章節 18: League Cup Semifinal
On January 8, Kenneth rejoined Manchester City's U21 squad. He was included in the starting lineup against Schalke in the Premier League International Cup.
In this match, Kenneth delivered a hat-trick of assists and scored one goal against Schalke. The other goals came from Thierry Ambrose, O. Ntcham, Brandon Barker, and Byrne.
Manchester City secured a 5-1 victory over Schalke.
Naturally, Kenneth was awarded Man of the Match (MOTM) and received a remarkable 9.8 rating from the system. He allocated his three earned points to acceleration, balance, and dribbling.
Two days after this match, Manchester City's first team faced Everton at Goodison Park in a Premier League fixture. Once again, Kenneth was not included in the main squad. In this match, Manchester City had to settle for a draw against Everton.
On January 15, Kenneth led the U21 team against Chelsea at Ewen Field. He contributed two goals and two assists in the game. Thanks to his efforts, Manchester City achieved a 6-3 victory.
Once again, Kenneth won the Man of the Match award according to the system and earned another three points. He used them to enhance his dribbling, acceleration, and agility.
On January 18, Manchester City suffered a loss to Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. This defeat shifted the title race in Chelsea's favor, allowing them to take over the top spot from Manchester City.
This loss also reignited media and fan criticism of Pellegrini's decision not to include Kenneth in the squad. While they understood Pellegrini's reluctance to place too much pressure on Kenneth, they argued that giving him 15-20 minutes at the end of matches would not be too risky.
Whether due to media pressure or not, Kenneth was named in Manchester City's starting lineup for the first leg of the League Cup semifinal against Sheffield United at the Etihad Stadium.
Caballero started as goalkeeper, with Boyota and Mangala paired as center-backs. Kolarov played at left-back, while Sagna occupied the right-back position. The midfield duo consisted of Fernandinho and James Milner. The attacking midfielders were Navas, Kenneth, and Pozo, while Edin Dzeko led the attack as the lone striker.
Sheffield United fielded a 4-1-4-1 starting lineup: Mark Howard; Ryan Flynn, Chris Basham, Jay McEveley, Bob Harris; Michael Doyle; Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Louis Reed, Stefan Scougall, Jamie Murphy; Che Adams.
Manchester City kicked off the match, with Edin Dzeko rolling the ball to Kenneth.
Kenneth turned and passed the ball to Mangala before sprinting forward. City began building their attack from the back, with Mangala and Boyota pushing up toward the halfway line.
Sheffield United played with a low block, focusing solely on counter-attacks. Kenneth wisely refrained from recklessly trying to penetrate Sheffield's layered defense. Even the best dribbling skills wouldn't suffice to break through a low block—it required cohesive teamwork to dismantle such a defensive setup.
In the 11th minute, Kenneth played a through ball to Kolarov. Kolarov sprinted forward to meet it, but two or three Sheffield players quickly moved left to block his path. Finding no way through, Kolarov turned and passed to Pozo. Pozo controlled the ball before delivering a cross to the opposite side of the pitch.
Navas received the ball on his chest and delivered a low cross toward Dzeko. Pressed by two center-backs, Dzeko managed to get a touch on the ball, but it deflected out of play.
Kenneth took the resulting corner kick, aiming it toward the far post, but Chris Basham cleared the danger. Sheffield United regained possession and launched a counter-attack. Louis Reed sent a long ball to Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the right wing, forcing Kolarov, City's left-back, to chase him down.
Jamal crossed the ball behind the defenders. Che Adams faced off against Fernandinho, but Sagna quickly came to assist and tackled Adams with force.
In the 21st minute, Navas made a surging run down the right flank, weaving his way through Sheffield United's defensive line. Spotting an opportunity, he delivered a precise cut-back pass to Pozo, who found himself in a pocket of space inside the box. Pozo took the shot, but it soared over the crossbar, wasting what could have been a golden chance.
Meanwhile, Kenneth and Edin Dzeko positioned themselves to mark Sheffield's defenders as Mark Howard prepared for a build-up play from the back. With City applying relentless high pressure, Howard decided to bypass the midfield and launched a long ball forward.
Che Adams rose to challenge Mangala in the air, with the ball ricocheting a few meters behind them. Boyota, reacting with speed and awareness, sprinted to intercept and gain control. As he steadied the play, Fernandinho dropped deep to provide an outlet. Calm under pressure, Fernandinho collected the ball and distributed it to Kolarov on the left flank.
Kolarov advanced confidently into Sheffield's half, driving forward with intent. Surveying his options, he whipped in a well-placed cross aimed at Dzeko. The towering forward leapt high, meeting the ball with a powerful header that directed it into the penalty area. Anticipating the opportunity, Kenneth burst forward, timing his run perfectly. With precision, he struck the ball toward the far post, only for Mark Howard to produce an exceptional save, tipping it away to safety and denying Kenneth the breakthrough goal.
Kenneth gave Dzeko a thumbs-up, acknowledging the striker's vision and awareness.
Manchester City continued to bombard Sheffield United's defense, but they remained resolute, making it difficult to create clear-cut chances.
In the 32nd minute, Sheffield United lined up for a corner. Louis Reed delivered a high ball into the crowded penalty area, with players jostling fiercely for position. Mangala rose above the rest and cleared the ball to the edge of the box, where Kenneth was waiting. With a burst of speed, Kenneth intercepted it and pushed the ball forward, racing into the opposition's half.
Dribbling swiftly along the right wing, Kenneth crossed the halfway line as defenders began to close in. In one smooth motion, he switched the ball to the left, where Navas was already surging forward.
Navas cut inside, skillfully evading Basham, and fired a low shot toward the bottom-right corner. The ball rippled the net, igniting an eruption of cheers from the Etihad crowd.
As Navas and Kenneth reached the corner flag, the energy in the stadium was electric. Kenneth, catching his breath, grinned and slapped Navas on the back.
"That was perfect—you nailed it!" Kenneth shouted over the noise.
Navas grinned, lifting his arms to the roaring fans. "That was all you, Lee! That pass was unreal—I knew exactly where it'd land!"
Kenneth laughed and shook his head. "Let's keep this up—there's more where that came from!"
The two teammates embraced, their wide smiles reflecting the crowd's ecstatic cheers before jogging back to restart the game.
The goal opened the floodgates for City. Just three minutes later, they created another chance, starting with a sharp link-up between Sagna and Pozo. The duo worked their way into the box from the right flank, with Pozo slipping a quick ball to the byline. He chased it down and cut it back toward the center.
Kenneth received it, adjusted his position, and struck with precision. Mark Howard could only watch as the ball found the back of the net once again.
In the 44th minute, Kenneth and Navas combined brilliantly in a fluid one-two play that showcased their understanding and skill. Kenneth initiated the sequence with a well-weighted pass to Navas before darting into the box with a burst of pace. Navas, calm under pressure, threaded a perfectly timed through ball back to Kenneth, slicing through Sheffield's defense with precision.
Kenneth collected the pass effortlessly and took a quick glance up to assess his options. Without hesitation, he delivered a sharp, low cross into the center of the box. Dzeko, timing his run impeccably, arrived at the perfect moment to meet the ball, guiding it past the helpless Mark Howard and into the back of the net.
The crowd at the Etihad erupted into thunderous cheers, celebrating a masterclass in teamwork and execution as City further extended their lead with style.
The 3-0 scoreline held until halftime.
In the second half, Manchester City made a substitution as Pellegrini brought on Frank Lampard in place of Pozo. Pellegrini had already instructed the players to secure the League Cup semifinal in just one leg. With that in mind, he urged the team to score as many goals as possible.
Sheffield attempted to attack, but every failed attempt left them vulnerable to City's dangerous counterattacks. This hesitation to push forward played perfectly into City's hands. Frank Lampard scored from outside the penalty box in the 58th minute.
In the 70th minute, Kenneth was fouled just outside the penalty area. The referee awarded a free kick to Manchester City.
As Kenneth stood by the ball, studying the goal, Lampard stepped up beside him, giving him an encouraging nod.
"Go on, kid," Lampard said with a smile. "You've earned this one."
Navas gave Kenneth a pat on the back. "Show us what you've got, Kenneth. Make it count."
Kenneth looked at them, surprised but grateful. "Really? Thanks, guys. I won't let you down."
Taking a deep breath, he positioned himself for the kick, determination clear in his eyes as he prepared for the moment.
The crowd fell silent, sensing the tension as Kenneth took his stance behind the ball. He tuned out the noise, focusing solely on the goal. With Lampard and Navas' words of encouragement echoing in his mind, he stepped back, breathing deeply.
With a confident strike, Kenneth sent the ball curving over the wall with sharp and precise spin. The ball seemed to hang in the air before dipping dramatically, just beyond the goalkeeper's reach, grazing the underside of the crossbar and slamming into the back of the net.
The stadium erupted, stunned by the flawless execution. Kenneth raised his fists in triumph, his face beaming, as Lampard and Navas ran over to celebrate. "That's how it's done, Lee!" Lampard shouted, grinning and clapping him on the back.
Sheffield brought on a few substitutes, but the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
There was no doubt Kenneth earned the Man of the Match award, receiving a 9.7 rating from the system. He used the three attribute points he gained to improve agility, balance, and pace.
After the match, Kenneth joined the other players in greeting the fans. He could hear many voices chanting his name. However, at that moment, Kenneth realized something important—he hadn't yet practiced his autograph.
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