69: Facing Chelsea—The FA Cup's Strongest Challenge Yet!

By this point in the FA Cup journey, Crystal Palace fans had stopped hoping for easy opponents.

This season, only Crystal Palace had managed consistent upsets.

No other Championship or League One side had knocked out top-tier Premier League teams.

To go further in the FA Cup, there was no doubt:

They had to bravely face each challenge—no matter how powerful the opponent!

The quarterfinal draw was announced—

Chelsea!

Another Premier League giant from London!

The London media exploded with excitement.

News agencies were thrilled—this was a dream matchup.

Two consecutive FA Cup knockout ties for Crystal Palace, both against London giants.

The capital's newspapers basically sold themselves.

But Palace fans... were left speechless.

Chelsea!

By far, the strongest team Crystal Palace had faced this FA Cup run.

Sure, they'd eliminated Manchester City and Tottenham—

But City, despite their wealth, were still seen as nouveau riche with limited history.

Spurs, too, were fringe members of the "Big Six" with few major trophies.

Chelsea, however, was a different beast.

Ever since Abramovich took over in 2003, Chelsea had soared—winning Premier League titles and the Champions League.

This season, the legendary tactician Carlo Ancelotti was at the helm.

Just two months ago, the Blues had signed Golden Boy Fernando Torres from Liverpool in the winter window.

Drogba, Lampard, Terry, Torres...

A squad of superstars.

And now, they were coming with full force.

Palace fans felt an overwhelming sense of dread.

This was the Champions League-winning core.

How could Crystal Palace possibly stand a chance?

But soon, someone posted a message on the club's official site to rally the spirits:

"Believe in the Eagle King! He's led us to the FA Cup sixth round—a miracle already! We must stand by Kai and the team, no matter what!"

This blockbuster quarterfinal quickly became the focus of all of English football.

"Early Showcase! Palace Meets Abramovich's Chelsea—Who Will Advance?"

"Chelsea Recently Bid £60M for Palace's Prodigy—Will They Regret It After This Game?"

"Kai vs Lampard! Will the Veteran Teach the Young Star a Lesson?"

"Ancelotti Says: Chelsea Will Field Their Strongest Lineup!"

That last headline shocked the nation.

In the post-match press conference following their most recent Premier League game, Ancelotti's declaration caused a stir among fans—especially in London.

Chelsea were still chasing the Premier League title and active in the Champions League.

With intense competition on all fronts...

Why were they fielding a full-strength squad against a Championship side?

Chelsea fans were puzzled—some even angry.

"Has Ancelotti lost the plot? We're just two points behind United. Shouldn't we be focusing on the league? Isn't the Premier League more prestigious than the FA Cup?"

"Why do we need our best lineup just to face Crystal Palace?"

"Sure, Kai is dazzling—but football is 11 vs 11. Palace has no chance. Let's save our energy for the league and Europe!"

They felt Ancelotti was overreacting.

Against Palace, was full-strength really necessary?

They hadn't even used their best eleven against Manchester City!

Still, Chelsea fans weren't hostile toward Kai.

After all, Abramovich himself was infatuated with the prodigy.

And the fans?

They'd begun to fall for the 16-year-old black-haired wizard too.

They wouldn't mind seeing him at Stamford Bridge next season.

With Chelsea's midfield starting to age, they believed:

"Lampard needs a partner."

Back in South London—

Crystal Palace fans were in full-blown panic.

A full-strength Chelsea was practically unbeatable.

Only Manchester United could go toe-to-toe with them in the league.

Every line in the Chelsea squad was stacked with world-class talent.

Palace fans couldn't sit still.

They replayed Chelsea's recent matches—only to be struck by fear.

Ancelotti's tactical brilliance made full use of their Champions League-winning lineup.

Palace fans wondered:

"Can our Eagle King create another miracle and lead us forward?"

Despite the chaos off the pitch, Crystal Palace remained focused.

Their mission was growing heavier—

With the gap to QPR narrowing, every league match became crucial.

Even a single slip could undo all their hard work.

There was still time before the FA Cup showdown against Chelsea.

In the meantime, Palace took a steady and strategic approach, carefully rotating the lineup for each league fixture.

By the end of February, they had completed four more league matches—

Four wins out of four!

Including:

A 3–0 season sweep of fourth-place Burnley.

A 3–1 victory over second-place Swansea!

Palace's rank rose again—

Now second in the Championship!

And then came even more good news—

QPR drew against Norwich away from home!

In their last four league matches, they'd earned just one point in a key round.

The gap between Palace and QPR shrank to just four points!

Now, the Championship title race was wide open.

And the fixture list held one golden opportunity:

Palace still had one match left against QPR.

It was their chance to seize destiny with their own hands.

Aside from that direct clash, fans could only hope QPR slipped again.

A loss would be ideal.

But even a draw?

Palace would gladly take the two-point gain.

When fans looked at the current Championship table...

They teared up.

It still felt like a dream.

Just 7–8 months ago, Palace had been fighting relegation.

Now, they were second in the table, trailing the leaders by only four points!

In nearly every home game at Selhurst Park lately, the fans had been hanging massive banners in the stands.

They were filled with messages of gratitude for Kai.

Some read:

"Stay with us after the season, Eagle King! Crystal Palace needs you!"

Even if they knew it was a dream.

Even if the whole world was eyeing their Eagle King.

Even if it was only a matter of time before he left Selhurst Park...

They wanted the world to know:

Kai is irreplaceable in the hearts of Crystal Palace fans.

During this league stretch, Vaughan had also been in hot form, scoring in consecutive games.

The Eagle King might've been their leader...

But the whole team was soaring.

~~----------------------

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