82: Road To The Double

The scoreline remained unchanged!

Faced with a team from the Championship,

Arsenal had been pushed to the brink—with nowhere left to retreat.

The young Gunners were all left in shock.

This was a Championship side whose entire squad's market value—excluding Kai—wasn't even a fraction of Arsenal's!

Yet, with Kai—a genius midfielder—commanding them,

Crystal Palace displayed terrifying cohesion and flawless execution!

Fabregas was substituted in the 80th minute.

There were no cheers from the Arsenal fans in the stands.

He quietly took off the captain's armband and passed it to Van Persie.

And so, the captain of Arsenal since the age of 21, Fabregas, disappeared down the tunnel,

accompanied by faint boos from the Emirates crowd.

3–1, the final score!

As the referee blew the final whistle—

Crystal Palace's section of the stands exploded with deafening cheers!

The match was over!

Crystal Palace players collapsed to the ground in excitement!

They roared madly, lying on the grass with tears in their eyes, gazing up at the night sky over London.

They had created an unprecedented miracle!

They had defeated Arsenal in the FA Cup semifinal

and marched proudly into the FA Cup final!!

Crystal Palace fans went absolutely wild!

At that moment, no amount of praise or accolades could truly capture the overwhelming emotions in their hearts!

Fans raised their arms high,

pouring every ounce of their passion toward that young figure who stood like a king ruling over the world!

Kai stood on the pitch,

spreading his arms toward the stands.

In that moment—

He wasn't just greeted with the wild roars of Crystal Palace supporters...

Even the Arsenal fans at the scene rose to applaud once again.

Even Wenger couldn't help but join the applause.

This was a perfect match.

A truly flawless performance that showcased the full brilliance of a genius!

Wenger was deeply shaken.

On the grand stage of an FA Cup semifinal—

That world-renowned prodigy had won not one, but many rounds of applause from even the harshest Arsenal fans.

The Arsenal players on the field were dazed.

Most of them had never witnessed the glory of the Henry era at Highbury.

Now, for the first time,

they had witnessed a single player, in front of 60,000 fans, win the hearts and admiration of the entire stadium.

The media at the scene were going crazy!

They snapped pictures non-stop, capturing every historic moment.

At the post-match press conference—

Having led his team to a 3–1 victory over Arsenal and into the final,

Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway was understandably ecstatic:

"We've made it into the FA Cup final for the first time in history...

As for our goal?

Just like our genius has said long ago—our goal is the championship!"

But soon after,

the Crystal Palace boss also realized—

As the team made history by reaching the final,

this season's journey was also nearing its end.

And with it,

Kai's time at Crystal Palace might be entering its final countdown.

Facing the media cameras,

the excitement in Holloway's face faded away,

replaced by a look of complicated emotion.

Meanwhile, in Arsenal's media room—

Wenger, normally a man of few words,

opened up from the heart.

The Gunners' manager took full responsibility for the defeat,

blaming it squarely on himself.

And in a surprising remark to the press, Wenger said:

"Tonight's Gunners lost to a team led by a genius.

It's a painful result, but it also shows how much a true superstar can impact the outcome of a match!"

"And from this, I am certain—

In the final, the championship will be his!"

The media erupted!

Wenger's statement instantly ignited debates and frenzy across English football!

And the emotional outpouring from Arsenal fans toward Kai before halftime...

Was being reported by media outlets all over the country.

With the transfer window approaching—

Any club closely linked to Kai would immediately become the center of attention across all of European football!

As for Kai and the entire Crystal Palace squad—

All off-field talk would be put aside for now.

Because the end of the season... was drawing near.

Crystal Palace's greatest challenge of the season was fast approaching!

There was still nearly a month to go before the FA Cup final.

But during that time,

one of Crystal Palace's biggest challenges this season had already appeared!

In the Championship standings, Crystal Palace was now just two points behind QPR (Queens Park Rangers) at the top of the table!

And soon, in the league—

Crystal Palace would face QPR in their second and final league encounter of the season!

This was a decisive match that would determine who claimed the Championship title!

Let's go!

QPR could afford a win or even a draw.

But for Crystal Palace, there was no way out—only one option: fight for victory!

After the match against Arsenal—

That same evening,

Kai returned to his room and activated the system settlement.

In that match, he once again earned an SS+ rating, the highest post-match rating!

Before him appeared a glowing, golden Arsenal Treasure Chest!

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for opening the Arsenal Golden Chest!]

Reward obtained: Dennis Bergkamp's "Lob-Dribble" Module!

A brief tingling sensation at the back of his head—

Kai's eyes lit up!

The Iceman Bergkamp!

That legendary "century turn" lob and dribble move had driven countless fans wild!

After loading the Bergkamp Module,

Kai immediately felt lighter on his feet.

[Ball Control: 80 → 85!]

His ball control stat jumped by 5 points!

He closed the system panel,

then walked up to the villa rooftop to begin his daily special training.

At the final stretch of the season,

his form would directly influence the fate of the entire team.

Crystal Palace was now at a critical juncture in the championship race!

Whether in the FA Cup or the Championship League,

this season, Kai had set his sights on securing the first double crown of his career!

"Shocking Arsenal Defeat! Crystal Palace Marches to the Final for the First Time in History!"

"According to betting records: Before the FA Cup began, Crystal Palace's odds to reach the final were a staggering 1:140!"

"An Unprecedented Miracle! The Greatest Underdog Story Ever!"

"Kai Directly Involved in All Three Goals, Stuns the Emirates!"

Headline after headline swept across English football like wildfire!

And after witnessing Kai's extraordinary performance firsthand,

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke immediately declared:

"This season, the Gunners will spare no effort in pursuing this super talent!"

This statement caused an uproar!

Abramovich of Chelsea wasn't about to sit still either.

Manchester United also immediately began making moves.

But all this off-field noise did not disturb Crystal Palace.

Because before the FA Cup final,

they still had one massive task at hand!

The Championship League season had reached 40 rounds.

Within the next month, six rounds remained before the season concluded!

And now—

All eyes across English football were fixed on the Championship standings!

Time flew by.

After five more rounds, a crazy scene unfolded!

In those five matches, Crystal Palace and QPR kept pace with each other—

and the gap remained at just two points!

Kai's assist tally soared to an unprecedented 75, setting Europe on fire again!

With a record-breaking 44 goals, he was now tied with teammate Vaughan at the top of the scoring chart!

And now, Round 46 had arrived:

The final matchday of the Championship season!

Crystal Palace would host QPR at Selhurst Park!

Though both clubs had already secured promotion to the Premier League for next season,

this final showdown—

would directly decide the Championship title!

A historic title clash!

All eyes were now fixed on this decisive battle.

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

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