Jurgen Klopp has already been proven right with Man City Kevin De Bruyne prediction

Manchester City’s wait for Erling Haaland to return might be ongoing, but Kevin De Bruyne is undeniably back. Four minutes was all it took for the Belgian to send a shudder down the spine of their Premier League rivals. As Jurgen Klopp said a couple of weeks ago,[1] “Kevin De Bruyne is warming up.

The whole country is starting to shake”. The trembles might be registering on the Richter scale after a riotous Saturday night at St James’ Park. De Bruyne[2] eased his way back into action against Huddersfield last week, but on this occasion, he was really needed. City[3] were losing the match and losing their heads when he was called back down the touchline by Pep Guardiola with a quarter of the contest to go.

His first touch was to fire a free-kick into the wall. He didn’t miss with his next chance. ALSO READ: Newcastle vs Man City as it happened[4]

ALSO READ: Man City player ratings vs Newcastle[5] It was classic De Bruyne. Driving through the heart of the pitch before stroking a precision finish past Martin Dubravka from 20 yards, using a Newcastle defender to help shield a low shot that was only ever destined for the very corner of the net.

Then, with the clock against City and a seething sense of injustice gripping them at a paltry three added minutes, De Bruyne lofted a pinpoint pass to Oscar Bobb, who did the rest in style and etched his name unerringly into the narrative of this season. The celebrations on the pitch, in front of the dugout and in the stands said it all. De Bruyne has now played around 40 minutes of football in the Premier League this season.

He has one goal and two assists to his name in that time. There is no doubt he is the best player in this division. And having him back and rested could be vital for the second half of the campaign.

It feels like it’s shaping up to be another two-horse race with Liverpool, but this is a Klopp side without the muscle memory of his previous incarnations. Don’t be surprised if they start to sweat with the breath of City and De Bruyne on their necks. If last week was a case of shaking off the rust and remembering the rhythms of matchday, this was the Belgian getting back to influencing games.

He regularly pulled to that right-hand side position and slid a few tantalising low crosses into the area. The kind Haaland would have been all over. His absence looks likely to stretch to two months after Guardiola’s pre-match prognosis that he will miss the January schedule in its entirety.

There has to be some nervousness within the medical department at the trouble the foot problem is causing the Norwegian. It means that De Bruyne and Haaland, on the same wavelength for all of last season, have been on the same pitch for just 20 minutes of this campaign. It can probably be considered a success for City to still be within striking distance at the top of the table.

There are clearly problems for Guardiola to sort. City’s defending remains a concern, especially in one-v-one situations, something which became a superstrength last season. They have just five clean sheets in 20 Premier League games, having averaged 18 a season across the last six campaigns under Guardiola.

If they don’t improve in that department then winning the league will be a battle, but don’t underestimate the value of a returning and refreshed De Bruyne, ready to once again stamp his class all over this league.

References

1. ^ said a couple of weeks ago, (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^ De Bruyne (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
3. ^ City (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
4. ^ Newcastle vs Man City as it happened (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
5. ^ Man City player ratings vs Newcastle (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)