Chapter 501

May arrived, and the London Flower Show, long anticipated by the people, came as scheduled.

The Chelsea Flower Show originated in 1862, organized by the Royal Horticultural Society, and each year attracts several hundred of the world's top horticultural artisans to participate.

Football and community are inseparable parts.

A morning of birdsong and floral fragrance.

London community representative David warmly welcomed FA senior official Clarke.

Their task today is to distribute free FA Cup final tickets to charitable organizations, schools, and similar groups.

"Have you heard? Abu won't be able to watch the FA Cup final this year?"

"It's not because of that Russian former agent under British protection, that old guy who was poisoned—this became the fuse that plunged Anglo-Russian relations into tension."

"What kind of brain circuitry do those damn politicians have? How did they go from the poisoning incident to dredging up the old Brexit referendum account? And then extend it to banning Abu's visa renewal?"

Clarke rubbed his bald head, dampened by dew.

With a troubled expression: "Ah, perhaps not long from now, we might have to take over this club worth over 2 billion pounds."

David's expression was bewildered: Zero-cost acquisition?

In his mind, the imagined skin tone of politicians instantly turned into a pitch-black expanse.

"After the World Cup ends, Chelsea might just have a ball king! If politicians acquire Chelsea for zero cost, how would they handle the ball king's fate?"

"Don't joke—Chelsea's market value determines that Abu cannot possibly be driven away!"

The two bald middle-aged men exchanged a glance, couldn't help but burst into laughter, and walked hand in hand toward the pink sea of flowers.

Simply put.

The 2018 "Spygate," as a fuse, intensified a series of contradictions.

Consequently affecting Abu's entry, affecting Chelsea.

This summer transfer window is also the final deadline for renewing contracts of several key players.

Media suddenly captured Abu appearing in Israel.

Various phenomena led the BBC and The Times of this historical period to believe Chelsea would change ownership.

Chelsea's senior leadership was in a flurry of activity.

The coaching staff and players were not disturbed, having long grown accustomed to it—news about "Abu selling Chelsea" has been abundant since around 2006, though these years have been particularly intense.

Chelsea's fixture list is very tight.

The day after the first leg of the semifinals ended, they had to face London rivals Crystal Palace, and two days later they needed to rush ahead to Munich to prepare for the second leg of the Champions League semifinals, leaving the coaching staff no breathing time.

Speaking of Crystal Palace.

Their current manager Hodgson once led three different clubs to defeat Chelsea.

Last season, Chelsea players, when challenging Crystal Palace away, nearly produced a sarira.

Hazard was hit by a series of elbow strikes.

Diego Costa was head-locked and violently kicked.

William was eye-poked and groin-kicked.

Conte was struck on the head by miscellaneous objects from the stands.

Crystal Palace's "style" as a club is such that even cartoons dare not let the protagonist start there.

Selhurst Park Stadium.

Crystal Palace fans raised banners and slogans reading: "The purity of football, contaminated by Abu's dirty money."

Shouts of anger and provocation never ceased.

A giant gray-and-white TIFO image slowly rose.

On the sidelines.

Li Kang sat on the bench, Dino vigilantly turned his head, using his gaze to scan the stands, fearing miscellaneous objects might be thrown and strike the awning.

Tuchel paced back and forth in the technical area.

The coaching staff behind him were tightly drumming and preparing for the second leg of the Champions League semifinals.

On the other side.

Crystal Palace manager Hodgson, calm and breezy.

His status in the football world is very high.

To this day, a stadium in southern Sweden still bears his name; this oldest Premier League head coach once transformed Swedish giants Malmö's football.

Unlike Wenger, who devoted most of his coaching career to Arsenal, Hodgson has coached eight different countries and over twenty clubs, from Swedish Division Two to the Champions League final, having taken relegation-battling Fulham all the way to the Champions League final—through wind and rain.

What contributions has this old man made to football tactics? Zonal marking and the "improved offside trap."

Jianghu people call him: Hegong Taigong.

Worth mentioning: he is 71 this year and still has eight-pack abs.

This temporary firefighting appointment as Crystal Palace manager also fulfilled a childhood wish: Hodgson came through Crystal Palace's youth academy.

The match's visual style differed from before.

Hodgson's Crystal Palace had a compact defense, pressing from midfield, with a clean style of play.

Originally a dirty fighting style, tonight it became "pure and immaculate."

All this relates to Hodgson's tactical style; he requires his disciples to avoid unnecessary fouls beyond the forty-meter zone and to maintain a compact, layered defensive line.

"To achieve a smooth transition from defense to attack, the defensive phase must first put the team into a state of fluid defensive coordination and cooperation, enabling a smoother, more threatening counterattack!"

In the 15th minute, Kabaye and Bakayoko collided heavily while contesting for a header; after getting up, they friendly patted each other's hands.

In the 28th minute, Chelsea's divine striker Bashuayi received the ball on the left flank just outside the penalty area, had no time to shoot, and was tripped by the opposing center-back! Still no dispute arose—Marcos came to take this dangerous free kick and scored immediately! Breaking the deadlock!

Crystal Palace 0:1 Chelsea.

53rd minute.

The Crystal Palace dribbling king has arrived!

Crystal Palace's all-time top scorer!

Premier League dribbling king attempt!

24-year-old super talent-Zaha.

Selhurst Park Stadium, the crowd cheered and jumped for joy, they cheered for Zaha's ball-carrying advance!

Fancy footwork, extremely fast little black egg, weaving and dodging, he threw Chelsea's "substitute" defensive line into chaos!

A flurry of operations, fierce as a tiger.

As a result, the football was intercepted by Chelsea's rotating center-back-Christensen.

Finally.

The main referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the match.

Crystal Palace 0:1 Chelsea.

The Chelsea fans accompanying the expedition, under escort by security personnel, quickly left the venue.

Crystal Palace fans angrily vented their dissatisfaction, miscellaneous junk rained down from all sides of the stands.

Clearly pressing down on this Chelsea group of substitutes and beating them, yet they just couldn't score!

Live stream room.

【Chelsea won this fierce battle at very low cost, in the second leg all main players will go to Munich.】

【Car, refuel!】

【News says Abu canceled the plan to build a new stadium, letting the city hall be in a hurry, why not continue building? Chelsea couldn't possibly be out of money.】

【Abu currently cannot enter England, visa renewal was denied, so why build a new stadium?】

【With great difficulty the Premier League rose, a super hegemony reappeared, as a result】

【Don't think too much, Li Mingdeng will at least still play for Chelsea for another four or five years.】

Tuchel and Hodgson shook hands, walking together toward the tunnel.

The latter demanded that Chelsea's head coach must treat him to a drink.

Although their tactical ideas are opposite in many places, they still conversed happily.

Dino embraced each rotating player one by one, indicating they also played a crucial role on the road to winning the championship.

Li Kang and Morata held up the tactical board together, wanting to research a new rotation method.

No one in the team cared about external news.

Their goal is the triple crown.