At the Emirates, the stadium was bouncing. Luis Suárez wheeled away in celebration, his trademark grin splitting across his face, before darting to the corner flag where Kai was already waiting. The two embraced tightly, the kind of hug that carried both relief and joy.
"Oi! How on earth did you end up there?" Kai asked, half laughing, half astonished.
He remembered Suárez being central only moments earlier. Yet, after Kai's long-range strike clattered against the post, the Uruguayan was right there at the back post to turn it home.
Suárez, still beaming, shrugged with mock innocence. "Well, the way your shots keep rattling off the woodwork this season, I thought I'd gamble. Fourth time it's happened, isn't it? Figured I'd follow up. Didn't expect it to drop so kindly, though!"
Kai scratched his nose, embarrassed. "Yeah, fair enough…" he muttered. He'd been working hard on his long-range shooting — hours on the training pitch, countless efforts in scrimmages — but in matches it still hadn't clicked. The technique was there, the luck wasn't.
But right now, none of that mattered. Arsenal had struck first, and they had the lead in a high-stakes European night.
On the touchline, Pat Rice punched the air while the substitutes leapt up, cheering. Wenger himself, ever the measured figure, simply offered a smile and a few polite claps.
Over in the opposite dugout, however, Jürgen Klopp wasn't smiling. He folded his arms, brow furrowed. Dortmund hadn't expected Arsenal to press so aggressively high up the pitch. And worse still, Kai's sheer presence in midfield — his interceptions, his ability to close down space — was completely disrupting Dortmund's rhythm.
Klopp shook his head. He couldn't drop Mats Hummels into midfield just to counteract Kai's influence. It was clear: Arsenal had a destroyer in their ranks, the kind of player Klopp would've to love to coach at Dortmund. With someone like Kai sweeping midfield, even Bayern would have been fair game.
The goal stung Dortmund, and almost immediately their counterattacking grew more direct, more urgent. Arsenal, wary of the danger, withdrew into a slightly deeper block, Kai anchoring himself closer to the backline.
But Dortmund were relentless.
In the 43rd minute, Mkhitaryan picked up the ball centrally, only to be swarmed by Arteta and Kai. The Spaniard angled his run perfectly, while Kai timed his challenge to nick possession cleanly.
Yet as soon as Kai received it, Dortmund snapped shut like a trap. Reus and Sahin anticipated the pass, shutting down both short options. Mkhitaryan, recovering quickly, pressed from behind.
Kai tried to swivel, but no space opened. He was eventually bundled over by Mkhitaryan and Reus, earning a free-kick. Sitting on the grass, Kai gave a resigned shake of the head. At least he hadn't coughed it up cheaply.
Reus, though, smiled a little. For most of the half, Kai had been a thorn in his side, blocking lanes, breaking up attacks. Bringing him down felt like a small victory.
The half ended 1–0 to Arsenal, and the whistle was met with a wave of applause from the home crowd.
..
[Sky Sports commentary]
Martin Taylor: "Well, Alan, it's been a fascinating first half. Arsenal have executed Wenger's game plan to near perfection, haven't they? The pressing, the compactness, and of course, Suárez following up Kai's effort to put them ahead."
Alan Smith: "Absolutely, Martin. What's striking is how much of a nuisance Kai's been in midfield. He's just everywhere — intercepting, tackling, closing people down. It's no surprise Klopp looks frustrated, because Dortmund haven't quite found a way around him."
Martin Taylor: "And yet, Alan, you do feel Arsenal are walking a bit of a tightrope. They've pressed well, but can they keep that up for ninety minutes? Dortmund have players who thrive on chaos, and you just sense they'll look to drag Kai out of position to exploit the spaces."
Alan Smith: "Spot on. If Dortmund can bypass him even once or twice, that Arsenal backline will be under enormous pressure. Second half could be a real test."
..
In the dressing room, Wenger's tone was calm but encouraging. No drastic tactical shifts, just reinforcement of the basics. "Carry on as you did," he said, nodding to his players. "You executed everything we worked on. Keep the discipline, and the chances will come."
Klopp, meanwhile, opted for tweaks. Mkhitaryan and Reus switched roles, the Armenian tasked with running directly at Kai, using his pace to try and force openings, while Reus assumed more creative responsibility further forward.
As the second half kicked off, Dortmund's plan became clear. Time and again, they tried to lure Kai out wide or drag him away from his zone, then shift play quickly into the space vacated.
In the 57th minute, their persistence paid off. Dortmund pulled Kai toward the left flank, zipped the ball across the pitch with a series of sharp passes, and suddenly Lewandowski had the ball. With his back to goal, he spun and slid a clever reverse pass to Reus, who surged through and slotted home.
1–1.
Kai stood with arms folded near the touchline, exhaling in frustration. He knew what had happened: once he was pulled out of position, the defensive block crumbled.
On the sideline, Wenger's expression tightened. "Thomas, warm up!" he barked, sending Rosicky down the line.
Pat Rice leaned in. "Midfield control?"
Wenger nodded. "We need more ground combination play. Rosický, Wilshere, Kai, Cazorla, Arteta, Suárez — that's enough to dictate the tempo."
When Rosicky entered, Wenger gave him a final instruction. "Work with your teammates to keep the ball moving. And one more thing — tell Kai to look forward, play the key passes."
Rosicky blinked. "Kai? The key passes?"
Wenger fixed him with a look. "Yes. Remind him how he played last season. He'll understand."
Minutes later, Rosicky relayed the message.
Kai was caught off guard. "Me? With Cazorla, Wilshere, Arteta, and you out here? That doesn't make sense."
Rosicky shrugged. "The boss said to think back — after 20 rounds last season. You carried the midfield then, both ways."
The penny dropped. Kai remembered that stretch, when injuries forced him to shoulder everything: defending, linking, even driving attacks forward. He licked his lips, a spark of excitement flickering. This was a promotion of sorts — a sign that Wenger trusted him not just as a destroyer, but as a director too.
"Alright then," he muttered, straightening up.
As play resumed, Arsenal looked subtly different. With Rosicky offering stability, Kai began to drift further forward, receiving the ball more often and driving with intent. At first, it was only short bursts, one or two touches, a few steps higher up the pitch. But gradually, the Emirates crowd could sense the shift: Kai wasn't just breaking up play anymore — he was starting to dictate it.