Chapter 37: The Curse of Employee of the Month

At the press conference, Li Mo was undoubtedly the center of attention. Arsène Wenger was almost completely ignored by the journalists, as they had far too many questions for Li Mo.

"How did you end up joining Arsenal?"

"After confirming that I wouldn't get many opportunities at AC Milan, I decided to accept Professor Wenger's invitation," Li Mo replied simply.

"How does it feel to score a hat-trick?"

"It feels great."

"Why are you able to keep scoring?"

"Because I'm good enough."

"Is that all?"

"Of course not. I love scoring."

"How much do you love it?"

"Scoring is better than the best feeling in the world; you tell me how much I love it."

Li Mo's retort left the reporter speechless. Beside him, Wenger lowered his head and smiled. Although Li Mo was young, he was incredibly confident. He didn't usually go out of his way to boast, but one could tell from his eyes that he was a man with absolute self-belief. Once he set his sights on a goal, he never let go. In that sense, he was tough—both on the pitch and when facing the media. The British press finally got a taste of Li Mo's style, but it didn't surprise them. Geniuses were always like that, and they had seen plenty of rebellious talents before.

By the time the sixth round of the league kicked off, Li Mo remained the focus of the English media. In Arsenal's home match against Norwich, the spotlight was once again firmly on him. After his previous hat-trick, many in the media felt that Li Mo’s scoring streak would surely come to an end. In fact, Li Mo encountered significant difficulties in this match; Norwich’s defense paid him so much attention that they almost neglected the rest of the Arsenal players. By the second half, with the score at 2-0, Arsenal was leading, but Li Mo still hadn't found the net. It wasn't until the 62nd minute that he finally managed to blast the ball into the goal from inside the six-yard box following a corner kick. Shortly after scoring, he was substituted. Arsenal won 3-0, marking their third consecutive league victory.

On September 29, Arsenal played their first League Cup match of the season. English football has two parallel cup competitions: the FA Cup and the League Cup. The FA Cup is the oldest, while the League Cup is a tournament launched by the professional league body to compete with it—though, traditionally, it carries less prestige. Many teams view it as a burden, and coaches often call for the league to abolish it to ease the increasingly congested schedule. For a club like Arsenal, they only consider fielding a full-strength side if they reach the semifinals. At this stage—the third round, where Premier League and Championship teams enter—it was impossible to play the starters. Li Mo was not in the squad, and a team of substitutes mixed with youth players still managed a 6-1 home thrashing of League One side Coventry City, advancing to the fourth round.

With that match, the September schedule concluded, and the Premier League looked toward October. Having won all three league matches in September, Wenger was named Manager of the Month, while Li Mo received the somewhat ominous Player of the Month award. Fans familiar with the Premier League know about the "Player of the Month curse"—managers and players who receive the honor often suffer a downturn in form the following month.

As it turned out, the "curse" was no myth. The October schedule remained incredibly packed. It began on October 4 in the second round of the Champions League group stage, where Li Mo’s scoring streak came to a sudden halt. Olympiacos, playing at home, devoted almost their entire focus to containing him, leaving him with virtually no space. If not for Santi Cazorla’s long-range strike in the 80th minute, Arsenal might have returned home with a bitter draw. What made Wenger frown even more was that Abou Diaby was injured yet again.

Back in the league on October 8, Arsenal traveled to face West Ham United. At the Boleyn Ground, Li Mo became the primary target for West Ham's cynical fouling. He was repeatedly knocked down outside the penalty area. Even though West Ham players picked up four yellow cards for their efforts, Arsenal ultimately suffered a 0-1 defeat. It was their first loss of the season, putting immense pressure on the team, especially Li Mo, who had now gone two games without a goal.

"After his rise to fame, it is clear that Li Mo has become a primary target for tactical research and containment by opposition coaches; this is a difficult period that every young player must experience!"

"How will he find a breakthrough when he has been so thoroughly studied?"

"Li Mo is in a two-game goal drought."

In the commentary box, analysts argued that Arsenal lost because Diaby’s injury weakened the midfield’s defensive intensity, allowing West Ham to capitalize on a counterattack, and because Li Mo’s inability to score left Arsenal’s attack toothless. If these two issues weren't resolved, Arsenal might truly be suffering under the "Player of the Month" curse.

As mentioned before, the media is fickle. The same intensity they used to praise Li Mo was now being used to mock and belittle him. This reached a peak after Arsenal lost 0-2 at home to Schalke 04, their toughest Champions League group opponent, and then lost 0-1 away to Stoke City over the weekend. During this period, Arsenal fans didn't even dare to go online or watch television, knowing full well that the media would be saturated with ridicule.

"In the four matches since October began, Arsenal only managed a difficult away win against Olympiacos; they have lost the next three! Three consecutive defeats!"

"Li Mo, who had scored seven goals earlier, has gone cold. Arsenal is too reliant on him this season; they’ve scored 10 goals so far, seven of which came from Li Mo alone. But let us not forget, Li Mo is a 17-year-old; the biggest characteristic of young players is their inconsistency!"

"Clearly, Arsenal is suffering from the 'Player of the Month' curse!"

"Perhaps for Arsenal, the upcoming two-week international break will be a good opportunity to reset!"

Following the eighth round of the league, another international break arrived. However, for Arsenal, what awaited them after this break was a truly demonic schedule: the ninth league round away to Tottenham Hotspur for the North London Derby; the fourth Champions League group match away to Schalke 04, which would decide the group lead; the tenth league round at home to Chelsea; and the eleventh round away to Liverpool! Four matches, and every one of them was a grueling battle.