*Skip to Sunday, the day of the game against West Ham*
The morning sun cast a warm glow over St. Albans as the Arsenal Women's team boarded the bus, anticipation buzzing in the air. Olivia sat down across from Beth and Steph, with Lily and Emily nestled in her arms.
"Are you ready for Mommy's big game, my little stars?" Olivia cooed, pressing kisses to their chubby cheeks as they giggled in response.
As Olivia sat across from Beth and Steph on the bus, she couldn't shake the flutter of nerves in her stomach. Beth's words of encouragement echoed in her mind, filling her with a sense of determination.
"You know, Liv," Beth said casually, flashing Olivia a knowing smile, "I have a feeling this game might be extra special for you."
Olivia raised an eyebrow, a curious smile tugging at her lips. "Oh? And why's that, Beth?"
Beth shrugged nonchalantly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Just a hunch. But who knows, you might find something more than just a victory on that pitch today."
Steph chimed in with a playful grin. "Yeah, Liv. Who knows what surprises the game might bring?"
Olivia felt her cheeks flush with heat as she glanced over at Eva, who was sitting a few rows ahead, with Viv and Vic. The thought of something more than just a victory with Eva sent a thrill through her, but she quickly pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the task at hand.
"Yeah, well, let's just focus on getting the win first," Olivia said with a nervous chuckle, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach. "We can worry about the rest later."
But as the bus rumbled on towards the stadium, Olivia couldn't help but wonder if Beth's hunch might just be right.
The stadium buzzed with excitement as the Arsenal Women's team disembarked from the bus. Eva's enthusiasm was infectious, her eyes gleaming with anticipation as she soaked in the atmosphere.
"Whew, can you feel the buzz in the air, Liv?" Eva asked, her voice alive with excitement. "This is it, our moment!"
Olivia couldn't help but grin in response, her heart racing with anticipation. "Absolutely, Eva! It's like every nerve in my body is tingling with anticipation."
They joined their teammates in the changing room, as Leah took charge of the music, and everyone started their pre-match routine. Soon after, everyone was heading out for warm up. Olivia and Eva were standing together in the tunnel, just taking everything in before running to join warm-ups.
"Hey, Liv, you ready to light up the pitch today?" Beth called out, her smile infectious as she jogged over.
Olivia laughed, her nerves dissipating in the face of Beth's enthusiasm. "You bet, Beth! I've got my game face on and I'm raring to go!"
Eva chimed in with a playful nudge, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I've got a feeling you're going to score a screamer today, Liv. Just wait and see!"
A blush crept up Olivia's cheeks at Eva's words, a rush of excitement coursing through her veins. "Thanks, Eva! Let's make some magic happen out there!"
With renewed determination, Olivia and Eva settled onto the bench, their hearts pounding with anticipation as they waited for their moment to shine.
---
The starting eleven for Arsenal:
1. Manuela Zinsberger
7. Steph Catley
6. Leah Williamson
15. Katie McCabe
21. Victoria Pelova
10. Kim Little
13. Lia Walti
23. Alessia Russo
11. Vivianne Miedema
19. Caitlin Foord
9. Beth Mead
---
As the team warmed up on the pitch, Olivia spotted her dad in the stands. She waved, smiling at the sight of him holding Lily and Emily in his arms.
"Pops!" she called out, her voice carrying across the field. Pops looked up, a proud smile spreading across his face as he spotted Olivia.
He made his way down to the front row, where Olivia greeted him with a warm hug. "Good luck, sweetheart," Pops said, his voice filled with pride. "We're all rooting for you."
Olivia hugged him tightly, feeling a surge of warmth at his words. "Thanks, Pops. I'll make you proud, I promise."
With one final hug, and kisses for each of the twins, Olivia returned to the bench, as she prepared to give her all on the field.
As the referee blew the whistle, signalling the start of the match, Olivia and Eva watched from the sidelines, their eyes glued to the action unfolding on the field. The game got off to a blistering start, with both teams trading chances and pushing forward in search of the opening goal.
As the first half progressed, Arsenal found themselves on the back foot, with West Ham applying pressure and creating opportunities of their own. Olivia and Eva watched from the sidelines, their hearts pounding.
But just when it seemed like West Ham had the upper hand, Arsenal executed a perfect counterattack. Caitlin intercepted a pass in midfield and ran forward quickly. With a precise touch, she sent a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Viv. Without breaking her stride, Viv received the ball and unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box. The ball soared through the air, curling gracefully into the top corner of the net with pinpoint accuracy.
The stadium erupted into cheers as the ball found the back of the net, but Viv remained characteristically calm, simply nodding in acknowledgment of her teammates' efforts as Caitlin jumped onto her back.
During halftime, as the team went inside, Jonas called Olivia and Eva over, with a determined look in his eyes.
"Olivia, Eva, I need you both to be ready," Jonas said, his voice firm but encouraging. "You're going to be subbed in towards the start of the second half."
Olivia's heart skipped a beat at the news, excitement and nerves swirling inside her. She exchanged a quick glance with Eva, who nodded in silent agreement.
"Got it, Coach," Olivia replied, her voice filled with determination. "We'll be ready to give it our all."
Eva echoed Olivia's sentiment with a confident smile. "Absolutely, Coach. We'll be raring to go."
Jonas nodded, a sense of confidence radiating from him. "Good. I have every faith in both of you. Make the most of your opportunity out there."
With a final nod of acknowledgement, Jonas left to speak with the rest of the team before they kicked off again.
As the second half kicked off, Liv and Eva got the call to hit the pitch at the 52nd minute. Liv's heart was racing as she stood on the side, ready to run onto the field, pumped to show what she could do up front. Eva, right by her side, looked ready to boss it in midfield.
On the sideline, Beth and Vic were making way for Liv and Eva. Beth gave Liv a quick nod and a hug, saying, "You've got this, Liv. Go show 'em what you're made of!"
"Thanks, Beth" Liv grinned back.
Over by the rest of the squad, Kim Little rounded everyone up for a pep talk. "Alright, team, let's keep the pressure on. Liv, Eva, you two are gonna smash it out there. Give it your all and leave nothing behind."
Liv and Eva nodded, fired up by Kim's words.
As the game wore on, Arsenal began to find their rhythm, with Olivia leading the line and causing problems for the West Ham defence with her pace and strength. Eva pulled the strings in midfield, dictating play and creating chances for her teammates with her vision and passing ability.
Eventually, Liv found herself in the right place at the right time. Eva whipped a wicked pass towards the box, and Liv darted forward, timing her run to perfection. With a swift flick of her boot, she sent the ball sailing past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The crowd erupted into cheers as Liv wheeled away in celebration, her teammates racing to congratulate her.
"Yesss, Liv! What a finish!" Eva exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air as she caught up to Liv.
"Thanks, E! That was all you with the killer pass," Liv grinned, giving her a big hug.
Katie was quick to join in the celebration, jumping onto Liv's back. "Brilliant goal, Liv! That's what we're talking about!"
"Thanks! Means a lot coming from you," Liv replied, feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins as her teammates crowded around her in a group hug.
As the game continued, Arsenal maintained their momentum, dominating possession and creating chance after chance. The team seemed to have endless energy, making run after run.
In the 68th minute, another opportunity presented itself. Kim Little delivered a pinpoint through ball into the box, and Liv anticipated it perfectly, darting past the defenders with lightning speed. With a swift touch, she rounded the goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net, sending the crowd into a frenzy of cheers and applause.
"Get in there, Liv! That's two for you today!" Less shouted, punching the air in celebration.
Liv's grin was wide as she jogged back to the center circle, her confidence soaring with each goal. "Thanks, Less! Let's keep the pressure on!"
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Jonas was shouting instructions, reminding them to maintain their focus and keep pushing forward. "Keep it tight at the back, girls! We're in control, but we can't afford to switch off now!"
The referee's whistle blew, signalling a free kick in Arsenal's favour. Katie McCabe stepped up to take it, her eyes focused on the goal as she lined up her shot. With a powerful strike, the ball curled towards the top corner, narrowly missing the target as it hit the woodwork and went back for a goal kick.
"Unlucky, Katie! Great effort!" Liv called out, offering words of encouragement as her teammate shrugged off the missed opportunity.
In the dying minutes of the game, Arsenal sealed their victory with a fourth goal, courtesy of Viv. Caitlin delivered a perfectly timed cross into the box, and Viv rose above the defenders, towering over them as she met the ball with a thunderous header. The ball flew into the back of the net, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot and sealing Arsenal's victory with style.
"Brilliant goal, Viv!" Eva exclaimed, clapping Viv on the back as they celebrated their well-deserved win.
After passing the ball in midfield for a couple of minutes, the final whistle blew, and the Arsenal players began high-fiving each other, their victory secured. Olivia and Eva quickly found each other, embracing on the field, their faces beaming with joy.
Olivia and Eva made their way around the field together, shaking hands with the West Ham players and exchanging nods of respect.
"You were amazing out there, Liv," Eva said, her eyes shining with admiration. "That first goal you scored was fantastic! Told you you would score a screamer today."
"Thanks, Eva!" Olivia replied, returning the compliment. "But your passes were on point today! You really helped set up some great plays."
Eva grinned, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Well, we make a pretty good team, don't we?"
Olivia chuckled. "Definitely!" She replied as she felt her cheeks warm up. But she couldn't like Eva? Could she? They had only known each other for a week...
As they continued chatting, Beth, Steph, and Katie joined them, their excitement palpable.
"Hey, Liv, Eva, you two were on fire out there!" Beth exclaimed, throwing an arm around each of their shoulders. "You really showed them what Arsenal is made of!"
Steph nodded in agreement. "Absolutely! Liv, that first goal you scored was something else. And Eva, your passes were on point!"
Katie grinned, nudging Liv playfully. "Yeah, Liv, Eva practically handed you that goal on a silver platter! You two make a great team."
Liv laughed, feeling a warmth spread through her chest at the praise. "Thanks, guys. It means a lot."
Beth glanced around at the group, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You know, Liv and Eva, you two make a pretty good team off the field too. Maybe we should celebrate this victory with a night out!"
Steph and Katie exchanged knowing looks, their smiles widening. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!" Katie exclaimed. "I know just the place."
Liv quickly glanced at Eva, and with a quick nod, Eva answered for both of them. "We're in! Let's go celebrate!"
As they made their way off the pitch, Liv spotted Pops in the stands, holding Lily and Emily in his arms. With a grin, she tugged on Beth's sleeve.
"Beth, come on!" she exclaimed, pointing towards Pops.
Beth quickly turned around, and they made their way over to Pops, Liv's heart swelling with love at the sight of her girls.
"Pops!" she called out, closing the last of the distance between them, as she hugged him tightly. "We did it!" She said quietly
Pops laughed, his eyes twinkling with pride. "I'm so proud of you! You were amazing out there. And these two were cheering for you the whole time."
Liv pulled back, and took the girls out of her father's arms, hugging them tightly, her heart bursting with love and gratitude. "Thanks, Pops."
"Hey, let me in!" Beth exclaimed jokingly, as she gave their dad a quick hug
After cooing to the twins, Liv turned back to Pops and asked "Pops, would you mind watching the twins for the night? We're going out to celebrate with the team."
Pops grinned, nodding eagerly. "Of course, Liv! I will take any opportunity to spend time with my grandbabies! You go have fun, you've earned it."
With a grateful smile, Liv hugged her girls one last time before handing them back to her dad, and joining her teammates with Beth, her heart full of love and excitement for the night ahead.