There’ll be no easing himself towards a life of semi-retirement in MLS or elsewhere for Kevin De Bruyne. Pep Guardiola has one last job for him and on the evidence of Manchester City’s come-from-behind 5-2 win over Crystal Palace, there’s no one better qualified for the task.
De Bruyne was fantastic. City needed him to be. A true false nine, his manipulation of space left the Crystal Palace back three bamboozled, creating the space for players like Omar Marmoush and Ilkay Gundogan to make runs. Given Gundogan was freed from defensive responsibility and empowered to dart into the box, there was a pleasantly retro vibe to City’s tactics.
Once City found their rhythm after half an hour (best not to mention their form before this, when they were down by two goals), there was little Palace could do to stop them. Oliver Glasner’s side has been performing well in the Premier League, but when De Bruyne began his masterclass, they had no answers. His free kick halved the deficit on 33 minutes, followed by a header from Gundogan that was shanked but drilled home by Marmoush. Early in the second half, De Bruyne helped set up Mateo Kovacic to score the goal that got City into the lead.
The passing was mesmerizing. De Bruyne, holding court just outside the penalty area, manufactured time to assess his surroundings and deliver pinpoint balls to his teammates.
This was the De Bruyne of the pre-Haaland era, pivotal in shaping the attack. Everyone contributed—the goals came from five different scorers. Since the injury of the big Norwegian, Guardiola looks to have finally found a functioning attack.
Not a moment too soon. The victory elevates City to fourth place, but if Chelsea and Newcastle win their games in hand, the ex-champions could slip out of Champions League qualification spots. Their season is precariously balanced; the thought of De Bruyne failing to maintain his performance level after struggling with injuries makes for a grim scenario. His significance remains as crucial as ever.
Worrisomely for the City defense, led by young fullbacks who struggled, the adjustment is necessary. De Bruyne now finds himself needing to step up and carry the team through these challenges.
