A few months ago, Pellegrini spoke about gradually giving Kenneth playing time. Yet now, with City trailing, the first thing he did was bring Kenneth on.
Perhaps Pellegrini himself had forgotten what he once said.
"…There are still 45 minutes left. We can do this. I believe in you," Pellegrini motivated his players.
"Come on, guys, we can do it!" Kompany shouted with a firm voice.
The players began leaving the dressing room one by one. Kenneth, replacing Dzeko, also walked alongside the others toward the pitch.
Alan Pardew noticed Kenneth's entry and frowned. He quickly called James McArthur over and whispered something to him.
James returned to his position as Crystal Palace kicked off to start the second half.
In the early minutes of the half, Murray made a back-pass and immediately moved forward, creating space for Joe Ledley to take control of the ball. Scanning the field, Ledley passed to Martin Kelly on the left. As Navas moved forward to press, Kelly looked for options and saw Puncheon dropping back to create room.
Kelly passed to Puncheon, who attempted to dribble, but Kenneth managed to get a touch on the ball, disrupting Puncheon's control. Before Kenneth could gain full possession, he felt a push from behind and fell. The referee blew his whistle, signaling a foul by McArthur.
Crystal Palace resumed their defensive approach, just as in the first half, while City controlled the ball through Yaya Toure and Fernandinho but struggled to create clear chances. Kenneth dropped deeper to help but was tightly marked by McArthur, forcing him to pass to Navas on the wing. Navas tried to penetrate Palace's defense, but Kelly intercepted and passed to Zaha.
Zaha, closely marked by Sagna, played a short pass to Puncheon. Before Puncheon could advance, Yaya Toure stepped in, committing a minor foul to disrupt Palace's counterattack.
In the 52nd minute, Kenneth dropped back to receive a pass from Kompany, drawing McArthur out and creating a gap in Palace's midfield. Spinning around, Kenneth sent a pass to Yaya Toure, who advanced and gently laid the ball off to David Silva. Silva swung a cross towards Aguero, but Scott Dann cleared it with a header.
City earned a corner. As Silva prepared to take it, Kenneth approached him, requesting a short pass. Silva agreed, passing it short. With McArthur still shadowing him, Kenneth performed a quick heel pass behind himself before sprinting forward to create space. He then turned sharply and delivered a precise cross to the far post.
The ball dipped perfectly as Aguero swung his foot, redirecting it into the net. Speroni had no chance to stop it, and City scored their first goal.
Manchester City players gathered to celebrate the goal.
Kompany rallied his teammates, "Come on, guys! Two more goals, we can do it!"
Crystal Palace restarted the game. Alan Pardew gestured animatedly, instructing his players to shift to an attacking approach.
After the kick-off, Crystal Palace quickly launched an attack. Speroni sent the ball to Dann, who immediately played a long pass to the right side, where Zaha was waiting. Zaha skillfully controlled the ball and began dribbling, drawing the attention of City's defenders.
Zaha then passed to McArthur in the middle, who quickly relayed it to Puncheon. Puncheon seized the space and noticed Murray making a run, starting to break free from his marker. He threaded a through ball to Murray, who received it with his back to goal, using his body to hold off Mangala.
In one swift move, Murray passed the ball to Bolasie on the left. Bolasie accelerated past Sagna, charging toward the City penalty area. Without hesitation, Bolasie delivered a cross into the box, where Murray had positioned himself to meet it.
However, Kompany read the ball's trajectory and jumped higher to head it clear. The loose ball fell to Ledley outside the penalty area. Without thinking twice, Ledley fired a long-range shot, but unfortunately, it sailed wide of the goal.
In the 63rd minute, Fernandinho passed the ball to Kenneth. With one touch of his left foot, Kenneth effortlessly passed it to David Silva. Kenneth turned and ran forward. Silva returned the ball to Kenneth.
The two of them suddenly ran in crossing directions. Silva moved toward the center while Kenneth drifted wide.
Kenneth passed to Clichy while running forward, drawing McArthur away. Clichy received the ball and passed it to Silva. Silva made a seamless run into the penalty area after Kenneth Lee drew the attention of the Crystal Palace players.
Silva crossed the ball low to Aguero, but Scott Dann made a clearance, sending the ball forward. Joe Ledley ran toward the ball, but Fernandinho got to it first. The Brazilian then shot from outside the penalty area, but unfortunately, the ball missed the target.
Both teams continued to push for another goal, but for the moment, the match remained locked.
In the 66th minute, Navas was substituted for Nasri. Nasri's introduction immediately brought a positive change.
In the 69th minute, Demichelis and Nasri decided to pull the ball back, secure their position, and create space to assess the situation ahead. Nasri advanced, passing several players, before feeding the ball to Yaya Toure, who took a moment to control it before making a back-pass to Kompany. Kompany passed it to Sagna on the right, and the ball was quickly returned to Toure, who combined well with Nasri.
After a few quick passes, Nasri delivered a cross into the penalty area. Delaney managed to head the ball clear, but Toure reacted quickly, seizing the rebound. Spotting an opening, Toure cut inside from the wing and unleashed a powerful shot that flew past Speroni, producing a stunning goal that brought City back into the game, cutting the deficit to 2-2.
The Manchester City players celebrated their second goal once again. Although Kenneth did not contribute directly to the goal, he was still happy for the team.
"F*ck!" Alan Pardew kicked a water bottle in frustration when he saw his team concede for the second time. Now, City's momentum would surely rise, and it was not impossible that they could lose to them. Alan couldn't accept that. He didn't want his team to lose after having a two-goal lead.
Alan called for Delaney, the captain. "Press them, okay? Don't let them control the ball comfortably, win it back, and counter-attack quickly, got it?"
Delaney nodded, "Understood, boss."
As the match entered the 70th minute, the intensity increased. Crystal Palace no longer sat back as they had before. Now, they pressed the City players who had possession of the ball, making it difficult for City to maintain control.
In the 73rd minute, Joel Ward intercepted Clichy's pass to David Silva. He passed the ball to Joe Ledley, who then played a through ball to Puncheon. Puncheon switched play, sending the ball to the left side.
Bolasie surged past Sagna and brought the ball into the penalty area. He then delivered a low cross to Murray. Glenn Murray shot towards goal, but his effort was too straight, allowing Joe Hart to catch it easily.
Three minutes later, Manchester City had a chance of their own.
Kenneth received the ball from Sagna and immediately noticed McArthur closing in. To evade him, he slightly rolled the ball to his left, positioning his left foot beside it. Then, with his right foot, he dragged the ball backward and pivoted, turning his body smoothly. Finishing the move, he made a final touch to align the ball with his dribbling path and continued forward with full control. The maneuver left McArthur trailing, showcasing Kenneth's skillful execution of the roulette.
Kenneth passed the ball to Aguero. The Manchester City striker dropped back to receive it and then made a through pass to David Silva. Silva, who had evaded the offside trap, found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but unfortunately, his shot was saved by Speroni.
Despite their efforts, both teams failed to score again. Alan eventually instructed his team to sit deep in their penalty area, deciding to hold onto the draw until the final whistle.
Manchester City continued trying to find a third goal, but they struggled.
The score remained 2-2 until the end of the match.
Kenneth earned two attribute points from the game, which he allocated to long pass and first touch.