After their loss to CSKA Moscow, Manchester City settled for a draw against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road Stadium.
However, after the international break, City's performance finally improved. On November 22, they beat Swansea 2-1, followed by a 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich—their first UCL win of the season. Then, they defeated Southampton 0-3 and most recently beat Sunderland 1-4 with a brace from Aguero, and goals by Jovetic and Zabaleta.
The media changed its tune, now praising City's resurgence, and fans began focusing on the first-team players' performances, forgetting about Kenneth for the moment.
Had Kenneth previously been swayed by media praise, he might have been pushing for more playtime. But thankfully, he kept his focus on the Manchester City U21 and U19 teams.
On November 21, he played with the team in the PL International Cup against Benfica, winning 5-1. Kenneth scored twice, provided one assist, earned MOTM honors, and received three attribute points, which he allocated to natural fitness, balance, and dribbling.
On November 25, City's U19 hosted Bayern Munich U19 in a UEFA Youth League match, ending in a staggering 9-0. Kenneth scored a hat-trick and made three assists, earning MOTM and adding points to his balance, tackling, and positioning.
On December 2, in an away game against Tottenham U21, Kenneth scored once and assisted twice, helping City win 4-0. Again awarded MOTM, he used his three attribute points on natural fitness, acceleration, and balance.
Kenneth's overall attributes had significantly changed since he first started.
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"I need an agent," Kenneth said to his mother.
Several people had approached Kenneth offering their services as agents, but his mother had always turned them down. Now, with City eager to secure him amid interest from other clubs, they were offering him a contract renewal with a new weekly wage of 5,000 pounds.
Kenneth, who didn't yet have an agent, felt this was the right time to find one.
"Don't worry; I've already called an agent I believe we can trust," Jessica Lim replied confidently.
Kenneth then heard the doorbell ring.
"Ah, he's here." Jessica stood up to answer the door, and Kenneth followed, curious about who his mother had called—Barnett? Mino Raiola? Mendes?
As the door opened, Kenneth recognized the man on the other side.
"Uncle? What are you doing here?"
Steven Zhang smiled confidently. "I'm here to be your agent, of course."
"Huh? Mom, you're joking, right?" Kenneth looked at his mother in disbelief.
"No, I'm not joking."
"But he's a basketball agent!" Kenneth raised his voice slightly.
"Hey, don't underestimate a basketball agent. I handle contracts, help my players maintain a positive image, manage their social media, and I'm skilled with endorsements. I even know a fair amount about psychology, so I can be a good listener too," Steven explained, detailing his experience as an agent.
"But you don't know anyone; your social network in the football industry is zero."
"You don't need that. Everyone knows you're a talented player; as long as you keep performing well, clubs will find you on their own. And just remember, Messi and Neymar both had family members as agents. Compared to them, I'm definitely a lot better."
Kenneth raised his hand, realizing his uncle was right. "Okay, you're right. When will we sign the contract?"
"Right now."
Before Kenneth signed, Jessica reviewed the entire contract to ensure her brother wouldn't take advantage of her son.
"You can sign it now," Jessica handed the contract back to Kenneth.
"I told you, I'd never trick your son."
Kenneth finished signing the contract and returned it to Steven, who carefully put it away.
Steven then said, "To show my dedication as your agent, I'll finalize your contract renewal as soon as possible. You'll be surprised by the results."
"Alright, I'll wait for your update, Uncle."
Steven left, and over the next few days, Kenneth focused on training and studying. With temperatures dropping in Manchester, Kenneth started wearing warmer clothing more often.
On December 6, Kenneth rejoined the first team, sitting on the bench alongside Pozo and Iheanacho. City's schedule was packed in December, so Pellegrini planned to give more playtime in less critical matches.
Only seven minutes into the game, Aguero was injured.
Pellegrini rubbed his face in frustration. The next game was against Roma, a crucial match as City needed a win to secure second place. He had hoped to keep Aguero fresh for that game.
"Alright, let's make a substitution."
"Who will you bring on?" Ruben Cousilas asked.
Pellegrini looked over at the substitutes. Iheanacho, the backup striker, was watching him with hopeful eyes. Pellegrini glanced at Pozo, then back at Iheanacho.
"Kelechi, get ready; you're going in."
"Yes, head coach." Iheanacho jumped up eagerly.
Ruben went over Iheanacho's role in the match and what he needed to do.
Iheanacho then entered the game, replacing Aguero.
The match was intense. City appeared to dominate, but they struggled to create many chances. They mostly attempted shots from outside the box, while Everton's attacks were equally threatening, especially with Romelu Lukaku's ability to convert opportunities into goals.
Finally, after a while, the game saw its first goal. In the 24th minute, James Milner was fouled by Phil Jagielka in the box. Yaya Toure calmly took the penalty, putting City ahead 1-0.
Mirallas almost equalized for Everton with a volley that went just wide after a deflection from Fernando—Everton's best chance so far.
The first half ended 1-0. Early in the second half, Pozo came on for Nasri. Shortly after, Pozo got a good chance, shooting from close range, but Tim Howard made an excellent save to deny City.
Howard was outstanding in this match. Other than the penalty, he blocked all of City's chances, keeping Everton in the game.
In the 55th minute, Pellegrini finally brought Kenneth onto the field.
"Lee, I want you to go in, drop back a bit, and try to keep the ball at a low tempo. We don't need many goals, just one more to hold our lead. Understand?"
"I understand."
Kenneth high-fived Navas, who was being subbed out, as Manchester City switched to a 4-3-3 formation. Milner, Iheanacho, and Pozo formed the front trio, while Kenneth, Yaya Toure, and Fernando created a midfield triangle. The back line consisted of Zabaleta, Mangala, Demichelis, and Clichy.
It was a surprise for Pellegrini, who usually favored 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, to switch to a 4-3-3, but this was part of his experimentation.
Kenneth, positioned in midfield, played with confidence. Gradually, he shifted the attack to the right, causing an overload on that side. As Everton adjusted to cover the right, Kenneth started his plan.
In the 64th minute, Kenneth launched a precise cross-field pass to the left wing, where Clichy was waiting in space. With Everton's right side suddenly exposed, Clichy seized the opening, cutting inside and driving into the penalty area. He sent a sharp, low pass across the box to Iheanacho, who quickly redirected it toward the goal. Howard reacted instantly, managing to block the shot, and Jagielka scrambled to clear the rebound, sending it high and forward.
Everton's counter-attack was swift. Lukaku rose above Demichelis to win the aerial duel and charged toward City's penalty area. But Mangala, sprinting back, caught up and pulled at Lukaku's arm, sending the striker off balance. The referee blew the whistle, handing Mangala a yellow card and awarding Everton a free kick. Mirallas stepped up, but his attempt soared over the crossbar, letting City off the hook.
In the 73rd minute, Howard collected a shot from Yaya Toure and launched a powerful throw down the right side, finding full-back Hibbert. Hibbert quickly played it forward to Gareth Barry, but Kenneth was already on the move, reading the play and intercepting the ball.
In a flash, City's young trio — Kenneth, Iheanacho, and Pozo — surged forward, with Milner joining from the left to form a tight, determined wave against Everton's scrambling backline. Kenneth slipped a swift pass to Iheanacho and immediately darted forward, with Baines shadowing him closely. Iheanacho, aware of the defenders closing in, threaded a perfect through ball to Pozo, who burst past Jagielka with a burst of speed.
As Howard rushed out to challenge, Pozo spotted Kenneth's sprint on the far side and deftly chipped the ball across the box. Timing his run to perfection, Kenneth leapt up, meeting the ball mid-air and driving a powerful header into the back of the net.
Martin Tyler enthusiastically exclaimed, "What a play! The young stars have combined brilliantly, slicing through Everton's defense to double City's lead."
"If I'm not mistaken, Kenneth has broken the Premier League's youngest goal-scorer record set by James Vaughan in 2005."
City players embraced, celebrating the second goal, feeling confident it sealed their victory in the match.