CHAPTER 284: DAVID DEIN’S RESOLVE

"Van Bommel places the ball on the spot... a hush over the stadium now... Here he comes—strikes it... And it’s in! Cool as you like! Mark van Bommel scores his very first goal for Manchester City! Calm as you like! His first goal in City colours—and what a moment to open his account!"

The away end erupted instantly.

PHWEEEEE!

The roar of the crowd was quickly cut by the referee’s whistle—the halftime whistle.

Just moments after the goal, the first half came to an end. It couldn’t have been timed better for City, nor worse for Arsenal.

Van Bommel, still smiling from his goal, walked off the pitch alongside Ronaldo and Zambrotta. The energy was high. The mood, electric.

In contrast, Arsenal’s players trudged back toward the tunnel in silence—heads down, jerseys soaked with sweat and frustration. The home crowd murmured restlessly, stunned by their team’s first-half collapse.

Inside the tunnel, the mood between the two sides couldn’t have been more different.

In the locker room, Robertson and his colleagues immediately walked to the tactical board and began outlining the plans for the second half. There were no major changes—just subtle shifts in rhythm and slightly more refined instructions.

Before the second half began, Robertson carefully observed the Arsenal players’ expressions on the touchline. Their competitive spirit had returned. Their eyes gleamed with renewed determination.

This was good.

We now understood that Bruce Rioch wasn’t an incompetent coach—at the very least, after a demoralizing first half, he managed to reignite his team’s momentum during the halftime break.

The atmosphere in the stands remained electric. Amid cheers and shouts of encouragement, the second half commenced.

Arsenal had regrouped. Rioch made adjustments to the defense, reassigning Adams as a sweeper in a three-man backline. The shape echoed the early days of classic international chain defending—though it was uncertain whether this stopgap solution would bring real results.

Winterburn and Dixon boldly pushed forward to support the attack, while Bergkamp dropped deep into a false nine role, sharing playmaking duties. Arsenal’s formation had transformed into a strange variation of 5-3-2—irregular, but necessary.

They began to push forward. Bergkamp dropped deep to combine with the advancing Platt, who then played a sharp pass to Ian Wright at the edge of the box.

Wright took a shot from a tight angle, but Buffon calmly collected it.

On the touchline, Robertson lifted his chin and gestured toward Arsenal’s half—time for the counterattack.

It began with the goal kick.

Buffon threw the ball out to Zambrotta on the right flank, who surged forward with purpose.

Arsenal hadn’t anticipated Zambrotta joining the attack so aggressively, and the defenders were caught off guard. Worse still, aside from the two center-backs and Van Bommel—who resumed his box-to-box duties from the first half—every other City player surged forward like a blue whirlwind.

Zambrotta fired a direct pass to Okocha, who laid it off for Neil Lennon. Following a rapid one-two, both men pushed it wide and received the ball again.

Then came the final blow.

Henry darted into the box, with Ronaldo lurking just behind, prowling at the edge of the six-yard area.

Lennon and Okocha combined beautifully once more before the Nigerian unleashed a powerful shot. Arsenal’s defenders, backpedaling helplessly, could only watch.

The ball zipped through the chaos—Seaman saw it late and dove instinctively toward the top left corner.

But it was too late.

The ball had already kissed the net.

Manchester City led 3–0!

What an embarrassing display by the Gunners.

"Austin Okocha! He fires a thunderous shot from the edge of the box—straight into the corner! Manchester City’s counterattack, starting from the goalkeeper, was lightning fast! Just look at how they tore through Arsenal: from Buffon to Zambrotta to the final strike, it took just 13 seconds! Thirteen seconds to slice open a defense like paper—how fast can they be?!"

"And Andy, don’t forget, Okocha—what a talent. No surprise really, considering the form he’s shown all year. Let’s not forget, Nigeria has just stunned the world at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, winning the gold medal in football!

They defeated Brazil in a dramatic semifinal, then overcame Argentina in the final—what a team, what a moment for African football. This historic triumph made Nigeria the first African nation to win an Olympic gold medal in football.

Okocha may not have been part of the Olympic squad himself, but he was undeniably a member of that golden Nigerian generation.

Seeing the goal, Richard—watching from the VIP box—closed his eyes for a brief moment. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he quietly pumped his fist in front of him, a restrained gesture of pure elation.

"Dad! We’re winning the match!"

Hearing Richard say that, his father, Bryan lit up. He was already excited—but now, he was all in. Though he hadn’t considered himself a die-hard Manchester City supporter before, how could he not be drawn in now?

After all, his own son owned the club.

He looked out at the pitch, eyes full of admiration, and with a quiet grin, he muttered under his breath, "Good job, son. Good job."

On the Arsenal sideline, Bruce Rioch appeared visibly frustrated. The motivation he had sparked at halftime had evaporated almost instantly, leaving Arsenal’s players standing with their hands on their hips—lost and defeated.

For the rest of the match, Arsenal reverted to their usual defensive approach.

They resembled ostriches: huddled together, occasionally poking their heads up to assess the outside world, only to quickly retreat at the first sign of danger—burying themselves in defense to avoid further harm.

Seeing this performance, Rioch quietly walked back to the coaching area and sat down. There were still forty minutes left to play, but he had no expectations of a comeback.

Arsenal’s attacking system was essentially starting from scratch. Having talents like Bergkamp and Platt didn’t guarantee instant sharpness.

At that point, simply avoiding further goals seemed like Arsenal’s most realistic objective against a rampant Manchester City.

But reality had other plans.

Just ten minutes before the final whistle, Thierry Henry and Ronaldo executed a clever switch of positions. As Arsenal’s defense scrambled to adjust, Ronaldo charged into the box to meet a pinpoint cross from Okocha. His header was clinical—once again beating Seaman and rippling the back of the net.

With one goal and one assist to his name, Okocha was rightfully named Player of the Match, as Arsenal left the Lion’s Den humiliated—on the wrong end of a crushing 4–0 defeat.

After the fourth goal, the referee’s whistle signaled the end of a brutal contest—Manchester City 4, Arsenal 0. A resounding and humiliating defeat.

In the VIP box, David Dein sat frozen, fists clenched on his knees. Though outwardly composed, his jaw was tight, and his eyes burned with silent fury. He had watched the entire match unravel minute by minute, and now he struggled to suppress the anger boiling inside him. Every part of him itched to lash out, but he maintained the practiced facade of calm professionalism.

Sitting nearby, Arsène Wenger could sense the storm brewing beneath Dein’s silence. Respectfully, and with a hint of tact, he glanced at his watch and leaned closer.

"My flight departs in an hour," he said softly. "Mr. Dein, thank you for your hospitality."

David Dein forced a polite smile and nodded in agreement with Wenger’s suggestion. "Yes... let’s go."

The two men rose without another word and began to make their way out, heading down the polished corridor that led from the VIP box toward the stadium exit.

Then, just as they turned a corner near the main exit, they unexpectedly came face-to-face with Richard and his father!

"Mr. Dein, Mr. Wenger—it’s good to see you here," Richard said, offering a warm smile as he stepped forward. "I wanted to catch you before you left... just to say goodbye. My father and I will be heading back to Manchester shortly."

Seeing Richard’s warm smile, David Dein’s mouth twitched slightly. He could only force a polite smile in return as he reached out to shake Richard’s hand—his grip firm, but his expression strained beneath the weight of the evening’s frustration.

With this, David Dein had made up his mind.

Originally, he had planned to approach Wenger again when the J-League season ended later that year. After all, Wenger couldn’t leave Japan due to contractual obligations—and out of courtesy, he wouldn’t walk away from Nagoya Grampus after coaching them for less than a year.

But Arsenal’s crushing defeat tonight had changed everything. Since George Graham’s departure, even though Rioch’s Arsenal had struggled, they were showing steady improvement—demonstrating a clear desire to evolve. That progress had made it difficult for Dein to convince the board to dismiss Rioch. But now, his patience had run out.

Especially after this match, the writing was on the wall. Fans across England now saw it clearly—Arsenal were on the decline, with no signs of revival in sight.

Losing to a newly promoted team was bad enough. But losing by four goals?

That was humiliating.

Worse still was the manner of the defeat.

Arsenal’s performance was lifeless, disjointed, and uninspired. It wasn’t just a bad result—it was a display that offered no hope. No spark. No belief.

Now, he was determined. He would once again call for a board meeting—this time, to dismiss Bruce Rioch and bring in Arsène Wenger!