73: Kai Strikes Back!

Stamford Bridge erupted into thunderous roars!

The Crystal Palace fans at the stadium were going wild with joy!

They cheered, they screamed, they roared their hearts out!

Another unstoppable rocket from distance—

Kai smashed the ball past Petr Čech and pulled one back for his team!

On the sidelines, Holloway punched the air in excitement.

The Crystal Palace coaching staff huddled together, celebrating in a tight embrace.

Their superstar prodigy refused to go quiet!

Even against a powerhouse like Chelsea, Kai had reignited hope!

"Let Chelsea feel what it's like to face London's long-range cannon king!"

"So what if it's Čech in goal?"

"The Eagle King will lead us to soar!"

Crystal Palace fans raised their arms and roared in unison,

pouring all their passion onto the black-haired figure on the field.

Their young captain, once again, led them back from the brink!

1–2!

Against mighty Chelsea, Palace had clawed one back!

In the stands, Roman Abramovich rose from his VIP seat.

His eyes lit up with excitement.

Even under pressure, this kid still creates miracles?

Chelsea had conceded a goal,

but the owner of the Blues didn't feel upset at all.

On the contrary—

The Russian tycoon was thrilled.

Kai, facing a Premier League giant with a star-studded lineup,

was still able to lift his team from the depths!

This only made Abramovich more convinced—

He had not misjudged.

This teenager had the potential to reshape the entire future of world football!

On the pitch...

Near Chelsea's goal...

Petr Čech shook his arm in frustration.

This season, Čech had been the Premier League's most consistent goalkeeper.

Yet his goal had just been breached by a 16-year-old.

Crystal Palace players ran toward Kai.

They surrounded him, celebrating wildly.

Inside the box, Chelsea players held their heads in frustration.

John Terry was the first to recover.

He strode over to Essien and Mikel.

"You two need to expand your coverage area.

That kid has a devastating long shot—

he can fire from forty yards and still be dangerous!"

"You cannot allow him even a moment to shoot—or pass!"

Lampard, hands on hips, stared at the celebrating Palace players.

His eyes were full of complex emotions.

In the stands, Chelsea fans filled the stadium with a chaotic hum.

Kai's thunderous strike had given Palace a huge morale boost!

The momentum of the game had become unpredictable.

Now with just a one-goal lead, even Ancelotti grew restless on the touchline.

He stopped chewing his gum.

Brows furrowed, he stared intently at the field, lost in thought.

As the noise in the stadium continued to swell,

the final minutes of the first half ticked away with no further goals.

Soon, the halftime whistle blew.

Both teams headed back to their dressing rooms.

The media box buzzed with energy.

This game had turned into a headline goldmine—full of drama and tension!

In Chelsea's dressing room—

Ancelotti went into full tactical professor mode.

He gave the midfielders a stern lecture,

emphasizing one key mission:

Clamp down on Kai.

Double-team him, shut him out, wear him down.

From Ancelotti's perspective,

with a squad stacked with world-class defenders,

shutting down a single player shouldn't be a problem—

even if that player was Kai.

In Crystal Palace's dressing room—

Kai took charge.

He gathered the defensive unit and midfielders around him.

"Chelsea's attacking rhythm relies heavily on Lampard linking with Drogba up front."

"Drogba's ability to hold the ball is elite."

"Our main job in the second half is to deny Drogba easy back-to-goal play."

"On attack, I'll sit in the No.10 role to organize."

"When defending, I'll drop back to the No.4 position to help clear danger."

Kai had thoroughly read through Chelsea's tactical setup.

"Are we switching to a five-man defense in the second half?"

Millen walked over and asked.

Kai shook his head without hesitation.

"No! Five at the back will drag us down. Ancelotti is also a master of defensive counterattacks. This Chelsea team isn't afraid of that kind of play. We need to create chances in open play and beat Chelsea head-on!"

The Crystal Palace players were stunned,

a flicker of fighting spirit lighting up in their eyes.

Their young captain was burning with determination—

he wanted to beat Chelsea in a head-on clash!

Kai stood in the center of the locker room,

his gaze sweeping over every player.

"In the second half, stick to your roles—especially in defense, we can't afford any lapses!"

"We've already created so many miracles this season. We've become the very definition of miracles! For a Championship team to reach this round of the FA Cup is already something to be proud of."

"But our journey isn't over yet!"

"In the second half, we must be united! Here, at Stamford Bridge, we will continue writing South London's legend!"

The locker room erupted with cheers!

The Crystal Palace players were fired up!

Even Holloway was swept up in the passion.

He raised his fist and shouted,

"If we win this one, we're in the FA Cup semifinals! We're not far from the final title!"

"Following Kai's lead, we've pulled off so many epic comebacks this season. Tonight—we'll do it again!"

Back on the pitch!

As the Crystal Palace players ran out of the tunnel,

the thunderous roar of Stamford Bridge could no longer shake their mental defenses.

The oppressive atmosphere only fueled their spirits.

Kai stood tall on the field,

his eyes locking onto the Chelsea players opposite him.

His goal for the second half was simple:

Complete the comeback.

At Stamford Bridge, crush the mighty Blues!

The referee blew his whistle!

The second half was underway!

Vaughan kicked off from the center circle.

The ball quickly found its way to Kai's feet.

Chelsea's midfield defensive trio instantly pounced.

After Ancelotti's halftime orders, Essien and Mikel increased their defensive aggression and range.

They began pressing heavily toward Kai's weaker foot.

The Blues' defensive wall was trying to smother Crystal Palace's midfield rhythm.

The crowd was electric!

Chelsea poured manpower into their defense early in the second half,

constantly closing down Kai's space to pass or receive.

They were trying to force him into a mistake.

But—what Ancelotti hadn't expected—

his meticulously crafted tactics had zero effect on Kai!

Even when pressured toward his non-dominant foot by Essien and Mikel,

Kai's passes remained unaffected.

Thanks to the boost from the newly acquired Modrić "Outside Foot Pass" module,

he simply used the outside of his foot to pass when the pressure came to his strong side!

Untraceable passing lanes, pinpoint accuracy—it was dazzling.

Ancelotti finally got restless on the sideline.

Under this kind of elite-level pressure, Kai still showed no signs of breaking down?

This was too much!

Ancelotti had full confidence in his midfield press.

He was sure that even someone like Ronaldo or Messi would struggle against Chelsea's midfield trap.

Yet here, now—

the 16-year-old wearing the number 10 shirt for Crystal Palace was handling it with ease.

Ancelotti was a seasoned veteran of football's storms.

He always prepared for potential crises.

He called his assistant coach over,

and began to formulate a change in tactics.

They had to snuff out every possible upset.

With Chelsea fielding a full-strength squad,

there could be no slip-ups in this match.

If there were—

Ancelotti, who had insisted on starting the strongest eleven,

would become a laughingstock across England.

But…

he was already too late.

Less than thirty minutes into the second half,

the Chelsea boss suffered a major blow!

With his maxed-out field vision,

Kai began spraying long, diagonal passes across the pitch.

Even with Chelsea's stamina and physical strength,

their midfield began to break down in positioning…

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