77: The Semi-Final Clash
Crystal Palace's opponent in the semi-finals was quickly revealed—
Arsenal, from North London!
The entirety of English football was thrown into a frenzy.
Crystal Palace fans had mixed expressions.
Even though they were mentally prepared,
every time they drew a Premier League giant,
the fans couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
Arsenal!
The very symbol of "beautiful football"!
A youthful storm that once swept across the Premier League!
Undoubtedly, yet another formidable opponent.
The media went wild once again.
Standing in front of Crystal Palace now was Arsenal!
Everyone knew that in the ongoing battle to sign Kai,
besides Chelsea and Manchester United,
Arsène Wenger's Arsenal had been one of the most active suitors!
Just after a recent Premier League match,
Wenger took the opportunity to speak out publicly through the media:
"This is a 'great meeting' on the FA Cup stage!
Fate has drawn us into the same semi-final bracket!"
"We very much desire to sign this Crystal Palace superstar,
but we will also give it our all—
that's the highest form of respect to a genius!"
The entire English football world was shaken!
"A Great Clash! Wenger gets his wish—Arsenal to face off against Kai and Crystal Palace!"
"Arsenal's top shareholder Kroenke has landed in London—the North American tycoon will attend the semi-final in person!"
"Kai vs. Fabregas: A showdown between two La Masia graduates!"
"London Derby ignites once again—Crystal Palace faces a third straight London giant!"
The news exploded across all of Europe!
Arsenal fans couldn't sit still.
After all, Arsenal had been trophyless for several seasons,
struggling to gain media attention.
But now, just because they had drawn Crystal Palace in the FA Cup—
the spotlight had suddenly turned toward them!
It left Arsenal supporters feeling dazed.
"That Crystal Palace genius… isn't this a bit overhyped?"
This season, Arsenal were fourth in the league,
just knocked out of the Champions League,
and crashed out of the League Cup.
The FA Cup was their only hope for silverware.
And during this time, Wenger's almost manic presence in the transfer market
had made fans deeply aware of that black-haired number 10 from Crystal Palace—
The youngest Golden Boy winner in history!
A super genius who topped the Championship assist chart with nearly 70 assists!
And now, Arsenal were about to face this very genius head-on.
Arsenal fans were thrilled.
They wanted to "inspect the goods."
After all, Wenger's transfer record in recent years had been full of failures.
The fans wanted to personally see if this genius was worth the hype.
Meanwhile, at Colney Training Centre,
Arsenal's players were preparing for the match.
When they heard that their next FA Cup opponent was Crystal Palace,
a ripple of shock spread across the training ground.
Especially for Cesc Fabregas!
The Arsenal captain and La Masia graduate had experienced many ups and downs with the club.
In recent seasons, he had quietly begun considering a return to Camp Nou.
The rise of Pep's Barcelona dynasty had stirred his longing to go back.
But even more troubling—
Their manager Wenger had shown an obsessive interest in a Championship midfielder ahead of the summer window.
This made Fabregas feel immense pressure.
He had no desire for a dramatic or shameful exit from the Emirates—
But he also refused to let people think
he was being pushed out by a so-called "genius" who wasn't even seventeen!
As Arsenal's current midfield core,
Cesc Fabregas's emotions were in turmoil.
And now that their next opponent was Crystal Palace,
Fabregas's inner unrest had reached its peak.
He would now face, head-to-head,
the very genius that Wenger had been pursuing so relentlessly.
On the training ground, Fabregas suddenly stopped running.
He gazed into the distance,
then took a deep breath and swore silently to himself:
"I'll show every Arsenal fan here—
and everyone back at Barcelona—
how I will dominate that so-called genius in a direct clash!"
"And then, I'll leave the Emirates with my head held high—
and return to Camp Nou!"
Soon after—
Three days later.
The FA Cup semi-final matchday arrived!
That day, all of London was once again boiling with excitement!
Countless fans poured out from every street and alleyway.
The deafening noise gathered toward one grand stadium in North London—
The Emirates Stadium!
FA Cup Semi-Final
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal!
In the buildup to the match, the media pushed the hype to new heights:
"Crystal Palace Captain vs. Arsenal Captain—A Clash of Leaders!"
"Can Fabregas Shut Down Kai Tonight?"
"Arsenal once offered £78 million for Kai—this is a live try-before-you-buy!"
"If Palace wins, they'll reach the FA Cup Final for the first time in history!"
The electric pre-match atmosphere reached a fever pitch!
As the players gathered in the tunnel,
the two team captains stood at the front.
Their gazes met accidentally—yet explosively!
Kai and Fabregas locked eyes, and sparks flew instantly.
War intent ignited!
And when both teams walked out of the tunnel—
The Emirates erupted like a thunderclap!
Tonight, the stadium was completely sold out.
60,000 seats—every single one filled!
All eyes zeroed in on the pitch.
On the sidelines stood Wenger, dressed in a sharp suit.
His aging face still held eyes that burned with energy.
He couldn't take his eyes off the young figure wearing number 10 for Crystal Palace.
Tonight was the match Wenger had been dreaming of all season.
The genius he had pursued so relentlessly,
now stood on the same field as his strongest possible starting eleven.
No matter the result—
Tonight would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for this aging manager.
The crowd was rabid with energy.
The FA Cup had now reached its semi-final stage.
The championship… was within reach!
This was a clash the world had been waiting for.
In the VIP box, Stan Kroenke sat watching intently.
The roar of the Emirates pleased him immensely.
But when Kai stepped onto the field—
The entire stadium exploded into a new wave of cheering!
Kroenke's eyes lit up with astonishment:
"Is this the kind of influence this super genius commands?
He hasn't even played one full season professionally—
and already, he commands unimaginable popularity across England and Europe!"
Tonight's stands were filled with mysterious figures.
Personnel from nearly every Premier League club were in attendance.
With the summer transfer window fast approaching,
every match Kai played had become a hot topic.
Both Arsenal and Crystal Palace fielded a 4-4-2 formation.
Palace fans looked over Arsenal's lineup and couldn't help but feel impressed:
"This is what a true Premier League squad looks like!"
On the front line:
Van Persie and Bendtner partnered up.
In midfield, Fabregas led the charge, supported by:
Walcott, Nasri, and Rosicky.
In defense, Koscielny and Sagna held the line.
In goal stood the newly returned Szczęsny.
This Arsenal lineup was youthful and explosive!
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