Following their dramatic exit from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, all eyes were on Manchester City at the weekend to see how they would react.
The clash against Newcastle became even more important after Liverpool drew with Tottenham, adding that bit of extra pressure on Pep Guardiola’s men ahead of the home clash against Newcastle United.
They handled it superbly, however, dismantling Eddie Howe’s men with ease in a game that ended 5-0 in Manchester City’s favour.
At the heart of the performance was once again Kevin de Bruyne, who also picked up an assist when he teed up Rodri with a corner to make it 3-0.
The Belgian has been instrumental to Manchester City’s title push this season, scoring 15 goals and picking up 13 assists in 42 appearances.
This takes his overall tally for the Etihad side to 82 goals and 120 assists in 304 appearances, which one man in Belgium feels deserves some kind of monument outside the stadium.
That man is Sport/Voetbalmagazine journalist Steve Van Herpe, who said: “Kevin De Bruyne stayed on the field for 90 minutes and was praised in the English media afterwards, because against Newcastle, it once again became clear that he can break open a game with one pass or one move. He is the heart of the team.
“He’s been running the team for years. Again, in a season in which he was only fully fit in December, he currently has 11 goals and seven assists (in the Premier League).
“If Kompany got a statue at Manchester City, what about De Bruyne? A player of his allure deserves something extra. A statue, a Golden Ball or a Champions League, but it can also be a World Cup, of course…”
