บท 21: Hull City's Defensive Wall
On January 31 at 3:00 PM, Kenneth joined Manchester City's U19 team to play in the FA Youth Cup against Stoke City.
Despite playing only 45 minutes, Kenneth managed to provide two assists and score a goal, helping City secure a dominant 6-0 victory over Stoke. However, the system awarded Iheanacho, who scored four goals, the Man of the Match title. Kenneth, who earned just two attribute points, allocated them to agility and balance.
Later that evening, Kenneth watched Manchester City's away match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
After 22 matches, Chelsea and City had emerged as the primary title contenders for the season. From September to November, Chelsea had been remarkably consistent, but a dip in form in December allowed City to close the gap.
The crucial match between the two title rivals ended in a draw. Loïc Rémy scored for Chelsea, but David Silva quickly equalized for City.
Manchester City remained three points behind Chelsea, with 50 points compared to Chelsea's 53.
The competition below Chelsea and City was equally intense, with Southampton, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham fighting for Champions League qualification. Southampton, managed by Ronald Koeman, was the surprise of the season, exceeding all expectations with their strong performances.
In February, Kenneth rejoined Manchester City's U21 squad for their final group stage match in the PL International Cup against Leicester City.
City opened the scoring in the 4th minute through Kenneth's assist to Pozo. They continued their dominance, adding a second goal in the 18th minute. Kenneth dribbled past several Leicester players before delivering a cutback pass to Ntcham, who slotted it home.
Despite conceding two early goals, Leicester grew bolder and launched counterattacks against City. They reduced the deficit in the 35th minute when Panayiotou scored. Just before halftime, a defensive error from City allowed Stankevicius to equalize.
In the second half, Kenneth was fouled inside the penalty area. He stepped up to take the penalty himself, calmly sending the ball into the top left corner.
Leicester unexpectedly equalized again in the 53rd minute when another counterattack was finished by Panayiotou.
Kenneth then provided a brilliant through ball to Iheanacho, who struck the ball powerfully into the back of the net.
Kenneth was substituted by Bersant Celina in the 75th minute. Manchester City maintained their 4-3 lead until the final whistle.
Kenneth's hat-trick of assists and one goal earned him the system's Man of the Match award. He gained three attribute points, which he allocated to agility, balance, and dribbling.
In the next Premier League match, Manchester City would face Hull City. Kenneth was called up by Pellegrini as a substitute.
The match began at 3:00 PM GMT on February 7, 2015, in front of 45,000 Manchester City fans at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with the starting XI: Joe Hart; Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy; David Silva, Fernando, Fernandinho, Nasri; Aguero, and Edin Dzeko.
Hull City, meanwhile, deployed a 3-4-3 formation, featuring Allan McGregor; A. Bruce, Paul McShane, M. Dawson; David Meyler, Jake Livermore, Tom Huddlestone, A. El Mohamady; Robert Brady, Sone Aluko, and Gaston Ramirez.
From the opening whistle, Hull City set up camp in their penalty area, defending deeply and compactly, like a turtle retreating into its shell, while Manchester City dominated possession with purpose.
Fernandinho found space outside the box and unleashed a shot, but his effort soared harmlessly over the crossbar, drawing groans from the crowd.
Hull City's goalkeeper, Allan McGregor, restarted play with a measured pass to center-back Paul McShane. Aguero immediately charged at him, pressing aggressively, forcing McShane to launch a long ball down the flank. David Meyler rose above Nasri, winning the aerial duel and directing the ball toward Robert Brady.
Brady advanced with measured control, scanning for options but finding his teammates closely shadowed by the City defenders. With no clear path forward, he opted for a speculative strike from distance.
The shot veered wide of the target, posing no threat to Joe Hart's goal.
Undeterred, Manchester City continued their stranglehold on possession, probing for gaps in Hull City's defensive wall. Zabaleta whipped in a cross aimed at Edin Dzeko, but the Bosnian striker, heavily marked by Hull's center-backs, was unable to win the header, and the attack fizzled out.
In the 33rd minute, Tom Huddlestone expertly dispossessed Nasri and sent a precise pass into space for Ahmed Elmohamady. Sprinting down the right wing, Elmohamady scanned the box, weighing his options, before delivering a well-placed cross. Sone Aluko rose to challenge Vincent Kompany but was overpowered in the aerial duel. The loose ball, however, dropped perfectly for Gaston Ramirez, who wasted no time in firing a shot at goal.
Joe Hart reacted brilliantly, pulling off a stunning save to deny Ramirez. Zabaleta was quick to react, clearing the rebound before any Hull player could capitalize.
Hull City earned a corner, and the visiting fans roared with anticipation. "Come on, lads! Let's punish them!" one Hull supporter shouted as the players lined up. Kompany rose majestically, heading the ball clear of danger once again, and Nasri immediately tried to ignite a counterattack with a quick forward pass.
The ball was picked up by Paul McShane, who found Jake Livermore in a pocket of space. Livermore unleashed a thunderous low drive that struck the post. The rebound fell kindly for David Meyler, who kept his composure and slotted the ball past a helpless Joe Hart.
The Hull fans erupted in celebration, cheering and waving their scarves. "Get in, Meyler!" one shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the traveling supporters. On the pitch, Meyler sprinted toward the corner flag, pumping his fists in elation as his teammates rushed to celebrate with him. Livermore embraced him with a grin. "Perfect follow-up, mate!" he shouted above the noise.
Meanwhile, the Etihad crowd fell silent, a murmur of disbelief rippling through the home supporters. "What are we doing back there?" a frustrated fan groaned, shaking his head. On the pitch, City players wore expressions of frustration, several gesturing animatedly as they tried to rally their teammates.
As the match resumed, Manchester City launched relentless attacks on Hull's defense but couldn't find a way through their disciplined structure before halftime.
As the players gathered in the dressing room at halftime, Manuel Pellegrini stood at the center, his calm but determined voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"Alright, listen up," he began, his tone measured. "I know this hasn't been easy. Hull is parking the bus, and they've managed to frustrate us. But we cannot let them dictate the game."
He turned to David Silva and Samir Nasri. "David, Samir, I need you both to be sharper. Look for the gaps in their defensive line. Be patient but decisive when the opportunity comes."
Both players nodded, their eyes fixed on their manager.
Pellegrini's gaze swept over the entire team. "We're dominating possession, but we must keep our composure. If you rush, you'll play into their hands. Trust in our ability, trust in the system. We've done this before, and we'll do it again."
His voice grew firmer, infused with conviction. "You're the better team. Show them why. Believe in yourselves, and the result will come."
As the whistle sounded to signal the end of the break, Pellegrini clapped his hands and gave one final push. "Go out there and take control of this game. We've got this!"
The players rose from their seats, their confidence visibly bolstered. One by one, they filed out of the dressing room, ready to take the fight back to the pitch.
As the second half was about to begin, Kenneth joined the players walking through the tunnel back to the pitch. He noticed Andrew Robertson among the Hull City squad and decided to strike up a conversation.
"Do you have something to say to me?" Robertson asked, noticing Kenneth staring at him.
"Not really. I was just thinking that you and I might both come on in the second half," Kenneth replied.
Robertson raised an eyebrow. His coach had indeed hinted at bringing him on to replace Aluko to strengthen their defense, but how Kenneth knew this puzzled him.
"How do you know that?" Robertson asked, intrigued.
"I've watched several of Hull City's games, and I think you have great potential. I believe in a couple of years, you'll be playing for a big club."
"Thank you. I hope you're right," Robertson said with a faint smile.
After a brief exchange, Kenneth followed his teammates to the bench.
"I heard you talking to a Hull City player. What were you chatting about?" Lampard asked, curious.
"I was just saying hi," Kenneth replied nonchalantly.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง