Christmas

In the League Cup quarterfinals, Manchester City traveled to London to face Tottenham. Kenneth was not called up for this match.

This version of Tottenham was not yet the "Man City Killer" team they would become in the future. Under Pellegrini's guidance, the Cityzens secured a 3-2 victory and advanced to the next round.

The youth team had no more matches scheduled for December, meaning Kenneth could enjoy a break until early January if not called up by the senior team. However, he spent his days catching up on his studies. December had been a busy month, and Kenneth had fallen behind in several subjects.

Speaking of which, Kenneth invested 60% of his weekly wages. He didn't just put money into Bitcoin but also into shares of well-known tech companies and real estate.

On December 20, Kenneth was called up again, this time as a substitute against Crystal Palace. He entered the match in the 63rd minute, replacing David Silva. Although Kenneth didn't score or assist in this game, he performed decently.

The system gave him a rating of 7.5, the lowest Kenneth had received so far. He earned just one attribute point, which he allocated to dribbling.

Now, some of the key attributes Kenneth had been focusing on had shown significant growth:

Dribbling: 79

Ball Control: 83

Acceleration: 80

Agility: 76

Balance: 75

Two attributes had already surpassed 80, and the others were closing in. Once all five reached 85, his dribbling ability would improve dramatically.

On December 25, Kenneth celebrated Christmas with the U21 team. There was no training that day, just a festive Christmas party. A few days earlier, the U21 squad had participated in a Secret Santa game, where each player had to give a gift to the person whose name they had drawn.

Kenneth drew Bersant Celina's name. Knowing Celina liked anime, Kenneth gifted him an anime figurine of Luffy.

In return, Kenneth found a gift box in his locker. Inside was a book titled "How to Be Humble."

At the back of the book was a note that read:

"You've been acting cocky lately, so I got you this book. Read it and learn from it (smile emoticon)."

"This must be from Maffeo," Kenneth muttered, holding back laughter.

He recognized Maffeo's sense of humor. Kenneth didn't feel he had changed at all, but to Maffeo—jealous of Kenneth's career progression—everything Kenneth did might seem arrogant.

After exchanging gifts, the U21 team participated in other activities, such as posting Christmas greetings on social media, handing out candy to passersby, and more.

Following the celebration, Vieira dismissed the U21 team, with plans to regroup after the New Year. Kenneth spent the rest of the year studying. He and his mother didn't visit his grandparents in China, as they typically did so during Lunar New Year, not Christmas.

On the morning of December 26, assistant coach Ruben called Kenneth to prepare as he had been included in Manchester City's squad for the match against Burnley later that day.

Kenneth simply obeyed and joined the senior team for training. As Ruben had indicated, on December 28, Pellegrini named Kenneth in the matchday squad. He was in the starting lineup, replacing Fernando, who had played a full match against West Brom two days earlier.

The match between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad Stadium kicked off at 3:00 PM GMT. Pellegrini deployed a 4-5-1 formation, with the starting XI as follows:

Joe Hart; Zabaleta, Kolarov, Mangala, Demichelis; Navas, Kenneth Lee, Nasri, Fernandinho, Silva; Iheanacho.

Navas, Nasri, and David Silva played further forward, while Kenneth and Fernandinho stayed back as pivots.

From the start, Manchester City dominated the game. Kenneth couldn't tell if it was due to fatigue or strategy, but Burnley played a low block without pressing at all. City also maintained a slow tempo, making it clear that both teams were exhausted.

Kenneth, however, couldn't suppress a smile. He happened to have plenty of energy that day.

Right from the start, Kenneth played with great energy. He constantly ran, looking for the perfect attacking position. Perhaps inspired by Kenneth's enthusiasm, David Silva began to link up with him using quick one-twos.

Silva then passed the ball to Kenneth, who responded with a sharp through ball before darting into the penalty box. Drawing the attention of Burnley's defenders, Silva shouted, "Take this!" and returned the ball to Kenneth.

Kenneth received it, quickly turned, and executed a fake shot. Both Keane and Heaton were fooled, moving in the wrong direction, giving Kenneth the space to fire a shot and score against Burnley.

As the goal went in, Kenneth beamed and ran to Silva. "Thanks, David! I'm really fired up today!"

Silva patted his shoulder and replied, "I can see that. Keep it up, Lee!"

"I feel full of energy today," Kenneth admitted.

"Haha, you're crazy about scoring goals. It's rare to see a midfielder like you."

After the kick-off, Kenneth became the most active player pressing the opposition, though he was careful not to disrupt City's formation.

When Burnley's attack was cut off by City's defense, Fernandinho, standing firm in midfield, swiftly intercepted the ball. Calmly, he passed it to David Silva, who scanned Burnley's setup. Without hesitation, Silva sent a precise pass toward Kenneth, positioned in the middle of the field.

Kenneth received the ball with a single touch, letting it bounce slightly to control it perfectly. Then, with quick, decisive movements, he began dribbling past the halfway line. His eyes remained focused forward, tracking both his teammates' runs and the positioning of Burnley's players. Like a hawk stalking its prey, Kenneth advanced with deadly composure and unwavering confidence.

Jones, Burnley's midfielder tasked with stopping him, stepped up to challenge. Kenneth, swift and agile, used a body feint to deceive Jones. He shifted his body left while keeping the ball on his right foot. Jones fell for it, allowing Kenneth to glide past, leaving the midfielder staring at his back as he surged forward.

Kenneth continued his run toward the penalty area, where Burnley's last line of defense awaited. Michael Keane, Burnley's imposing center-back, stood ready. Kenneth slowed his pace momentarily, baiting Keane to make his move. As Keane lunged to intercept, Kenneth executed a smooth cut inside to his right, outmaneuvering the defender with his speed and precision. Keane lost his footing, slipping slightly, and could do nothing but watch as Kenneth dashed into the penalty box.

Now in a prime shooting position, Kenneth found himself one-on-one with Tom Heaton, Burnley's goalkeeper. For a moment, Kenneth locked eyes with Heaton, feinting as if to aim for the far post. Heaton shifted slightly, anticipating the shot.

But Kenneth had other plans. With precise timing, he struck the ball powerfully with his right foot toward the near post. The unexpected shot caught Heaton off guard. The ball flew past him at blistering speed, brushing the inside of the post before bouncing into the net. Kenneth had beaten Heaton for the second time, securing yet another stunning goal.

Kenneth sprinted to the corner of the stadium, spreading his arms wide in front of the City fans. Cheers erupted, echoing throughout the arena.

He was soon joined by his teammates, who ran over to celebrate with him. Among them was David Silva, smiling as he patted Kenneth on the back. "Amazing, Lee! You've completely wrecked their defense," Silva said with a light laugh.

Spurred on by Kenneth's two goals, the rest of the Manchester City players began to play more actively.

In the 23rd minute, Nasri delivered a through ball to Navas. Jesús Navas cut back to the center, where Silva received the ball, turned, and shot toward the near post. It was a slow, low shot, but the goalkeeper couldn't stop it.

The third goal for Manchester City. Burnley, who had initially hoped to salvage at least a point, seemed to have given up. Conceding three goals in less than 25 minutes left them deflated.

Ten minutes later, Manchester City, continuing to pin Burnley back, extended their lead again. Nasri dribbled down the left flank, searching for an open teammate but ultimately passed to Fernandinho. The Brazilian had space to take a touch before firing a shot from outside the penalty area. The ball rocketed into the corner of the net.

Manchester City 4-0 Burnley.

City kept creating chances but couldn't add to their tally.

At halftime, Pellegrini instructed Kenneth to slow the tempo down as much as possible. When the game resumed, City followed the manager's orders and played at a more controlled pace.

However, whenever Burnley had possession, Kenneth switched to an aggressive style of play. In the 47th minute, he intercepted a pass from Danny Ings intended for George Boyd. If that pass had connected, it could have been a golden opportunity for Burnley.

Pellegrini gradually began substituting key players. In the 65th minute, Kenneth scored again after receiving a low cross from Nasri. Shortly after, Pellegrini subbed him off, bringing on Lampard in his place.

As Kenneth walked off the pitch, Manchester City fans gave him a round of applause for his outstanding performance in the match.