De Bruyne had a double, including an assist for Erling Haaland in the 4-2 win over Crystal Palace in the 32nd round of the Premier League. This victory helped Man City stay firm in the championship race and created good psychology for the rematch with Real Madrid next week in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The two goals against Palace marked the Belgian midfielder's 100th goal for The Citizens in all competitions. Man City fans call him "King Kevin" who is not mean when he only needs to have standard form, De Bruyne can completely lead the team that just won the treble last season.
De Bruyne dribbles, scores, assists and builds a very tight tight lineup. During his years in charge at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola had to be very lucky to own such a talented star.
"I don't expect to be given the opportunity to play regularly if my form is not good. Phil Foden has had a very excellent performance this season. He deserves a starting position. Therefore, I need to try harder.
Because I am not a role model for others, I always strive to be an example for my young teammates to follow. We have known each other for 7-8 years, so I no longer consider Foden a young player. Going beyond that, he is becoming a big star in this glorious squad of Man City" - De Bruyne shared after being asked about the pressure of Foden having just scored a hat-trick in midweek.
Witnessing Man City's performance in the first half, perhaps many fans of Arsenal and Liverpool will feel happy because the defending champion faced many difficulties at Selhurst Park. However, wherever they went, the visitors crushed their opponents easily with De Bruyne's perfect performance.
The Citizens have scored eight goals in their last two games against Foden and De Bruyne. Since the beginning of December 2023, they have not lost in the Premier League. Man City will not give up their goal even though the right to decide for themselves is not necessarily in their hands.
In this match, Haaland also scored again despite still missing some good opportunities before. The Norwegian striker's assist is none other than De Bruyne. Since last season, De Bruyne has assisted his junior 17 times. With Haaland still fit, De Bruyne's return and quickness will make Man City powerful again, making every opponent afraid.
It is not known how much Liverpool and Arsenal are worried when seeing De Bruyne play so well for Man City. However, the first team to worry about is Real Madrid when they prepare to play the equivalent of England in a life-and-death match in the Champions League.
