Kevin de Bruyne is a supreme talent. Capable of turning a game on its head in the blink of an eye, the Belgium star has been Manchester City’s driving force in midfield for the last three years. A few eyebrows were raised when the Blues decided to spend £55 million, the second-most expensive transfer in British football history at that point, on the midfielder but he has now matured into one of the most consistent players on the planet.
City fans were left with their heads in hands after De Bruyne suffered a serious-looking knee injury back in August but the Belgian has made a fast and full recovery – much to the delight of the Etihad Stadium faithful. De Bruyne finished the 2017/18 Premier League season with the most assists in England’s top flight and City will be relying on his creativity in the second half of the season. The battle to defend the English crown is well and truly on…
Kevin de Bruyne at Man City
The defending champions are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table but it is very tight. With nine matches played, City are level on points with Liverpool whilst Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are just two points off the pace.
De Bruyne should give City a boost ahead of the busy festive period; form over Christmas is always huge in determining the fate of the Premier League title. Squad rotation and luck on the injury front will come into play.
According to WhoScored, De Bruyne finished 2017/18 with nine goals and 20 assists in 45 matches in all competitions last season – an incredible return. Still just 27 years old, City fans will be expecting De Bruyne to dominate at the Etihad Stadium for many years to come. Writing the Belgian off would be foolish to say the least. With De Bruyne back to full fitness, the rest of the Premier League will be quaking in their boots at the thought of facing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Both midfield magicians, but who would you rather have? 🤔
🔁 = Kevin De Bruyne
❤️ = Luke Modric pic.twitter.com/DIIrXF8F4D— FOOTY.COM (@footydotcom_) October 20, 2018
De Bruyne type
Liverpool don’t have a De Bruyne type in their squad and that could turn out to be the main difference at the end of the campaign. Football betting has City at 4/7 to retain the crown in 2018/19 and De Bruyne’s return should give Guardiola’s side a boost.
With a tough run of fixtures approaching, the Belgian will be hoping to help his side build momentum. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see City open up a gap at the top of the table. De Bruyne is still in with an outside chance of challenging for the Player of the Year award – he’s that good.
Manchester City will take some stopping in their pursuit of defending the top flight title. Kevin de Bruyne’s return is only going to improve their chances. The Belgium star is working his way back into the starting line-up. Guardiola will be ready to let him loose in the near future. Sit back, relax and watch midfield maestro De Bruyne run riot in the Premier League; the 2018/19 title looks likely.