The Rise of Millwal

The Lion King Stadium fell into a momentary silence before erupting into a deafening roar of boos. The home fans were clearly putting pressure on the referee.

"Open your eyes and take a good look!"

"In broad daylight, right in front of everyone, their player hit ours!"

"Look, look closely..."

The stadium suddenly quieted down again.

Caught off guard, Gattuso took an elbow to the face from Ibrahimović during a quick turn. The height difference between the two was significant, and with Gattuso's low center of gravity and slightly bent posture, he indeed got hit square in the face.

The hot-tempered Gattuso scrambled to his feet and immediately charged at Ibrahimović. He grabbed the taller player's neck with his right hand, his face twisted in anger, shouting, "You want a fight, huh?"

Ibrahimović shoved Gattuso's arm aside and instantly took up a fighting stance. Compared to Gattuso, Ibrahimović's height and size gave him an imposing advantage. Though, in reality, Gattuso was three years older.

The Lions' fans at the Lion King Stadium were silent for a brief moment before erupting in even louder noise. The atmosphere grew even more charged.

Some seasoned Lions fans, red-faced with fury, collectively hurled abuse at Arsenal's fans and players from the stands.

Ibrahimović refused to back off, standing toe-to-toe with Gattuso. In other scenarios like this, players might have been nose-to-nose, their foreheads pressed together as tempers flared. But their difference in height meant Ibrahimović had to tilt his head down, a faint smirk of derision on his face.

Gattuso couldn't shake the feeling that his stature gave him a disadvantage in the standoff. Adding to his frustration was the ache from the earlier elbow strike and the push Ibrahimović had thrown his way. Gattuso's temper snapped, and he shoved Ibrahimović with all his might.

Ibrahimović immediately responded in kind, pushing back with equal force.

The scene teetered on the edge of absurdity, like two kids throwing tantrums. It wasn't until Materazzi barreled into the middle that things escalated.

Materazzi squared up to Ibrahimović, his presence just as intimidating. "If you're so tough," he sneered, "why don't you try me?"

"Don't leave after the game!" Ibrahimović shot back defiantly.

Pirlo rushed over, pulling Gattuso back and trying to defuse the situation. Bergkamp stepped between Ibrahimović and Materazzi, turning to push Ibrahimović away. Meanwhile, Materazzi continued gesturing and shouting at him.

Vieira then entered the fray, squaring up against Materazzi. The two began shoving each other as well.

Soon, all 22 players were gathered at the scene of the altercation. The referee darted through the crowd but ultimately stepped aside to consult with the assistant referee for support.

"Oh, so now the players find their spark! The game itself has been uneventful—are they exhausted from the FIFA virus? Hard to say, but they sure look lively enough when it comes to taking swings at each other!"

Wenger's face was ashen. Initially, the referee had awarded a free kick for Ibrahimović after Gattuso's clumsy challenge. But Ibrahimović's retaliatory elbow might now earn him a red card.

Wenger walked halfway toward the fourth official, intending to discuss the situation, but the official had already gone onto the pitch to "calm things down."

Wenger threw up his hands and called out to Aldrich, "Your player's tackles are brutal!"

Hearing Wenger's grumble, Aldrich turned away from the action and strode over to him.

"Look, his tackling isn't perfect, I'll give you that. But if he was really trying to go in dirty, Ibrahimović wouldn't be getting back up, would he?"

Gattuso might have the tenacity of a rabid dog, but he isn't one. His tackling isn't on the same level as Makélélé's precision. Ibrahimović is quite skilled at shielding the ball, and Gattuso simply mistimed his challenge, catching Ibrahimović's foot instead. It was a foul, plain and simple.

Gattuso? Yeah, he's reckless, impulsive, and not exactly a technician with the ball. But a butcher? No way. He's not like Keane, who goes in for tackles like he's out to ruin someone's career. Maybe Gattuso could become that kind of player someday—who knows? But from everything Aldrich had seen at Millwall, he just didn't believe Gattuso had that in him.

If anything, had Gattuso been truly malicious, would Ibrahimović have had the chance to retaliate with an elbow? He'd likely have been writhing on the ground, clutching his ankle instead.

"The referee has been too lenient with him today. Zlatan's been fouled by him at least four times!" Wenger complained.

His frustration was valid. In the latter part of the first half, Gattuso had essentially glued himself to Ibrahimović, engaging in constant bumps, challenges, and minor fouls. Ibrahimović's eventual retaliation was the result of built-up frustration.

Aldrich shrugged nonchalantly. "Arsène, look at it this way. At least you've discovered Zlatan's breaking point under pressure. Use it as a teaching moment to help him grow and improve, won't you?"

Wenger, listening to Aldrich's words, almost wanted to challenge him to a real fight on the sidelines.

So now Arsenal should be thanking Millwall, is that it?

Frustrated, Wenger snapped, "Aren't you just the same? Look at Gattuso—he completely lost control too!"

Unfazed, Aldrich retorted, "Not quite the same! He was knocked to the ground outside of actual play. Any man would get angry about that. This time, I won't blame him."

Wenger was on the verge of exploding and shook his head. "Liar."

Aldrich shrugged. "Why would I lie? What should I have said to Gattuso? 'Hey, in that situation, when you got knocked to the ground, you should've just stayed there clutching your face, acting injured and pitiful to gain sympathy, and waited for the referee to send Ibrahimović off'? Sorry, but Millwall's football is built on resilience and fighting spirit, not on throwing away one's dignity as a man just to gain an advantage on the pitch. If I ever said that to him, he'd probably hand in a transfer request by tomorrow. For a player like him, swallowing his pride and not retaliating is simply unbearable."

Wenger had no response.

Deep down, he had to admit that Aldrich had a point.

In front of over 60,000 spectators and countless more watching on television, Gattuso had been knocked down by Ibrahimović—whether intentional or not—and his pride was bruised.

After all, the game had already been paused by the referee's whistle. Why should he just endure an elbow to the face without fighting back?

Once the players on both sides were separated, the referee pulled out a yellow card for both Materazzi and Vieira. They weren't the main culprits, but their shoving earned them a warning.

Then, the referee reached into another pocket and pulled out a red card. First, he showed it to Ibrahimović, then turned and gave the same to Gattuso.

Each team received a yellow and a red, evenly penalized.

Great. Already weakened by the FIFA virus, neither team was at full strength. Now, Millwall's first-choice defensive midfielder and Arsenal's main striker were both sent off, further diminishing their squads. On top of that, one side's key defender and the other side's key midfielder were now carrying yellow cards. The match had devolved into chaos.

The referee, having issued his decisions, blew the whistle to end the first half, intending to send both teams to the locker rooms to cool off.

However, Millwall and Arsenal were both fuming. Players with cards and those sent off walked together into the tunnel.

Once inside, Ibrahimović and Gattuso, who were walking side by side, found themselves unrestrained by any concerns. They let loose and started brawling right there in the players' tunnel!

Trailing behind, players from both teams joined in as tensions flared. The chaos only escalated as punches flew and shouts echoed.

Cries of "Calm down, calm down!" and "Stop fighting!" were drowned out in the mayhem. Even players like Larsson, Klose, Bergkamp, and Seaman, who were trying to break up the fight, ended up taking punches from who-knows-where, unsure if they were friend or foe.

The tunnel turned into a battleground, a whirlwind of flying fists and chaos.

Standing at the entrance to the tunnel, Aldrich and Wenger found themselves side by side again. As the staff, referees, and officials rushed in to break up the fight, the two managers simultaneously sighed, shaking their heads in dismay.

Millwall versus Arsenal—while often hyped by the media as a hate-filled London derby, the truth is that there was little genuine animosity between the two clubs initially. However, as Millwall rose to prominence, overshadowing Arsenal and their aspirations for a revival, the matches grew increasingly heated. Over time, particularly in crucial games, hatred began to fester and take root.

The Gunners in red and white, Millwall in deep blue—colors that now seemed to carry the weight of enmity.

It took a full three minutes before both teams retreated to their dressing rooms and order was restored.

Inside the dressing room, Aldrich seemed indifferent to the earlier chaos, choosing not to mention it at all.

As reigning champions, Millwall knew there was no way to hold their throne with clean hands and a pristine image.

There is only one champion, one king. On their path to the top, they shattered the old order and overthrew the monarch. Now, to defend their crown, they needed to show their mettle. Clashes with contenders like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool—whether on or off the pitch—were inevitable and often spilled beyond the field of play.

Thierry Henry had taken a punch from someone, leaving his lip split and swollen. Materazzi, likely at the forefront of the melee, had clear footprints on his socks and shorts. Blood had even seeped through the fabric on his lower calf, though it was likely just a superficial wound.

Aldrich refrained from stoking emotions during halftime. If he had, who knew whether the second half would have devolved into an even fiercer brawl.

Instead, he shifted the players' focus back to the game, channeling their anger into a heightened drive to win.

Arsenal, for their part, had no tactical quandaries. Wenger didn't even need to make substitutions. Despite being down a striker, the team pressed on with their usual game plan.

Millwall substituted Neil for Larsson, who had played two full matches for his national team. After the tactical adjustment, their formation wasn't too different from Arsenal's.

Neil made an immediate impact, taking down Bergkamp in his first challenge. The incident nearly ignited another confrontation between the two teams. The referee wasted no time, showing Neil a yellow card and sternly warning both sides to control their emotions. He made it clear: any further misconduct, and he wouldn't hesitate to brandish a red card.

The second half offered little in terms of tactical brilliance. Both teams employed four defenders and two holding midfielders, leaving their attacks undermanned and ineffective. Each side, already reduced to ten men, struggled to make meaningful advances.

Yet when the final whistle blew on a 0-0 stalemate, the Millwall players and 90% of the Lion King Stadium erupted in cheers.

The draw meant far more to Millwall. It allowed their players to hold their heads high and taunt Arsenal with a sense of superiority.

"Millwall and Arsenal share the spoils with a point apiece, but the real headline is Millwall equaling AC Milan's record of 58 consecutive unbeaten league games! This monumental feat sets them up to potentially break the record in their next match. Who can still question the legitimacy of their dynasty? They hold the European record for consecutive wins, and now, another historic achievement is within their grasp!"