61: King of the Cannon! Blitz at White Hart Lane

Crystal Palace's opponent for the FA Cup Fifth Round was announced soon—

Tottenham Hotspur!

London was in uproar.

It wasn't just a match—it was being hyped as a "London Civil War."

One headline dominated the media:

"London Derby Incoming!"

The phrase alone sent shockwaves through English football fans.

"London Derby?"

Even the fierce clash between Arsenal and Tottenham was only called the North London Derby.

London had far too many teams, with several major ones at the top tier.

Was a Championship side like Crystal Palace even qualified to call this a derby with Spurs?

Tottenham fans didn't take it well:

"Biased media must be Palace fanboys. A mere Championship side calling it a derby?"

"It's like calling Espanyol vs Barcelona a derby—at least Espanyol are in La Liga!"

"These trash-tier Championship scrubs beat City once and think they're kings? Bale will tear them apart!"

Verbal wars broke out between rival fans.

For London's press, it was pure gold—

Kai's matches now came with built-in hype.

He was, after all, the youngest and first ever East Asian Golden Boy winner.

His popularity was off the charts—he dominated headlines and search rankings across Europe.

Now facing Tottenham, even the usually cautious Palace fans dared to dream…

But deep down, they were nervous.

Tottenham weren't just any team.

They had Luka Modrić orchestrating midfield

And the lightning-fast Gareth Bale dominating the flank.

Just recently, Bale had humiliated Inter Milan legend Maicon in the Champions League.

Could anyone really stop Bale?

Even top-tier defenders were helpless—how could Crystal Palace's backline hope to contain him?

As excitement soared, the London media celebrated.

Some headlines:

"Palace Take On Another Premier League Giant!"

"Bale's Price Skyrockets After Destroying Maicon—Now On Real Madrid's Radar!"

"Kai vs Modrić: Newcomer vs Maestro in London's Midfield Showdown!"

Fans were puzzled—Modrić was just 26, how could this be a "generational duel"?

Then it hit them—Kai was only 16.

Crystal Palace fans were thrilled.

"Who else but our Eagle King can challenge legends at just sixteen?"

Training at Palace intensified.

Tottenham relied heavily on youth and pace, with Bale as their focal point.

Palace, lacking fast fullbacks, had to adapt.

Meanwhile, in manager Holloway's office—

A fresh stack of transfer offers lay on his desk.

"Another wave of offers?"

"Chelsea's Abramovich just bid £35 million for Kai…"

Holloway nearly fainted.

Thirty-five million pounds?!

Palace had signed Kai for just €500,000.

In half a season, his value had increased by nearly seventy times.

In Spain, Barcelona could only stew in regret.

They tried everything to suppress the truth—

That they had sold the now-legendary Kai for peanuts.

Too late.

Everyone now knew:

Barça had let go of a 16-year-old whose value was nearing €30 million.

La Masia's reputation took a massive hit.

People began to question the credibility of the so-called "world's best youth academy."

Meanwhile in North London, at White Hart Lane—

Tottenham trained under their new coach, André Villas-Boas.

Nicknamed the "wonder boy" of coaching, AVB had been Mourinho's assistant before leading Porto to a Europa League title.

Now he was tasked with giving Tottenham the trophy they'd long been missing.

As he watched Bale tearing down the flank in training, his mind was elsewhere.

His assistant noticed.

"Are you thinking about that Crystal Palace kid?"

"Are you worried about the upcoming match, or… thinking of calling him up for Portugal?"

AVB shook his head.

He called over Modrić and laid out his tactical plans:

"That No.10 from Crystal Palace is everywhere—he plays as a 10, a deep-lying 4, and even a false 9."

"You'll have to work harder than usual. He's… different."

AVB, like his mentor Mourinho, never underestimated opponents.

He knew this FA Cup clash would be the toughest game of the season.

And he was determined to bring a trophy to Tottenham's long-empty cabinet.

As the fifth-round match approached, Crystal Palace's double-duty campaign continued strong.

Everyone expected them to collapse under pressure—but they didn't.

With Kai playing every minute, Palace kept surging.

They won two more league matches:

3–0 vs Scunthorpe United

4–2 vs Barnsley

Kai delivered multiple assists and long-range goals—

Earning the nickname across England:

"King of the Cannon!"

Why?

Because in every match, Kai fired a missile from long range.

Championship keepers were terrified.

From 30 yards out, Kai was always within striking distance.

Most midfielders used long shots as a desperate tactic.

Kai used them as a main weapon.

Even Gerrard took notice:

"If Liverpool face Palace in the FA Cup, I want to see that kid's shooting for myself."

His words sent the Liverpool media into a frenzy.

Meanwhile, Palace climbed to 4th place in the Championship—

A position far beyond fan expectations.

But momentum wasn't slowing down.

Their "Eagle King" showed no signs of stopping.

Could Kai actually lead them to a Championship title?

Palace fans dared to believe.