[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-foresight":3,"chapter-foresight-foresight-chapter-348":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","FORESIGHT",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1847546,2452,"Chapter 348 348: \"I was playing Champions League at sixteen.\"","foresight-chapter-348",348,"\u003Cp>The commentator's voice carried across the broadcast, and the excitement among Arsenal supporters only grew louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of them still remembered the unbeaten Arsenal side that went 49 league matches without defeat. Those memories had never faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the difficult seasons that followed, the hunger for another great run had only grown stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven matches into the new campaign, Arsenal had produced six wins and one draw. No defeats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had beaten Manchester City away. They had also won at Tottenham. A draw at Chelsea completed the early run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supporters began to believe again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another unbeaten season remained a dream, of course. At this stage, most fans were thinking about something more immediate. A strong run in both the Premier League and the Champions League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were the competitions that truly mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the FA Cup, few people were thinking about that just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the match against Hull City, Arsenal had already done the hard work in the first half. Two goals gave them a comfortable lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arsenal is in control at the break. Two goals ahead, and Hull City will need something special to turn this around.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The co-commentator responded in a thoughtful tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. Arsenal moved the ball very well in the first half. Hull struggled to keep up with the tempo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hull City made a few changes after the break, trying to inject more energy into the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arsenal stayed with the same approach that had worked earlier, though they were noticeably more cautious. With a two-goal lead, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For them, protecting the result was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the seventy-ninth minute, both sides made substitutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arsenal made a defensive switch. Rio Ferdinand and Per Mertesacker came off, while Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi entered the match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two defenders had not started the previous two games. Wenger wanted to keep them involved and maintain their rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A manager also had to think about the mood inside the squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Giving them a short run on the pitch helped maintain balance in the dressing room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the changes, Hull City began pushing forward with greater urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commentator's voice rose slightly as the clock moved toward the final minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hull City still searching for something here, and they're committing more players forward now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the eighty-ninth minute, Hull City finally found their moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quick counterattack opened the space. Uruguayan striker Hernandez burst down the flank, slipped past Hector Bellerin, cut inside, and struck from a tight angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball flew past the goalkeeper and into the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, that's a clever finish. Not an easy angle at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hull City have one back late in the game. Perhaps a little frustration there for Bellerin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Hull City's only goal of the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it came too late to change the outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the final whistle sounded, Arsenal secured a 2–1 victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another three points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the match, Bellerin looked frustrated. The late mistake clearly bothered him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He expected a difficult conversation with the manager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, Arsène Wenger simply walked over and patted him on the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem. These things happen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The calm reaction caught Bellerin completely off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been bracing for criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he only felt awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai watched the exchange from a short distance away, trying to stifle a laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the manager rarely lashed out at players. It only happened when someone repeated the same mistake again and again, or when the error was extremely basic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bellerin's situation was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Wenger was in a good mood after another win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Allowing a small mistake in a match that was already under control was not a big issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the eighth round of the Premier League completed, Arsenal quickly shifted their focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came the third round of the Champions League group stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their opponent was the Belgian club Anderlecht, and the match would be played away from home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anderlecht remained one of Belgium's most successful clubs. Their history in European competitions was impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had lifted several continental trophies across different tournaments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of European honors, their record even surpassed Arsenal's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But football lives in the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the present, Arsenal were clearly stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their squad value alone was more than six times that of Anderlecht. Of course, matches are not decided by numbers on paper, but the gap between the teams was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with home advantage, Anderlecht knew the challenge ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Arsenal arrived in the city, the atmosphere around the match became tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across Europe, people were praising this Arsenal side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure on Anderlecht grew quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the match had even begun, the weight of expectation was already heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, not everyone felt intimidated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Youri Tielemans certainly did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born in Sint Pieters Leeuw, a small town in northern Belgium, Tielemans had joined Anderlecht's academy when he was only five years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he grew up, his talent became impossible to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On October 2, 2013, he made history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At just sixteen years and one hundred forty-eight days old, Tielemans started for Anderlecht in the Champions League as a defensive midfielder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment placed his name in the record books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He became the youngest Belgian ever to appear in the competition, and the third youngest player in Champions League history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his first team debut in the 2013–14 season, he quickly established himself in the squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the following season, he was already sharing midfield responsibilities with experienced players like Steven Defour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Belgian league had found its newest prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And prodigies rarely lack confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At seventeen, Tielemans was not interested in playing the respectful youngster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he went directly for Arsenal's superstar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When asked after training in a brief interview about Kai and their upcoming game, he had things to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, Kai is wonderful. Arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world, but I think I have one thing over him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What could that be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was playing Champions League at sixteen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a clear swipe at Kai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai could only shake his head when he saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He partly understood. Being an upcoming talent and wanting to prove yourself against one of the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was youthful exuberance or arrogance, he will see if Tielemans can back it up on the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teammates, however, reacted very differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the dressing room, the mood instantly turned lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cap, he's calling you out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oi, Kai, you got to teach the brat a lesson.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, Kai, how are you going to answer that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A seventeen-year-old kid talking like that. You cannot let that go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai looked at the group, all of them fired up as if the insult had been directed at them personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood the situation perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These guys were enjoying the drama far more than he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai had no intention of responding to the challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That decision left several Arsenal teammates disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the other side, Anderlecht supporters were delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, a seventeen-year-old Youri Tielemans openly challenging Kai showed courage. When Kai stayed silent, many of those fans interpreted it as weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their minds, Tielemans had already won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai never bothered trying to understand that line of thinking. He did not care to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his perspective, talking meant very little. The only response that mattered would come on the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that tension hanging in the air, the third round of the Champions League group stage finally arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arsenal travelled to Brussels and stepped into the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, the home of Anderlecht.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the Arsenal team bus arrived outside the stadium, the atmosphere turned hostile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large groups of Anderlecht supporters surrounded the entrance area, shouting as the players stepped off the bus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, Kai. Why didn't you answer Tielemans?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tielemans is more talented than you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The taunts were sharp and relentless. Even some Arsenal players felt their tempers rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Kai walked forward calmly, his expression unchanged, as if none of the noise mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That calm reaction did not have the same effect on everyone inside the squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The constant taunts, combined with Kai's silence, began to affect the mood in the dressing room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai noticed it immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, he truly had no interest in responding to a teenager's provocation. It felt unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the situation had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he continued to ignore it, the tension could spread through the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the dressing room, Arsène Wenger finished explaining the tactical plan for the match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finished, Kai slowly stood up from his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wenger glanced at him and stepped aside without a word, quietly giving him the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes in the room turned toward their captain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai walked to the center of the dressing room and looked around at his teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never planned to respond. That kind of provocation is childish and pointless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But it looks like some of you are letting it get to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone understood what he meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai was the leader of the team. When the captain was publicly challenged and said nothing, it could shake the confidence of the squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright. Since you want an answer, I'll give one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several players leaned forward in their seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He said he was playing in the Champions League at sixteen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kai lifted the captain's armband from his right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the watchful eyes of the entire room, he calmly wrapped it around his left arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He adjusted it, then tapped it lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice rose slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm twenty-two years old.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I'm the captain of Arsenal. and Premier League winner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the dressing room was completely silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the room exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players jumped to their feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone slapped the locker behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brilliant, captain!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's the answer!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughter and cheers filled the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The logic behind Kai's reply was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Playing in the Champions League at sixteen was impressive, but it was not unique. Others had done it before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tielemans was not even the youngest player in the history of the competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A twenty-two-year-old captain of one of the Premier League's biggest clubs and pivot in their title-winning season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a different level entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not been afraid to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply did not think the challenge deserved his attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tielemans had not earned that level of importance yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the players prepared to head out, the mood inside the Arsenal dressing room had completely shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy filled the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the door, N'Golo Kanté clapped his hands excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed toward the tunnel with a wide grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on. We show them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players began filing out of the dressing room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their voices echoed down the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forward, Gunners!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forward, Gunners!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, they marched toward the pitch with renewed intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the front of the group walked Kai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>. . .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Visit the link:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[email protected]\u002FGRANDMAESTA_30\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Change @ to a\u003C\u002Fp>",1853,"2026-06-09T07:00:21.891Z",1,"novelbin.me","2008ab8a31b6c7d792b39c891bdb8f7a797950be75e60593e1d8965f451d5f27","foresight-chapter-349","foresight-chapter-347",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fforesight-cover.jpg"]