Chapter 624: Chapter 623 Arsenal’s Undefeated Declaration
But Arsenal had completely lost the ability to respond.
The Gunners all looked towards Wenger.
And Wenger, with a vacant gaze, walked towards the player’s tunnel, his head bowed.
As he crossed paths with Deng Kai, he seemed to have aged a decade.
Because Wenger knew, Arsenal... were no longer the challengers to Manchester United.
After this match, only Manchester City would have the right to challenge Manchester United.
Deng Kai had done it.
He had defeated Arsenal.
And Wenger... had failed in his ordeal!
He was never the one favored by fate.
It had been the same against Ferguson.
It was still the same against Deng Kai.
He really was somewhat resigned to his fate.
Deng Kai, seeing Wenger’s completely depleted spirit, felt a twinge of pity.
"Hey! Professor," Deng Kai called out to Wenger.
"What do you want!" Vieira, Henry, and other players immediately charged out, glaring fiercely at Deng Kai.
If Deng Kai dared to continue mocking Wenger, dared to offend the Professor, they would show Deng Kai the might of the Gunners off the pitch!
Deng Kai wasn’t worried; looking at Wenger, who turned to face him, he said, "Although our ultimate goal is to be greater than Manchester United."
"If Arsenal can achieve things that Manchester United can’t, we wouldn’t mind continuing to see you as our opponents!"
Wenger shook his head.
Things Manchester United can’t achieve?
The Premier League three-peat or Champions League treble?
Manchester United was greater than Arsenal, this was a fact Wenger had to admit.
Deng Kai saw the desolation in Wenger’s eyes: "At least, you’ve already managed a thirty-game unbeaten streak in Premier League."
"Isn’t an undefeated Premier League season within reach?"
Wenger’s pupils contracted.
Gradually, there was a light in his eyes.
"Yes, you’re right... We still have many things worth striving for!" Wenger’s eyes reddened, and he walked back, extending his hand to Deng Kai.
Deng Kai and Wenger shook hands.
Wenger then hugged Deng Kai briefly.
Afterwards, he said to Henry and the others, "Let’s go, our journey is not over. Next season, we have even greater things to do!"
Under Wenger’s leadership, the Arsenal players walked to the side of the pitch with their heads held high.
Despite the defeat.
The hearts of the Gunners remained steadfast.
Since they were not the strongest challengers.
Then they would become an even greater team and wait for challengers to come!
...
"Double Champions! Nine-man Manchester City beats Arsenal 5-4 in the FA Cup final with a miraculous last-minute goal!"
"Deng Kai’s hat-trick outshines Henry, Manchester City overturns Arsenal with 5-4!"
"Substitute hero Wu Xudong’s extraordinary performance not enough to save the day! Emperor Deng Kai’s hat-trick secures the double crown!"
"Manchester! Manchester’s Two Giants Sweep All English Championships This Season!"
"Three Consecutive Best Player Awards! Deng Kai Breaks Records to Dominate Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup Player of the Season!"
"Deng Kai, Henry, and Ronaldo Share the FA Cup Golden Boot! Robbie Fowler Follows Closely with Three Goals and an Assist!"
"Six Assists Make Deng Kai the Uncontested Assist King! Vieira and Van Bronckhorst Take Second and Third Place!"
"Deng Kai Heads the FA Cup’s Best XI! Henry, Fowler, Hasselbaink, Lampard, Vieira, Campbell, Hierro, Lehmann..."
"Knowledge Changes Destiny! Deng Kai’s Elevator Ball Masterstroke Defeats Arsenal as the University of Lisbon President Announces Deng Kai’s Early Master’s Degree!"
They won!
Manchester City really won!
They beat the invincible Arsenal!
At this moment, the world’s attention was focused on Manchester.
Many started following Manchester City from asking "Who is Manchester City?" to exclaiming "Wow!" as Manchester City lifted two Championship Trophies.
Sky Sports: "Playing football is not scary. It’s scary when a player is educated! After Deng Kai’s reminder, we conducted a detailed comparison of his movement charts from this season and the last."
"We found that Deng Kai vastly increased the time he held the ball on the flanks this season. Moreover, he attempted two to three times more dribbles than last season!"
"But shockingly, his successful dribbling rate on the flanks is among the top three in the Premier League, with only Giggs and Ronaldo from Manchester United ranking higher."
"From a midfielder who rarely dribbled on the flanks to a winged assassin, Deng Kai’s transformation cannot simply be explained by talent alone."
"We looked into Deng Kai’s master’s thesis and discovered he applied the theory of ’Vertical Flash’ to real matches. His absolute speed is not fast, but once he starts, opponents often struggle to keep up!"
"Vertical Flash, Elevator Ball... we don’t know what other surprises Deng Kai’s knowledge will bring!"
Statistics show that after the FA Cup final, the popularity of the term ’Elevator Ball’ has surpassed that of the ’Crescent Moon Curve’.
Authoritative media predict that in the coming years, the Elevator Ball could become one of the strongest free-kick techniques alongside the Crescent Moon Curve.
Even if they are not necessarily the strongest, most people believe they are.
The Crescent Moon Curve gained fame worldwide thanks to Beckham, hence it was also called the "Beckham Arc."
The Elevator Ball, however, is Deng Kai’s "original creation," currently exclusive to him, prompting the media to name this free-kick technique the "Kai-style Foldline."
No arc, just a lightning descent!
Deng Kai: Uh... this interpretation seems a bit inauspicious.
Following this, the media reached out to the biggest loser of this Premier League season, Arsenal’s manager Wenger.
Wenger looked solemn but was not defeated: "Manchester City has had a miraculous season. Their achievements are beyond what anyone anticipated."
"We lost to them, but not because we underestimated them, rather because Manchester City truly had the strength to beat Arsenal."
"Only by accepting reality can we make real progress."
"I want to thank Deng Kai for giving me a new goal."
"Arsenal chasing Manchester United will never succeed. We should not become a second Manchester United; we should be the first Arsenal!"
"Next season we will try again for an undefeated season!"
"We will do what Manchester United could not do!"
Wenger’s declaration revived the spirits of both Arsenal’s players and fans.
Stars like Henry, Vieira, and Pires openly expressed their confidence for the next season.
They did not seem like a team that had just suffered a crushing defeat.
Their resilience commands respect.
Upon his return to his homeland, Wu Xudong was treated like a hero.
Regardless of whether Arsenal won any honors this season, at least Wu Xudong has established his footing in the Premier League.
And though he is a full-back, he is an attacking player, the kind with goals and assists to his name.
Had this been in the past, there would surely be a swarm of skeptics saying things like "When you weren’t with Arsenal, they were the Premier League and FA Cup champions. You join, and they’ve got nothing!" and the like.
