On 17 May, Cardiff, the capital of Wales, was flooded with Londoners as the famous "North London Derby" was about to take place.

Cardiff Millennium Stadium, when Wembley was demolished and rebuilt, the Welsh National Stadium, which is mainly used for rugby, took over and became the venue for the League Cup and FA Cup finals!

Tottenham fans are no strangers to Tottenham fans, who witnessed the team's first trophy of the season here just over a month ago.

Of course, Arsenal fans are no stranger to it, as their team has been here for three years in a row. They are the defending champions of the FA Cup!

Tottenham fans and Arsenal fans, they are definitely the two groups in the world who don't want to see each other, and today, the hostility between them will be even stronger, as the teams they support will play a final to decide the championship!

As enemies for a century, two teams met in the final of a tournament, and the last time that this happened was twelve years ago. That time, Tottenham had the last laugh.

This time, Arsenal fans clearly want revenge!

Since entering the Premier League era, Arsenal fans have not looked at the Tottenham. The reason is simple, because their team is the only team in the Premier League that can compete with Manchester United, while Tottenham have never been able to produce decent results. Even in the north London derby, Tottenham could not cause problems for Arsenal.

But this season, after Tottenham had that Chinese boy, that situation changed dramatically.

The two teams met in the first leg of the league at Highbury, and the kid's hat-trick almost helped Tottenham Hotspur to win Arsenal, but Pires' lethal strike saved Arsenal. But at White Hart Lane, the Chinese kid scored a hat-trick again, and this time no one was able to save Arsenal.

How many years has it been since a season of winless against Tottenham hasn't happened to Arsenal? Especially in the past few years, Arsenal has been strong, but it looks like a dynasty is about to be formed.

In fact, if it weren't for the two-legged meeting with only one point on Tottenham, Arsenal would not have watched Manchester United win the title one round earlier at the end of the season!

What is even more unacceptable to Arsenal fans than the lack of a win in a direct dialogue between the two teams is that Tottenham's record this year has also turned around. If it weren't for Chen Xi's absence, Tottenham Hotspur dropped points one after another, and gave up early in the last few rounds, Tottenham would have had the hope of stepping on Arsenal's head in the league this season, and maybe even winning the title.

In the cup competition, Tottenham have already won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup and League Cup finals compared to Arsenal, who have not won anything this year.

And this FA Cup final has become the best chance for Arsenal fans to consolidate their team to consolidate their king of north London.

In their opinion, only by allowing Arsenal to snatch this title directly from Tottenham Hotspur will they not be ridiculed by the Tottenhams at the end of the season!

To the satisfaction of Arsenal fans, in the previous draw, Arsenal drew the home draw. This gives them access to the home team's north London dressing room. In addition to the treatment of the home team, the legendary "North Locker Room Myth" made them feel full of confidence.

Even in the previous Carabao Cup final, Tottenham Hotspur faced a strong Manchester United, and once again perpetuated the "North dressing room myth".

Therefore, they believe that their team will be able to win this game against Tottenham and win the title!

For Tottenham fans, for the first time in many years, they were able to look at Arsenal fans in a superior light in a north London derby. The simple reason is that their team has been very competitive this year, reaching the final of all the cup competitions they have played in, and they have already won the Carabao Cup. Arsenal, on the other hand, have not achieved anything so far.

This FA Cup final is also a must-win for Tottenham fans. Because they have "Arsenal nemesis" Edison Chan in their team!

The Chinese kid scored a hat-trick against Arsenal twice, and also helped Tottenham Hotspur remain unbeaten against Arsenal this season with one win and one draw, and they believe that as long as Chen Xi is on the field, their team will not lose to Arsenal!

The only thing that worries them is the so-called "North dressing room myth", which was once a reason for Tottenham fans to be confident in the previous Carabao Cup final. But this time, the team drew the visitors' south dressing room, which made them somewhat jealous. After all, the spell on the dressing room in English football is quite effective!

Yang Xu and several companions also came to the Millennium Stadium again, and they naturally didn't want to let go of the final competition that directly determined the championship, not to mention, this will still be a hot north London derby!

"Hey, this time Tottenham seems to have been drawn to the south dressing room, this spell shouldn't be so evil, right?"

"Hey, what's this, didn't the team in the South Dressing Room win once, Tottenham Hotspur will definitely be the second team to meet the ball this time!"

"Yes, this thing is like our Chinese superstition. If you believe, you have, and if you don't, you don't. I don't believe it, doesn't this game still depend on the strength and on-the-spot performance of both sides? What does it have to do with the locker room? ”

"But I think the magic has to be believed, even if there is no so-called 'magic', but there is definitely psychological pressure on the players."

"you, don't say bad things, Tottenham will win!"

"Yes, Tottenham will win! Chen Xi's hat trick! ”

…… Yang Xu and his group are all discussing the "myth of the north locker room", which is a myth in the north locker room, and it will naturally become a curse when they get to the south locker room. Everyone also has different opinions on this spell, and they express their opinions there.

There was a lot of hostility between the Arsenal fans and the Tottenham fans, and everyone didn't look good when they met, but fortunately they all knew that this was someone's territory after all, so there was no one making trouble here.

This time, there were still plenty of neutral Welsh fans who bought tickets, unlike the last time when everyone rushed to support Manchester United, who have Wales' number one star. This time, the majority of Welsh fans opted to side with Tottenham.

The reason is very simple, in the last League Cup final, Tottenham's reversal in the last three minutes is too classic, especially Chen Xi's outstanding performance, which has made many neutral Welsh fans become Chen Xi's fans.

In addition, Tottenham also have a Welsh player, Simon Davies, and without Ryan Giggs, he will be the only "host" in this final.

At this time, far away in China, countless fans are also waiting for the start of the game.

Chen Xi's outstanding performance in the Carabao Cup last time made him the first player to lift the trophy in Europe's top competition, and his single-handedly victory over the mighty Red Devils Manchester United also touched the hearts of countless fans.

This time it was another final, and they naturally hoped that Chen Xi could win the championship again.

Chinese fans have begun to imagine Chen Xi achieving the triple crown of the Cup, in this way, Chen Xi has not only won the honor for himself, but also won glory for the Chinese people all over the world!

Indeed, with Chen Xi's crazy performance this season, Chinese football and Asian football, which have been inconspicuous, have also received the attention of many European clubs.

They all want to be able to find the next Edison Chen in China, in Asia!

Although this is somewhat unrealistic, it has also contributed to the attention of Chinese and Asian football.

This kind of influence is much more positive and positive than the South Korean team's use of referees to help reach the semi-finals of the World Cup!

After the Chinese team failed in the 2002 World Cup, domestic football is in a period without idols, and even the entire Chinese sports world has no people with absolute appeal. Although Yao Ming became the top pick in the NBA Draft in 02, his rookie season was obviously not as dominant as Chen Xilai, who was also in his debut season.

In addition, at that time, the number of football fans in China was still far ahead of NBA fans. This also allowed Chen Xi to steal the limelight of the little giant in one fell swoop and become the most powerful and appealing sports star in the eyes of Chinese sports fans.

Because the Internet is not very developed nowadays, Chen Xi does not know much about how popular he is in China, he just knows that many Chinese brands have found George Hamm and hope to find him an endorsement. He can also use this to roughly guess his popularity in China.

All in all, there is a much larger fan base in China than the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff following this game! ――

"Good afternoon, friends in front of the TV and welcome to the 2002-2003 FA Cup final brought to you by Sky TV, which will be the last game of the season on the domestic stage. I'm Paul Mortenson! ”

"Hello everyone, I'm everyone's old friend, Martin Taylor!"

Sky TV will not let go of the much-anticipated FA Cup final, with their best partners Paul Mortensen and Martin Taylor also commenting on the game.

"Today's final is not just about deciding the FA Cup title this season, it's also a 'north London derby', which is clearly a big draw for given the two incredibly hot 'north London derby' that have taken place in the league this season!"

'Arsenal won the FA Cup last season, but they have never been able to defend the FA Cup in their history for so many years, and I wonder if they can break that fate at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

"Tottenham have twice won the FA Cup, and the last time the two teams met in the FA Cup final, Tottenham had the last laugh. However, before the game, they were drawn away from home, and they will face the famous 'North Dressing Room Myth', which we can also understand as the 'South Dressing Room Curse', which will be a huge obstacle for the Tottenham players. ”

'In terms of squad, one of the most talked-about players in the north London derby, former Tottenham Hotspur player Campbell, who now plays for Arsenal, is suspended and will miss the final. Edu had only been in surgery for a month and had not yet been able to make a comeback. Centre-back Sigan and captain Patrick Vieira are also injured and unable to play. Fortunately, midfielder Parlor and defender Luzny, who were injured in the last game of the league, are both confirmed to be available in this game, and Ljungberg has basically recovered, which also complements the team. However, overall, the Arsenal team's lineup for this game is not neat! Tottenham, on the other hand, has a full lineup, and the main players are almost fully available. ”

"Judging from the head-to-head record of the last ten years, the Arsenal team has an absolute advantage. However, this season, Tottenham Hotspur, under the leadership of super newcomer Wang Edison, has achieved one win and one draw in the two-legged home and away games. In this regard, Tottenham have a psychological advantage. Therefore, this final looks even more disadvantageous to the Arsenal team from the pre-match appearance. However, they are not without any good news, which is the aforementioned 'North Dressing Room Myth', Arsenal have drawn a home draw and will use the North Dressing Room. And nine of the 10 major competitions in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium history have seen the home side win in the North dressing room, a rule that may add some confidence to the Arsenal side......

When the two commentators analyzed the historical records of the two teams and the pre-game situation as usual before the game, Chen Xi and his teammates had already returned to the locker room after the warm-up activities.

For the south dressing room, which is obviously much simpler than the northern dressing room, the coaches and players of Tottenham Hotspur have a feeling of helplessness.

However, everyone is used to this kind of treatment, after all, in the Premier League, the away locker rooms of other stadiums are not much better, this has become an unspoken ~ rule, a season has played dozens of away games, and everyone is used to this situation.

"Ahem, all I can say about this is that God can't be on our side every time!" Hoddle spread his hands and looked at the somewhat cracked ceiling in the locker room and said to the players with a wry smile.

"Haha~~" Everyone burst into laughter in the locker room. Obviously, everyone remembered the last time they had the home dressing room here.

"How so? Our luck this season has been too good to be true! In all the cup competitions, we had good luck in the draw, which also allowed us to face weaker opponents before, and we made it all the way to the final quite smoothly! Even in the last Carabao Cup final, we were drawn to the North dressing room. Obviously, even God and his old man are a little embarrassed, if we are drawn to the North locker room again in this game, it is estimated that the fans of other teams will sarcastically 'God is our godfather'! There must be a lot of people who think that the reason why we have been able to perform so well this season is because of good luck! Hoddle said with a shrug.

"it~! We're not just lucky! "Ledley King is a typical hot-blooded young man who obviously doesn't want his and his teammates' efforts to be blamed on luck!

The other players also muttered something to vent their frustrations.

"I think luck ...... It's also part of the strength! If you're lucky, if you don't have the strength, it's for nothing. And we have luck and quality that has allowed us to perform so perfectly this season! Chen Xi said uncertainly.

"It's a good saying, 'luck is part of strength'. Either way, use your actions to show those guys that we don't just have luck, we also have great strength! To hell with the damn 'North Locker Room Myth' and 'South Locker Room Curse'! Hoddle said after Chen Xi's words!

"To hell with it!" Chen Xi and his teammates shouted in unison! ――

At this time, in the North dressing room, the players and coaches of the Arsenal team are also making final preparations.

It was clear to the team that they had reached the point where they could not afford to lose in this FA Cup final.

Lost to old rivals Manchester United in the league, lost the title, and the Champions League was also out early, and now only this FA Cup is left to use as a fig leaf for them, and if they are removed again, they will have to 'run naked' this year.

This is absolutely unbearable for them, who only achieved the "double" last season.

What's more, the opponent in this game is their local rival Tottenham, who have already suffered losses in the league and they can't afford to play each other three times in a season without a win!

Seeing the players all sitting there making final preparations, Wenger also stood up from his seat and clapped his hands lightly, drawing the attention of the players.

"I don't think I need to say anything more about the important surname of this game! If we win, we will receive a trophy. And if we lose, we'll be empty-handed this season and suffer from the sarcasm of the Tottenhams, and I don't think you want to see that either! So you're going to have to make pennies win this game and win the FA Cup! "Arsene Wenger didn't mention the so-called 'North Dressing Room Myth' because in his opinion, the match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur didn't require him to do much to boost morale.

It is true that most of the current Arsenal squad is a star of the playing years, not a "baby army" like it was later, so everyone is very mature, and they have won a lot of titles, but the desire for them has not diminished. Failing to take advantage of Tottenham in two league games is something the Gunners stars can't stand to endure. Even, for them, to take the last chance to beat Tottenham, in a way, is more important than an FA Cup title! ――

Boom~~~ The already lively Cardiff Millennium Stadium suddenly erupted in a huge cheer!

"Okay, the players from both teams are on the field, and this much-talked-about final is about to begin, so let's take a look at the line-ups of both sides......"

With Paul Mortenson's words, the starting lists of both teams were played on the TV screen...... Arsenal starting line-up (4-4-2):

Goalkeepers: Seaman Defenders: Lauren, Keown, Luzney, Ashley ColeMidfielders: Ljungberg, Parlour, Gilberto Silva, Pires Forwards: Thierry, Bergkamp "With Campbell and Sigan out of the main centre-back duo, Arsenal's centre-back pairs today are veterans Keown and Luzny, both of whom are over 70 years old together, and it will be a huge question whether they can withstand Tottenham's impactful 'troika'. At the same time, the absence of Arsenal captain Vieira also has a big impact on the team's defense, and Parol obviously can't entangle Edison with his own strength like Vieira last time! ”

Tottenham starting line-up (4-4-2):

Goalkeepers: KellerDefenders: Karl, Ledley King, Richards, Ziggy Midfielders: Simon Davies, Redknapp, Flender, Edison Chan Forwards: Morientes, Robbie Keane" Tottenham's starting lineup is hardly any suspense, they have a fairly neat lineup, and due to the rotation of previous games, this main lineup has been well cultivated. In terms of the full squad surname, Tottenham will have a certain advantage......"

When the commentator introduced the starting line-ups of the two teams, the players of the two teams had already walked out of the tunnel side by side.

A uniformed officer walked ahead of the players with the FA Cup trophy and placed it on the table at the entrance of the players' tunnel before Chen Xi and his teammates walked past the trophy.

This is the first time Chen Xi has come close to this trophy, which is said to have a history of more than 100 years, and the FA Cup trophy is much more atmospheric than the little guy in the League Cup, with strips of cloth symbolizing Tottenham and Arsenal on the two handles.

In fact, what Chen Xi didn't know was that this trophy was already the fourth trophy in the history of the FA Cup.

The previous three trophies were either retired or stolen because they were old, but this trophy has been in use since '92.

The last time Tottenham Hotspur won the FA Cup was in 91, that is to say, Tottenham has not yet won the current FA Cup!

Walking on the court, looking at today's opponent Arsenal, Chen Xi felt very "kind", this is the third meeting this season, the previous two encounters, Chen Xi is infinitely beautiful!

The two hat tricks made Chen Xi a veritable "North London Derby Hero", and it was precisely because of his outstanding performance in the North London Derby that Tottenham fans completely recognized Chen Xi and even put him on the throne of the king!

Chen Xi naturally attaches more importance to this north London derby that determines the FA Cup winner, and at the same time he also knows that this may be his last north London derby, if he can, he doesn't mind continuing his "arsenal nemesis" performance!

(To be continued)