Chapter 611: Chapter 610: When the Drawing is Exhausted, the Dagger is Revealed, My Triumph Exists in the FA Cup
Three to one!
Manchester City have beaten their nemesis Chelsea for the first time this season.
Chelsea’s only goal now will be to maintain their fourth place in the league, and to turn that Champions League qualifying spot into a real Champions League group stage spot.
After the match, Deng Kai was surrounded by reporters.
Reporter: "Deng Kai, congratulations! You’ve got another chance to win a championship!"
Reporter: "You’ll be facing Arsenal in the final. Do you think you have a chance to win? Are you nervous?"
Reporter: "Everyone thought you could only make it to the semifinals of the FA Cup, but now you’ve reached the final. Does that mean success for you?"
Facing the reporter’s questions, Deng Kai said, "We’re very happy to have reached the FA Cup final; it’s another recognition of our efforts this season."
"Since we’ve come this far, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. Our goal is only one, and that is to win the championship!"
"So we’re not nervous at all. On the contrary, I’m sure my teammates are very excited right now. Because if we win the FA Cup, we will split five million pounds in prize money!"
Reporter: "Five million pounds? Isn’t the FA Cup champion’s reward two million pounds? Of course, I’m not saying that’s a small amount, it’s already a lot, and not every team shares this money with players and staff."
"Mansour is an excellent club chairman."
Deng Kai corrected the reporter, "It is indeed five million pounds, because our bet with Pepsi includes the possibility of winning the FA Cup."
"That three million pounds will be paid by Pepsi if we win. So Pepsi might be the ones who are more nervous right now."
"Of course, their investment will be seen by people. They’ve sponsored many teams in the past, but those teams combined might not have won two championships."
"If we win the FA Cup, we will invite Feng Te to hold the Championship Trophy and give everyone a swirl in front of the camera!"
Reporter: "A swirl?"
Deng Kai: "Yes, it’s a special way to drink. A waterspout is formed inside the bottle, allowing you to down an entire bottle in one gulp!"
The reporters clapped one after another.
In addition, Deng Kai also made positive remarks about his former teammate, "Terry did his best today. If it weren’t for him, we might have scored more goals."
"I think he has the potential to be a contender for the best center-back in the Premier League."
"I know Ferdinand seems quite unstoppable at the moment, but I think Terry and him are two different types of center-backs, and they can both be the best in their respective markets."
"Lampard is definitely a top midfielder, and his excellence is beyond question."
"But compatibility issues with Gerard in the national team might become England’s main problem to solve going forward."
Reporter: "Will Essien’s absence have any impact on your matchup against Arsenal?"
Deng Kai: "It will definitely have an impact, as Essien is an indispensable part of our lineup."
"But fortunately, we have almost a month’s time, and Thiago Silva, Sun Jihai, and Tu Lei all have the ability to perform at the defensive midfielder position."
Reporter: "So you won’t try to change the formation?"
Deng Kai: "Of course! We’ve essentially used just one formation this season, everyone is accustomed to it, and we won’t switch to a new style just because of one person’s absence."
"We have confidence in our strength."
...
After the match, the news that Manchester City had reached the FA Cup final arrived as expected.
"Double crown law fulfilled! Deng Kai wins at least two championship trophies each year in his career!"
"Manchester City vs. Arsenal: Who Do You Favor in the FA Cup?"
"FA Cup Misses London Derby, Manchester City Triumphs Over Chelsea with a 3-1 Victory"
"Defending Champions Arsenal Take on Two Foes, Facing Manchester Rivals in League and FA Cup!"
"6-2 and 5-1! Manchester City Concedes Eleven Goals to Arsenal Over Two Legs! Arsenal Has No Reason to Lose in The FA Cup!"
"League’s Manchester City Is Not the Real Deal, FA Cup Will Showcase Full-Strength Man City! Who Will Lift the Trophy, Arsenal or Manchester City? Unclear!"
That was the common sentiment.
But the number of people who really thought Manchester City had a chance to win the FA Cup was far too few.
Even the naive Pepsi wouldn’t buy it.
After all, whether it was past records or the Premier League standings, the gap was simply too big.
Yet Jiang Yunzhu’s in-depth tweet on "Understanding Football" sparked hope.
The tweet was titled "Perhaps This Is Another Key Reason Why Deng Kai Has Been Supporting Manchester United This Season!"
"At the start of the season, the relationship between Manchester United and Manchester City was actually very tense. People once believed that Deng Kai would join Manchester United, but in the end, he joined Manchester City."
"However, as Deng Kai continually showed goodwill towards Manchester United, their fans gradually started entering Maine Road Stadium. This brought about a very noticeable change in ticket sales, merchandise, and other revenues."
"It was also believed that Deng Kai’s goodwill towards Manchester United was purely for commercial reasons and his personal affection for the club."
"But as the league season progressed, Deng Kai repeatedly backed Manchester United. We once analyzed this as brotherly affection between Deng Kai and Cristiano Ronaldo, although he was out of the league title race, he wished his friend Ronaldo could reach the top."
"Only now, perhaps, do we have the complete answer."
"Deng Kai’s support for Manchester United may also include another layer of meaning. He might have hoped that United’s clash with Arsenal in the league would wear Arsenal down, thereby giving Manchester City a certain advantage in the FA Cup final."
This theory sounded incredibly far-fetched.
"Sky Sports" questioned Jiang Yunzhu’s claim, asking what made Deng Kai so sure that Arsenal would definitely reach the FA Cup final.
Jiang Yunzhu responded, "At the beginning of every season, doesn’t everyone consider Arsenal to be the main contender for the FA Cup?"
Sky Sports had no comeback.
BBC followed up, asking why Manchester City was so certain it could make it to the FA Cup final itself. If they couldn’t, would they not just be making a wedding dress for Chelsea?
Jiang Yunzhu: "Human effort favours the prepared mind, but the outcome is determined by fate. Opportunity won’t appear out of nowhere, it’s always seized by those who are ready."
"This is why Deng Kai has so many seemingly bizarre successes. He has put in a lot of effort outside the game."
"Just like how war is never confined to just the front lines of a battlefield."
"Efforts in unseen places may well be the main reason Deng Kai, Maxa, Sporting Lisbon, and Manchester City have been successful!"
Following this, England fans liked the tweet in droves.
Other authoritative media from different regions rapidly shared it.
But they thought it wasn’t just Deng Kai’s doing alone.
After all, Deng Kai was too young.
No matter how prodigious, he surely needed the guidance of a sage to reach this point.
And that sage was both far on the horizon and right before their eyes!
