Although some criticism emerged over Manchester City's missed chances, most media outlets praised their defensive performance in holding Bayern Munich at bay until the 90th minute. There was disappointment over the timing of the late goal, but Joe Hart, England's keeper, was widely commended for his standout performance in goal.
In contrast, Arsenal faced a wave of criticism after their 2-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund. The media highlighted Arsenal's weak defense and inability to keep up with Dortmund's rapid style of play. Meanwhile, Chelsea, who had shown strong form in the Premier League, failed to secure a win against Schalke, with the media expressing disappointment over their missed opportunity in what was expected to be an easier match for them.
Liverpool, however, stood out as the only English team to secure a victory in this round, narrowly winning 2-1 against Ludogorets thanks to a last-minute penalty by Steven Gerrard. Though they received praise, Liverpool's hard-fought win was markedly different from Real Madrid's dominant 5-1 victory over Basel, a group rival.
In the opening week of the UCL, three English clubs faced three German clubs, with German teams claiming two wins and a draw. In Group A, Juventus defeated Malmo, while Atletico Madrid surprisingly lost 3-2 to Olympiacos. Real Madrid topped Group B with Liverpool close behind, suggesting few surprises in this group. The media predicted Real Madrid would likely take the top spot, with Liverpool finishing second.
In Group C, Leverkusen lost narrowly to Monaco 1-0, marking Germany's only defeat, while Zenit triumphed over Benfica 2-0. Arsenal found themselves in fourth place in Group D after a 1-1 draw between Galatasaray and Anderlecht.
In Group E, Roma topped the standings after a commanding 5-1 win over CSKA Moscow, with Bayern just behind. In Group F, Barcelona scraped by APOEL 1-0 thanks to Gerard Piqué's header, a performance criticized for its lack of finishing. Ajax and PSG's 1-1 draw led the French media to criticize PSG's performance.
Group G saw both matches end in draws, with Chelsea vs. Schalke and Maribor vs. Sporting Lisbon, leaving all four teams with identical points and goal differences. In Group H, Porto crushed BATE Borisov 6-0, while Athletic Bilbao was held to a draw by Shakhtar Donetsk.
Vieira gave his squad two days off. Kenneth spent the first day resting and studying, and on September 19, 2014, he joined the crowds to purchase the newly released iPhone 6. After getting his new phone, he set up his social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, understanding that building his public image was as important as his on-field performance.
Kenneth's first post was a treadmill photo captioned with his training efforts. After posting, he continued his workout and then returned to his studies in the evening. By September 24, Pellegrini had included Kenneth on the substitutes' bench for Manchester City's upcoming match—a moment he embraced eagerly.
The game against Sheffield was balanced at 0-0 in the first half. However, City dominated in the second half, with Lampard opening the scoring in the 47th minute. Dzeko doubled the lead with an assist from Navas, and a minute later, Lampard set up Navas to add a third goal, showcasing City's attacking strength.
In the 59th minute, Kamil Zayatte received a red card, giving City a penalty, which Yaya Toure confidently converted, making it 4-0. At this point, the game was practically decided, and Pellegrini started making substitutions.
Three minutes later, Pozo came on to replace Yaya Toure, and in the 70th minute, Kenneth made his first-team debut, coming on for Milner. He took Milner's position on the left wing, while Pozo moved centrally, and Lampard dropped slightly deeper.
In the 74th minute, Kenneth took control of a pass from Demichelis and made a decisive move, cutting inside as defenders zeroed in on Dzeko and Lampard. With a sharp glance at the keeper's positioning, Kenneth unleashed a powerful shot aimed at the bottom right corner. The ball whizzed past the goalkeeper, smacked against the post with a loud thud, and ricocheted perfectly into the net.
"Scoring on your debut, nice work, kid," said Frank Lampard, patting Kenneth on the shoulder.
"Thank you," Kenneth replied with a smile, thrilled with his first professional goal.
The game continued, and three minutes after Kenneth's goal, Kolarov combined with him on the left and crossed to Dzeko, who finished well, bringing the score to 7-0. In the 88th minute, Pozo added a goal of his own, assisted by Navas, who dribbled in from the right and set him up in front of goal.
In the final moments, Kenneth assisted Lampard, who converted smoothly, ending the match with a 9-0 victory for City—their biggest win of the season.
The match elevated both Pozo and Kenneth in the eyes of City fans, particularly Kenneth. While both players scored, Pozo's goal largely came from Navas's brilliant play, whereas Kenneth not only scored a stunning long-range goal but also contributed to three of the four goals scored after his entry. Additionally, Kenneth's status as a Manchester-born English player boosted his recognition even more than Pozo's.
"As you saw tonight, both Jose [Pozo] and [Kenneth] Lee had fantastic debuts," Pellegrini said with a proud smile. "They're young, but they showed maturity and composure. Scoring in your first appearance isn't easy, yet they did it. I'm thrilled with the talent we have here. We see high potential in them. It's always exciting to see young players step up, especially two in the same match. They're part of our future, and I hope they work hard to realize their potential."
After this match, media attention on Kenneth began to grow. In an upcoming game against Liverpool U21, he noticed more fans chanting his name than anyone else's. City won 5-3, with Kenneth notching a hat trick of assists and scoring a goal, continuing his hot streak.
From the Carabao Cup, Kenneth earned a rating of 7.9 and received two attribute points, which he allocated to stamina and natural fitness. In the Liverpool U21 match, he collected three points, which he assigned to stamina, natural fitness, and tackling.