62: Thunder in the Lane — Kai Strikes First!

Three days later—Matchday!

All of England was buzzing.

"London Showdown! Palace vs Premier League Giants!"

"Can Palace Stop Bale's Rampage?"

"Kai vs Modrić: Battle of London's Midfield Kings!"

"Villas-Boas Vows: Spurs Will Defend White Hart Lane's Honor!"

As Palace's team bus rolled out of Selhurst Park, fans roared in support.

Destination: White Hart Lane.

They had conquered the Etihad—

Now it was time to storm another Premier League fortress.

"Tonight will be tough," Kai told his teammates onboard.

"Tottenham hit harder than City. Bale's speed is our biggest threat."

He pointed to the tactics board—

Palace was going to play their trump card: the 4–4–2 formation.

Rarely used in cup ties due to its demand for two strikers,

But tonight was different.

Tottenham played fast, aggressive football.

Sitting back would invite disaster.

Palace would fight fire with fire—full-on attack.

Memories surfaced—

That night they switched from 5–4–1 to 4–4–2 against Burnley and destroyed them.

Kai had played a perfect "nine-and-a-half" role that night.

Could his magic strike again?

Under London's night sky,

White Hart Lane was packed—nearly 40,000 fans shaking the stadium.

Starting lineups shocked everyone:

No 5–4–1. Palace lined up in a bold 4–4–2.

Zaha and Vaughan up front. Kai at the heart of midfield.

Tottenham fans were furious:

"They bunkered against City and now they dare attack us?"

"Arrogance! They're mocking us!"

As Palace walked out of the tunnel—

Deafening chants shook the ground:

"Crush these arrogant South Londoners!"

"Think Spurs are easy pickings? Bale will eat your defense alive!"

Kai stretched and felt a system alert ping:

New Task Unlocked: Win at White Hart Lane

Reward: Spurs Treasure Chest + God-Level Card

His eyes lit up.

Across the midfield, Zaha and Vaughan spotted a towering striker staring at them—

Pavlyuchenko tapped his head, smirking.

"I'll be raining headers down on you," he seemed to say.

Modrić and Bale warmed up nearby, both focused.

They would defend their turf.

With a piercing whistle—

Kickoff!

Vaughan rolled the ball.

Zaha passed it back to Kai.

Both strikers split wide and charged Tottenham's backline.

Gasps from the stands.

"Are they... trying to score early?!"

A shocking strategy—

Tottenham were known for pace and counters.

Opening up early seemed suicidal.

But it was all part of Kai's master plan:

Strike before Spurs settled.

The 4–4–2 advanced in harmony.

Just ten seconds in,

Kai surged forward—God's-Eye View activated.

Two golden lines flashed before him.

Both strikers had slipped behind Spurs' defense.

Only a child would choose one.

Kai chose both.

He feinted a booming long pass toward Vaughan—

Bale, still a left-back in this era, reacted instantly, closing in.

But Kai twisted his leg—it was a fake.

Instead, with a flick of his outside boot, he threaded a low, curving pass in the opposite direction.

The ball curled like a giant "C" on the grass—

Piercing through three defenders,

It landed perfectly at Zaha's feet.

Zaha touched once—

Into the box—GOAL!!!

1–0!

White Hart Lane exploded.

The game had just started—

And Crystal Palace had already scored.

All thanks to Kai's curved through-ball magic!

He had torn through Tottenham's defense in seconds.

The upset was on.