The experienced midfielder looked off his game again away at Liverpool, leaving his manager with no choice but to make a change
At the beginning of Skyfall, as James Bond is cleared for active service at MI5 again after surviving an accidental shooting, Gareth Mallory warns him on his way out the door: "Look, you've been seriously injured. There's no shame in saying you've lost a step. The only shame would be not admitting it until it's too late."
Kevin De Bruyne appears to be facing a similar crossroads at Manchester City, having struggled to build up a rhythm since his return to Pep Guardiola's squad in January. The 32-year-old missed the first half of the season after undergoing surgery on his hamstring, and was handed just his sixth Premier League start at Anfield on Sunday as City played out a thrilling 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
John Stones' opening goal came about because of a brilliant piece of quick-thinking from De Bruyne, but he faded dramatically thereafter, and Guardiola opted to bring him off for Mateo Kovacic in the 69th minute. Although the midfielder was visibly frustrated with the decision, he had no legitimate cause for complaint, with Guardiola saying frankly when quizzed on their subsequent touchline spat: "We were better after."
Guardiola was absolutely right to take De Bruyne out of the firing line. This wasn't the first time he has been caught off the pace this year either, which raises an untimely dilemma for the City boss, who cannot afford to be carrying any stragglers in his bid to deliver a record-breaking fourth domestic crown.
GettyFailing basic requirements
It could be argued that were it not for De Bruyne's genius, City would have left Anfield with nothing. He recorded his fifth assist in nine Premier League appearances after picking out Stones with a short-corner mid-way through the first-half, leaving the England defender with a simple close range finish.
There are very few players in world football capable of that kind of pass, or that even possess the vision and confidence to pull it off. De Bruyne's technique is a joy to behold, and he can still conjure up something out of nothing in the tightest games, even as he edges closer to his 33rd birthday.
However, he failed to stick to the more simple requirements during the game, such as getting on the ball regularly and winning back possession. There were also too many times when his final pass let him down, which allowed Liverpool to launch several of their blistering counter attacks, and City had completely lost control of the game by the time Guardiola took him off.
AdvertisementGettyNot ready for 90 minute games
De Bruyne vented his anger towards Guardiola on the touchline, before reluctantly taking a seat on the bench, and the Spanish head coach sat next to him to continue the discussion a short while later. “We need a player who keeps the ball. It’s not about pressing. It’s not about his play. We were happy with Kevin. It’s not a problem. We’re fine,” Guardiola said when quizzed on the incident.
He also promised that De Bruyne will "have a chance the next game to prove how wrong I was", with City set to face Newcastle in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, but did not specify whether he will retain his place in the starting XI. On recent evidence, it would be a risk for Guardiola to stick with the Belgium international, who is showing clear signs of wear and tear after his five-month spell on the sidelines.
Some three weeks after not "feeling comfortable" enough to come on during City's 1-0 win over Brentford, De Bruyne still doesn't look ready for the rigours of full 90 minute matches, which begs the question: would an impact sub role suit him better?
It would be no surprise if Guardiola was considering the possibility. For his winning machine to function properly, everyone has to be at 100 percent, and De Bruyne doesn't fall into that category right now. He certainly isn't lacking desire, but the way Liverpool overpowered City in midfield will be a huge concern for Guardiola, and they can't be found wanting again heading into the finishing stretch of the campaign.
Getty'My hamstring was like a wet paper towel'
“Basically, I’m a 32-year-old footballer who has been playing 15 years, made almost 700 appearances, had a couple of hamstring injuries and the surgeon told me my hamstring was like a wet paper towel. The tendon was ruptured, they needed to clean it out and it was the best decision.”
De Bruyne was refreshingly open about the injury troubles he has faced over the past year in the City Studios documentary titled ‘Return of the King’, having limped out of his team's 2022-23 Champions League final win over Inter before damaging his hamstring again on the opening day of the new campaign at Burnley.
City have handled De Bruyne's recovery perfectly up to this point, and they must continue to exercise caution if he is to get back into optimal physical condition. The veteran playmaker's best performance of the season so far came in a 6-2 rout of Luton in the FA Cup fifth round, as he provided four assists for Erling Haaland, after which he insisted he "feels good".
There was a caveat, though, as De Bruyne added: "I know if you don't play for six months and come back, you're going to get niggles everywhere else. it's normal and it's fine." The City talisman's hamstring might be holding up now, but he's feeling the strain in other parts of his body as he tries to re-adjust to the demands of three games a week for a club chasing silverware across multiple fronts.
It's also entirely possible that he will never be quite as robust or agile as he once was. De Bruyne has dealt with serious injuries throughout his career, and the recovery process gets more and more difficult with age.
GettyLearning experience for Pep
In the first 25 minutes of the second half at Anfield, Liverpool laid siege to the City net. Alexis Mac Allister scored from the penalty spot to level proceedings, before Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez spurned golden opportunities to complete an epic comeback for Jurgen Klopp's side.
It wasn't until De Bruyne made way for Kovacic that City were able to stem the tide and gain the upper hand in the possession stakes once again. Kovacic had 36 touches in the final portion of the game, two more than De Bruyne managed during his much longer spell on the pitch, and brought balance in the middle of the park alongside Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Rodri.
City were fortunate not to concede a stoppage time penalty after a late challenge on Mac Allister from Jeremy Doku, but only after the winger had struck the post after a trademark jinking run in the box, as Guardiola's team were able to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool after the necessary sacrifice of De Bruyne.
In such a fast-paced contest, De Bruyne struggled to get involved as Liverpool relentlessly pressed City high up the pitch while feeding off the energy from a typically raucous Anfield crowd. He certainly wasn't helped by Erling Haaland, who fell woefully short as City's target man, but Kovacic was far happier taking the ball under pressure and made sure the visitors kept it to disrupt Liverpool's momentum.
It will have been a valuable learning experience for Guardiola, especially with a huge clash against new Premier League leaders Arsenal now looming large on the horizon at the end of the month.
