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Francesco walked slowly toward his teammates as the Emirates continued to celebrate around them.
Then the final whistle against Liverpool had barely faded into the noise of the Emirates before Arsenal's attention began moving toward the next fixture.
There was no opportunity to dwell on the result for long.
The players celebrated with the supporters, exchanged a few words among themselves, completed the usual post-match routines, and eventually disappeared down the tunnel. By the time they were back inside the dressing room, the mood had settled from exhilaration into the familiar rhythm of recovery.
Liverpool had demanded plenty from them.
Now the season demanded that they move on.
The following morning at London Colney was deliberately quiet.
Those who had played the full match worked through recovery exercises while the medical and fitness staff monitored each player closely. Stretching, mobility work, treatment and light cycling replaced the intensity of a normal training session. The players who had seen less action completed a more substantial programme on the pitches.
Francesco spent part of the morning moving between the recovery area and the gym, speaking briefly with the staff before joining his teammates outside.
There was no need for Wenger to remind them that the season was long.
They already understood.
Another Premier League match was waiting.
And a few days later, Arsenal travelled to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The match did not carry the same drama as Liverpool.
Wolves defended with determination and made Arsenal work for openings, but Wenger's side gradually imposed itself on the contest. Arsenal moved the ball patiently, waited for spaces to appear and refused to become frustrated when the first opportunities failed to produce a goal.
Eventually, Francesco found the breakthrough.
A move developed through midfield before Arsenal worked the ball into the attacking area. Francesco timed his movement between the defenders, received the final pass and finished cleanly.
1–0.
The goal changed the rhythm of the match.
Wolves had to take more risks, and that gave Arsenal additional spaces to attack. Yet the second goal did not arrive immediately. Arsenal continued to manage the game rather than forcing it.
Laurent Koscielny eventually provided the insurance.
A set-piece delivery found him in the right area, and the French defender rose above the challenge to send his header into the net.
2–0.
From there, Arsenal controlled the remainder of the match.
There was no need for another frantic finish.
The final whistle confirmed another Premier League victory, Francesco and Koscielny having supplied the goals in a professional 2–0 result.
The squad returned to London with another three points secured.
But the next challenge was already waiting.
Shakhtar Donetsk.
And this time, they would meet at the Emirates.
The days leading into the Champions League match were structured carefully.
Wenger wanted sharpness without unnecessary fatigue.
The squad worked through passing sequences, positional exercises and attacking combinations before moving into more demanding tactical work. The emphasis was not simply on keeping the ball. Arsenal rehearsed how they wanted to move it.
Quick combinations through midfield.
Rotations around the edge of the penalty area.
Wide players holding their positions until the correct moment to attack.
Defenders maintaining their distances behind the ball.
The midfielders worked on recognizing when to accelerate and when to recycle possession.
There were also sessions devoted to defensive organization.
Shakhtar possessed enough technical quality to punish careless decisions, and Wenger wanted his players prepared for their movement between the lines.
Francesco was involved throughout the attacking work, often dropping toward midfield before turning and accelerating into the space behind the defensive line.
The finishing drills were equally sharp.
Alexis struck several efforts cleanly.
Gnabry worked on receiving at speed before shooting.
Saka and Smith Rowe were involved in the passing rotations.
Giroud worked with the coaching staff on movement around the penalty area.
At the other end of the pitch, Čech and the other goalkeepers went through their own demanding routine.
Low saves.
High crosses.
One-on-one situations.
Distribution under pressure.
The sessions remained intense, but Wenger carefully managed the workload.
Players were not kept on the pitch simply for the sake of training.
Once the objectives had been completed, they were brought inside.
Recovery mattered.
So did freshness.
The Champions League required both.
By the final training session, there was a noticeably different feeling around London Colney.
The players knew the next evening belonged to Europe.
And there was something about Champions League nights at the Emirates that never quite became ordinary.
Matchday arrived beneath an evening sky that was already darkening over North London.
The Arsenal team bus approached the Emirates with the familiar sight of supporters gathering around the stadium.
Scarves.
Flags.
Shirts.
Phones held above heads.
The atmosphere was energetic without becoming chaotic.
Inside the stadium, staff moved through their routines.
Programmes were distributed.
Broadcast crews prepared their equipment.
Security checked the various access points.
The floodlights illuminated the pitch, making the green surface appear almost impossibly bright against the darkness surrounding it.
The Arsenal players arrived and made their way inside.
Francesco walked with the group toward the dressing room.
There was conversation, but less than there would have been before an ordinary league match.
The players knew what was coming.
The dressing room gradually filled.
Boots were placed beside benches.
Training tops were pulled on.
Tape was applied.
Water bottles were prepared.
The familiar pre-match routines began.
Eventually, Wenger appeared briefly at the doorway.
"Warm-up in five."
The players rose.
They changed into their training kits and headed toward the tunnel.
The stadium greeted them immediately.
The sound reached them before they stepped onto the pitch.
A Champions League crowd had its own character.
There was anticipation in it.
The supporters knew the significance of the competition, and the players could feel that expectation from the first steps onto the grass.
The warm-up began.
Passing drills came first.
Short combinations between two players became three-player patterns, then longer sequences across the pitch.
Francesco moved through the exercises with Alexis and Gnabry, exchanging quick passes before changing positions.
"Again," Alexis said after one sequence.
The ball came back.
Francesco returned it first time.
Gnabry received and switched play.
The coaches watched closely.
Movement exercises followed.
Players opened their hips, accelerated over short distances, changed direction and returned to the group.
Then came finishing.
Crosses were delivered from both sides.
Francesco attacked the near-post area before peeling away.
Alexis worked on first-time finishes.
Gnabry took several shots from the edge of the area.
At the other end, Čech was already fully engaged.
He moved across his goal, punching away crosses before working through a series of low saves.
His voice carried across the pitch.
"Again!"
A defender immediately responded.
"Man on!"
The ball moved.
The drills continued.
Stretching came toward the end of the session, followed by a final series of controlled passes.
The crowd had grown louder by then.
The stands were filling.
The Champions League branding surrounded the pitch.
The atmosphere was beginning to change from preparation into ceremony.
Wenger signalled the end of the warm-up.
The players jogged back toward the tunnel.
Inside the dressing room, the noise became distant again.
Showers were brief.
There was no lingering.
The players changed into their official Arsenal kits.
Shirts were pulled over shoulders.
Socks adjusted.
Boots tightened.
Tape checked.
Francesco sat for a moment while a member of staff made sure the captain's armband was ready.
He looked across the room.
His teammates were nearly prepared.
Then Wenger entered.
The conversation stopped naturally.
The manager stood in front of them.
No raised voice was necessary.
"You know what we want tonight."
He glanced around the room.
"The starting eleven stays unchanged."
That meant the same Arsenal side that had begun the previous match would take the field again.
Čech.
Robertson.
Van Dijk.
Koscielny.
Walker.
Kanté.
Xhaka.
Özil.
Alexis.
Gnabry.
Francesco.
Wenger then turned toward the tactical board.
"Shakhtar."
He began naming their players carefully.
"Andriy Pyatov in goal."
His finger moved across the defensive line.
"Ismaily. Yaroslav Rakitsky. Serhiy Kryvtsov. Mykola Matviyenko."
Then midfield.
"Taras Stepanenko. Maycon."
He moved slightly higher.
"Viktor Kovalenko."
Finally, the attacking players.
"Taison is their captain. Serhiy Bolbat. Junior Mor."
The names settled over the room.
Wenger looked back at his players.
"They will try to play. They will try to move us. Do not give them easy opportunities to establish rhythm."
He paused.
"We control the ball. We control the spaces. And when we lose it, we react."
Francesco listened without looking away.
Wenger continued.
"Be patient. The first pass is not always the forward pass. If the space is there, attack it. If it is not, keep the ball and make them move."
A few players nodded.
The instructions were clear.
The manager stepped away from the board.
"Let's go."
The room came alive again.
Players stood.
Francesco adjusted his captain's armband.
Alexis checked his boots.
Kanté pulled his shirt into place.
Van Dijk and Koscielny exchanged a brief glance.
Then the team began moving toward the tunnel.
The corridor beneath the Emirates felt narrower than usual.
The Champions League branding lined the walls.
The referees were already waiting.
Shakhtar stood opposite Arsenal.
Taison wore the captain's armband and spoke quietly with one of his teammates.
Pyatov stood near the end of the line.
The rest of the Ukrainian side waited in formation.
Francesco stood at the front of Arsenal's group.
He could hear the crowd through the walls.
It was no longer a distant murmur.
It was becoming a constant roar.
The referee looked toward both captains.
Then the teams began walking.
The Emirates opened before them.
The floodlights illuminated the pitch.
The stands were full.
Arsenal supporters raised scarves and flags as the players emerged.
Francesco stepped onto the grass with the armband secured around his sleeve.
He looked briefly across the field.
Taison was doing the same.
Then both teams moved into position beside the referees.
The Champions League anthem began.
The first notes rolled around the stadium.
Conversation stopped.
Players stood respectfully.
Francesco remained still, eyes forward.
The music filled every corner of the Emirates.
For a few moments, the entire stadium seemed united by the ceremony.
When the anthem ended, the players began moving through the formalities.
The referees shook hands with the captains.
The teams exchanged handshakes.
There were brief smiles, nods and quiet words.
Then Arsenal gathered for the official starting-eleven photograph.
Francesco stood among his teammates, expression focused.
The photographer raised the camera.
One flash.
Then another.
The players broke formation.
The final procedure remained.
The captains walked toward the centre circle.
Francesco met Taison there.
The referee explained the toss.
Francesco listened.
Taison called his choice.
The coin was tossed.
It spun briefly beneath the stadium lights before landing.
The referee confirmed the result.
The captains shook hands.
Then they returned to their teammates.
Arsenal took their positions.
Francesco stood forward.
The referee checked his watch.
The crowd waited.
And then the whistle sounded.
Arsenal kicked off.
From the first minute, it was clear this would be a very different contest from Liverpool.
There was no frantic exchange of momentum.
Arsenal took control through possession.
Kanté offered himself immediately.
Xhaka moved into space beside him.
Özil drifted between the Ukrainian midfield and defence, searching for room.
Alexis moved inward from the left.
Gnabry held the opposite side.
Francesco constantly adjusted his position.
Sometimes he stayed between the centre-backs.
Sometimes he dropped toward the midfield line.
Sometimes he moved diagonally into the channels.
Shakhtar struggled to decide how aggressively to follow him.
Arsenal's passing was crisp.
Not reckless.
Not slow.
Deliberate.
Shakhtar attempted to press the first pass, but Arsenal moved the ball around them.
Stepenenko tried to close Xhaka.
Maycon tracked Özil.
Kovalenko dropped deeper to help.
Taison repeatedly gestured for his teammates to remain compact.
Yet Arsenal kept finding another pass.
When Shakhtar retreated, Arsenal pushed their full-backs higher.
When the Ukrainian side stepped forward, Francesco and Alexis found spaces behind them.
The first serious chance arrived after Arsenal worked the ball through midfield.
Özil found Francesco.
Francesco turned and immediately carried toward the penalty area.
Rakitsky stepped across.
Instead of forcing the shot, Francesco shifted the ball wide.
Gnabry received.
The cross came in.
Alexis attacked it.
Pyatov caught the header.
A warning.
Arsenal came again.
This time, the ball moved through Kanté and Xhaka before reaching Francesco.
He dropped toward the right half-space.
Alexis moved inside.
Gnabry stretched the defensive line.
Francesco waited.
Then, in the seventeenth minute, the opening finally appeared.
Francesco received just outside the penalty area with Stepanenko closing from behind.
He protected the ball, turned and carried it toward the left side.
Alexis had begun moving across the defensive line.
Francesco saw him.
The pass came at exactly the right moment.
Alexis entered the area.
Pyatov stepped forward.
Alexis opened his body and finished low beyond the goalkeeper.
1–0.
The Emirates erupted.
Alexis turned toward the corner.
Francesco was already coming toward him.
The Chilean pointed back at him.
"That was yours."
Francesco smiled.
"You finished it."
Gnabry and Özil joined them.
There was no extended celebration.
The players quickly returned toward the halfway line.
One goal was not enough.
They wanted control.
Six minutes later, they found another.
Gnabry received wide and attacked Matviyenko.
He slowed.
Then accelerated.
Francesco had already started his run through the centre.
Gnabry waited until the defender committed before sliding the ball into the space ahead of him.
Francesco reached it inside the area.
One touch.
Pyatov came out.
Francesco lifted the finish beyond him.
2–0.
The supporters exploded again.
Francesco turned toward the stands before being surrounded by Alexis, Gnabry and Özil.
Gnabry laughed.
"My assist."
Francesco pointed toward him.
"Exactly."
Alexis pulled him into a quick embrace.
Then the players separated and headed back.
Two goals.
Twenty-three minutes.
Shakhtar were in trouble.
But they did not collapse.
Taison immediately began demanding more from his teammates.
"Stay together!"
Stepanenko moved higher.
Maycon tried to get involved more frequently.
Kovalenko looked for pockets behind Arsenal's midfield.
Bolbat drifted toward the right.
Junior Mor attempted to stretch Van Dijk and Koscielny with direct runs.
For several minutes, Shakhtar managed to move the ball higher.
One attack reached the edge of the Arsenal penalty area.
Kovalenko received and tried to turn.
Kanté was there.
The French midfielder stole the ball cleanly.
Xhaka collected the loose possession and Arsenal were moving forward again.
At the back, Van Dijk remained composed.
Koscielny dealt with Junior Mor's movement.
Walker stayed alert to Bolbat.
Robertson watched the opposite side.
Čech had little to do.
That was largely because Arsenal's midfield kept preventing Shakhtar from building sustained pressure.
Then came the thirty-ninth minute.
Alexis received the ball on the left.
He attempted to cut inside and was clipped just outside the penalty area.
The referee immediately pointed to the spot of the foul.
Free kick.
Alexis stood over it.
The Emirates settled.
Even the players in the stands seemed to understand that something could happen.
Pyatov organized his wall.
He moved his defenders several steps across.
Čech watched from the opposite end.
Arsenal players positioned themselves around the area, ready for either a rebound or a second ball.
Alexis placed the ball carefully.
He stepped back.
One breath.
Then another.
The referee moved away.
Alexis began his run-up.
His right foot struck the ball cleanly.
It rose over the wall.
For a moment, Pyatov appeared to have a chance.
Then the ball dipped sharply toward the corner.
Pyatov stretched.
He could not reach it.
The net moved.
3–0.
Alexis turned away with both arms slightly raised.
His teammates ran toward him.
The Emirates was roaring.
Francesco reached him first and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Beautiful."
Alexis grinned.
"Two."
"Two."
His brace was complete.
Arsenal had three.
The remainder of the half became more controlled.
Shakhtar tried to push forward, but Arsenal were comfortable managing the ball.
Özil slowed the rhythm when necessary.
Kanté remained alert to transitions.
Xhaka switched play.
The full-backs continued providing width without exposing the defence.
Francesco occasionally dropped deeper to help maintain possession before moving forward again.
Shakhtar had moments.
Taison attempted to drive his team forward.
Maycon carried the ball through midfield.
Kovalenko tried to find space.
But the final pass never arrived.
Arsenal's defensive line dealt with the danger.
No further goal came.
When the referee finally blew for halftime, Arsenal walked toward the tunnel three goals ahead.
3–0.
The Emirates remained loud, but inside the dressing room the mood was different.
There was satisfaction.
Not complacency.
The players sat down, drank water and began cooling themselves down.
Wenger entered a few moments later.
He looked around the room before speaking.
"That was very good."
Nobody interrupted.
"You controlled the match. You moved the ball well. You created the chances, and when the opportunities came, you took them."
He paused.
"But now we manage it."
Wenger pointed toward the tactical board.
"Second half, slow the tempo slightly. We do not need to make this more difficult than it has to be."
Francesco listened closely.
"Three goals is a good advantage. We don't need unnecessary risks. Keep the ball. Move them. Make them run."
Wenger's voice remained calm.
"They will come harder after the break. Expect that. They have nothing to lose now, so there will be more challenges, more aggression, more attempts to win second balls."
He looked around the room.
"Protect yourselves. Protect your energy. We have a season to play, not just this match."
Kanté nodded.
Wenger continued.
"Stay connected. Stay disciplined. If the forward pass is there, take it. If it isn't, recycle. No forcing. No needless running. Be sensible."
His eyes eventually settled on Francesco.
The captain gave a small nod.
The message was understood.
Arsenal were in control.
Now they had to prove they could manage that control intelligently.
Around him, the players absorbed the instructions in silence.
Water bottles were lifted.
Boots were checked.
Shirts adjusted.
The atmosphere slowly shifted again as everyone prepared to return to the pitch.
Three goals separated Arsenal from Shakhtar.
But forty-five minutes remained.
And Wenger wanted every one of them played with discipline.
Then the players rose almost together.
Chairs shifted against the floor. Boots scraped lightly against the dressing-room tiles. A few final drinks of water were taken before everyone began making the short walk toward the tunnel.
Nobody needed to repeat Wenger's message.
It was already clear.
Three goals were enough.
There was no reason to chase a fourth at the expense of the shape they had spent forty-five minutes establishing.
Francesco was among the last players to leave the room. He adjusted the captain's armband once more, glanced across the dressing room and then followed Koscielny toward the corridor.
The noise from the Emirates grew with every step.
Then they emerged.
The second half began with Shakhtar immediately trying to change the tone.
Taison was already urging his teammates forward.
"Come on! Higher!"
Stepanenko stepped aggressively into midfield.
Maycon followed, looking to close down Xhaka and Kanté before Arsenal could settle.
The first challenge of the half came hard, but Kanté simply moved the ball away before contact arrived.
Čech received the next pass.
Rather than launching it forward, he waited.
Robertson dropped toward the left.
Van Dijk opened his body.
Koscielny moved across.
Walker held his position on the opposite side.
Čech rolled the ball to Van Dijk.
The Dutch defender took one touch and found Xhaka.
Xhaka returned it toward Robertson.
Arsenal had escaped the initial pressure without taking a single unnecessary risk.
Francesco glanced toward Wenger on the touchline.
The manager gave a small nod.
Exactly.
Shakhtar were trying to turn the match into something frantic.
Arsenal refused to let them.
Taison kept pointing forward.
Kovalenko searched for a pocket between Kanté and the centre-backs.
Bolbat moved wider.
Junior Mor pushed higher, attempting to stretch Van Dijk and Koscielny.
But Arsenal's defensive distances remained tight.
Robertson did not chase Bolbat unnecessarily.
Walker stayed aware of Junior Mor without abandoning his position.
Van Dijk and Koscielny communicated constantly.
Behind them, Čech continued offering himself as an outlet whenever the midfield came under pressure.
The game had slowed.
Not because Arsenal were struggling.
Because they were choosing when to accelerate.
That distinction became increasingly obvious.
In the fifty-second minute, Maycon stepped forward and forced Xhaka backward.
The Swiss midfielder could have attempted a difficult pass toward Özil.
He did not.
Instead, he returned the ball to Kanté.
Kanté switched it toward Walker.
Walker found Gnabry.
Gnabry moved forward for several yards before realizing the route was closed.
He stopped.
Turned.
Played it back.
The Emirates responded with a mixture of applause and impatient noise.
Some supporters wanted Arsenal to attack.
They wanted another goal.
Another moment.
Another surge toward the Shakhtar penalty area.
But Wenger stood calmly in his technical area.
He knew what mattered.
The match was being played on Arsenal's terms.
Shakhtar were chasing the ball.
And every minute they spent doing so was another minute draining their energy.
Francesco became particularly important during that period.
He repeatedly dropped several yards from his usual position, giving Özil and the midfielders an additional passing option.
When Stepanenko followed him, Francesco released the ball quickly and moved again.
When the Ukrainian midfielder stayed deeper, Francesco turned and carried the ball forward.
It was simple football.
Effective football.
In the fifty-sixth minute, Francesco received from Robertson with Stepanenko approaching.
He shielded the ball, waited for the pressure and then found Özil.
Özil took one touch.
Xhaka was available behind him.
The German returned the ball instead of forcing it toward the penalty area.
Three passes later, Arsenal were on the opposite side.
Shakhtar had been pulled across the pitch.
Gnabry received in space.
For a second, it looked as though Arsenal might attack.
Gnabry accelerated.
Matviyenko stepped out.
Gnabry stopped.
The ball went backward.
The supporters groaned lightly.
Francesco smiled to himself.
That was the game Wenger wanted.
Fifteen minutes passed in much the same fashion.
Arsenal maintained their three-goal advantage without allowing Shakhtar to dictate the match.
There were moments when the Ukrainian side threatened.
Taison carried the ball through midfield and tried to release Junior Mor.
Van Dijk read it early.
A sliding interception sent the ball safely away.
Another time, Kovalenko found half a yard outside the area.
Kanté closed the space before he could turn.
Bolbat crossed from the right.
Koscielny cleared.
Pyatov spent more time organizing his defenders than Čech did.
"Stay compact!"
The Shakhtar goalkeeper repeatedly called.
He knew his side needed something, but every attempt to push forward seemed to create another gap for Arsenal to exploit.
Eventually, the home side began changing the rhythm again.
The supporters noticed first.
The passing became quicker.
Özil started finding the ball in more advanced areas.
Alexis drifted into central positions.
Gnabry began running directly at defenders.
Francesco moved higher.
The first forty-five minutes had been about control.
Now Arsenal were ready to attack the spaces that control had created.
In the sixty-fourth minute, Kanté won possession near the halfway line.
He immediately found Xhaka.
Xhaka played forward to Özil.
The German turned.
Alexis made a run across the defensive line.
Francesco moved toward the near side.
Gnabry stretched the opposite channel.
Shakhtar's defenders retreated.
The pass went wide.
Arsenal recycled it.
Then came the moment.
Sixty-eight minutes.
Özil received just outside the penalty area.
He had two defenders in front of him.
Francesco was between them, but Alexis was moving from the left.
Özil waited.
That was the difference.
He did not play the pass when Alexis first began running.
He waited until the Chilean had moved beyond the nearest defender.
Then Özil slipped the ball through.
It was perfectly weighted.
Alexis entered the penalty area at speed.
Pyatov rushed forward.
Alexis took one touch with his right foot, keeping the ball close enough to avoid the goalkeeper's challenge.
Pyatov spread himself.
Alexis lifted the finish over him.
The ball dropped beneath the crossbar.
4–0.
For a moment Alexis simply stood there.
Then the Emirates erupted.
Gnabry reached him first.
Francesco arrived a second later and grabbed him around the shoulders.
Özil followed, smiling broadly.
Alexis looked toward the supporters and raised three fingers.
A hat-trick.
His teammates immediately understood.
Francesco laughed.
"Three."
Alexis shook his head in disbelief, smiling.
"Three."
The celebration was different this time.
There was genuine delight in it, but also recognition of what Alexis had produced.
Three goals on a Champions League night.
The supporters sang his name as the players walked back toward the halfway line.
Alexis looked toward the stands one final time before turning away.
Wenger was already looking toward his bench.
He had seen enough.
The fourth official began preparing the board.
The numbers appeared.
The changes were coming.
Francesco looked toward the touchline.
His number was there.
So were Alexis's and Özil's.
Wenger was protecting the three players who had been central to the evening while also giving others valuable minutes.
Olivier Giroud prepared himself.
Bukayo Saka stood beside him.
Emile Smith Rowe pulled his shirt into place.
The fourth official raised the board.
The crowd responded with applause.
Francesco jogged toward the sideline.
Before stepping off, he looked toward Alexis.
"Brilliant tonight."
Alexis nodded.
"So are you."
Özil came off as well, receiving a warm reception from the supporters.
Saka entered for Alexis.
Smith Rowe replaced Özil.
Giroud came on for Francesco.
The captain handed the armband across appropriately to Koscielny, who accepted it with a brief nod.
Francesco then turned toward the stands.
The applause grew louder.
He raised one hand.
Not a dramatic farewell.
Just a quiet acknowledgment.
Then he walked toward the bench.
Alexis followed him shortly afterward, smiling as several teammates congratulated him again.
Özil sat down beside them.
"That was a good one," Özil said.
Alexis laughed.
"A little."
Francesco dropped into his seat.
"A little?"
Alexis looked at him.
"Fine. A very good one."
On the pitch, Arsenal reorganized.
Giroud moved into the central attacking role.
Saka immediately took up a wide position, offering speed and directness.
Smith Rowe positioned himself between the midfield and the forward line.
Koscielny now wore the armband.
The structure remained intact.
There was no reason for it not to.
Shakhtar, meanwhile, were trying to limit the damage.
Taison continued encouraging his teammates.
Stepanenko and Maycon were still contesting midfield.
Kovalenko moved deeper to help them.
Bolbat and Junior Mor remained available whenever Shakhtar managed to move forward.
But Arsenal had too much control.
In the seventy-sixth minute, Smith Rowe collected the ball between the lines.
He looked up.
Giroud had positioned himself between Kryvtsov and Matviyenko.
The French striker held his run.
Smith Rowe recognized it.
Rather than taking another touch, he slipped a pass into Giroud's path.
The ball arrived just inside the area.
Giroud used his body to shield it.
Kryvtsov tried to recover.
Giroud took one touch across himself.
Then finished firmly beyond Pyatov.
5–0.
Smith Rowe raised both hands toward Giroud.
The striker pointed back at him.
"That's yours."
Smith Rowe smiled.
The players gathered briefly before separating.
The Emirates had become almost celebratory now.
Five goals.
And still more than ten minutes remaining.
Shakhtar were exhausted.
Arsenal were enjoying the freedom that came with the scoreline, but they did not abandon their discipline.
Saka continued attacking from the right.
His energy was obvious.
Every time he received the ball, he looked forward.
In the eighty-fifth minute, that directness created another goal.
Saka collected possession near the right touchline.
He drove toward Matviyenko.
The defender backed away.
Saka reached the edge of the penalty area and paused, waiting for movement.
Robertson had started forward from his defensive position.
At first, Shakhtar's defenders did not notice him.
Saka did.
He slipped the ball into the space inside the full-back.
Robertson arrived at speed.
A defender tried to close him down.
Robertson took the ball in stride.
Pyatov rushed from his goal.
Robertson kept his composure and struck low across the goalkeeper.
The ball hit the far side of the net.
6–0.
For a second, Robertson simply stared at the goal.
Then he laughed.
Saka ran toward him.
Robertson pointed at the young winger.
"That was you!"
Saka grinned.
The rest of the Arsenal players joined them.
Even the substitutes on the bench were standing.
Francesco applauded from his seat.
Robertson, normally occupied with defending and providing width, had just scored Arsenal's sixth.
The Emirates enjoyed every second of it.
The scoreline was emphatic, but the performance had not been built on reckless attacking.
It had come from patience first.
Then precision.
And finally the willingness to take advantage of the spaces that Shakhtar had been forced to leave.
The remaining minutes passed calmly.
Arsenal moved the ball from side to side.
Kanté continued screening the defence.
Xhaka kept possession moving.
Ramsey helped maintain the midfield structure.
Saka occasionally carried the ball forward before returning it.
Smith Rowe continued finding pockets.
Giroud held up the ball when necessary.
At the back, Robertson returned to his usual position.
Van Dijk and Koscielny remained composed.
Walker kept his side secure.
Čech had little to do during the closing stages.
Shakhtar tried one final time to create something.
Taison carried the ball forward.
Bolbat moved into space.
A cross was attempted.
Van Dijk cleared it.
Maycon collected the second ball.
Kanté closed him down.
The ball went backward.
That was essentially the story of the night.
Shakhtar tried.
Arsenal answered.
No further goal came.
The referee checked his watch.
Then raised the whistle.
The final sound was greeted by a roar that rolled around the Emirates.
Arsenal had won 6–0.
The players gathered near the centre circle.
There was laughter now.
Robertson was still being teased about his goal.
Saka looked delighted with his assist.
Smith Rowe had contributed to another goal.
Giroud had scored.
And on the bench, Alexis was still receiving congratulations for his hat-trick.
Francesco eventually stepped back onto the pitch with the other substitutes.
He walked toward his teammates.
Koscielny handed the captain's armband back to him.
Francesco accepted it.
"Good job," the Frenchman said.
Francesco smiled.
"You too."
The players then turned toward the stands.
They applauded the supporters.
The crowd responded immediately.
There was satisfaction throughout the stadium, but the players understood that the clean sheet mattered just as much as the six goals.
Čech had commanded his area.
The defenders had maintained their concentration.
The midfield had controlled the game.
The attackers had taken their chances.
The substitutes had entered without disrupting the structure.
It had been a collective performance.
Wenger stood near the technical area watching the players acknowledge the supporters.
He did not need to say much.
His instructions at halftime had been followed almost exactly.
They had slowed the game.
They had conserved energy.
They had waited.
And when the opportunities returned, they had attacked with purpose.
Eventually, the players made their way inside.
The post-match routines began.
But Alexis was not finished with the evening.
Neither was Francesco.
A pitch-side interviewer was waiting near the edge of the field as the two players approached.
The Emirates was still noisy behind them.
"Francesco, Alexis," the interviewer began, smiling, "six goals tonight. A remarkable result. What did you make of Arsenal's performance?"
Francesco glanced toward Alexis.
"We were very disciplined," he said. "Especially after halftime. We knew Shakhtar would come out with more intensity, so we didn't need to make the match difficult for ourselves. We kept the ball, stayed together and waited for the right moments."
The interviewer turned to Alexis.
"And three goals for you."
Alexis laughed softly.
"Yes. I am very happy."
The interviewer smiled.
"Happy is probably an understatement."
Alexis shook his head.
"It was a great night. But the team made it possible. Francesco gave me a very good pass for the first goal, Mesut gave me the pass for the third, and everyone was working. So I enjoy the goals, but I enjoy the result more."
Francesco nodded.
"He was incredible tonight."
Alexis looked at him.
"Don't make me embarrassed."
Francesco laughed.
"You scored three."
The interviewer smiled.
"And Francesco, you had a goal yourself and an assist tonight. How important was it to get the first goal?"
"It settled us," Francesco replied. "After that, we could play the way we wanted. We didn't have to rush."
The interviewer looked toward the pitch.
"And now there's a special presentation."
A member of the stadium staff approached carrying the award.
The Man of the Match trophy.
The interviewer turned toward Francesco.
"Would you like to present this to Alexis?"
Francesco accepted the trophy.
He looked at the award, then at Alexis.
"Easy decision."
He handed it over.
The supporters applauded.
Alexis accepted the trophy with both hands.
He looked down at it for a moment before smiling.
"Thank you."
Francesco nodded.
"You earned it."
Alexis lifted the trophy slightly toward the crowd.
The Emirates responded with another wave of applause.
For a few seconds, the two stood together with the stadium behind them.
Six goals.
A clean sheet.
Three for Alexis.
One each for Francesco, Giroud and Robertson.
Assists from Francesco, Gnabry, Özil, Smith Rowe and Saka.
And a performance that had begun with Wenger asking his players to slow down rather than chase the game.
That instruction had ultimately shaped the entire second half.
Arsenal had not needed to force the result.
They had simply allowed the match to come to them.
And when it did, they were ready.
Alexis lowered the trophy and glanced toward Francesco.
"Good night."
Francesco smiled.
"Very good night."
Behind them, the Emirates continued to sing.
And long after the final whistle, the lights remained shining over the pitch where Arsenal had just produced one of their most complete European performances of the season.
__________________________________________________
Name : Francesco Lee
Age : 19 (2017)
Birthplace : London, England
Football Club : Arsenal First Team
Championship History : 2014/2015 Premier League, 2014/2015 FA Cup, 2015/2016 Community Shield, 2016/2017 Premier League, 2015/2016 Champions League, Euro 2016, Premier League Champion 2016/2017, FA Cup 2016/2017, 2016/2017 Champions League, 2017/2018 Carabao Cup, Premier League 2017/2018, FA Cup 2017/2018, Champions League 2017/2018, 2018 World Cup, and 2018/2019 Community Shield.
Season 17/18 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 17
Goal: 20
Assist: 1
MOTM: 0
POTM: 0
England:
Match: 2
Goal: 2
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 17/18 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 59
Goal: 76
Assist: 6
MOTM: 7
POTM: 0
England:
Match: 11
Goal: 14
Assist: 1
MOTM: 7
Season 16/17 stats:
Arsenal:
Match: 55
Goal: 87
Assist: 5
MOTM: 14
POTM: 1
England:
Match: 1
Goal: 1
Assist: 0
MOTM: 0
Season 15/16 stats:
Arsenal:
Match Played: 60
Goal: 82
Assist: 10
MOTM: 9
POTM: 1
England:
Match Played: 2
Goal: 4
Assist: 0
Euro 2016
Match Played: 6
Goal: 13
Assist: 4
MOTM: 6
Season 14/15 stats:
Match Played: 35
Goal: 45
Assist: 12
MOTM: 9