"5–0! One-sided massacre! Stamford Bridge falls!"
"Thunderous cannon returns! Terrifying 180 km/h strike! Kai storms Cech's goal again!"
"Two goals and three assists — involved in all five! Kai's Premier League tally this season passes 40 goals!"
"Eighteen straight wins! Arsenal are just one match away from a perfect first half of the season and the title!"
"Final round of the first half: Arsenal vs Manchester City!"
"City boss Mancini says: We'll be ready for Arsenal at the Etihad!"
After Arsenal's 18th-round victory over Chelsea,
the entire English football scene was in turmoil!
Whether it was Chelsea's dressing room chaos laid bare for all to see,
or Arsenal — led by Kai — smashing Stamford Bridge with five goals,
both had set the whole of England buzzing with heated discussion!
"After the Chelsea match, Kai's goal count this season has reached a terrifying 41!"
"His assists are even more staggering — a massive 48!"
"With just one round left before the Premier League's first half ends, Kai is on the verge of an unheard-of 50 assists in half a season!"
A Sky Sports pundit stared into the camera as he spoke.
Fans went wild!
Forty-one goals in just 18 league matches?!
Plus forty-eight assists on top of that!
What does that even mean?
This season, Kai has pushed the Premier League's goal and assist records to heights never seen before!
Former Arsenal legend — the "Ice Prince" Dennis Bergkamp —
accepted Sky Sports' invitation to speak.
The former Gunner, who had hung up his boots at a jubilant farewell,
spoke bluntly on camera:
"Kai is without a doubt a legend of the Gunners! He is the greatest No. 10 in Arsenal history."
"It was an honour to wear the same No. 10 shirt for Arsenal that he wears now."
"Eighteen Premier League games, forty-eight assists — my God!"
Bergkamp's face was full of astonishment.
"Many people may not fully realise just how insane this is! Before this, Thierry Henry's 20 assists in a single season were treated as a miracle of the Premier League, untouched for years."
"But now, look at the assist charts! The first half of the season isn't even over, and he's already on 48. 'Miracle' doesn't even begin to describe this terrifying genius — I can't find words strong enough!"
Bergkamp's open praise instantly set the fan community ablaze.
As a former owner of Arsenal's No. 10 shirt,
his words only further highlighted Kai's absolute dominance in the Premier League today.
Meanwhile, after Chelsea's crushing home defeat to Arsenal,
the Blues' official channels soon released news:
Abramovich's patience with Villas-Boas was almost gone.
Chelsea were already seeking a new manager!
Many Blues fans called for the return of Ancelotti to Stamford Bridge.
But things weren't that simple —
Ancelotti, who had been out of work for almost six months,
had already received offers from several other clubs.
With chaos both on and off the pitch,
Chelsea's higher-ups held an emergency meeting.
Under fierce public criticism and restive fan pressure,
Abramovich decided to shift attention —
to take an unexpected approach.
Just before the winter transfer window opened,
a jaw-dropping bid landed on the table:
"Chelsea bid £275 million for Kai!"
The whole of European football was shaken!
This figure was slightly higher than Manchester City's earlier offer —
close to €300 million!
In the current era,
it was a number beyond most fans' imagination.
With the winter window about to open,
Abramovich decided to gamble everything,
pouring all resources into bringing Kai to Stamford Bridge,
hoping this move would calm Chelsea's storm.
Once Abramovich made his move,
other giants couldn't sit still.
In La Liga,
José Mourinho again told the media of his desire to coach Kai:
"I've spoken with Florentino — Kai is a player Real Madrid will pursue no matter what!"
"He fits Real Madrid perfectly — a natural leader, terrifying talent and ability! And, I must add, his looks are top-tier, which is exactly what Madrid want."
From Spain, Mourinho fanned the flames of the storm surrounding the battle for Kai,
and his words won strong backing from Madrid's top brass.
Of course, the calculating Real Madrid had their own motives.
This year's Ballon d'Or race had already seen Ronaldo drop out of contention with Messi.
Barcelona had claimed an unprecedented quintuple.
Meanwhile, Madrid's only silverware last season was the Copa del Rey.
Rivals to the Catalan club,
Madrid had no wish to see Barça's talisman win back-to-back Ballons d'Or.
At present, in the Ballon d'Or betting odds,
Kai still topped the list,
followed by Messi in second.
Real Madrid did not want to see Messi take the trophy twice in a row.
For Kai and Arsenal,
this was an unexpected windfall —
Real Madrid had now joined the fierce superclub battle for him.
To a certain extent, this also helped build momentum for Kai.
"Since last year, the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or have been merged!"
"Before the merger, the Ballon d'Or was decided by votes from sports journalists, while the World Player of the Year was voted on by national team coaches and captains!"
"The former valued a player's ability and hard honours; the latter placed greater emphasis on a player's reputation in the football world!"
"After the merger, players who possess both ability and prestige naturally have an overwhelming advantage!"
English media outlets were already analysing the Ballon d'Or race before the awards ceremony.
"Across all of European football, is there any player whose reputation can match Arsenal's young captain?"
"He is currently the hottest superstar in world football!"
"In terms of ability — over 40 goals in just half a season, and nearly 50 assists, numbers that far surpass Messi and Ronaldo, and rank first across all five major leagues!"
The English football scene was abuzz with discussion.
Arsenal fans were especially excited.
In Premier League history, only one player has ever won both the Ballon d'Or and the World Player of the Year while playing in England —
Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008, back when he was still at Manchester United.
The Premier League platform had never been able to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona's star-making machines.
In recent years, the Ballon d'Or had been monopolised entirely by players from those two clubs.
But this year…
was the Premier League's best chance in ages!
A generational, era-defining superstar had arrived in England,
and had lifted the entire stage of English football to unprecedented heights!
"In Arsenal's history, no player has ever won the Ballon d'Or!"
"Even Henry, at his very peak, could only finish second!"
The English media's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
With only half a month left until FIFA's annual gala,
the fate of this year's Ballon d'Or was about to be decided.
Could Kai really take it home?
Could he break Real Madrid and Barcelona's stranglehold on the award, and return the Ballon d'Or to the Premier League?
Both fans and the press felt a mix of excitement and nerves.
And if he succeeded —
Kai would become the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history!
Last year's Golden Boy, this year's Ballon d'Or?!
The very thought was staggering!
Meanwhile, as the buzz raged outside the pitch,
Arsenal pressed on with their packed December schedule.
As the month neared its end,
they still had two matches to play:
one final Premier League fixture to close out the first half of the season,
and the League Cup semi-final at month's end!
December 26th — Premier League Round 19!
It was also the final round of the league's first half.
Following their away trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea,
Arsenal would again hit the road —
this time to the Etihad Stadium,
to take on Manchester City!
For Kai, this was a familiar foe.
In last season's FA Cup knockout stages,
it was he who had led Crystal Palace to eliminate Manchester City,
seizing the Golden Boy Award ahead of Balotelli,
and becoming the youngest winner in history!
This season's Manchester City,
after 18 rounds of Premier League play,
sat just behind Arsenal —
level on 47 points with Manchester United, tied for second place.
The Premier League's first-half finale drew huge attention from all sides.
If City could win at home,
they stood a good chance of overtaking their city rivals United
to claim second place at the halfway mark.
As for Arsenal,
having already secured the first-half title,
a win at the Etihad would see them achieve an unprecedented feat —
an invincible, perfect first half of the season!
Before the match, City boss Roberto Mancini told the press:
"Manchester City will defend the honour of the Etihad at home!"
The stage was set for the ultimate showdown of the first half —
Premier League No. 1 vs No. 2.
The red-hot atmosphere swept across the league…
as evening approached.
~~----------------------
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