Kevin De Bruyne is proving he`s far from ready for a quieter life in leagues like MLS. Pep Guardiola still needs him at his best, and as Manchester City demonstrated in their impressive 5-2 turnaround against Crystal Palace, De Bruyne is the man for the job.
De Bruyne`s performance was outstanding, exactly what City required. Playing almost as a false nine, his intelligent movement and positioning confused Crystal Palace`s defenders, opening up spaces for teammates like Omar Marmoush and Ilkay Gundogan to exploit. Gundogan, freed from defensive duties, played with a classic attacking midfielder style, making runs into the box.
Once City found their rhythm after the first 30 minutes (it`s better to forget the shaky start where they conceded two goals), Palace struggled to cope. Oliver Glasner`s Palace side had been in excellent form, conceding more than two goals in a game only once since Christmas and suffering just two defeats in that period. However, De Bruyne`s brilliance unlocked them. His beautiful free-kick reduced the score to 2-1 in the 33rd minute. Later, a header across goal led to a scramble, with Marmoush eventually scoring. Early in the second half, showing great awareness, De Bruyne flicked the ball to Mateo Kovacic, who fired home to put City ahead.
Throughout the match, De Bruyne`s passing was exceptional. A perfectly weighted cross for Marmoush should have been an assist, as were many other passes. Operating near the right edge of the penalty area, he seemed to have extra time to assess the field, wait for his teammates` runs, and deliver pinpoint passes.
This was vintage De Bruyne, reminiscent of the pre-Haaland era, where he was the central figure orchestrating City`s attack. Everyone benefited from the offensive explosion, with five different players scoring the five goals. After experimenting with various attacking setups during Haaland`s injury absence, Pep Guardiola appears to have found a formula that works.
This win was crucial for City, moving them up to fourth place. However, with Chelsea and Newcastle United having games in hand, City`s Champions League qualification spot is still under threat. Their season remains finely balanced. The consequences of De Bruyne`s performance dropping, or another injury setback, are almost too worrying to contemplate given his pivotal role.
City`s defensive vulnerabilities further highlight De Bruyne`s importance. Young full-backs Nico O`Reilly and Rico Lewis were often caught out of position. Lewis was punished early on when he lost track of Eberechi Eze. Poor defensive organization allowed Chris Richards to score from a corner. Only a very tight offside call, thanks to semi-automated technology, prevented Eze from scoring a second goal, which seemed to spur De Bruyne into taking control of the game.
It`s a concern for City that they rely so heavily on a 33-year-old player who has had injury problems. Yet, if De Bruyne can maintain this level of performance, he could lead City to glory and depart in legendary style.
Dominic Ashworth