Date: February 25th, 2025
Event: Carabao Cup Final – Liverpool vs Chelsea
Location: Wembley Stadium, London
The morning sky over London was grey but calm, a rare truce between winter clouds and spring's approach. But inside Wembley, no peace existed—only pressure. A final. Ninety minutes for glory. The first trophy of the season.
Jota sat by the window of the team hotel in central London, watching the traffic move through the rain-speckled glass. His earbuds were in, looping the same quiet instrumental—something to drown out the nerves.
[System Alert]
Fate Thread Detected – Wembley Event Tier 2
Risk of Injury: 53% (Specific Event Range: 55'–70')
Special Quest Triggered: Seize The Spotlight
Objectives:
– Score or Assist in the Final
– Avoid Injury
– Influence Final Outcome (MVP Threshold)
Reward: Skill Evolution + Passive Trait Unlock + Reputation Gain
His stomach tightened. This wasn't just another game. This was his first step toward immortality in the rebooted timeline.
Pre-Match Briefing – Wembley Tunnel
Arne Slot had them all in a tight circle. The buzz of camera crews and staff filtered in through the hallways, but inside the huddle, it was silent. Focused.
"We've faced Chelsea before. We beat them because we were smarter, quicker, and hungrier. Today, we add another reason—we finish them."
He looked toward Jota, then Salah.
"They'll start with a high line. Colwill and Disasi are aggressive, but vulnerable to diagonal runs. I want Diogo and Mo rotating inside. Darwin, pull their shape apart. Midfield—win the second ball and switch play fast."
The squad clapped. A few deep exhales. Then, the walk into the tunnel.
As they lined up, Jota caught the glare of Enzo Fernández across from him. No smiles. No banter. Just business.
He clenched his jaw. Let's rewrite history.
Kick-Off – 16:30 Local Time
Liverpool in red. Chelsea in white and blue. The crowd was a thundercloud—half of Wembley roaring for each breath of possession. The trophy gleamed pitchside like bait.
Slot's 4-3-3 was as expected. Jota on the left, Salah right, Darwin central. Szoboszlai and Mac Allister ahead of Endō.
Chelsea's 4-2-3-1 mirrored their last encounter, but with Sterling and Palmer both cutting inside early. Enzo tried to dictate tempo, but Endō was a bulldog, disrupting rhythm with relentless aggression.
10th Minute: Jota drifted central, received a laser pass from Szoboszlai, and flicked it into Darwin's path. The Uruguayan surged forward but was dispossessed by a recovering Caicedo.
[System Sync – Match Mode ACTIVE]
Spatial Awareness Boost Activated (Left Half-Space)
17th Minute: Chelsea countered. Mudryk found space behind Trent. He cut in and fired low—but Alisson saved well.
The game was open. Fast. Transitional. Wembley buzzed.
22nd Minute: Jota picked up the ball near the touchline. He turned, noticed Salah starting a sprint on the far side—and switched play with a perfect 50-yard diagonal.
The crowd gasped. Mo controlled it in stride, but couldn't beat Petrovic. Still, it was a warning.
+1 Visionary Link-Up Progress
+2 Coach Trust Points
30th Minute – Close Call Caicedo went in hard on Jota near the sideline. The crunch echoed.
⚠️ Fate Thread Detected – Joint Stress Event Narrowly Avoided
Resilience +2% (Passive Boost)
He got up quickly. He had to.
38th Minute – GOAL! Mac Allister won the ball near midfield. Szoboszlai picked it up and released Jota early. He cut inside Disasi, ignored Darwin's run, and fired low across goal.
Net rippled.
1–0 Liverpool.
Wembley erupted. Jota ran to the corner flag, fingers to his temple. Calculated.
✅ Goal Registered – Quest Progress: 1/1
⚡ Skill Evolution: Precision Finishing – Level 2 Unlocked
Second Half – 46:00
Chelsea came out pressing harder. Palmer drifted into half-spaces, forcing Konaté and Virgil to split more than Slot liked. Sterling nearly got in behind but scuffed his shot wide.
52nd Minute: Endō won a crunching duel, Szoboszlai flicked it first-time, and Jota was off again. He squared it to Darwin—who missed the sitter.
System Note: Missed Expected Assist. No Penalty.
55th Minute – Fate Window Opens Jota pressed high, then overextended slightly chasing Gusto. The Chelsea fullback stepped across—and Jota's boot caught the turf.
⚠️ Injury Probability Spike – 61%
Emergency Movement Adjustments: Recommended
He slowed instantly. Recovered shape. No risk.
61st Minute – SUB: Chelsea bring on Gallagher, pushing Enzo higher.
65th Minute – Equalizer A scramble in Liverpool's box. Trent blocked a shot, but the rebound fell to Palmer, who slotted past Alisson.
1–1.
Chelsea's fans exploded. Momentum was theirs now.
72nd Minute – Tactical Adjustment Slot called Jota over. "Pull wider. Create isolation on Gusto. We'll shift Szoboszlai centrally and Mac deeper."
System Update – New Tactical Role: Inverted Winger (Advanced)
He nodded. Time to switch the angles.
78th Minute: From a throw-in, Trent worked a triangle with Szoboszlai. The ball broke for Jota. He drove inside—ignored the pass—took the shot.
Crossbar.
Groans from the Liverpool end. So close.
83rd Minute – Final Moments Chelsea sat deeper now. Liverpool's rotations increased. Robertson overlapping, Salah drifting central.
Jota checked his stamina gauge—low. But this was the final.
88th Minute – The Moment A loose ball fell to Endō. He touched it wide to Mac Allister, who clipped it into the box.
Jota anticipated it—burst into space—and rose above Gusto.
Header. Near post. Net.
2–1.
Pandemonium. Liverpool's section ignited. He ripped off in celebration, sliding knees-first in front of the cameras.
✅ Goal Registered
🎖️ Quest Complete: Seize The Spotlight
🧠 Passive Trait Unlocked: Big Match Temperament
🌟 Match Rating: 9.4
🔓 Reputation Tier: Rising Icon
Full Time – Liverpool 2–1 Chelsea
Carabao Cup Champions
Tears in red shirts. Silver medals for Chelsea.
Jota stood on the podium, medal glinting, trophy in his hands. The weight of it felt different. Earned. Preordained. Defiant.
And as he lifted it, the System chimed one last time:
📅 New Target: February 28th – FA Cup vs Southampton
⚠️ New Fate Thread Incoming – Personal Stakes Tier II
Isabela Involved.
His heart skipped.
Trophies were one thing. Protecting those he loved—that was everything.