Rise of a Football God

After the Tottenham game on 15th March, Fulham were supposed to have an FA Cup quarterfinal date against Coventry in away ground on 29th but due to the magnitude of their next premier league game against Arsenal, the FA Cup game was postponed.

And so, the Fulham players had 15 full days to prepare for their next premier league games in one of the most challenging encounters of their season.

Playing against Arsenal was no easy endeavour in the premier league, even more so when this clash was taking place in the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal's iconic home stadium.

If the Tottenham game was a test of nerves to know how tough they were for Fulham, the game against Arsenal was a test of fire.

It was like purifying gold through fire.

This time, Arsenal was the fire. At the moment, they were just a dirty metal suspected to be gold. Through the fire tempering, they would be forced to reveal their true colors, either as pretenders or genuine contenders for the premier league.

Trust the Fulham players, their preparations for their next game felt like a preparation for war rather than just a premier league game.

To them, it was do or die, win by all means or don't play at all.

This was how much it meant to them. And with the black mamba himself training with them every day, all the Fulham players gave about 150% of their full potential in training every single time.

Their training was so intense that when 1st of April finally came, the Fulham players didn't feel like professional football players at all.

Rather, they felt like Netero in the Hunter X Hunter universe after spending a month to recover his nen abilities to its peak.

They felt invincible.

Just like the Tottenham game, it was another derby game between another North London football club.

When the Fulham bus arrived in Holloway, North London, trust the Arsenal supporters, they created a sufficiently hostile welcome for the visitors.

And today, again, the Fulham players followed Sam's lead, plugging their ears with headphones and blocking out the noise as they came out of their team bus, trudging down into Emirates Stadium like they owned the place.

Most times in football, the first step to winning a game starts from the psychological aspect and this was proven, mostly by Real Madrid.

The Spanish capital club were well-known as the Kings of the UEFA Champions league due to their seemingly God-like results in the competition, sometimes literally clawing themselves from the jaws of defeat.

When it comes to mental power in football, their incredible semi-final comeback and win against Manchester City in the champions league comes to mind. They were an absolute powerhouse, and much of their notoriety was attributed to their mentality.

Even FC Barcelona's iconic remontada comeback win against Paris Saint Germain back in 2016 was only possible because they believed.

This was why entering this stadium, the Fulham players believed.

They ignored all the hostility, clearing their minds like a pool of still water, entering this stadium like Kings.

Minutes later when both teams lined up in the tunnel, the tension was palpable between both sides. This was not just any derby clash; this was a top of the table derby clash that may heavily affect who wins the premier league title at the end of the season.

Like expected, both teams started with their strongest lineups.

Starting in their regular 4-3-3 formation, Arsenal's star-studded squad started with an electric attacking trio of 2 Brazilians, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and the English star boy, Bukayo Saka.

Their midfield trio was an equally strong one comprising Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard.

Further behind them was the defensive quadruple of Ricardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurien Timber, led by the stalwart William Saliba. Starting in between the posts for Arsenal was their regular no. 1, David Raya.

It was a fearsome lineup to face for any team in the premier league.

But Fulham approached this game with 0 fear. Starting in their regular 4-2-3-1 formation, Raul Jimenez started in attack while behind him was the attacking trio of Alex Iwobi, Sam, and Emile Smith Rowe.

Further behind them was the duo of Lukic and Andreas Pereira, while their defensive quadruple comprised Antonee Robinson, Diop, Calvin Bassey, and Castagne. Bernd Leno naturally started in between the posts.

This was a game to die for.

As soon as the players stepped into the pitch, it happened… Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

BOOM!

The noise being made by the home supporters in red and white exploded, hitting a crescendo as their noise rose through the roof.

Emirates Stadium almost seemed to be shaking from all the noise.

No matter how stalwart their minds was, faced with such an atmosphere, the Fulham players felt their hearts falter a bit but they were not given time to panic because the referee's whistle sounded the next moment.

FWEEEE!

As soon as the referee's whistle sounded and as Arsenal kicked off the game, then…

Thud!

Sam led the press from midfield, pursuing the ball aggressively.

"And here we are in the Emirates Stadium, bearing witness to one of the most decisive matches in the 2024/2025 premier league season".

"It's Arsenal vs Fulham".

"Both teams are in good form, both teams are in 2nd and 3rd position respectively in the league. Both teams are separated by 7 points and most importantly, both teams are at the heart of this season's title race".

"If Arsenal win, they go within touching distance of 2nd position while also closing the distance to high-flying Liverpool".

"If Fulham win, Arsenal's title race would be more or less over as Fulham strengthen their bid for its first ever premier league title".

"Yes, Fulham has never won a premier league title, nor have they ever won a major trophy in England".

"Under the lead of the Nigerian Zidane, they've made a lot of exploits this season, but can they go all the way? Can Samuel Moses create history, pushing Fulham to win its very first major trophy in England?"

"And not just here, they're also in the running for the FA Cup too, 2 major trophies in England".

"Today is the deciding day".

"History beckons, but Fulham have a formidable adversary to overcome today. They have Arsenal to overcome in front of their home supporters".

"Can they do it?"

"We can only watch and see how it turns out".

"And Martin Odegaard gets the ball…!"

A thrilling game in the premier league that would soon graduate to an unforgettable status started in Emirates Stadium.