Kevin de Bruyne made a triumphant return to the Premier League yesterday, coming off the bench to aid Manchester City in defeating Newcastle United.
The Belgian midfielder had been sidelined with an injury since August, during which time City experienced inconsistencies in their performances.
De Bruyne, along with Erling Haaland, is arguably one of the two most crucial players for City. Their combined efforts were instrumental in securing a treble for the team last season, and City has felt the absence of the Belgian during the first half of this season.
Despite De Bruyne’s absence, both Arsenal and Liverpool were unable to establish a significant lead over City, and his return is expected to strengthen the team.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes that rivals will now be concerned with De Bruyne’s return.
He said, as quoted by Football London:
“I’ll tell you one thing, that man there (KDB), you’re back, you are back. You are the jewel in the crown, you’re back. Look at us now, watch momentum kick in now and these guys know what to do.
“These guys know when to put the pedal to the floor and it looks like now everybody is going to be looking over their shoulders and looking around and saying ‘they are coming’. They know how to get the job done, they have the experience, the depth, the class, the quality and the firepower. Formidable.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
De Bruyne is a difference-maker and adds a new dimension to the title race, but we should be more worried about our performance in this half of the season.
We need to focus on winning our games, which will give us a good chance to win the league.
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