The restart came quickly.
Sporting tried to reset themselves—attempted to plug the hole Arsenal had torn open.
But Izan had already seen the space again, and that was the problem.
Once he found the gap, he didn't forget it.
He just waited for it to open again.
He drifted between lines like mist.
Not too deep, not too high.
Just enough to be unmarked—just enough to be dangerous.
In the 12th minute, he turned into traffic and pulled two defenders toward him like gravity.
The first went for the ball—too eager.
Izan rolled it behind his standing leg and dipped his shoulder to sell the idea of a pass.
The second defender bit too and that was enough.
He dragged both into a tighter lane, then burst through the middle of them, boots scraping turf as he approached the box.
The third Sporting player had no choice.
He stepped in trying to contain Izan but seeing as he couldn't after Izan kept twisting and turning, he just chopped him down.
