章節 49: The Fire Within
No one expected it.
Louis, usually seen as good-tempered, displayed a rebellious side. Standing under the stands, he remained unmoved, like a mountain, even as coins, lighters, and paper balls rained down on him from furious Tottenham fans. Their intention to humiliate Louis and throw him off balance backfired spectacularly, leaving them humiliated instead.
Some enraged fans attempted to climb down from the stands to confront Louis, but the Premier League's crisis management protocols swiftly came into play. Security personnel intervened, preventing the fans from reaching the field, and the referee team quickly followed.
Tottenham's left-back, Kyle Walker, was the first to reach Louis, angrily pointing at him. "You're provoking our fans!"
"Ha," Louis replied, slapping Walker's finger away.
Seeing Walker's accusation, the Arsenal players rushed to Louis's defense, forming a protective barrier around him.
"What's going on with your player's celebration?!"
"Haha, let's see what your fans have done this game!"
"Are you all deaf?"
"This is racial discrimination! Do you understand?"
"Shame! Shame! You turned a blind eye to your fans' disgraceful behavior."
Some Tottenham players, especially the black players familiar with racial discrimination, remained calm amid the chaos.
The confrontation soon devolved into a shouting match, with players from both sides pushing and shoving. The tension on the field mirrored the intensity of the North London derby.
"The players from both sides are getting involved, and this is a regular occurrence in the North London derby," commentator Andy Gray said, somewhat helplessly.
"White Hart Lane must be punished!" Martin Tyler added angrily.
In the stands, Arsenal fans sang "Louis's Song" to show their support.
Wenger, watching from the sidelines, turned to his assistant Bould. "I thought this kid had a good temper."
Bould shrugged. "Have you ever seen a genius with a good temper?"
Wenger nodded. "That's true."
Talented players often have strong personalities, making them difficult to manage. But Wenger supported Louis in this instance. Such behavior should not occur on a Premier League pitch.
The conflict eventually subsided, but the players' tempers were fully ignited. The rest of the game was marked by aggressive play, escalating tackles, and frequent confrontations. Wenger, worried about Louis getting injured, finally decided to substitute him out in the 63rd minute, replacing him with Walcott.
Amidst the overwhelming boos, Louis raised his hands and clapped towards the stands, prompting the referee to warn him against provoking the fans further.
"How is this provocation? I'm just expressing my gratitude to them, Mr. Referee," Louis said with a smile.
The referee shook his head. "Anyway, get off the field quickly, or I'll give you a yellow card!"
Louis complied, not wanting to risk a yellow card at this point.
Even after Louis left the field, the game remained heated, with fouls and conflicts dominating the match. In the end, Arsenal emerged victorious, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 away from home.
The match statistics told the story: five goals, nine yellow cards, and two red cards. It was a classic derby match.
This victory was significant for Arsenal. They ended their streak of consecutive losses in the league, climbing to sixth place with 15 points after nine rounds. They were now just one point behind Everton in fifth place and Tottenham in fourth place, seven points behind leaders Chelsea and six behind Manchester United and Manchester City.
The loss left Tottenham's fourth position precarious, with Everton and Arsenal closing in. The familiar plot of Arsenal surpassing Tottenham in the standings seemed likely to play out again.
After the game, the events at White Hart Lane became the focus of media reports. Journalists and commentators condemned Tottenham's extreme fans, and Arsenal issued an official statement expressing their anger and urging for serious action from the FA, Premier League, and Tottenham Hotspur Club.
Racist behavior is pervasive in England, despite political correctness efforts. Louis's reaction brought the issue to the forefront, leading the FA to impose a penalty: White Hart Lane would be played behind closed doors, and Tottenham were fined £500,000.
This incident revealed another side of Louis to the public. Though he appeared gentle, he had a fiery spirit. Those extreme Tottenham fans humiliated themselves, and the English audience gained a deeper understanding of this rising Premier League star.
As the British media buzzed, Louis and the Arsenal team flew to Germany for a crucial Champions League group stage match against Schalke 04, a game likely to determine the group's top spot.
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