After meticulous pnning in Naples, despite deys for the South Ameri iionals during the national team match window, they finally arrived in Rome, Italy, oernoon of April 4.

  Napoli arranged for a dedicated vehicle to immediately transport the pyers back to the team.

  After a thh physical examination ducted by Bueura, Pintus, and the team doctors, it was firmed that the pyers were in good dition overall.

  This news made everyone in Naples breathe a collective sigh of relief.

  Gao Shen, in particur, had beeremely worried, making daily phone calls to che the situation.

  Now that the pyers had returned safely and on time, he could finally rex.

  To ehe national team pyers got proper rest, Gao Shen rotated his squad for Napoli's away match against Sampdoria over the weekend. Specifically, he gave all the South Ameri iionals a break, leaving them behind in Naples.

  Not only that, but Gao Shen also grahem an additional day off to allow for adequate recovery.

  ---

  On April 5, ih round of Serie A, Napoli faced Sampdoria in an away game.

  Mazzarri's team maintaiheir usual style, lining up in a 3-5-2 formation against Napoli.

  Gao Shen fielded an almost entirely substitute lineup, which resulted in Napoli being quite passive at the start of the match.

  Ih minute, Sampdoria capitalized on a free kick opportunity. Midfielder Palombo unleashed a le shot that pierapoli's defense, sg the opening goal for the home team.

  However, just before the end of the first half, Napoli earned a free kick of their own. Pelle mao head the ball into the , equalizing the score for the team.

  But in the 63rd minute of the sed half, Sampdoria won another free ki the attag third. This time, Palombo delivered a direct free kick that once again found the back of Napoli's , putting the home side ahead.

  Sampdoria maintaiheir lead all the way into stoppage time, but then Hamsik provided an assist to Mertens, who came on as a substitute. Mertens trolled the ball, turned, and delivered a low shot that leveled the score for Napoli.

  The matded in a 2-2 draw.

  ---

  While Napoli drew 2-2 against Sampdoria away from home, Inter Min secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Udinese, courtesy of an own goal from the opposition.

  Mourinho's team, also impacted by the national team schedule, seemed to enjoy better luck at a crucial moment.

  This own goal earned Inter Min three valuable points.

  As a result, after this round of matches, Napoli's lead in the league was reduced from five points to just three.

  For a moment, Mourinho's fidence was reignited.

  At the post-match press ference, upon hearing about Napoli's draw with Sampdoria, Mourinho once again applied pressure, g that his predis had been correapoli would not be able to handle peting on multiple fronts and would eventually colpse.

  "The closer we get to the end of the season, the more precarious Napoli's situation bees!"

  Mourinho even suggested that Gao Shen should choose to give up one or even two petitions.

  "Napoli is now fighting on three fronts. We all know how challenging and stressful this is."

  He added that head coaches are often forced to make difficult choices, even if they are relut to do so.

  "As adults, we 't have everything."

  "That's greed. It's a disease, and it o be treated."

  Mourinho's remarks sparked a major rea in Italy. Even in Naples, many media outlets and fans began to debate whether the team should make a strategic choice.

  With Napoli's league lead reduced from seven points to just three, the situation seemed precarious.

  The differeween Napoli and Inter Min was now just one game. If Inter caught up, Napoli's position would indeed bee dangerous.

  As Mourinho pointed out, if Napoli tio pete on three fronts but ended up with nothing, it would truly be a disaster.

  Even within Napoli itself, simir discussions began to emerge.

  Seeing these doubts creep into the team, Gao Shen acted swiftly. He accepted an interview with a local media outlet in Naples.

  Ierview, Gao Shen openly aowledged the team's current challenges. He admitted that peting on three fronts utting tremendous pressure oeam, but he did not view this as a ive.

  "Pressure help our pyers grow and improve. Over the past three years, we've been thriving under pressure. Ba Serie B, we dared to go toe-to-toe with the giants of Serie A."

  Gao Shen emphasized that radition was to never promise ive up!

  "I want to make ohing clear: in our Neapolitan diary, the wive up' does ."

  He tinued, "The positive situation we are in now is the result of our hard work over the past season. At this critical juncture, I would rather fight until the end and risk losing everything than promise now just to secure a league title."

  Gao Shen also appealed to the fans, emphasizing that he and his team had experience managing simir situations.

  "When I was coag Real Madrid, I faced a simir challenge of peting on two fronts. Many people, including some within the club, advised me to focus on one petition and abandoher. But I didn't follow their advice."

  "I told my pyers back then that they should push themselves harder, test their limits, and discover their true potential. That's the only way to achieve the impossible."

  "In the end, we won the double!"

  Gao Shen expressed a simir seo Napoli now.

  ---

  The day after the interview, after the pyers had read Gao Shen's statements in the media, he held an internal team meeting to unify everyone's mi.

  He firmly decred that Napoli would not give up on any of the three petitions.

  "I'll tell yht now: there's no way out for us."

  "It's either we give it our all on all three fronts and fight until the final moment, or we give up early. But if we give up, the sequences will be dire. Inter Min will overtake us in the league, Arsenal will eliminate us, and we might end up empty-handed!"

  Gao Shen wanted every pyer to align with the same belief: Napoli must persevere until the very end!

  "I know the pressure is immense, and it's not easy for anyone. But I firmly believe that as long as we stand together and grit our teeth, we overe this. I believe in you!"

  "If we succeed, you'll bee the heroes of this city!"

  ---

  While Napoli was mired in the challenges of peting on three fronts, Arsenal's situation was slightly better. At least in the Premier League, the Gunners were not uhe same level of pressure as Napoli was in Serie A.

  Currently, Arsenal was fourth in the Premier League, three points ahead of fifth-pced Aston Vil.

  However, in the 31st round of the Premier League, Aston Vil faced Maer U Old Trafford, a match that seemed destined for failure.

  Maer United, locked in a title race with Liverpool, had no iion of giving Aston Vil any ce to pull off an upset at Old Trafford.

  As expected, Maer United secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Aston Vil.

  This result eased the pressure on Arsenal, whose fourth-pce standing noeared more secure.

  In their home game against Maer City, the Gunners fortably defeated Mark Hughes' team 2-0.

  Ially, after 31 rounds, Mark Hughes' Maer City remained ih p the Premier League, making their heavy iments st summer and during the wiransfer window look rather embarrassing.

  While Maer City's spending wasn't questioned, it was widely aowledged that Mark Hughes cked the ability to lead an ambitious team like City. Repg him had bee a near-universal sensus.

  For Arsenal, their wieheir lead over fifth pce to six points.

  With seven matches remaining in the Premier League, this advantage seemed suffit to secure a top-four finish.

  ---

  Although the Gunners won easily, Napoli's 2-2 draw against Sampdoria, despite being pyed with a rotated lineup, left some disappoi.

  More and more media outlets began voig s about Napoli's uping trip to London to face Arsenal.

  After defeating Maer City, Wenger respoo Gao Shen's earlier ents.

  Gao Shen had mentioned his experience defeating Arsenal, which had geed widespread optimism in his favao Shen decred that he would prove himself again.

  "I don't know where he gets his fidence," Wenger said, "but I'm gd he has such ambition. Still, he won't get the ce because we've never lost a Champions League game at the Emirates Stadium."

  Wenger was clearly proud of this record.

  A strong home record was undoubtedly a hallmark of a powerful team.

  Meanwhile, in Italy, Gao Shen remained low-key as he led his team through two days of interaining. Oernoon before the match, during a pre-match press fereo announapoli's 18-man rao Shen respoo Wenger's remarks.

  "I don't deny that the Emirates Stadium is a difficult fortress to quer, but I don't think Arsenal is as strong as they cim to be."

  "On the trary, this is a team that cks ambition."

  "Look at their position in the Premier League. They're in fourth pce."

  "If I were fourth, I would feel ashamed. They're six points behind third-pced Chelsea and 13 points behind league leaders Maer United."

  "But instead of looking up, they're looking down and saying, 'Oh, I'm six points ahead of fifth pce. I'm fourth. Let's have a drink and celebrate.'"

  Shaking his head, Gao Shen cluded, "That's not my style!"

  It was clear Gao Shen was engaging in psychological warfare.

  It was widely known that Arsenal had cked ambition i years.

  After selling Henry, they were now preparing to sell Fabregas.

  The Spanish midfielder was determio return to Bara. While rumors linked him to Real Madrid, Gao Shen knew Fabregas had no i in joining Los Bncos.

  Gao Shen's ents were deliberately aimed at Arsenal's soft spots, ying the groundwork for the battle at the Emirates Stadium.

  That evening, after the press ference, Gao Shehe team on a chartered flight from o London.