Rising Star 2.0

Wenger and Bould, along with the coaching staff and Arsenal players on the bench, all shared the same expression—utter disbelief. Then, as if a switch had flipped, they erupted into cheers. The players on the bench charged out with their arms raised in triumph.

Bould hugged Wenger tightly, nearly squeezing the breath out of him. "Damn! Amazing! Amazing! This kid is phenomenal, Arsène!"

"Yes! He's incredible!" Wenger gasped, overwhelmed with excitement.

"To hell with Van Persie! We have a better option now!"

Before this, Wenger had still been somewhat nostalgic about Van Persie. But after seeing Louis' goal, he was convinced. Arsenal's forward solution was right here. Louis was calm, had an excellent sense of smell, and was a natural striker. He was tall and would only get better with age. His speed was returning, and more importantly, he had the heart of a warrior. In that crucial moment, he dared to take the shot. This quality, this bravery, was essential for a top scorer.

Wenger began considering how to design tactics around Louis.

Walcott, meanwhile, stood in stunned silence. Watching Louis, who was only seventeen, Walcott realized that his real competition might not be Louis but Dajiru. Even then, he wasn't optimistic. Unless he was willing to play on the wing and compete with Podolski, Gervinho, and Chamberlain, his future at Arsenal seemed uncertain.

Back in Milan, the match had ended in a 1-1 draw against Napoli. AC Milan had performed well, creating numerous chances, but Balotelli, the starting striker, had squandered every opportunity. Fortunately, midfielder Boateng stepped up in the final moments with a long-range goal to save Milan from the embarrassment of a third consecutive loss.

Inzaghi, sitting in the stands, had his attention glued to his phone. When Louis scored, he couldn't contain his excitement. He held his phone in his left hand and clenched his right fist, visibly thrilled. This unusual behavior didn't go unnoticed by the reporters, who swarmed around him.

"Pippo, you showed a mysterious smile when Milan conceded a goal earlier. What's going on?" one reporter asked.

"What's so exciting on your phone?" another inquired.

Inzaghi sighed, knowing he'd been caught. "Milan's draw is unfortunate, but I'm happy for my nephew," he said, smiling. "Louis came on as a substitute for Arsenal and scored two goals in stoppage time to help them complete the comeback!"

After sharing the news, Inzaghi hurriedly left. As a youth team coach and retired legend, it wasn't appropriate to talk extensively about players from other teams. But he couldn't hide his excitement. Inzaghi felt a sense of vindication. He had opposed AC Milan selling Louis, but his influence as a youth coach was limited. Now, it was clear that leaving AC Milan had been the right choice for Louis. The current AC Milan team was a shadow of its former self, with players' abilities declining and the club lacking the funds to rebuild.

Louis finally had a chance to celebrate properly. Scoring two goals in one minute, including a stunning volley, was exhilarating. He felt a surge of euphoria as he rushed towards the corner flag, his expression fierce. His teammates mobbed him in a joyful pile-on.

"Marvelous!!"

"I love you!!"

"Damn it! Damn it!! If I were a woman, I would throw myself at you tonight!!"

"It's okay if I'm not a woman!!"

Louis' face turned pale. Is this why they tackled me?

Wenger quickly made substitutions to run down the clock and shore up the defense. Vermaelen came on for Giroud, and Ramsey replaced Podolski, shifting Arsenal to a 5-4-1 formation. Although Wenger loved beautiful football, victory was paramount now.

As Arsenal completed their substitutions, time was running out. Many Manchester City fans left the stadium early, unable to bear watching their team lose. The atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium shifted, with excited Arsenal fans now dominating.

"Hey, Gary, does your bet still stand?" Martin Keown teased, addressing Gary Neville in the commentary box. Arsenal fans sang and taunted Neville, whose face had turned a deep shade of red.