Chapter 758 - 138: Counterattack to the Top! Winning Awards Non-Stop! Golden Ball Award Controversy! War of Words with Blatter! Occupying FIFA!

It wasn’t something he could control anyway. The only thing he could do was give it his all, play well in every match, and deliver better performances. As long as he performed well enough, if he didn’t win the Golden Ball Award, the one suffering the loss definitely wouldn’t be him, but the FIFA Golden Ball Award!

In Round 12 of the Premier League, aside from Arsenal’s comeback victory over Norwich, Manchester United defeated Swansea 2-0 away from home. Liverpool also secured a 2-1 away win against Chelsea. Following Arsenal, the Red Army had also claimed victory at Stanford Bridge. This left Chelsea fans feeling deeply disappointed, as though they were everyone’s favorite punching bag.

Meanwhile, Manchester City beat Newcastle 3-1 at home. However, a major incident had recently occurred at the Blue Moon, though it had largely gone unnoticed due to the fierce uproar surrounding the Blatter controversy: Tevez had "disappeared"!

The Argentine Beast should have rejoined the squad long ago. However, after returning to Argentina, the forward refused to return to the United Kingdom, pulling a vanishing act instead. The whole situation became a chaotic, sensational mess.

In the midweek Champions League Group Stage Round 5 match at home against Villarreal, the Gunners mainly focused on training their squad. Since Arsenal had already advanced as the group leaders, they announced their starting lineup early on, making it clear they wouldn’t field their full main squad. Even so, the stadium was still packed to the brim. Ultimately, the two sides shook hands on a 2-2 draw, with Hazard putting on quite an impressive performance by scoring a brace.

Round 13 of the Premier League.

Chelsea defeated Wolves 3-0 at home. Manchester United, however, suffered a frustrating 1-1 draw against Newcastle at home, with Wang Shuo’s old acquaintance Demba Ba scoring the equalizing goal for the Magpies.

Arsenal faced another local derby this round. It couldn’t be helped—there were so many teams in London that local derbies were everywhere. This time, their opponent was Fulham.

Before the match kicked off, a scene unfolded that moved Wang Shuo deeply. When the stadium announcer called out his name, over 60,000 Arsenal fans in the stands chanted in unison.

"Golden Ball! Golden Ball!! Golden Ball!!!"

The chants rose and fell in a continuous, deafening wave. Broadcasted live across the Premier League network, the sound reached fans all over the world. It showed everyone that the Arsenal fans were using this method to voice their support for their star player.

Even the Sky Sports commentator remarked, "Looking back at the performances throughout 2011, I honestly can’t think of anyone more qualified to win the Golden Ball Award than Wang Shuo.

"Messi and Ronaldo?

"They are indeed exceptional players, but let’s not forget that they both lost to Wang Shuo in the Champions League.

"In a non-tournament year, Wang Shuo led Dortmund to the first treble in Bundesliga history, scoring 54 goals in a single season and 22 in the Champions League. If the Golden Ball Award isn’t given to him, Wang Shuo certainly won’t be the one getting laughed at!"

Wang Shuo specifically thanked the fans on site before the game. And once the match began, he displayed exceptional form right from the start.

Just four minutes in, he assisted Hazard—who had also been in great form recently—in successfully beating the offside trap and finding the back of Fulham’s net. In the seventh minute, another assist from Wang Shuo allowed Ramsey to make a late run, breaking through for a one-on-one goal.

By the 24th minute of the first half, with a two-goal lead secured, Walcott also began to shine. Utilizing his blistering pace on the right flank, he forced his way past two defenders before sending a cross across the face of the goal from the right side of the penalty area. Wang Shuo quickly darted forward and slid in to shoot, sending the ball into the net guarded by Schwarzer.

3-0!

The situation remained the same in the second half. The Gunners surrounded Fulham, pinning their opponents in their own half and completely battering them. Left with no other options, Fulham was forced to park the bus.

During this onslaught, Wang Shuo dribbled into the penalty area and was tripped in the 61st minute, but the referee refused to award a penalty. Fulham, on the other hand, scored in the 88th minute when Dempsey sent a through ball for Samoira to beat the offside trap.

However, the goal was actually offside; the referee just failed to call it. Since Arsenal still held a commanding lead, they didn’t bother to argue the decision. Ultimately, the Gunners defeated Fulham 3-1.

The day after the Gunners’ match, Manchester City, who had recently been marred by controversy and dressing room instability, challenged Liverpool away from home and drew 1-1 with the Red Army.

Both goals occurred in the 31st and 33rd minutes, and both were scored by Manchester City players. To make matters worse, the eccentric youngster Balotelli received his second yellow card in the second half and was sent off with a red card.

This quickly drew the attention of the entire Premier League and fans worldwide.

Manchester City had drawn! Arsenal surged to the top of the table with a one-point advantage!