The rain continued relentlessly into the following morning.
Dark clouds hung low over Manchester, casting a grey blanket across the city and giving the afternoon an unusually heavy atmosphere.
Right on schedule, Arsenal's team bus pulled away from the hotel and headed towards the Etihad Stadium.
The journey was quiet. Most of the players sat in silence, listening to music or staring out at the rain-soaked streets. Everyone understood the significance of the afternoon ahead.
As the stadium drew closer, the atmosphere outside changed dramatically.
Despite the relentless rain, Manchester City supporters had already gathered in large numbers, singing and waving scarves. Television crews lined the roadside, determined to cover the arrival.
Standing beneath an umbrella, Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves spoke directly into the camera.
"You're watching Sky Sports live outside the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal's team bus passed this point less than a minute ago and should be arriving any moment."
"Manchester City have won all six of their Premier League matches so far and couldn't have asked for a better start under Pep Guardiola. Arsenal, meanwhile, has endured an inconsistent opening to the season, but they remain the reigning European champions. Guardiola has repeatedly said Arsenal are a side he never underestimates, so this promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the weekend."
A few moments later, Arsenal's bus rolled through the stadium gates.
The players quickly stepped off and hurried through the rain into the stadium.
Inside the dressing room, preparations immediately began.
The players removed their standard boots and replaced them with long-studded ones.
On a rain-soaked pitch, grip could be the difference between staying on your feet and ending up on the turf.
Once everyone had changed, Arsenal made their way through the tunnel for the warm-up.
Cold rain immediately soaked through their training tops.
The stadium was already buzzing, but the rain still bit through every layer of clothing.
Kai gathered everyone together before they spread out.
"Make sure you warm up properly," he reminded them. "This rain will cool your muscles quickly. If you don't prepare properly, you're asking for an injury. We don't want that."
The players nodded before beginning their routines.
These days, Kai sometimes felt less like a captain and more like a caretaker.
He had never imagined captaincy would involve constantly reminding teammates about the little things.
Yet someone had to do it.
A captain wasn't only responsible during the ninety minutes. He connected the dressing room, the coaching staff, and the club. More importantly, he looked after the players.
He could ignore those responsibilities if he wanted.
But if everyone started doing that, Arsenal would eventually lose the standards that had made them champions.
Under Kai's leadership, Arsenal's warm-up progressed with discipline.
Passing drills, stretching routines, and sprint work. Every exercise was completed with focus. No one cut corners.
Standing beneath the dugout roof, Pep Guardiola quietly observed Arsenal's preparations.
The Arsenal side that had eliminated his Bayern Munich in last season's Champions League semi-finals had left a lasting impression.
That Arsenal team had looked almost unstoppable.
Their confidence, tactical discipline, intensity, and unity had all reached extraordinary levels.
They had deservedly reached the final.
They had deservedly lifted the Champions League trophy.
Guardiola readily admitted that last season's Arsenal had been one of the toughest opponents he had ever faced.
But football changed quickly.
This season, Arsenal had struggled with injuries, managerial uncertainty, and the emotional aftermath of winning Europe's biggest prize. Their form had fluctuated dramatically.
Although they were gradually stabilising, they were still some distance from last year's level.
Manchester City, meanwhile, had won six consecutive league matches.
Confidence throughout Guardiola's squad was extremely high.
Yet Guardiola knew one thing.
His City side was improving rapidly, but it still had not reached the relentless level Arsenal had displayed at their peak.
Fortunately for him, Arsenal were no longer operating at that level.
That gave Manchester City a genuine opportunity.
Following the warm-up, both teams returned to their dressing rooms for the final team talk.
Pat Rice pinned the starting lineup to the tactics board.
There were very few surprises.
He stayed with the trusted starting eleven.
Mustafi remained on the bench once again, with Mertesacker keeping his place in central defence.
Inside the Sky Sports studio, Garry Neville introduced the afternoon's headline fixture.
"Welcome to the Etihad Stadium, where league leaders Manchester City host reigning European champions Arsenal in one of the biggest matches of the Premier League season so far."
Beside him, Jamie Carragher broke down the matchup.
"There's already a ten-point gap between these two clubs. City have been flawless with six straight wins, while Arsenal have stumbled through the opening weeks."
"The uncertainty surrounding Arsène Wenger's absence affected Arsenal far more than people expected. It wasn't only tactical. It hit the dressing room psychologically as well."
"They finally found some momentum against Liverpool, but a lot of that came down to Kai producing an extraordinary individual performance."
Neville nodded.
"So the obvious question is whether Guardiola will focus on stopping Kai today."
Carragher thought for a moment before answering.
"He'll certainly respect him, but I don't think Pep builds his game plan around stopping one player."
"Guardiola's philosophy has always been about controlling the match through his own structure. Rather than assigning someone to man-mark Kai, he'll trust City's system to limit Arsenal collectively."
As the discussion continued, both teams emerged from the tunnel.
The cameras immediately focused on the starting lineups.
Manchester City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart.
Defenders: Aleksandar Kolarov, Eliaquim Mangala, Nicolás Otamendi, Bacary Sagna.
Def. Midfielders: Fernandinho, Fabian Delph.
Att. Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Raheem Sterling.
Forward: Sergio Agüero.
Arsenal also lined up in a 4-3-3.
Goalkeeper: Petr Čech.
Defenders: Calum Chambers, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal.
Midfielders: Le Kai, Jack Wilshere, N'Golo Kanté.
Forwards: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Luis Suárez, Alexis Sánchez.
From City's lineup alone, it was clear Guardiola had no intention of assigning anyone to shadow Kai.
As far as Guardiola was concerned, the best way to stop Arsenal was not by chasing one player, but by imposing Manchester City's own football from the very first whistle.
Guardiola believed Manchester City's midfield had more than enough quality to control the game.
With players like David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Fernandinho in midfield, he believed City had enough intelligence and technical quality to keep Arsenal's captain under control through collective play rather than man-marking.
Kai noticed City's setup as well.
Quietly, he let out a sigh of relief.
For the previous two matches, he had barely been given a moment to breathe, with opponents assigning players to follow him almost everywhere he went. It was part of football, but being shadowed for ninety minutes was mentally exhausting.
Today was different.
Manchester City respected him, but they weren't obsessed with him.
That gave him a little more freedom.
In commentary, Martin Tyler looked towards the centre circle.
"Everything's set. The captains have completed the coin toss, Luis Suárez is over the ball, and Arsenal will get us underway."
Beside him, Rob Hawthorne smiled.
"So, can Manchester City make it seven straight league wins, or will Arsenal hand Guardiola his first Premier League defeat? We're about to find out."
Referee Craig Pawson checked both assistants before raising the whistle.
A sharp blast echoed around the Etihad.
The match was underway.
Suárez rolled the ball forward to begin the game.
Wilshere took the first touch before immediately recycling possession backwards. Rather than pushing high, he stayed close to Kai, offering an easy passing option.
Kai, meanwhile, dropped deeper towards the centre-backs to collect possession.
Although he had returned to his familiar holding midfield role, it didn't mean he would simply sit in front of the defence.
He still intended to dictate Arsenal's attacks whenever opportunities appeared.
Kai gestured towards Per Mertesacker.
The German defender understood immediately and played a firm pass into midfield.
Receiving with his back to goal, Kai redirected the ball first time into Wilshere's path.
As the ball left his foot, he heard rapid footsteps closing from behind.
Manchester City's pressing was relentless.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
Wilshere quickly returned the pass.
This time, Kevin De Bruyne charged straight at him.
Kai shifted the ball sideways and sold two quick body feints, trying to tempt the Belgian into committing.
De Bruyne stayed disciplined.
With no opening available, Kai dragged the ball away from pressure before calmly feeding it to Kanté.
Kanté took one touch before punching a diagonal pass into space ahead.
Kai exploded forward.
De Bruyne reacted a split second too late.
By the time he turned, Kai had already collected the return ball in stride.
Kai never looked down.
His eyes were fixed on Aubameyang's run.
You told me your pace could make up for any pass.
You told me you wanted more space to attack.
Go.
A faint smile appeared on Kai's face.
Then he drove his right foot through the ball.
It left his boot like a missile.
The pass flew into the space behind Manchester City's defence with pace and purpose.
At that exact moment, Aubameyang burst into full stride.
His acceleration was devastating.
Within only a few steps, he had left the defenders trailing behind, charging into open grass.
. . .
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