A timely victory. In great difficulty in recent weeks, Manchester City had suffered six defeats and a draw in the last seven matches. In a historic crisis since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, the English club had to react this Wednesday evening at the Etihad Stadium. Facing Nottingham Forest (6th), the Sky Blues finally resumed their march forward with a resounding 3-0 success. A victory which bears the seal of Kevin De Bruyne.
Starting for the first time since September 18 and a Champions League match against Inter Milan, the native of Drongen was quick to highlight himself with an offering for Bernardo Silva after 8 minutes. A few minutes later, he doubled the lead after half an hour of play. Bringing the creativity that the Sky Blues lacked and providing a real link with scorer Erling Haaland, he made the Mancuniens’ offensive proposition more coherent.
Kevin De Bruyne made everyone agree
A significant return for Pep Guardiola who loved the performance of his Belgian genius: “I’m very happy he’s back. He played a fantastic 75 minutes. He deserves the best because he’s a lovely guy and has been extremely important for many years since he arrived. He fought hard and prepared well. He has regained his physical form. The minutes he played at Anfield were really good. Last season he was absent for several months, this season too. We will see how he recovers after a long injury and how he feels in three days.»
While rumors were brewing about a potential discomfort with Pep Guardiola, Kevin De Bruyne quickly cut them short by explaining that the problems came from his body. “There were never any problems between me and Pep. He knows I have difficulties. It’s painful and uncomfortable. I hope I can get my body back without too much pain and then everything will be fine», blurted the Belgian. Consultant, Micah Richards also praised this return to form for the attacking midfielder: “he is a high quality player and one of the best we have seen. He always manages to find space on the pitch.» Regaining color, Manchester City will really need a great Kevin De Bruyne to quickly return to the top.
