As the final whistle sounded, the stadium roared with a deafening roar.
On the field, the cameraman zoomed in on Wayne Rooney, his face red from the intensity of the match – his breath was ragged from running, his expression showed disappointment because of the crushing defeat in this match.
On the commentator's side, Martin Tyler couldn't hold back his voice after watching this match.
"Extraordinary performances from the Manchester City players, especially the midfielders and forwards – Fernandinho who played very solidly, Kevin de Bruyne who provided an assist and an extraordinary pass, of course William Carter with one assist and one goal, this young player was truly extraordinary. And the front players – Leroy Sané with one assist, Aguero and Gabriel Jesus each scored a goal, and also don't forget about Kyle Walker who closed the match with a goal"
In the post-match interview, a delighted Aguero spoke first. While still catching his breath, he smiled and said, "What a match, huh? This team has a fighting spirit, and you saw it today. William, to be honest, today he was world class. I missed several chances to score from his passes, but luckily I managed to take advantage of the most important opportunities, otherwise you wouldn't be able to imagine how intimidated I would be by that kid."
Gabriel Jesus, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement, "Playing with him is really amazing, especially him playing in the middle with Kevin de Bruyne, we all train special. You know we have something special and today is just the beginning"
When asked about his own goal, Gabriel Jesus shrugged with a humble smile. "I just did what I always do—trying to find space and get shots off. But it's not about me, it's about the team. Today, we showed what we're capable of."
Attention then turned to William, who was awarded Player of the Match with a FotMob score of 8.7 despite his striking looks with his handsome face and beautiful blue eyes. William tried to remain humble because he knew his path would be even harder in the future after this match.
"I'm happy to be able to help the team," William said in a calm manner that didn't match his age. "This is a team effort. From Fernandinho who controls the center, Kevin who plays with his amazing passes, the front players with their direct goal contributions whether assists or goals – to the later players who put in a very solid performance. It was an honor to play with them in the match"
The interviewer continued to urge William to at least praise himself "William, this is your second match in the Premier League, and you have set the bar very high."
William smiled but rejected the compliment. "It feels great, but it's not about me. We've been working hard in practice, and today was just a reflection of that. The fans have been amazing, and this win is for them."
When the interview ended, Foden jokingly pulled William to take a photo together – the two men who were nicknamed the princes of Manchester City smiled broadly when the photo was taken.
In the mixed zone William and Foden rushed over to Wayne Rooney, whether William in his previous life or in his current life – Rooney's figure remains a British legend.
Not long after, they met the figure of Wayne Rooney who showed disappointment on his face after the crushing defeat in this match - but he saw two young men approaching him with a little nervousness.
"Uncle, brother, or senior Wayne, I'm really confused about how to call you sorry," said William quietly as he handed him his jersey. "Your performance today is still extraordinary. Can we ask for your jersey?"
Rooney snorted softly, a laugh appeared on his face, "Just call Wayne." He smiled and appreciated their bravery. He took off his sweat-covered jersey and handed it to William, then received William's number 11 jersey. "You played like a veteran, kid. That free kick... I didn't expect you to have the courage to do it in front of the posse I was leading," said Rooney while patting William on the shoulder.
He then turned to Phil Foden, "And you, Phil. I've heard your name for a long time. Keep learning from this kid," he pointed at William. "England needs you both. If you stay grounded and continue to work hard like this, I'm sure one day you will stand at Wembley, wear the national team uniform, and give us the trophy we have been waiting for for a long time. Don't waste the talent that God has given you."
Hearing sincere advice from England's all-time top goalscorer, William and Foden could only nod firmly. Foden even jokingly invited William to take a photo with the two players who are now being nicknamed the "Princes of Manchester City" while showing off the Rooney jersey they had just got.
When they were about to turn towards the dressing room, their steps were stopped by the presence of Idrissa Gueye. The Everton midfielder, who throughout the second half had been tasked with sticking close to William, seemed to be walking towards them while still breathing heavily.
"Hey, young Maestro," Gueye called. William was wary, remembering how rough their physical duel was on the field earlier. However, Gueye actually stretched out his hand. "Good job. You had me running like crazy all night. I've tried to take you down many times, but your balance and vision are truly world class. Congratulations on your win."
William welcomed the handshake with a sincere smile. "Thank you, Idrissa. The duel with you was the toughest physical test I have endured so far."
"Save that compliment, kid. See you at the next meeting, and make sure you're stronger because I won't let you win this easily," Gueye replied with a faint laugh before walking away to the away team's locker.
William took a deep breath, looked at the Rooney jersey in his hand and the atmosphere in the stadium which was slowly starting to quiet down. Even though the world now worships him as a future maestro, in his heart he feels very grateful. He realizes one important thing: the seriousness in his past life that made his relationships feel casual is now gone; he didn't want to waste a single second of togetherness and the opportunity in this second life.
When William walked back to the dressing room, his mind was already racing. The system notification rang in his head:
[DING! Congratulations to Host for completing the additional mission]
[The First Eleven: Made his debut as a starter in the Premier League.]
[Premier League Breakthrough: Scored the first goal in England's top flight competition.]
[King of the Match: Named Best Player (Man of the Match).]
[REWARD!]
[+1 big statistic that will be entered automatically in the speed statistics: speed is the most important thing in the modern era of football, a midfield maestro must have the speed to make the transition between attack and defense]
[3 Anti-Mild Injury cards: Will automatically activate if your body receives a hard impact or dirty tackle that risks causing bruises, sprains or muscle cramps. Very useful considering that players like Idrissa Gueye will continue to target you.]
[Acquired a skill (THE PUPPETEER'S STRINGS) :As a Maestro, you don't just see space, you control it.
°Active Effect: When activated, all teammates within a 30 meter radius of you will get an Off-the-ball movement increase of 15%. You'll see their running paths light up in your vision, making it easy for you to deliver killer through passes.
°Passive Effect: Increases the accuracy of long-range passes (Long Ball) by 10% under physical pressure from the opponent.]
[DING! Displays Host statistics]
°°Vision 85 → 97
°°Passing 80 → 97
°°Ball Control 80 → 95
°°Dribbling 70 → 91
°°Set Pieces 80 → 95
°°Shots 55 → 71
°°Combat (Physical) 56 → 62
°°Stamina 60 → 70
°°Speed 57 → 65+1
°°Heading 30 → 45
William was stunned for a moment when he saw these lines of words. An increase in Speed is something he really needs so that he is not easily chased by opposing defensive midfielders. However, what excited him the most was the skill [The Puppeteer's Strings]. With this skill, he can really move his teammates like chess pieces on the green field.
"William? Why are you daydreaming?" asked Phil Foden while nudging his arm.
William smiled broadly, closing the system screen. "It's okay, Phil. I just feel... my body feels a lot lighter now. Come on, Boss will definitely be waiting for us inside."
The Manchester City dressing room is full of energy. Gabriel Jesus threw the towel across the room, grinning as it hit William's shoulder squarely.
"William, mate, you make us all look like amateurs – one goal and one assist on a home debut? Leave us something extraordinary to show for it"
"I'm just doing my job. But you're not bad either," William said with a grin and threw back the towel.
Fernandinho replied, "But to be honest, Gabriel is right with what he said. But in the next match, you all have to appear more confident, okay."
Before the debate heated up, Guardiola clapped his hands – to attract attention. "Okay, guys. Calm down" His voice was firm through the noise of the place.
The room fell silent, all eyes were on the coach. "That's it," he said, pointing firmly, "the way you all tell the world that Manchester City this time is different from the Manchester City of the previous season."
Pep was silent for a moment, letting his sentence sink in before his face softened slightly. He knew his team had just given a physically and mentally draining performance, especially William, who had just had an intense home debut.
"You have worked very hard, exceeding my expectations tonight," continued Guardiola. "Because of that, I will give you some time to breathe. Enjoy this victory with your family."
The players cheered happily, but Guardiola raised his hand to calm them again. "Don't get too carried away. Yes, it was a fantastic win, but there's still a lot to improve on. We made mistakes today, and a better team would have capitalized on those mistakes. So enjoy this, but on Thursday, we get back to work. Understand?"
A series of nods and murmurs of approval were heard among the team members as he stepped aside, allowing the celebration to continue.
For head coach Guardiola, the win over Everton reaffirmed his commitment to beautiful football. However, he was not the type of person who would get carried away by just two wins. Guardiola understands that one result does not define a season; the challenges ahead will demand resilience, adaptability and consistency.
_______________
After the players left the stadium to enjoy their holiday, the lights in the Etihad Stadium's tactical analysis room were still brightly lit. Pep Guardiola sat with Mikel Arteta and data analysts, staring at a large screen displaying a heat map of William Carter's movements
Guardiola leaned back, massaging his forehead while looking at William's statistical graph. "His vision and passing are at a level I've never seen in a child his age. The 8.7 rating from FotMob is no coincidence," muttered Guardiola while pointing at the screen.
However, Arteta immediately displayed William's fitness data which showed a drastic decline after the 55th minute. "The problem remains the same, Pep. He is not physically strong enough for the intensity of 90 minutes in this top division," said Arteta. "If we continue to force him as a starter, we risk destroying his career before it really gets started."
Pep nodded in agreement. He will have to think about how to take advantage of William's tactical genius without sacrificing his physical condition, perhaps with a more specific role or tighter rotation with Yaya Toure or David Silva.
The analysis then turns to Wayne Rooney's goal which was created in the 54th minute. Guardiola frowned at how his back line lost focus for a moment.
"Our defense still leaves gaps that are too wide," complained Guardiola while playing back a video of his center back's movements. "Kompany has leadership qualities, but his pace is starting to decline. Stones and Otamendi are sometimes too risky when building attacks from the back."
Guardiola seemed confused as to which combination of defenders would be most effective in suppressing teams with quick counter attacks. Should he stick with three equal defenders like against Everton, or return to a more stable four-back scheme?
"We can't decide now," said Pep finally as he stood up. "Let them rest. I want to see how William reacts physically after this holiday and how our defenders communicate on the training field later. We will decide after Thursday's training starts."
_____________
On the other hand, William didn't come home today, the reason wasn't because he didn't want to meet his parents.
But because today, her mother's cousin in South Korea got married and her father, mother and sister went there to attend the wedding.
After returning home from eating with Foden and Palmer who were watching today's match.
William decided to stay in the hostel for the night, even after Foden and Palmer offered to let William stay at one of their houses.
The three of them had been like this since they were at the Academy, sometimes taking turns staying at one of them's house.
The three of them had been like this since they were at the Academy, sometimes taking turns staying at one of them's house.
After arriving at the dormitory and William cleaning himself again, he put on his casual clothes—a plain black hoodie and jogger pants. In the silence of his dormitory room, he sat on the bed and reached into his bag pocket to take out his cell phone.
However, the number of missed calls on his screen felt unusual to William.
Mother (5 Missed Calls)
Maria (8 Missed Calls)
Uncle Albert (3 Missed Calls)
William exhaled a long breath, trying to calm his heartbeat which was racing fast because he saw so many missed calls. He immediately pressed the callback button on his mother's number, suspecting that there was something urgent from South Korea.
"Hello? Mom?" said William quickly when the call was connected.
Instantly, William's ears were greeted by the sound of very loud cheers from across the phone. Not panicked screams, but the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and shouting in Korean to each other.
"William! You finally remembered to contact your parents, huh?!" Her mother's voice sounded very cheerful amidst the hustle and bustle of eating together. "Quickly turn on your video! All the family here, including your distant cousins, are gathered in front of the big screen. They just finished watching your match broadcast and they don't want to stop talking about your free kick goal!"
"The party is over and they decided to watch your match after I told them that you would be the starter in this match." Ana's voice sounded full of pride, she also wanted to say a lot of words to her son but because there were too many families who wanted to meet William, she thought better of it.