On November 1, Arsenal produced a convincing 3–0 victory over Burnley at the Emirates Stadium.
From the opening whistle, Arsenal controlled the match. Burnley struggled to build any meaningful attacks and rarely threatened the goal. Most of the game was played in their own half as Arsenal dictated the tempo and pressed relentlessly.
Arsenal took control early, scoring twice in the first half. After the break, Wenger introduced a few attacking substitutions. Burnley attempted to exploit the moment, hoping Arsenal's new players might take time to settle into the rhythm of the match.
In reality, even reaching Arsenal's penalty area proved extremely difficult.
Burnley could barely break through midfield, let alone create a clear scoring opportunity.
Kai's performance in the match did not attract much attention.
Compared to the explosive individual displays he produced last season, Kai appeared quieter this year. Yet many professionals argued that this was exactly how Arsenal wanted things to look.
For a defensive midfielder, the job is not to dominate the headlines. It is to keep the team balanced and ensure the ball moves safely and efficiently.
When a defensive midfielder becomes the most noticeable player on the pitch, it often means the team is under constant pressure.
And if the defensive midfielder is the one scoring goals regularly, something has gone wrong elsewhere.
Where are the forwards?
Why should the holding midfielder be the one rescuing the attack?
Right now, Arsenal looked perfectly balanced. The forwards were scoring, the defense remained solid, and the midfield controlled the tempo.
Kai might not have produced spectacular highlights, but his presence remained essential to how Arsenal functioned.
This Arsenal side could play this way largely because Kai was at the center of the system.
Players who form the core of a tactical structure often influence games in subtle ways. When they are present, you barely notice them.
When they are absent, the entire structure suddenly feels unstable.
Liverpool experienced something similar with Xabi Alonso. After their midfield orchestrator left, the system that had supported the team for years struggled to hold together.
For Arsenal, Kai filled a role just as important.
After the comfortable win over Burnley, Arsenal returned to European action.
Their fourth Champions League group match brought RSC Anderlecht to the Emirates Stadium.
From the moment Anderlecht stepped onto the pitch, they were greeted with intense boos from the Arsenal supporters.
The loudest jeers were directed at Youri Tielemans.
The young midfielder had provoked Kai during the previous meeting between the sides, and Arsenal fans had not forgotten.
As soon as he appeared on the field, the noise around him intensified.
Some supporters felt his earlier comments toward Kai had crossed the line.
Playing in the Champions League at sixteen was impressive, but Arsenal supporters believed the teenager had gone too far trying to challenge one of their leaders.
From their perspective, the comparison did not make sense. Kai's experience and reputation were on a completely different level.
Arsenal responded the best way possible.
On the pitch.
Playing at home, Arsenal were relentless.
Anderlecht struggled to cope with the pace and pressure. Before halftime, Arsenal had already scored three goals.
Luis Suárez opened the scoring, Alexis Sánchez added the second, and Santi Cazorla finished a flowing move to make it three.
By that point, Anderlecht's hopes of progressing were hanging by a thread.
Arsenal continued to dominate after the break.
In the 69th minute, Kai finally produced a moment of brilliance.
Receiving the ball just outside the penalty area, he took one touch and curled a powerful strike toward goal. The ball bent perfectly into the top corner.
The Emirates erupted.
Soon after the goal, Arsène Wenger decided his work was done and substituted Kai to rest him.
With the match already under control, Arsenal eased their tempo and managed the remainder comfortably.
The victory confirmed Arsenal's position at the top of their group. Four wins from four matches meant qualification for the knockout stage was already secured.
The final whistle arrived without further drama.
As Anderlecht players walked off the pitch, several observers noticed Tielemans wiping tears from his face.
For an eighteen-year-old, the experience had been brutal.
Two difficult matches against Arsenal and an early Champions League exit had shaken his confidence.
Youthful confidence can be valuable, but it also requires the ability to back it up.
Otherwise, the consequences can be painful.
Kai addressed the situation calmly during a post-match interview.
"Young players should have confidence," he said. "That sharp edge is part of growing as a footballer. But you must use it in the right place. If you aim it the wrong way, you can end up hurting yourself."
He continued.
"Tielemans is a very talented player. Even after what happened between us, I still believe that. But the Premier League is a different level. He needs more matches and more experience. He's only eighteen. His future is still ahead of him."
The comments earned respect from many observers.
Few players respond so calmly after being publicly challenged.
For Kai, however, it seemed unnecessary to turn the moment into something personal.
After the fourth Champions League round, Arsenal's confidence reached another level.
Inside the dressing room, the players felt capable of beating anyone.
But football rarely follows a smooth script.
. . .
In Premier League Round 11, Arsenal travelled to face Swansea City.
At the start of the match, Arsenal attacked with their usual intensity. Chance after chance came their way, but Swansea's goalkeeper produced one save after another.
The man between the posts was Łukasz Fabiański, Arsenal's former keeper.
Since leaving North London, Fabiański had joined Swansea, and on this afternoon, he seemed determined to frustrate his old club.
Arsenal's players had no intention of allowing that story to unfold.
But in the 32nd minute, the match suddenly changed.
Angel Di Maria collided with Jefferson Montero during a heated challenge.
The two exchanged shoves. As play stopped, Di Maria attempted to retaliate with a kick while lying on the ground.
The referee missed it.
The assistant referee did not.
After a brief consultation, the referee reached into his pocket and produced a red card.
Di Maria was sent off.
Arsenal's players stood frozen for a moment, stunned by the decision. Di Maria protested, and several teammates tried to argue the case.
It made no difference.
Arsenal would play the rest of the match with ten men.
The situation quickly turned against them.
Swansea seized the momentum and launched a quick attacking move.
A series of long passes moved the ball rapidly from defense to attack. The final delivery reached Wilfried Bony inside the penalty area.
As Keylor Navas rushed forward, Bony calmly lifted a delicate header over the goalkeeper.
The ball floated into the net.
Swansea were ahead.
Inside the stadium, disbelief spread among the traveling Arsenal supporters. Few had expected the league leaders to struggle this much against Swansea.
But football often delivers the unexpected.
Now trailing and down to ten men, Arsenal grew anxious.
They needed a goal. And they needed it quickly.
Fabiański, however, was in extraordinary form.
The Swansea goalkeeper seemed to stop everything Arsenal threw at him. He dived high, dropped low, and produced save after save to deny the visitors.
Even Santi Cazorla's curling effort toward the top corner was somehow pushed away.
Watching from the technical area, Arsène Wenger could only shake his head.
At one point, he even joked to the staff beside him that perhaps Arsenal should consider bringing their former goalkeeper back.
Still, the reality was clear. Arsenal were behind.
When the second half began, Swansea City made their intentions obvious.
They set up extremely deep and compact.
It was the classic defensive block. Everyone behind the ball, little space between the lines, and absolute commitment to protecting their one-goal lead.
Arsenal pushed forward relentlessly.
But playing with ten men created a difficult balance.
If they committed too many players to attack, Swansea would immediately have space for a counterattack. Each forward run carried a risk.
Martin Taylor's voice carried across the Sky Sports broadcast.
"Arsenal are throwing everything forward now, but they have to be careful. With ten men on the pitch, the balance is always fragile."
Alan Smith replied calmly beside him.
"You can see what Swansea are trying to do. They're sitting deep, protecting the middle, and waiting for one moment to break. Arsenal need patience here."
Despite the pressure, the breakthrough never came.
Fabiański continued to frustrate them, and Swansea's defensive line refused to crack.
When the final whistle arrived, Arsenal had suffered their first defeat of the season.
The Swansea supporters celebrated wildly.
For Arsenal, it was a harsh lesson.
. . .
Inside the dressing room afterward, Ángel Di María sat quietly.
He understood exactly what had changed the match.
His red card.
If he had controlled his temper, Arsenal would likely have continued attacking with eleven men.
Instead, his teammates had been forced to fight the entire match at a disadvantage.
Di María felt the weight of it.
Arsène Wenger spoke to him calmly after the match. The manager did not raise his voice. He simply reminded him that emotional reactions often cost teams valuable points.
The squad was disappointed, but no one openly blamed him.
Still, Di María could sense the frustration around him.
That single kick had changed everything.
I have to control my emotions better.
The thought repeated in his mind as he sat in silence.
He knew what would come next.
Criticism.
And plenty of it.
That evening, the British media erupted with headlines.
Arsenal Defeated
—The Guardian
Arsenal Stunned By Swansea
—Daily Mirror
Gunners' Title Dream Dented After Swansea Smash And Grab
—The Sun
For many outlets, the result felt like a major story. Arsenal had been dominating both domestically and in Europe, and the sudden defeat created a wave of speculation.
Was this the beginning of another mid-season collapse?
One London newspaper even published a striking illustration.
An Arsenal cannon sat inside a muddy trench. Thick black smoke rose from the barrel, which glowed an intense red from repeated firing.
Beside it stood a warning sign.
Danger.
Boom.
The message was clear.
Arsenal had been firing all season relentlessly.
But perhaps the cannon was beginning to overheat.
. . .
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