Kevin De Bruyne’s comeback from injury and subsequent red-hot return to form has proved yet again why he is the best player in the Premier League.
Even in the relatively short space of time that he’s been back out on the pitch and with Phil Foden having seriously stepped up in his absence, it didn’t take long for De Bruyne to remind the Manchester City faithful what they’ve been missing in his four-month period on the sidelines.
Appearing for just the first time in Europe this season as City took home a two-goal advantage from their away leg against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League round of 16, KDB didn’t only open the scoring but also managed to register a pair of assists, getting involved with every goal on the night.
Here’s how he got them off the mark:
Kevin De Bruyne fires Man City ahead in Copenhagen 🎯
Perhaps most importantly, however, it looked like the Blues might be off to a flyer following this early opener and overall dominance but the home side did end up getting into the game and equalising in the 34th minute, suddenly giving the visitors more of a task. Good job they have De Bruyne.
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The Belgian baller is more than a welcome addition back in the squad for the resumption of their UCL and treble defence; he already looks to have helped revitalise the side after small hints of ‘complacency’ or taking their foot off the gas a little, with Kev looking back to his best, if not maybe even beyond that.
The 32-year-old has already hinted that he might be playing or at least feeling ‘better than ever’ since coming back from his hamstring injury and besides a new trim, he also looks to have seemingly gained an extra yard of pace from somewhere and his on-pitch intelligence remains virtually unparalleled.
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It is this lightning-quick return to match fitness and vintage Man City form that helped him claim two more assists for his tally and get back to business as usual — almost as if he never went anywhere.
No player has been involved in more so far this year. He’s also scored 10 and assisted nine in his last 22 UCL knockout matches. Levels.
It’s that restored sharpness that helped him get to the ball that made the second goal, albeit it was one of his more fortunate assists and returning the favour to Foden for his earlier set-up to close the game out also demonstrated that he’s slotted straight back in without any of those relationships dwindling.
But make no mistake, it wasn’t just last night that the midfield maestro shone as one of if not the best on the pitch since getting his boots back on. He’s now on 10 goal contributions in nine matches across all competitions this season, even despite having missed the majority of it and coming off the bench/not completing the full 90 in most.
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In fact, it took him no time at all to get back on the scoresheet and assisting his teammates, grabbing one of each within just 20 minutes of being subbed on for his first game back in the Prem in City’s 3-2 comeback against Newcastle. He’s also grabbed an assist in every league fixture since.
Two words: impact and levels.
KDB IS BACK! 👑
Kevin De Bruyne comes on and produces a wonderful finish in his Premier League comeback game 👏
Pep Guardiola, Nathan Ake and Foden were all full of praise for the red-haired wizard on Tuesday night, with the defender waxing lyrical about his “top” form and simply hoping it can continue without interruption in his post-match interview.
As for us, when Erling Haaland is misfiring, luck isn’t going their way, and Pep’s players aren’t quite clicking like we know they can — only in contrast to the ridiculously high standards they’ve set for themselves — we’d still bank on even a couple moments of magic from this man turning the tide most days.
Yes, not exactly a groundbreaking revelation here, but Kevin De Bruyne has once again given us a reminder that he is the best player in the Premier League and one of if not the best it’s ever seen.
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You can watch the highlights from City’s 1-3 victory against FC Copenhagen and KDB’s trio of goal contributions down below:
A Salford community centre is hosting a specialChristmas-themed pro wrestling show
Danny Jones
A local community centre in Salford is hosting a Christmas-themed pro wrestling show this festive period and it might just be one of the coolest-sounding fundraisers we’ve heard in a while.
Do sleigh bells and body slams go together? Well, we’re going to find out.
Hosting the special seasonal edition of PinFall Wrestling, the local sports entertainment group based out of Salford Gymnastic Centre, beloved local organisation The Rec will be helping put on a whole evening of fighting action from their 20ft wrestling ring.
Scheduled to get underway on Saturday, 14 December, a whole slew of UK wrestling talent will be competing in PinFall’s Christmas Chaos 2024.
Managed by the Salford Involved Cooperative, a non-profit enterprise that helps fund places like The Rec, nearby gyms and other important community outlets,
Promising “turkey, tinsel and takedowns”, the star-studded roster includes ITV’s World of Wrestling stars Sheikh El Sham and Martin Kirby, plus fan favourites like Commander Sterling.
Better yet, as well as many other familiar faces to those immersed in the British wrestling scene, the event will also feature talent from the Top Rope Wrestling Academy (TRWA), all of which will be making their PinFall debut.
Christmas Chaos takes place at The Rec on Camp Street in Salford (M7 1ZT), just five minutes or so outside of Manchester city centre, with doors opening from 2:30pm.
Adult admission is only a tenner and children aged 15 and under go even cheaper at just £6. Tickets are available HERE and you can even spring for early access through VIP passes if you’re feeling fancy.
Once again, all the funds raised through ticket sales go straight back into the centre and towards organising other community events throughout the year.
The Rec is based in East Salford, which has eight out of its 13 neighbourhoods listed as the lowest 10% on the country’s index of multiple deprivation.
They offer a wide range of support services throughout the week that help tackle the effects of poverty in the area including recovery support for those struggling with addiction, refugee and asylum seeker classes, sports, youth activities, food banks and more.
As well as ticketed events like these, they regularly hold free community fun days such as their annual Easter event and Christmas present drive, which saw over 250 presents handed out to locals in 2023.
Working with multiple regional and national organisations such as Greater Manchester Police, the NHS, National Lottery, Sports England, Children in Need, The Mustard Tree and more, the importance of the work done at The Rec cannot be overstated.
More importantly, places like this need constant support directly from the communities that they serve, especially during difficult times like the one we are facing right now. So, if you fancy helping the much-loved Salford community centre and watching some festive wrestling shenanigans, see you there.
Rúben Amorim outlines the three key things Manchester United need to work on
Danny Jones
Rúben Amorim has conducted his first full press conference as Manchester United manager and has outlined the three key things he wants to address when it comes to his new team.
Amorim officially joined Man United on Monday, 11 November after being given a ‘now or never’ which meant he had to leave his former club Sporting CP in the middle of the season.
Replacing Erik ten Hag, who was sacked less than 24 hours after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham and had overseen a run of bad results, the contract extension he was given in the summer ultimately proved obsolete and now the Portuguese head coach must lift his new side from a measly 13th in the table.
That being said, speaking to the media in his first full pre-match presser ahead of his maiden Premier League outing against Ipswich Town this weekend, Amorim has already highlighted three key areas in which he wants United to improve as a matter of priority.
"I truly believe that I'm the right guy in the right moment" 👊
Ruben Amorim says he does not think managing Manchester United is the impossible job.#MUFC#bbcfootball 🇵🇹
What did Amorim say in his first full Man United press conference?
Although the 39-year-old coach – who is only three years older than resurgent centre-back Johnny Evans – started off by assuring that his main focus at its core is to win the next match (and the one after that, as the football cliché goes), he boiled the current squad issues down to a troublesome trio.
In his eyes, a lot of it just comes down to pure physical effort.
Improve possession
First and foremost, Amorim was quick to point out that United “lose the ball too often” and simply have to retain it more throughout the 90 minutes.
Although they have enjoyed spells of greater control in games, their average possessions stats in the Premier League not only under ten Hag but Ole Gunnar Solskjær and even short-lived interim boss Ralf Rangnick never flirted too far above 50-53%.
While that might sound like the signs of nothing more than a well-contested game, the club need to be looking at much higher numbers if they want to start being a dominant force again.
Track back more
The second area he said that the team desperately needs to improve in is the distances covered per match, especially when it comes to running back towards their own goal and tracking back during defensive phases.
Addressing it in a rather matter-of-fact manner, he told reporters: “We have to be better at running back, I think that is clear for everybody [to see].” He told Gary Neville something very similar in his other recent interview with Sky Sports.
"This is my place" ❤️
The smile on both Gary Neville and Ruben Amorim's face when the Manchester United head coach said this ☺ pic.twitter.com/dpKnnE69Nm
He said it with a smile on his face but it’s clear that he knows there is a narrative surrounding United in recent years that they just don’t work hard enough, both on and off the ball. Having played mainly in the middle of the park for Belenenses, Benfica and SC Braga, running is a non-negotiable.
Focus on the ‘details’ first
Lastly, Amorim said he believes one of the big things he can do for these players is to help them fine-tune the small things. He added that although there is a feeling that fans want there to be “a lot of change” and pressure to make “big” decisions, he reiterated that “it’s the small things.”
The former utility player knows a thing or two about playing in lots of positions and going back to the opening point of his press conference in which he discussed getting the team to believe in “one thing”, he believes that the minute differences can contribute to changing how they approach the game.
There is understandably lots of talk surrounding his trademark 3-4-3 formation and whether these details refer to tactical tweaks, we will see, but he insists that so long as they put in the effort and pay attention to the little stuff, those on the pitch will start to play in the same way that he wants them to.
You can watch his press conference ahead of the Ipswich away this Sunday in full down below:
Amorim was also happy to casually call out those who ‘don’t believe in’ his new players in his first press conference as Man United coach.
Danny Jones -
14th February 2024 
