In the following days William completely immersed himself in training with the senior team.
On the day after Maria went to London, William trained as before, but after that Guardiola and the coaching staff felt that William's physical and stamina was sufficient to play for 45 minutes or more.
So their option now is to decide whether to use William and De Bruyne in the first half or in the second half alternately.
They were all sure for now – this was for the best because after all William was still too young to play full time and they couldn't jeopardize one of their best assets and take a risk on him.
As for Kevin De Bruyne, they decided that there would be a change every match, either William replacing De Bruyne or them working together to destroy the opponent as a duo.
With thoughts like that, Guardiola and his assistants thought about the possibilities that would happen in the future and they couldn't imagine how the coaches would react to this tactic.
Even though there are only two tactics where William replaces De Bruyne or vice versa and they will work together - the formation may not change much during the match but the creativity of both of them will make the team's midfield more lively and the opposing team will have to think about which possible tactics Guardiola will use with just these 2 midfielders.
Training changed to how to use William or De Bruyne as an attack motor and what if the two of them worked together on the pitch.
The result was exactly as Guardiola had predicted, that whoever played, whether De Bruyne in the first half and William in the second half or vice versa – and them playing together really made the team a different team.
The variety of their attacks really means that the front players can face the goalkeeper more often one on one, which can increase their chances of scoring goals.
Training continued and William became more integrated with the team.
The days were long and intense. Mornings are spent on the practice field, afternoons in the gym, and evenings in the video room.
After every training session, William and De Bruyne will go to the video analysis room.
The tactics coaches have prepared clips for them—analyzing moves, decisions, and areas for improvement.
They were both assigned by Guardiola to find out how their colleagues in attacking positions move, how they open up space and make decisions.
"You two will be the Axis of the game – whether you play together or one of you will be replaced, remember how your teammates up front wait for passes in the space they have found" Guardiola's message to the two of them on the second day of training after the match against Brighton.
That is why they will go together to the analysis room because Guardiola knows that their potential as midfielders is greater than most players in modern football.
On the screen, Aguero makes a timely run behind the defense.
"Look at that!" said De Bruyne as he stopped the video. "See how he holds his pace for a second before accelerating into space? It's all about anticipation."
William leaned forward. "He was already moving before the pass was even played."
"Exactly," the tactical trainer chimed in. "That's the level you need to be at to see the game before it happens."
"And you have to understand how your wingers and strikers move, because they believe that the pass will reach them even if they are not looking at you," continued the tactical coach to William and Kevin de Bruyne.
Such training and analysis happened after every practice, William even continued to monitor the players when they were practicing 5vs5 and William was not on the team.
Even when at home William won't stop analyzing, William also feels that now his body has truly merged with 20% of Prime Zinedine Zidane's statistics, he can get used to his extraordinary vision, controlling passes has become more measured, even his first touch on the ball has now become smoother.
The analysis that William carried out at home was not on his teammates but on the next game against Manchester City.
Manchester City's opponent is Everton and the match will be played at the Etihad Stadium, this will be William's debut playing at the Etihad as a senior team player.
William continues to analyze how Everton's players move every match, how their midfielders move and will create gaps for opposing players to provide passes.
_____________
Until nothing felt like it and the day you had been waiting for had arrived, 21 August 2017 Manchester City VS Everton.
At the pre-match press conference the day before, many reporters asked Guardiola whether William would start or not – everyone knew that David Silva was still unable to play fully due to the hamstring injury he suffered in yesterday's match.
Journalists are curious about what tactics Guardiola will use, whether he can take advantage of young players who are being watched by the world or even make them guinea pigs for formation experiments.
Meanwhile, for the Everton camp, journalists asked about how they would prepare themselves for the composition of Manchester City players they would face – and what was most discussed was how Ronald Koeman would utilize players like Wayne Rooney.
The Etihad Stadium pulses with life, a blue and white cauldron lit by the passion of tens of thousands of The Citizen fans. Their singing resounded like thunder, each sound wave hitting the walls, shaking the core of the land. It wasn't just noise—it was a relentless symphony of faith, hope, and pride.
They sang with hope for the team's victory, for a team that had changed for the better–they looked forward to how the world would view them as a great team, not just a neighbor of a dominating team.
The stands were a living, breathing sea of cerulean blue, scarves held high and fluttering like pennants in a victory parade. The rhythm of the drums accompanied the crowd's national chant, "Manchester City!" as voices join in unison, weaving a tapestry of loyalty and determination. Every beat, every song seemed to blend into the atmosphere, electrifying the air until it almost felt real.
In the sea of fans, one new name started to settle in their minds – the talented academy player who made his debut against Brighton, and this was his first game at the Etihad Stadium as a senior team player.
William – a name that was discussed even before he broke into the first team. The number 11 jersey with William's name started being sold after his debut match, but now in the sea of Manchester City fans this jersey is like their pride because it has produced a young player like him.
They all believed that this Club could also be as successful as their neighbors, this Club also had a brighter future–with a rich owner, a coach who had many tactics, players who had real abilities.
Manchester City will rise to become a giant that is calculated by other clubs.
_______________
The atmosphere in the Manchester City dressing room was very tense. The players sat in various stages of preparation—some tying their shoelaces with rapt focus, others offering each other words of encouragement. The roar of the crowd outside could be heard faintly through the walls, reminding us of the thousands of fans waiting to see how they performed after a good game in the previous match.
William heard the voices, although they were not clear, he could vaguely hear his name echoing.
The burden of hope he carried was immense, but as his name echoed through the air in deafening cheers, it was clear that he was not alone. The fans were with him. They believed in him. William is not just a player; he is a symbol of hope to change this Club – not as a leader but as a player coached by Manchester City.
Guardiola entered the room determined, his humble demeanor at yesterday's press conference now replaced by fiery intensity.
The players immediately fell silent as he clapped, gesturing for them to pay attention.
"Today's match, do your best – the training you did together, pass, space, score goals. Show everyone – this is the new Manchester City, they think we are just a rich club that can survive here only on money and without achievements" He started with the fact that everyone said.
With steady steps he continued "We have worked too hard to let anyone dictate what happens on that pitch. This is our home. The fans out there didn't come here to see us relax and let Everton control the game. They came here to see us fight."
"Do your best, the previous season was very disappointing for me, not for all of us. This club has not won for too long and even before that it was just a spectator for our neighbors, from now on show that we are ready"
The players nodded, the energy in the room rising with each word. Guardiola's gaze swept across the room, looking into the eyes of each of them in turn.
"From the start of the game, dominate and control the game" He said, in a sharp and firm tone, "every tackle, every pass, every sprint – show them the Manchester City game now"
The locker room filled with cheers and screams as the players responded to their coach's words. Guardiola patted William on the shoulder as the teenager stood, his number 11 jersey glistening under the neon lights.
"This is your stage, son," said Guardiola, nodding. "Show them why you deserve a place in this main Squad."
The Etihad Stadium was filled with energy from the fans, the roar of the fans echoed in the sky of Manchester.
"Good evening from the glittering Etihad Stadium! I am Martin Tyler, and alongside me is Alan Smith to accompany you in the highly anticipated match of Monday Night Football," Martin Tyler's iconic voice echoed around the world via the Sky Sports channel.
"Tonight wasn't just about three points, Martin," said Alan Smith. "It's about the return of the legend, Wayne Rooney, to Manchester, and Pep Guardiola's big gamble in bringing out his 'young diamond' from the first minute."
The live broadcast showed the line-ups of both teams standing in the tunnel, waiting to come out.
Manchester City Starting XI:
The formation used by Manchester City for today's match is 3-5-2.
Goalkeeper: Ederson (31).
Three defenders in line: Vincent Kompany (4 - C), Nicolas Otamendi (30), John Stones (5).
Wing Midfielders: Kyle Walker (2) on the right, Leroy Sane (19) on the left.
Central Axis: Fernandinho (25), Kevin De Bruyne (17), and William Carter (11).
Front Line: Sergio Aguero (10), Gabriel Jesus (33).
Reserve Players:
Claudio Bravo, Danilo, Eliaquim Mangala, Bernardo Silva, Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden.
"Guardiola fielded a fairly varied squad, we can see that Ederson with his ability to build attacks from behind, even as a goalkeeper, his long throws like an attacking midfielder made him the main goalkeeper in these 2 matches," said Martyn Tyler. "There are also three big central defenders. This is a physical fortress to reduce Calvert-Lewin's speed and Rooney's intelligence."
"But the biggest surprise was the midfield duo that Guardiola chose, William Carter and Kevin de Bruyne, in the first match they were paired together – their chemistry felt like they had been playing together for 10 years. And today they will play together from the first minute, something we should wait and look forward to"
Alan Smith saw something interesting from the bench "ohh–there is something interesting on the bench, Phil Foden is a young player who has emerged as a prodigy at the Manchester City Academy along with William Carter" After remembering a bit he continued, "They are both known as the two princes of Manchester. Today they are in different places, 1 is a starter and 1 is a reserve – not favoritism but the quality to play at the highest level as a starter, William has greater mental strength than Foden."
Meanwhile, the formation used by Ronald Koeman in this match is 3-5-1-1
Everton Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford (1).
Three defenders in line: Michael Keane (4), Ashley Williams (5), Phil Jagielka (6 - C).
Midfield: Mason Holgate, Idrissa Gueye, Morgan Schneiderlin, Tom Davies, Leighton Baines.
Attack Support: Wayne Rooney (10).
Spearhead: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (29).
Reserve Players:
Maarten Stekelenburg, Cuco Martina, Muhamed Besic, Davy Klaassen, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Kevin Mirallas, Ademola Lookman.
"We all know that Everton probably won't attack all out in this match. The changes that Guardiola made at the start of the season by bringing in players also made other teams wary of them, especially teams like Everton."
"But we cannot underestimate Everton with the squad they have now, especially with a player who has a leadership spirit like Rooney - even though he is not the captain in this match, I am sure that the Everton players really respect players like Rooney," said Martyn Tyler.
The tunnel was filled with excitement and tension. Manchester City players lined up neatly, exchanging quiet words and making final adjustments. The mascot children stood next to them, looking amazed and happy to be a part of the event.
William stood at the back of the line, adjusting his Manchester City jersey. A nine-year-old girl named Eri stood next to him, nervously playing with the hem of her oversized Manchester City jersey. The shirt nearly swallowed her up, and her ponytail swayed as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
William crouched down so that his eyes were level with the little girl - giving a friendly smile as if he was talking to his own sister, "Are you okay, Eri?"
Eri looked at William's eyes with wide eyes, "There are...So many people here."
"Hm? Are you nervous about all those people? They're here to watch football, and because you're here they might be watching you–but look bolder, let them see this bold but cute Eri" William said while listening to the noise in the stadium.
Eri gave a small nod but her eyes continued to look outside the player tunnel, "But what if I trip or something?"
"Trip? No, you won't trip," said William while shaking his head. "Even if you trip, I will catch you before you fall!"
"What if you don't have time to catch me?" Eri asked with a slight chuckle and began to forget her nervousness.
"Hmmm?" William pretended to think while touching his chin, "What if I fall with you?"
That answer made Eri laugh and her nervousness had reached 0% "Are you going to fall? There's no way a prince from Manchester City will fall at the Etihad Stadium, I won't let that happen" She continued in a firmer voice.
"Okay, if that's the case, now let's do our job well," answered William while stroking Eri's hair.
"Uummm" Eri answered with a smile while exhaling as if it also got rid of her remaining nervousness.
"Perfect" William said as he stretched out his hand, he stood back up – the woman grabbed William's hand tightly, and together they stepped out of the tunnel into the field.
While walking hand in hand, William glanced at Er. "Did you hear that? They're cheering for you."
Eri rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. "They didn't cheer for me."
"Are you sure? I think I heard someone shout, 'Come on, Eri!'" he said with a playful shrug.
"You made that story up," he said, but this time his voice sounded more confident.
"Maybe. But it's a good story, isn't it?"
As the line to shake hands before the match formed, Eri squeezed his hand once more before letting it go. "Good luck, William!"
"Thank you, Eri," he answered. "You'll bring me good luck, so I think I'll play well."
After shaking hands with the Everton players, William went straight to his position.
The captains do a coin high five, and Manchester City selects the ball and the first half Kick off will be taken by them.
"Okay, the players are in position and Manchester City will kick-off this match," exclaimed Martyn Tyler.
William, who was already in position, looked at Kevin de Bruyne and in return they nodded as if they had a plan to surprise the Everton players.
Gabriell Jesus and Aguero also looked at them, nodded and agreement was established just by looking and nodding at the four players.
The main referee today was Robert Madley, after making sure both goalkeepers were ready he pressed the button on his watch which indicated that the match time had started, and he blew his whistle.
"First half kick-off! City starts attacking from right to left," Martin Tyler's voice sounded enthusiastic when Robert Madley blew his long whistle.
Gabriel Jesus touched the ball slightly backwards towards Kevin De Bruyne, who then passed it horizontally to William Carter in the center circle.
Usually, in the early seconds, players will make safe passes to the side or back to establish rhythm. Namun, William—dengan memori taktis yang tajam sebagai mantan asisten Pep—melihat celah yang bahkan belum disadari oleh barisan pertahanan Everton.
Dengan pemain seperti Aguero yang memiliki kecepatan dan finishing sangat baik, dengan pemain seperti Gabriel Jesus yang juga punya kecepatan dan dapat memancing lawan membuka jalur umpan.
William did a quick scan. Ia melihat Sergio Agüero sudah mulai melakukan sprint eksplosif, membelah dua bek tengah Everton, Ashley Williams dan Phil Jagielka, yang masih tampak belum sepenuhnya "bangun" di detik awal ini.
Without holding the ball any longer, William released a very accurate curved pass, a pass that showed his passing statistics were at 97. The ball glided sweetly through the air, over the head of Idrissa Gueye who was just intending to put physical pressure on him.
"Oh, look at that ball! A visionary pass from William!" shouted Alan Smith at the commentary table.
The ball fell right into Sergio Agüero's running space, right behind the opponent's defensive line. Agüero, who is very familiar with the quality of his teammate's passing, only needed one touch of his chest to control the ball before firing a chip shot past Jordan Pickford who was already advancing out of his nest.
"GOOOAAALLLL!!!"
"ONLY EIGHT SECONDS! SERGIO AGUERO!" Martin Tyler almost ran out of votes. "Etihad Stadium exploded! And it all started at the feet of the 'Tactician in Football Boots', William Carter!"
"A pass that awakened the Everton players, made them realize that what they were facing in this match was a new Manchester City – Guardiola's improved Manchester City"
Alan Smith said in a voice full of surprise at what he saw.
On the sidelines, Pep Guardiola looked stunned for a moment before finally jumping for joy and hugging Mikel Arteta. Pep pointed at William with a face full of admiration; he knew the pass was not luck, but rather the result of a high level of reading of the game.
Guardiola didn't expect that his team would do this in a real match, because he felt that such a technique was not very effective in a real match - but he still let his players do this in training sessions.
William celebrated the goal calmly, just raising his arms towards Agüero who ran to hug him. He knows, in this life, he has just rewritten the history of the opening match at the Etihad.