Brilliant De Bruyne double sends run-in message in City recovery
Premier League: Crystal Palace 2 Manchester City 4
KEVIN De Bruyne served notice he ready to play a leading role in Manchester City’s run-in by capping an outstanding performance with two superbly taken goals as Pep Guardiola’s side shifted the pressure on to Liverpool and Arsenal in the latest round of the three-way title race.
Out for five months with a hamstring injury, the Belgium international has played more of a peripheral role in City’s season so far with Phil Foden amongst those attracting more attention. But with Foden rested after his midweek hat-trick ahead of Tuesday’s visit to Real Madrid, De Bruyne, who scored his first Premier League goals since January, was the architect of City’s win that extends their unbeaten run to 25 games in all competitions.
De Bruyne cancelled out Jean Philippe Mateta’s third minute opening goal, then set up Erling Haaland’s 66th-minute third after Rico Lewis had put the visitors ahead immediately after the break. The Belgian then added the fourth to make the game safe with Odsonne Edouard’s 86th-minute strike coming too late to inspire a Crystal Palace reponse.
It was by no means a complete performance by City but Guardiola can be satisfied with the way they got the job done ahead of the Champions League quarter-final. With De Bruyne hitting top form, Haaland scoring first goal in four games and Foden allowed a weekend rest, the City manager had plenty to be pleased about, Not that he would have been happy at the way City’s lack of concentration led to Palace taking a third minute lead.
Alarmingly from Guardiola’s point of view, the goal came after a City corner was cleared and John Stones directed a misplaced pass towards Adam Wharton, the Palace midfielder who impressed
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