Kevin De Bruyne has earned the right to hold Man City to ransom
When Phil Foden fired home from 25 yards to secure his hat-trick in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Aston Villa, it felt like the world was watching the changing of the Manchester City guard.
Kevin De Bruyne, absent for much of the season so far due to injury, remained an unused substitute for the visit of Villa. He watched on from the bench as someone nine years his junior took the game by the scruff of the neck and kept alive the champions' title charge.
Though the midfielder has shown himself to be as fiery as his trademark red hair in recent years — you should let him talk — it's hard to imagine him taking such a performance from Foden personally, a la Michael Jordan.
De Bruyne said on Saturday that Foden does keep him 'on his toes'. But on the basis of the Belgian's outstanding display in their 4-2 victory away at Crystal Palace, you'd be forgiven for thinking that his junior's heroics did indeed rattle him to a snider degree.
The 32-year-old was the best player on the Selhurst Park pitch by a million miles. Eagles manager Oliver Glasner joked pre-match that if he didn't think his team had a chance, he may as well go sight-seeing in London. In hindsight, he should probably have gone for a stroll through the West End.
Palace took an early lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta, but that only served to wake a sleepy City from their slumber.
With a wicked swing of his right boot, De Bruyne hauled the visitors level from just inside the 18-yard box, picking out the very top corner of Dean Henderson's net. He would provide an assist for an extremely grateful Erling Haaland midway through the second half before icing the game with another goal moments later.
At a time where City — whose other starters featured Rico Lewis, 19, Oscar Bobb,
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