggering heights.
Barcelona had the worst debt ratio of all.
Why?
Because they burned through cash at a terrifying pace, splurging hundreds of millions. Even the massive transfer fee from Neymar's sale to PSG couldn't offset their reckless spending and massive wage bill.
And Manchester United, how much did they spend in the years after Ferguson left?
Back when Gao Shen was just a fan, he enjoyed watching matches. But now, standing pitchside in the Premier League in December 2009, he truly felt how insane and unsustainable this era of football had become.
Yet in professional football, many things are beyond your control—you're forced to keep up.
If everyone's spending big, do you follow suit?
Burn cash?
Who can guarantee the investment will pay off?
Transfers are inherently risky. What if you end up with a disaster like Sanllehí or Bartomeu? What then?
Don't spend?
Then you end up like Wenger, turning into a bus.
Arsenal's results in high-profile matchups this season have been dismal.
If Giroud hadn't been so wasteful in front of goal, and if Robinho and Sturridge had finished their chances, this match could have ended with an even more lopsided scoreline.
Sometimes Gao Shen thought, if he were Fabregas, he'd probably leave too.
If you stay, there's no hope!
From this perspective, Florentino really is a rare breed.
In fact, in this mad era, he's one of the few with rational thinking and calm judgment.
…
"That fat guy Ancelotti's been stirring things up for a week now. You've already taken out all the top teams—no reason to let him off the hook, right?"
Once Wenger had calmed down, he quietly threw Ancelotti under the bus.
Gao Shen was stunned.
So Master Wen isn't the leader of the Stingy Sect—he's actually the head of the Stabbing Sect.
But to be fair, Ancelotti had indeed been sarcastic in the build-up. The reasons were simple: partly football rivalry, and partly because Gao Shen had ditched their card game last time. He held a grudge and tried to trip him up.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely avenge you for that 0-3 defeat," Gao Shen said with righteous indignation.
Wenger's eyelid twitched. Why did it suddenly feel like he owed Gao Shen a huge favor?
Mate, you beat me 3-0. But you weren't exactly holding back either, were you?
This grudge is clearly between you and Ancelotti—why make it sound like you're doing me a favor?
Did I ask you to mess with Ancelotti?
Wenger pointed at Gao Shen, lost for words.
"Why do you only learn the bad habits from that old guy!"
He looked disappointed in his team and walked off, shaking his head and sighing.
Gao Shen watched him leave and couldn't help but laugh.
Wenger's ability is beyond doubt, but the world has changed.
What worked for him in the past no longer applies.
From Chelsea's Abramovich to Abu Dhabi's Manchester City, and later Paris Saint-Germain—even clubs like Liverpool and Spurs are gradually embracing this new era.
This is an era of big money!
Wenger is like a craftsman from the old world, clinging to the values he's upheld his whole life.
The cruel truth is: while his dedication and perseverance are admirable, they're destined to be swept aside by the tide of change.
That's perfectly normal.
Even Gao Shen knows he won't shine forever.
That's why he cherishes every moment.
He wants to burn brightest at the peak of his career!
Only then, no matter how many years pass, fans will still remember his name!
(To be continued.)