Kevin De Bruyne is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues to be pivotal for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola clearly still relies heavily on him, and as seen in City`s impressive 5-2 turnaround against Crystal Palace, De Bruyne remains indispensable.
De Bruyne was exceptional, precisely when City needed him most. Playing as a false nine, his intelligent movement and positioning confused Crystal Palace`s defense, opening up opportunities for teammates like Omar Marmoush and Ilkay Gundogan to attack. Gundogan, freed from defensive duties, played with a more classic attacking midfielder role, contributing to City`s dynamic offensive setup.
Once City found their rhythm after the first 30 minutes (it`s best to forget their shaky start when they conceded two goals), Palace struggled to cope. Oliver Glasner`s Palace team has been in good form recently, having conceded more than two goals only once since Christmas and suffering only two defeats in that period. However, De Bruyne`s magic proved too much for them. His perfectly executed free-kick reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 33rd minute. Shortly after, a header across goal, initially mishit by Gundogan, fell to Marmoush who scored. Early in the second half, demonstrating great awareness, De Bruyne cleverly flicked the ball to Mateo Kovacic, who then fired home the goal that put City ahead.
Throughout the match, De Bruyne`s passing was incredible. A pinpoint cross to Marmoush, delivered through a tight space, deserved an assist, as did many other passes. Operating just outside the right edge of the penalty box, he seemed to have extra time to assess the situation, wait for the right run, and deliver the ball with perfect accuracy.
This performance recalled the De Bruyne who was the central creative force before Erling Haaland`s arrival, the player around whom City`s attack revolved. With five goals and five different scorers, everyone benefited offensively. After experimenting with different attacking formations during Haaland`s injury absence, Pep Guardiola appears to have found a successful formula.
This victory is crucial for City, moving them up to fourth place. However, with Chelsea and Newcastle United having games in hand, the reigning English champions could still fall out of the Champions League qualifying spots if they win their outstanding matches. City`s season remains delicately balanced. The consequences of a dip in De Bruyne`s performance level, or another injury, are almost unthinkable given his consistent brilliance this season. His importance to the team is as significant as ever.
This is especially true considering that City`s defense looked vulnerable and reliant on De Bruyne`s brilliance. Young full-backs Nico O`Reilly and Rico Lewis were too easily drawn out of position. Lewis was punished early on when he lost track of Eberechi Eze, who scored after six minutes. Poor defensive organization allowed Chris Richards to head in from a corner. Only a very tight offside call, thanks to semi-automated technology, denied Eze a second goal, which seemed to spur De Bruyne to take control of the game.
It`s somewhat concerning for City that they need a 33-year-old, who has had injury problems, to rescue them. Nevertheless, if De Bruyne can maintain this level of performance, he could end his City career in truly heroic fashion.
Adrian Whitmore