Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has praised captain Kevin De Bruyne for his brilliant showing in the 5-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.
All eyes were on the Belgian playmaker on Saturday afternoon at the Etihad, after he had announced his decision to leave the Premier League champions before the Manchester derby last week.
The Eagles however took a shock lead in the first half through Eberechi Eze before doubling their advantage in the 21st minute, when Chris Richards headed in from an Adam Wharton’s cross.
Manchester City struggled to put a stronghold on the game until De Bruyne took matters into his own hands, scoring from a freekick to begin the comeback.
Pep Guardiola praised De Bruyne afterwards; “He played fantastic. He helped us break this momentum that was not good.”
“The gratitude I have for him is huge. De Bruyne is incredible and I know that what he can deliver. I am happy because he is helping us. With the ball he was so, so clever, and then the goals, and the assists. He helped us a lot to win the game”, the Spaniard added.
January signing Omar Marmoush then scored a second three minutes later to level things before half time.
The 33-year old turned provider for Mateo Kovacic to put City ahead for the first time two minutes into the second half, before further goals from James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly completed the impressive win for the hosts.
“No one can do what Kevin has done,” Guardiola added. “I don’t want to put one second of pressure on Macca [McAtee], he has played not many minutes but I know the quality that he has in the final third. He scored one goal, he could have scored four.”
The former Wolfsburg midfielder came off in the 87th minute for countryman Jeremy Doku to a standing ovation from the City faithfuls, after another incredible outing.
The win keeps Manchester City in the hunt for a top five finish as they look to qualify for the UCL next season.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
