220 Forgone Conclusion Part 2 (2/2)

No matter how they were at each other's throat during the match, the tension from Tang En's body seeped away as soon as the final whistle was blown. He looked at the scoreboard and then at Arsenal's players, who were running and cheering. He could only shake his head helplessly. The rage he had felt when they had lost the ball had all but disappeared.

The match was over, wasn't it?

He turned to see Wenger walking towards him with a smile and an outstretched arm.

”Whatever the result, this has been a great match,” Wenger said, an echo of what Arsenal's youth team manager had once said to Tang En. That was during his first encounter with Wenger.

Tang En shook his head. ”Except for the result, this has been a great match.”

Wenger laughed. He was in a good mood.

Although Tang En himself was not in the best of moods, he still congratulated Wenger. ”Congratulations on the new record.”

This time, it was Wenger who shook his head. ”Oh, no. A new record is only made for others to break. I hope we'll meet again on the field. I'll see you later at the press conference. I have to leave now.”

Wenger gave Tang En a pat on his shoulder and left to join the celebratory crowd.

The despondent Forest players had their heads bowed as they walked past Tang En. He looked at Wenger and then shouted at the players, ”Why do all of you look like you have lost a ball? Listen to the cheers from the spectators' stand! Who do you think they're for? They're not for Arsenal, they're for us! Everyone did well! Raise your heads!”

Tang En shouted so loudly, even Wenger could hear him clearly with his back turned. He only smiled and, with a shake of his head, walked to his own players with open arms.

※※※

At the press conference after the match, the media put all their focus on Wenger, who had led Arsenal to the making of the new record. They heaped all kinds of praise onto him, forgetting that Arsenal's field performance was almost abysmal.

Tang En sat at the side with crossed arms, staring coldly at the media who were all such opportunists.

In this regard, Wenger was much more considerate than the media and took the initiative to direct the topic to Forest instead. He repeatedly complimented the excellent performance and tactics shown by Forest and their players; how it all took him by surprise, and the outstanding management by Tony Twain. At the end, the Frenchman also gallantly paid tribute to Brian Clough.

The press conference ended with the managers in an embrace and shaking each other's hands. Everything appeared joyous and wonderful; on Forest's end, they did not lose the match and even got a draw off the mighty Arsenal; for Arsenal themselves, a new record was successfully etched into history.

However, in the hearts of the two, it was not as harmonious as it appeared to be. While this draw schooled both Tang En and Forest team, it also made Wenger realize a formidable opponent he would face in the future.