THE STRUGGLE ARC: Start again

Arsenic Phillip’s return to form was not going to be easy but now, he knew what was holding him back, the fear of being injured again. He needed to find a new way of doing things and that involved him learning to defeat his oldest test —proving himself on the pitch.

He arrived in training earlier today, skipping his routine jog in the morning. The stadium was quiet and the London air still foggy. As he approached the gates, he greeted the security guard, who nodded and moved to switch on the floodlights. He picked up the ball and dribbled in slow , deliberate movements, feeling the grass beneath his boots.

*No more hesitation.* he thought.

Today is the day, he begins again. He wore the 

He set up cones, marking a zigzag path toward the goal. With each turn, he forced himself to use his right side, to plant his foot and explode off it without doubt. The first few runs were awkward, his body still resisted and his mind second-guessed but he kept going. Again and again.

By the time the first players started trickling in, his shirt clung to his back, sweat dripping down his face.

Resurrección spotted him first and approached him. “You get lost on the way home or something?”

Arsenic, breathing heavily, met his gaze. “You were right.”

Resurrección started stretching dramatically. “I usually am. About what specifically?”

“I’m making changes.” Arsenic stretched his shoulders. “You’ll see.”

“Alright. Looking forward to it.”

Coach Rivera gathered the team after warm-ups, his sharp eyes scanning the squad.

“Alright, listen up,” he barked. “We’ve got a match against Hammers United, today and they are a touch opponent. They are a compact team, well organized so breaking them down will be a chore. If you hesitate they’ll rip you apart. Today’s training will focus on quick-counter attacks and breaking through pressure.”

The team split into groups, moving into a 5v5 drill in a compressed pitch. The objective was clear: move fast, think faster.

Arsenic found himself alongside Pryce, Mendes, Yuri Katsuki and Temidayo Saka against against Resurrección’s group. As the drill started, he could feel the difference in his own play—his first touch was sharper, his movements more intentional. Yuri sent him a rabona pass and he trapped the ball with his right. He noticed Resurrección closing in from behind and did a Cruyff turn—dragging the ball behind his standing foot and pivoting to spin away—and accelerated past him. A split second later, he rifled a shot into the top corner.

There was a short silence and then a whistle.

Rivera grinned. “There it is.”

Resurrección jogged over, a slow smile forming. “Took you long enough.”

Arsenic wiped sweat from his forehead. “Not waiting anymore.”

Resurrección chuckled. “Good. Now do it again.”

The games coming up were not just about results; they were battles within battles, moments where Arsenic had to fight against doubt, pressure, and the weight of expectation. Each match became a chapter in his struggle, each challenge a test of whether he could truly return to the player he once was—or create a new version of himself.

Matchday 2: Hammers United- Trial by Fire

The Emirates Gunners vs. Hammers United. An Away match.

Arsenic started on the bench. The Sheffield Borough game had damaged his standing in the squad, and Mendes' arrival meant competition was fiercer than ever.

By the 65th minute, the Gunners were trailing 1-0. The attack was stagnant, struggling to break through Hammers United’s high press. Rivera turned to his bench.

“Arsenic. You’re in.”

The moment had come. he subbed in for the center-back, Baxton.

The moment he stepped onto the pitch his heart started hammering. The first few touches were simple—short passes, quick layoffs—just to settle into the game. But then, the pressure came.

A midfielder lunged in aggressively, pressing him back. The old fear crept in, that instinct to avoid the challenge. He nearly turned away—nearly—but then he remembered his captain’s words...and did the opposite.

He shielded the ball, turned sharply, and flicked it past his opponent. The away fans got excited when they saw this and started cheering loudly.

Then, in the 91st minute, the moment arrived. A long ball from Resurrección split the defense, putting Arsenic in a race against the last center-back. He sprinted, outpacing his marker, but as the keeper rushed forward, the hesitation flickered in.

His old self would have chipped the keeper. Instead he tried to aim for the inner post with his left foot hitting the post for a goalkick. The whistle blew minutes later. 1-0 loss.

As Arsenic walked off, he clenched his fists. *Not good enough.*

Matchday 3: Seagulls Albion

Midweek fixture. A home game.

Arsenic started this time at the striker position with Mendes and Saka on either sides of the wing.

From the opening whistle, Seagulls pressed aggressively, cutting off passing lanes and forcing mistakes. Arsenic struggled. A sloppy touch here. A misread run there. Then, in the 40th minute, disaster struck.

He received the ball near midfield and turned—too slow—and an opposing player nicked it away, sparking a counterattack that led to a goal.

0-1.

Arsenic looked as they celebrated and  wanted the ground to swallow him.

At halftime, Rivera teared into him. “Wake up, Arsenic! You’re playing like a ghost!”

The second half started. The game began. He needed to change something.

Then, in the 72nd minute, he saw it—a gap in Seagull’s high defensive line. Mendes flicked a pass through, and this time, Arsenic didn’t hesitate. He bolted, pushing the ball past the keeper and slotting it home.

The Emirates Stadium erupted.

No celebration. He just picked up the ball and ran back to midfield.

Final score: 1-1.

It wasn’t a win, but it was a start.

Deadline Day

August 31st. It was the deadline day for the summer transfer window marking the end of the frenzy of deals across Europe.

The Gunners secured their final signings:

Callum Waters, a promising English fullback.

Alain André, a young French defender.

Sverre Ødegaard, a midfield prospect on loan from Real Castilla.

Meanwhile, their European and League rivals made some jaw dropping deals.

Valencia Titans signed Elian Roux, Pryce’s former academy rival—a midfield powerhouse.

Nottingham Trees signed the 32 year old Grant Woods from St. James Magpies.

St. James Magpies acquired Barry Gordon from Merseyside Blues.

Parisians FC shattered records, spending €120M on João Silva, the teenage Brazilian phenom labeled “The New Ronaldo.”

Bianconeri JFC  spent over €150M to buy Lucas Morreira from Valencia Titans and Federico Fiore from ACF Viola. 

Rodrigo Santacruz completed a shock move to LDN Monarchs from Atletico Royals for €70M.

Atletico Royals acquired Atwan Griezmont from FCB Catalonia for €25M and Teye Apartey from Emirates Gunners as part of the deal for Ricardo Mendes + €100M

As the dust settled, the stage was set. The struggle to start a new was looking grim for Arsenic.