Helplessness, bewilderment.
The Arsenal fans in the stands, including the Gunners supporters in bars across North London, were only silent at this moment; their feelings were complicated. The 15-year-old Chinese player scouted by Arsène Wenger, who couldn't play for the first team because he lacked a work permit, was forced to leave the team for Germany; now he had returned to the Emirates Stadium to personally end Arsenal's hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals. Reality was just that cruel.
The director at Sky Sports knew a thing or two about drama, focusing a 10-second close-up on Professor Wenger on the sidelines. He looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant, arms crossed with a solemn expression, standing still like a statue.
The joys and sorrows of mankind are not shared.
Not far away, Jürgen Klopp breathed a sigh of relief, sprinting over ten metres in excitement to celebrate the goal. A score of 3-3 was definitely in Borussia Dortmund's favour. In the second leg at Westfalen, they could play much more relaxed. The away goals rule truly is a great invention.
The nerves of players like Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri, and Theo Walcott snapped at this moment; Fàbregas's knees almost gave out as he involuntarily collapsed to the ground, covering his face in agony. He was just a hair's breadth away from pounding the grass and shouting in frustration.
The Borussia Dortmund players rushed wildly towards Jin Hayes to celebrate, and the goalscorer, Alexander Frei, knelt on one knee before him, performing the shoe-shining celebration once again. Only this kind of celebration could express his worship of Jin Hayes; any other striker would have shot long ago—how could they have given themselves a chance at an open goal?
"Jin, I really don't know what to say, you're truly great! You clearly could have shot yourself."
"Well…"
The excited Frei completely stumped Jin Hayes.
"I just saw that you were in a better position."
In reality, Jin Hayes just wasn't sure he'd score; he'd been so hyped while dribbling that he accidentally over-accelerated and lost the space to bypass the goalkeeper. Otherwise, would he have given it to a teammate?
"Alexander, I trust your finishing."
"Brother!"
In ancient times, Frei would have been willing to take a bullet for Jin Hayes and become his loyal follower.
"Jin, good job!"
"As expected of you, Jin!"
His teammates were all praising Jin Hayes for his great pass and selflessness; there was no helping it—with everyone praising him like this, Jin Hayes had to thick-headedly accept it. Indeed, I am just such a selfless player.
To avoid conceding again, Wenger subbed off Nasri, who had been invisible all game, and the exhausted Fàbregas, bringing on Emmanuel Eboue and Mikaël Silvestre to bolster the defence.
As for Borussia Dortmund, they didn't have enough energy left in the final minutes to challenge Arsenal's defence. They also slowed down the pace as much as possible to avoid being caught by an Arsenal sneak attack amidst the chaos. After a period of frantic competition, both sides suddenly became cautious and called it a day.
3-3.
In the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund combined for a goal-fest at the Emirates.
"You played really well."
"Thanks, you guys performed excellently too."
After the whistle blew, Klopp and Wenger smiled and shook hands. Wenger suddenly wanted to ask Klopp in detail what it was like to have Jin Hayes in the squad. But that would be too much like a painful reminder. Wenger held back the bitterness in his heart and turned back to the pitch to comfort the Arsenal players.
Klopp was laughing happily at this moment, but he didn't overdo it; after all, they hadn't won, and this match had exposed quite a few problems. The offence relied too heavily on Jin Hayes; it was hard for others to make an impact.
Mario Götze's physical shortcomings were laid bare against a Premier League team, and for a 16-year-old in a major competition like the Champions League knockout stage, his mentality and experience weren't mature enough; he was almost a non-factor throughout the match, or even a liability.
After all, a 16-year-old like Jin Hayes was an exception. There are very few players in football who can explode with such immense energy at such a young age.
Alexander Frei, except for the goal Jin Hayes served him on a silver platter at the end, had been virtually invisible for the other 88 minutes, posing no threat in the box and failing to help stretch the defence. This former core of the team's attack and captain of the Switzerland national team already seemed out of his depth in high-level matches. If the opponent hadn't been Arsenal, but Barcelona, Chelsea, or Manchester United, they might have been eliminated today.
As for the defence, Neven Subotić's absence had a greater impact than Klopp had anticipated; Mats Hummels alone found it difficult to withstand Arsenal's fierce onslaught. The substitute centre-backs, whether Felipe Santana or Robert Kovač, both had critical flaws like slow turning and poor positioning, which weren't obvious when bullying weaker teams but were easily exploited by world-class strikers like van Persie.
Dedê's performance as a makeshift right-back was even more of a disaster. Fortunately, Nasri was out of form today and didn't show his true power. Had Nasri performed well, their own flank defence would surely have become a breakthrough point.
The defensive midfield was the same; captain Sebastian Kehl was also getting older and found it hard to sustain the intensity of a high-press defence. After 30 minutes, Borussia Dortmund's defence became prone to gaps. The only reliable people on the pitch right now were Jin Hayes, Nuri Şahin, and right-winger Jakub Błaszczykowski—at most including Hummels in his peak form and goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller. That was it.
This Champions League knockout match had allowed Klopp to see clearly the team's ability to handle tough battles. Suppose they eliminated Arsenal and advanced to the quarter-finals, what should they do next? Klopp didn't know either.
"'Former Arsenal Player Slays Master': Jin Hayes Involved in 3 Goals, Gunners Lose Initiative to Advance" — BBC Sport
"The Emirates Stadium witnessed a dramatic showdown tonight. Jin Hayes, the young Chinese player once discarded by the Arsenal academy, led Borussia Dortmund to escape North London unscathed with a dominant performance of one goal and two assists.
Ironically, this 16-year-old genius was easily let go by the Gunners' management due to work permit issues, only to strike back now as the Champions League assist leader. Wenger admitted after the match that 'he should have belonged here,' while Arsenal fans raged on forums: 'Management letting Jin go back then was a fatal mistake comparable to Henry's transfer!'"
"Wenger's Regret, Klopp's Treasure: Jin Hayes Pierces Gunners' Defence Three Times"
"'He could have worn the red and white and become the King of the Emirates!' Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler lamented.
Jin Hayes's performance, tricking Alexandre Song with a Rainbow Flick and nutmegging Fàbregas, overshadowed Arsenal's 'technical style' reputation.
Data shows that his 12 successful dribbles in a single match set a record for the Champions League knockout stage. The Gunners' management gave up on appealing to the FA for Jin Hayes; now, this Bundesliga sensation has proven with three away goals that Arsenal has missed out on a treasure once again.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke stated in an interview: "Thanks to North London for giving us a priceless asset at no cost."
"Guns Not Silenced! 3-Goal Comeback in North London Shows Grit, Westfalen Remains the Battlefield for the Second Leg" — The Mirror.
"On a night at the Emirates, the heartbreak and pride of Gunners fans were intertwined. Although the final score was 3-3, Arsenal proved with a soul-stirring comeback that the guns of North London have never misfired!
From 0-2 to 3-2, Robin van Persie's hat-trick was like a powerful anthem, tearing Borussia Dortmund's defence to shreds. Wenger's team showed all of Europe the pinnacle of Premier League artistic football with their fluid passing! Although Jin Hayes's individual show in the final moments dampened their hopes, the Gunners are not in a hopeless situation. Visiting Westfalen for the second leg, just one victory will see them through to the quarter-finals—"
Waking up in a five-star hotel in North London, Jin Hayes found that even the hotel waiters were whispering about yesterday's match. The 3-3 battle was indeed exciting enough to be considered one of the best matches of the Champions League this season, and the offensive duel between Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, in an era where pragmatic and defensive football often reigned, reignited fans' passion for the game after a long time.
As Martin Tyler summarised: both sides joined forces to present a 90-minute blockbuster movie. The suspense remains, as both Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have a chance to break into the quarter-finals in the second leg.
Jin Hayes was picking out breakfast in the hotel restaurant, full of energy, but he saw his teammates looking like dead dogs, listless and vacant-eyed. It seemed yesterday's match really took a lot out of them; it was everyone's first time playing in the Champions League knockout stage, and they didn't have much experience.
Even Nuri Şahin, for the first time ever, didn't suggest going to a nightclub last night, instead heading back to the hotel to dive into bed and sleep soundly.
...
"They're already like this after playing Arsenal; I'm really a bit worried about them."
"Don't worry, at least Jin is still here."
"That's true."
Seeing this, Jürgen Klopp and his assistant Željko Buvač couldn't help but feel a bit worried about the upcoming schedule. Before the second leg of the Champions League, there were two Bundesliga matches sandwiched in.
Bundesliga Round 23: Borussia Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim; Bundesliga Round 24: Schalke 04 vs. Borussia Dortmund.
One match seemed to be against the strongest dark horse of the season, and the other was the fiery and brutal Ruhr Derby. After these two tough battles, they would immediately have to face the life-and-death second leg against Arsenal.
"I slightly regret competing on three fronts; if you're not a powerhouse club, you really can't pull it off."
"What else can we do? We've already made it this far."
Buvač remarked dryly. Wolfsburg was closing in on them in the Bundesliga, they had reached the quarter-finals of the German Cup, and were about to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League; it seemed a pity to give up on any of them. It truly was a happy problem to have.
The most painful thing in life is meeting three girls who all like you at the same time, but your body and money aren't enough to handle dating all three. The Champions League is the cold, high-class lady; the Bundesliga is the childhood friend next door; and the German Cup is the introverted, gentle underclassman. Who should be given up?
After thinking for a moment, a look of resolve flashed in Klopp's eyes.
"I want them all."
"Eh? So greedy? Then again, being conservative isn't your style."
"Any suggestions?"
Buvač pushed up his glasses and said seriously: "First, go to the church and pray that Jin never gets injured. Also, pray that Marco Reus and Neven Subotić recover from their injuries as soon as possible. And then… then just believe in these boys and hope they can hold out."
Jin Hayes didn't know about Klopp's ambition; while eating in the restaurant, he suddenly noticed some promotional materials that hadn't been cleared away yet. This must have been for a holiday event the hotel held during Valentine's Day on February 14th.
Wait, Valentine's Day? He checked his phone and saw it was already February 26th. Sixteen years of being single had caused him to completely overlook this holiday. Only then did Jin Hayes realise he seemed to have a girlfriend.
...
[Happy Valentine's Day]
Dortmund, Germany.
Anna had just finished filming an advertisement yesterday and stayed up late watching Jin Hayes's match. She had been texting him about mindless things when her eyelids grew heavy and she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes and saw the text from Jin Hayes, she thought she had travelled through time.
Today wasn't the 14th. Any other girl might have gotten angry and questioned him, or complained about her partner ignoring such an important holiday to start a fight. But Anna knew Jin Hayes's schedule had been packed lately, and he couldn't spare a thought for such things.
On the 14th, he was playing against Bayern Munich. Anna's mind was also full of the joy of defeating Bayern; what did Valentine's Day matter? Most likely, Jin Hayes had suddenly seen something that reminded him of it and, fearing she'd be angry, quickly sent a late text. Anna could even imagine his sheepish expression as he sent the message.
"Pfft, this fool."
[Which day are you referring to as Valentine's Day?]
Anna lay in bed, her thumbs tapping out a line of text as a faint smile played on her lips.
[February 14th. Sorry, the schedule has been too tight lately, and I forgot. ]
[Fool, every day is Valentine's Day for us—I received your wishes and I'm very happy. I'll wait for you to come back. ]
In the five-star hotel, Jin Hayes gnawed on dry whole-wheat toast without butter or jam, but looking at this new text, it felt as if the toast were covered in honey. He couldn't help the grin spreading across his face, earning him strange looks from his exhausted teammates.