August 12, 2017 - Amex stadium
Brighton & Hove Albion's match against Manchester City
80th minute where Manchester City took a 0-2 lead thanks to a goal from Sergio Aguero and an own goal from Lewis Dunk.
The substitution board was lifted by fourth official Graham Scott as Manchester City made their final substitution:
David Silva 21 out
William Carter 11 in
When David Silva walked off the pitch clapping his hands at the fans who had come to the Amex Stadium to support Manchester City, Guardiola was talking to William, an 18 year old young man who was about to make his debut with Manchester City.
"Will listen to this. Focus, David has done his job well and now it's your turn to show how you play and show the world that you are ready to be in this big competition" Guardiola said in a whisper to William.
Even though he was whispering, his voice remained sharp, even though the roar of more than 27,500 fans from Brighton made it seem as if the stadium was shaking because of their voices.
Guardiola pulled William into his arms and whispered once again "Think. Feel the ball." After that Guardiola encouraged the young player to wait for David Silva who was walking towards the fourth official while jogging.
When David Silva arrived at the edge of the field, he immediately hugged the young player while smiling as if he was waiting to see what action the young player would show.
"Do as you showed in the training session and the U21 World Cup yesterday, son," David Silva said to William.
William gave David Silva a high five and answered in a confident voice "Yes, I will do my best." After that William immediately ran onto the field.
As soon as William's feet touched the field grass, a cold sensation spread from his spine to the tips of his feet. The world that previously seemed chaotic and fast, suddenly seemed to slow down. He could see that Dale Stephens was leaning too far to the left, and he could feel the gap between Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy as if there was a line of light pointing to it.
As soon as William entered the Manchester City fans cheered even though they were fewer than the home fans, they welcomed their young academy player who would debut in the official senior team after signing his professional contract.
A young player who became the best player in the U21 World Cup and led the England U21 national team to win the 2017 U21 World Cup in South Korea.
"Look at that, Jim," Peter Drury's voice echoed through the global commentary booth. "The new number 11. William. A kid who only turned eighteen a few months ago, coming on to replace one of the best midfielders in the club's history. How dare Guardiola put such a big burden on him in the opening match."
"He had extraordinary statistics at the academy, Peter," said Jim Beglin. "But the Premier League is a different competition. Let's see if he can survive the attack from Brighton's midfielder."
Peter Drury continued, "It's true, we have also seen how he plays in the u21 national team at the age of only 18, and we can all see that he is a magical player with extraordinary vision, passing and composure."
"But this is a stage for professional players, this is a stage where players like him who are not yet fully mature are already hit by the fact that there are players who are physically stronger than him."
William didn't hear the comment. He had just received a short pass from Fernandinho.
That first touch felt like silk. When the ball hit the sole of his Nike shoe, William felt a subtle vibration that spread to his brain.
And after that he could see the passing lane and he also saw that it was Leroy Sané. was about to start running, before Brighton's midfielders could react, William had shifted and changed his position and then continued with a pass that split Brighton's two defenses.
Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the pass, especially the Brighton defenders who were not ready because this was William's first touch.
Guardiola, who had been sitting on the Manchester City bench, stood up because he saw the pass. He knew that William's pass and vision were very good, but he didn't expect that the young man would immediately do it with his first touch.
The Citizens fans were equally amazed by the bait shown by William.
Peter's voice rose when he saw the pass "Ohhhh what did we just see? That pass split the two defenses that Brighton had prepared."
Jim answered "This is what we are waiting for from this young player, just the first touch and the pass he showed was very sharp and beautiful."
William's pass went straight towards Leroy Sané. who had sprinted and escaped from an offside position and William's pass was right in front of him.
With such a good pass and speed, Leroy Sané. directly facing Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.
Matthew knew that if he didn't attack forward then Sane's chances of scoring would be easier so he made the choice to go forward and face Leroy Sané one on one.
Brighton's defenders also immediately ran after Leroy Sané's speed. more than them, especially since Sane only entered in the second half and still has more stamina than them.
The defenders also couldn't chase straight away at the start because they had to turn around first and then chase the ball and Sane.
Even though turning around like that would probably only take as much as 1 second or less, it was enough for someone with Leroy Sané's speed. to maintain distance from defenders.
When facing Mathew Ryan, Leroy Sané. chose to make a slight shoulder movement and intended to deceive the goalkeeper.
Mathew Ryan who saw Leroy Sané. who shifted his shoulders slightly to the left of course was provoked and followed the movement but what Mathew Ryan didn't expect was that Sane was just making a feint.
With a shoulder movement to the left, Sane actually pushed the ball to his right and immediately changed the angle of his shoulder quickly and outwitted Mathew Ryan.
After feeling successful in outwitting Mathew Ryan, Sane pushed the ball towards the empty goal because Mathew Ryan had lost his way.
All the Manchester City fans had stood up to celebrate their favorite team's third goal but it turned out that Sane's low shot didn't go straight in but instead hit the goal post.
Lewis Dunk, who felt guilty about scoring an own goal a few moments ago, immediately shot up and kicked the ball away.
The Citizens fans, Guardiola and also the staff immediately let out a sigh of regret and covered their faces and held their heads with disappointment visible on their faces.
"Ahhh, no way???? What is Sane doing with a one-on-one chance like that?" Peter Drury's voice rose in disbelief.
"This is a very good opportunity and it rarely happens in this match, I don't know how Sane feels right now but I know that the fans are very disappointed with him because he failed to score with such an open opportunity," continued Peter with a tone of regret.
"Maybe Mathew Ryan's choice was also very crucial because he chose to go forward and that gave Sane confidence after tricking him a little, and Sane's final finishing was actually quite good but the far corner he took meant his flat kick hit the post," answered Jim Beglin.
"By pushing the ball into the far corner it made his chances of scoring a goal greater because he managed to outwit Mathew Ryan, but it also meant that the goal he was waiting for was blocked by the goal post."
"Also, the long kick that Lewis dunked seemed to be a redemption for the mistake he made a few minutes ago and made him commit an own goal, leaving his team 0-2 behind the visitors," continued Jim Beglin in a thoughtful tone because he wasn't someone like Peter who kept shouting every time he made a comment.
Sane, who failed to score a goal, immediately knelt down and pulled his hair. After a few moments he raised his head and looked at William while holding up his thumb.
Sane knows that it would be a shame to pass a pass like that if it doesn't turn into a goal.
With a little regret, Sane got up and started playing more seriously because he knew that a pass like that could come again, whether from William or Kevin De Bruyne.
William just nodded his head at Sane because he knew that this was the first match of the new season for Manchester City and also this was the initial phase for Manchester City players to start smoothly because in pre-season matches they were not very good.
The ball kicked by Lewis dunked into the middle of the field and reached Fernandinho, and he tried to start another attack.
As the minutes passed, it was the 89th minute of this match.
The ball was now under the control of the Brighton players who were trying to attack desperately.
They are now behind at home, especially since this is their first match in the Premier League after more than 30 years in the Championship.
The Brighton midfielder tried to give a horizontal pass because he knew that Manchester City's midfielders and defenders were tired, but after the pass was released, it turned out that William had already seen that the player was going to pass into the gap.
"Very good interception from William, he not only saw the gap to pass but he also saw the gap in his team" Peter Drury's voice was full of enthusiasm seeing the young player become more aggressive and enthusiastic.
"It's rare to see a young midfielder who plays so well both offensively and defensively, this may be the beginning of the renaissance of the modern midfielder who is developing," said Jim Beglin, continuing the words of Peter Drury.
After making the interception, William held the ball with his left foot and started scanning to release the pass.
Before William could make the pass, a body immediately hit him from the front and it was Dale Stephen. The impact made William immediately lie down in the middle of the field.
Dale Stephen managed to take the ball from William and made a cross towards the Manchester City penalty box.
After making the pass, Dale looked at William who was raising his hand towards the referee and tried to say that it was a foul.
"Hey, kid. Don't try to look like a genius if you have a body like tofu," Dale sarcasm at William.
William heard that, but before he answered, Kevin De Bruyne ran over to William and helped him up, answering Dale Stephen's words first, "You said that to an 18 year old boy? Hey, where were you when you were 18 years old?"
Dale Stephen, who heard Kevin De Bruyne's words, felt insulted and pushed Kevin De Bruyne.
The ball that Dale kicked into the Manchester City penalty box was successfully secured by Ederson.
Today's main referee, Michael Oliver, saw Kevin De Bruyne's quarrel and Dale Stephen immediately ran over and separated them.
William, who had been silent because the two people's quarrel was caused by him falling as a result of a collision with Dale Stephen, immediately intervened and took Kevin De Bruyne away from where they were now.
"I'm fine, and thank you for defending me just now," William said to Kevin De Bruyne.
"Don't worry, we are still young and fighting like that is enough for both of us," answered Kevin De Bruyne while smiling at William.
"You two, our focus must be on attacking" Fernandinho interrupted in between their conversation.
Ederson, who was holding the ball, and saw that the referee had asked for the match to restart, gave Vincent Kompany a pass.
Seeing the match continue, William and Kevin de Bruyne separated and started to return to their respective positions where William would attack to the left and Kevin de Bruyne would attack to the right.
Vincent Kompany, who was holding control of the ball at his feet, fired a pass into the middle towards Fernandinho.
Fernandinho, who was being pressured by Pascal, managed to break free and pass a pass towards William.
William got the ball with a touch as if the ball was actually attached to his foot.
On the sidelines Fourth Official Graham Scott raised the 3 minute added time signal for this match.
"Back to the debutante's feet," muttered Jim Beglin. "Let's see what he will do."
William received the ball with the outside of his foot, a touch so calm it made the charging Dale Stephens look like a bull that had missed its mark.
William made a quick drag-back movement, pulling the ball back before pushing it into a narrow gap between two opposing players.
He saw Kevin De Bruyne asking for the ball in the half-space area. William made a short pass, then immediately sprinted to find new space. De Bruyne, without needing to look, bounced the ball back into William's path. A one-two combination that was so fluid, it was as if they had been training together for ten years.
"Beautiful one-two with De Bruyne! They played around with the Brighton defence!" shouted Peter Drury.
"Oh, they are like players who have seen the world of football together for more than 10 years," continued Peter Drury
Right in the 90+1 minute, William was on the edge of the penalty box. He scans the field in milliseconds. He saw Sergio Aguero making a diagonal movement, trying to escape the control of Shane Duffy, who was twice as big as William.
William made a decision. He didn't kick the ball with his back foot, but instead made a chipped ball—a very soft chipped pass. The ball bounced slowly, passed the reach of Duffy's head, and fell right in front of the tip of Aguero's shoe, who was facing an empty goal.
However, the moment the ball left his feet, the reality of the Premier League hit William.
William knew that with a movement like that, it would be difficult for the best defender in the Premier League to stop him when he was running to close the passing lane.
And William knew that this way Duffy would definitely hit him but he also knew that this would give Aguero more freedom to score goals.
And sure enough.
Shane Duffy, Brighton's giant centre-back who was frustrated at being fooled by William's vision, couldn't stop his running momentum. His large body hit William heavily in the chest.
Brak!!!
William's world suddenly became silent. The sound "Brak!" it's not just a sound effect; it was the sound of ribs colliding with Shane Duffy's solid muscle mass.
His breath seemed to have been forcibly stolen from his lungs.
William was thrown backwards, his back hit the hard grass of the Amex Stadium, and his vision suddenly blurred, leaving only the blurry image of the Brighton evening sky.
However, amidst the pain that gripped his chest, a voice broke his personal silence.
"SWOOSH!"
The sound of the goal net shaking violently. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. In the next second, a thunderous explosion from the South stand—where three thousand of The Citizens' supporters were—cracked like a cannon.
"AGUEROOOOOOOO!"
Peter Drury's voice boomed in the commentary booth, echoing around the world. "Three to zero! Game over! But look at that young man! He gave everything—his soul, his body, his breath—for just one defense-splitting pass! A holy sacrifice on the altar of football!"
Jim Beglin answered in a much heavier tone, full of skeptical admiration. "It was brutal, Peter. Shane Duffy came in like a ten-ton truck. William knew he was going to be hit, he saw the giant coming, but he didn't blink. He still took that chip pass with the calm of an executioner before his body was crushed. That wasn't just skill, it was guts."
"The new number eleven," Drury continued, his voice softening now, almost poetic. "He came bearing the grace of a French aristocrat, but he has just been baptized by the violent fire of the Premier League. Welcome to the real world, William Carter!"
"And maybe this is a warning to all teams around the world about the arrival of talented young players from Manchester, talented young players from the Manchester City academy, and talented young players from England. Remember his name is WILLIAM CARTER" continued Peter Drury in an excited voice as if the world could hear what he was saying.
William was still grimacing, trying to get oxygen which felt very thin. Suddenly, a huge shadow covered him. Vincent Kompany, the captain, was standing there. Instead of immediately helping him up, Kompany shouted at referee Michael Oliver while pointing at Duffy, before finally looking at William with a sharp grin.
"What a crazy pass, kid," Kompany stuck out his big rough hand, pulling William to his feet with one powerful tug. "But tomorrow, you have to start spending more time in the gym. Otherwise, the defenders in this league will eat you alive."
Sergio Aguero ran over, he didn't carry out his iconic celebration in the corner of the field. The club's all-time leading goalscorer actually hugged William, patting him hard on the shoulder.
"That pass... was perfect," Aguero whispered briefly. In the eyes of the legendary striker, William had just moved up from being just a 'talented academy player' to a 'reliable partner'.
On the sidelines, Pep Guardiola did not jump for joy. Instead, he froze, his fingers clutching his shaved head as he stared intently at Arteta. For Pep, the goal was a symphony, but William's collision was a reminder of how fragile the gem he had just honed was.
"Arteta, did you see that?" Pep whispered without taking his eyes off William who was being pulled to his feet by Kompany. "He didn't just see the gap, he provoked the impact to make sure the ball got to Sergio. It was crazy. It was pure killer instinct."
Pep took a deep breath, then started clapping slowly. For him, the "Think, Feel the ball" instruction he gave before William entered was answered in the most brutal and beautiful way.
_____________________________
Michael Oliver blew the long whistle right after the ball returned to the center. Final score 0-3 for the visitors' victory.
When William tried to catch his breath, which still felt short of breath, a large shadow approached again. It was Shane Duffy, the giant who had just knocked him out.
"Bold pass, kid," growled Duffy in a deep voice, but his hand reached out to shake William. "Welcome to the Premier League. Don't hate me because of the collision, that's just how we greet talents like you."
"Thank you, I will know how to play after this and the training I will do will be tougher in the future," answered William while chuckling and shaking hands with Duffy.
"Hahaha, enjoy the practice in future son" Duffy replied and left after that.
Lewis Dunk also walked over, patting William on the back quite hard. "You've made our afternoon a nightmare since you came in. Keep that style of play, but learn to jump faster," he said with a chuckle.
"Yes, I will train with full pressure I think from now on" William answered while smiling at Lewis Dunk.
"Also, I wish all of you the best in the future," William continued while giving Lewis Dunk a hug because after the match, if it wasn't a Derby match or against the big six, everything would return to normal.
_______
William walked unsteadily following the senior City players towards the South Stand, where three thousand The Citizens supporters had gathered. As he approached the goal line, the atmosphere changed.
"William! William! William!"
The chanting began to echo, faintly at first, then became a roar that drowned out the sound of the home fans starting to leave the stadium. City fans have found their new hero. A blonde young man with the number 11 on his back who plays like the old maestro.
William raised both hands towards the stands, bowing slowly as a sign of respect. He could see the fans rushing to the front of the guardrail just to touch his hand or just shout his name with love.
"Listen to that, Peter," Jim Beglin's voice sounded emotional. "The inner relationship was formed. In less than 20 minutes William Carter was no longer just a name on the line-up sheet. He was the new hope for Manchester's blue skies."
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