Under the night sky of Manchester!
The Etihad Stadium erupted in a deafening roar!
No one could believe what they had just witnessed!
A rabona super worldie from more than 25 yards out!
Joe Hart, who had leapt desperately to save it, landed back on the goal line, eyes vacant.
What just happened?
How did that shot even come off?
Four of Manchester City's toughest defenders had completely surrounded him.
Every passing and shooting lane should have been entirely shut down!
When he glanced up at the giant screen replaying the goal,
Joe Hart finally understood.
A rabona!
What kind of terrifying monster was this?
To strike a rabona with such frightening power…
and with vicious spin, plus that impossible mid-air swerve!
Even at full stretch, there was no way Hart could react to such a change of trajectory in the air.
The Etihad was in shock!
City fans clutched their heads in disbelief, watching the replay again and again on the big screen.
Even Arsenal fans were stunned—
then erupted into wild cheers, waving their arms and roaring with joy!
This was madness!
A rabona worldie!
Something almost unheard of!
"This one could make the Puskás shortlist for sure!"
The London media on site were elated.
But another reporter quickly shook his head:
"No, the Puskás rules say a player can only have one goal nominated!"
The press area was buzzing.
They suddenly realised—
Kai had scored so many jaw-dropping goals this year that they'd lost count!
Almost every one of his wonder goals could walk straight into the Puskás shortlist.
For most players, scoring one such goal in an entire year would be like a gift from the football gods.
But Kai's fans had the opposite problem—
too many to choose from, not knowing which single one should compete for the award!
On the pitch!
After scoring that rabona worldie,
Kai roared and pumped his fist!
He slid on his knees toward the away stand, which was exploding with cheers.
The joy of scoring such a wonder goal was beyond words.
The Arsenal players rushed over,
all sliding in unison alongside Kai toward the fans.
"Brilliant! Unparalleled!"
On the touchline, Wenger couldn't stop clapping.
Beside him, Rice was overjoyed, even breaking into an impromptu little dance.
"Half a season ago, during the summer window, our biggest competition—apart from Real Madrid—was Manchester City!"
"They offered a massive bid back then, but thank goodness we got this genius instead. Otherwise—"
Rice shook his head with a sigh,
"Otherwise it might be City dominating this season instead of us!"
Wenger nodded in agreement:
"That's why I often say—this is the greatest transfer in history. No contest!"
Meanwhile, on the City bench,
Mancini ran a hand through his messy hair and slumped down, defeated.
City had done everything right tonight—
every department, both attack and defence, had been tight and efficient.
But there was simply no stopping two god-tier goals from Kai. Not even divine intervention could save them!
Back then, Joe Hart didn't yet have the reputation among fans as the "permanent wonder goal background keeper."
But after tonight's game, City supporters felt genuine helplessness.
In the Etihad's executive box,
Manchester City's higher-ups couldn't sit still.
They stared at Kai, surrounded by his teammates and adored by the fans,
and the brainstorming turned frenzied.
"Buy him. We must buy him! We have to raise our offer!"
Another executive slapped his thigh:
"Raise our offer? Why not just trigger his release clause directly? 500 million euros—do you think that's a lot?"
Inside the box, the executives exchanged looks.
500 million euros!
Even today—
even ten years into the future—
that's a figure almost beyond imagination.
Normally, a release clause that high means the club has no intention of selling—ever.
Whether it's 500 million or a billion, it doesn't matter; no sane club would pay it.
But here sat the Premier League's most powerful financial backers—
wealthy beyond belief.
"He's only 17 years old—the youngest ever favourite for the Ballon d'Or! Age, talent, ability—everything about him is one of a kind in football today!"
"So what are we waiting for? For Abramovich to take him to Stamford Bridge before us? Or for PSG's owners to swoop in with piles of cash and drag him to Ligue 1?"
Under the determined gaze of Manchester City's executives:
"Before the winter transfer window opens, get someone to negotiate with his agent. Nobody says no to money!"
"We'll crown him as the new king of Manchester. In this city, his reputation will be no less than in London!"
The City hierarchy was itching to make a move.
Right now in the Premier League, every club wanted Kai. The frenzied bidding had thrown the entire football world into a frenzy!
On the pitch, after the celebrations died down, Arsenal players returned to their own half. The Etihad stands fell silent.
City fans wore heavy expressions.
Over thirty minutes played.
0–2!
Could Manchester City, at home tonight, still stand as the roadblock to stop Arsenal's march to an undefeated half-season title?
And soon, another moment that thrilled Arsenal supporters unfolded.
In first-half stoppage time, Kai seized on another City midfield blunder.
On the left flank, he intercepted the ball, then suddenly drove forward, feinting a charge.
With a drop of his shoulder, he shook off David Silva beside him, then struck the center of the ball powerfully with his right foot!
A sharply spinning, low-driven through pass ripped right between Kolarov and City center-back Lescott, slicing open the wing-to-center defensive line!
Gervinho charged into the side of the penalty area with the ball—
curled a shot!
The ball smashed off the post and bounced into the net.
Joe Hart let out a furious, guttural roar in frustration at the goalmouth.
3–0!
He pounded the post in anger.
Three goals conceded in one half—
the Manchester City keeper's confidence had taken a massive blow!
"You can't just leave me to face a one-on-one! That goal was on you defenders!"
Hart vented his frustration at his teammates inside the box.
The City stands buzzed with restless noise, while in the away section, Arsenal fans erupted in wild cheers!
With that assist, Kai's tally for the season climbed to 49—
just one away from 50!
The media at the stadium went into a frenzy.
Could they really be about to witness Arsenal's young captain reach the terrifying milestone of 50 assists in just half a season?
In the past, this would have been unthinkable—something no one would dare to believe!
Half-time arrived quickly.
Inside City's locker room, the atmosphere was grim.
Mancini scribbled furiously on the tactical board, speaking in a sharp tone.
In one corner sat Mario Balotelli, watching his older teammates fret over the halftime score with a complicated look in his eyes.
Just a year ago, the Italian prodigy had been fighting Kai for the Golden Boy award.
Nearly a year later, Balotelli realized a cruel truth—
he and Kai were no longer in the same class of player.
At this time last season, his market value had been twice that of Kai's, making him the clear favorite for the Golden Boy award.
But now, a year later, his own value had barely changed—maybe even dropped—
while Kai's valuation had surpassed even Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, making him the brightest supernova in world football!
"In the second half, we still have a chance! The only thing we can do is press hard and force Arsenal to burn through their stamina!"
Mancini still hadn't realized there was a flaw in his plan.
"In the second half, press them relentlessly! Force mistakes out of them under pressure!"
"Remember Istanbul all those years ago? Three goals down at halftime means nothing! In the second half, we'll pull off the comeback of the century!"
Fifteen minutes passed in a flash.
Under the Etihad's night sky, the second half kicked off—
and Mancini quickly realized there was a gaping hole in his strategy!
Faced with City's high defensive line, Arsenal showed no intention of backing down.
With Kai orchestrating from midfield, the Gunners went toe-to-toe without hesitation.
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