Kevin de Bruyne could have joined Paris Saint-Germain, writes Ben Lyttleton, but he's back just in time to knock them out of the Champions League.
It was like a game of headers and volleys that kids all over the
world still play. The ball came to Sergio Aguero, he scooped it up to David Silva, who crisply laid it off to Kevin de Bruyne to volley home Manchester City’s third goal in the 4-0 win over Bournemouth.
This was City at their attacking best, in the form that will give
Champions League opponents Paris Saint-Germain cause for concern ahead
of this week’s quarter-final tie.
What was more impressive was that it was De Bruyne’s first
appearance for City since picking up an injury in the League Cup
semi-final against Everton 10 weeks ago. At that point, City were one point behind joint-leaders Arsenal and Leicester. Nine rounds later, City have lost to Leicester, Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester United and drawn with Norwich. Now they are 12 points behind Leicester in fourth place, with United and West Ham breathing down City’s neck.
It would be too easy to say that De Bruyne’s injury has derailed
City’s season but there is certainly more to the common narrative that
this is a team reliant on Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero, two injury-prone veterans of precious title success at the Etihad.
Raheem Sterling
has had an inconsistent first season at City, as he admitted in a
recent interview with Sky Sports. “My year has been a bit stop-start,”
he said. “I started off really well at the start of the campaign. We
went on an unbeaten run and we were top of the Premier League - and then
I got a bit sloppy. I’m not trying to make up excuses or anything, but
it was probably the number of games that were turning around. It made it
very difficult for me. I’m still growing physically so that was a bit
hard.”
Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring the second goal for Manchester City - Reuters
There have been no such issues for De Bruyne, who has hit the
ground running. His six goals and nine assists in 19 starts don't tell
the whole story. He has given City a cutting-edge in the final third and
scored some crucial goals in the process: most notably a last-minute
winner in the dramatic Champions League group stage win over Sevilla. De
Bruyne’s finishing is second only to Aguero at the club. Despite that,
he still flies under the radar.
“He's a very important player. I think that before he was injured he made very good performances," City coach Manuel Pellegrini
said after the win against Bournemouth. "He was one of the players that
scored more goals and was playing very well. It was unlucky for him to
have that injury for about two months.”
Pellegrini deserves credit too, for playing De Bruyne as the No.
10 just behind Aguero so pushing Silva wide, which is where he has
played for Spain. “I think playing forward near Kun [Aguero] gave him a
little bit more space so he did not have to work so hard as a midfielder
because after two months it is not easy for him to have good pace. I
was sure that he was going to retain [form] the same way that he
finished before his injury.”
According to his former coach at Genk, Hans Vanhaezebrouck, De Bruyne is a better player than his compatriot Eden Hazard.
“Everyone knew that De Bruyne was a great talent but he is a more
complete player than Hazard,” he told Belgian TV show Extra Time in
2013. “He has a better understanding of the game. He can play on the
left or right, wide or inside. He can dribble, play the ball inside or
shoot from distance. He can even play left, right or in the hole or as a
second midfielder alongside a holding player.”
Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after scoring the second goal for Manchester City - Reuters
That versatility may have cost De Bruyne in the past. “Ever
since I turned pro everyone has given an opinion about my best
position,” he told Sport/Foot magazine in a conversation about his role
in the Belgium team in 2014. “I don’t care [about the debate]. I can
play in five positions and I think it's an advantage: the four attacking
positions and even as number six.”
These must be words that Pep Guardiola,
City’s coach next season, dreams of hearing. More than Sterling, who is
some way from the finished product – especially when it comes to his
finishing - De Bruyne reflects the Spaniard’s vision of attacking
versatility. If anyone can play as a false nine and make it work, it
would be the Belgian.
“My contribution is primarily an attacking one,” De Bruyne
added. “So my job remains the same: give assists and try to score. I am
quite fast even if I'm not the fastest in the squad. It does not cause
me too many problems because I have good reaction speed. I know very
quickly what I'll do. People expect me to make a difference, with a pass
or goal. The cameras are always pointed at those who decide an
encounter: a striker who scored three goals, a keeper who stops
everything. And sometimes that’s me. There are not many players of my
style in the squad.”
Paris St Germain signed Angel Di Maria after targeting De Bruyne - Reuters
De Bruyne’s agent Patrick de Koster revealed earlier this season
that two other clubs wanted De Bruyne before City got their man. They
are both in action this week: Bayern Munich and City’s opponents on Wednesday, PSG.
“The French club really wanted him,” said De Koster. “I met
Olivier Letang (assistant sporting director at PSG) a few times. We
considered the possible role of Kevin before talking numbers. Their
priority was Kevin De Bruyne and not Angel Di Maria. But the transfer of
Kevin, if it happened, would have cost more than Di Maria (who was
€63m), I am 100 per cent convinced of that.”
PSG’s loss is City’s gain. This week De Bruyne will come up
against Di Maria and his PSG team-mates. When the draw was made three
weeks ago, PSG were favourites to progress. De Bruyne’s timely return
from injury has given City renewed hope.
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