If there was ever any doubt that Kevin De Bruyne isn’t just Manchester City’s best player but arguably the best in the Premier League full stop, then his inspiring display at the Etihad Stadium in their emphatic 5-2 comeback against Crystal Palace should have well and truly quashed those.
Man City received a rather large early shock after finding themselves two goals down after just 21 minutes on Saturday, and it looked to be a topsy-turvy day that would once again confirm they are human in what has been their least dominant season for some time.
However, the reminder that we ultimately got is that is aging, injury problems and legs not moving quite as quickly as they used to may get the better of some, but class is permanent and if Blues could pick any player slightly past his prime to get them out of a tight spot, it will be Kevin De Bruyne 11 times out 10.
The Belgian midfielder not only got he team and the crowd back in the fight with a wonderful free-kick to make it 2-1, but he also managed to grab an assist for the third goal by Mateo Kovačić, having well and truly gotten their creative juices flowing. Speaking after the game, he made the objectives clear:
A leader, armband or not. Here’s what he has to say after the game.
Leading by example and then some.
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In truth, he could have had at least one more goal were it not for a strike rattling the post, as well as essentially helped carve out the equaliser from Omar Marmoush – now on six league goals for the season – and regardless of his recent fitness issues, his quality shone through as always.
The 33-year-old described himself as being relatively “pain-free” for the last year, and putting smaller issues with hamstrings and a hernia aside, he is already starting to reflect on what has been a remarkable 10 years both for the club and him personally here in Manchester.
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He went on to add that winning the FA Cup would be the “perfect ending” to his time in Manchester, but who knows? Maybe they could always tie on a second FIFA Club World Cup if he’s still around by then.
As for Pep Guardiola, you only need to see the way he looked at his number 17 when he walked off the pitch to see how much he means to the side and the fans, going on to add in the post-match that not only did he obviously “change the momentum” and the game but he knows he can always “rely on him.”
In fact, Pep summed up the legacy he’s going to leave behind in just one word…
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“His legacy will be eternal.” 💙
Pep Guardiola on the race for Champions League football and Kevin de Bruyne's announcement 🤝
De Bruyne confirmed he will be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season after a decade that has established him as one of the very best players in the world, and it’s more than fair to say that City won’t be the same without him – we’re pretty sure neither will the league.
It doesn’t matter who you support, he won’t be playing forever, so enjoy watching it while it lasts.
You can watch the highlights from Man City’s magnificent Premier League comeback against Crystal Palace, led by the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne, in full down below:
Featured Images — TNT Sports (screenshots via YouTube)
Sport
André Onana reportedly dropped after latest Manchester United errors
Danny Jones
Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana has reportedly been dropped for the Red Devils’ upcoming Premier League game following his latest errors in net.
Onana found himself at fault for the two goals conceded by Man United in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Lyon this week, making it a total of eight errors leading to goals in all competitions this season – the most of any Premier League goalkeeper.
What made the most recent mistakes even more unfortunate was a pre-game spat with former United midfielder Nemanja Matić, who not only dubbed him the “worst” keeper in their modern history but didn’t even need to come off the bench to get the last laugh, as the 29-year-old gifted Lyon a point.
Following the unforced errors which saw him concede the opener and a last-minute equaliser against the Ligue 1 side, Onana looks to have been dropped for this weekend’s game against Newcastle United.
🚨 Andre Onana left out of Man Utd squad for trip to Newcastle. 29yo Cameroon goalkeeper not in group that travelled north after tough period on/off pitch + among those rested/rotated. Altay Bayindir deputises; unclear who #MUFC start v Lyon @TheAthleticFChttps://t.co/YVXsFsXHYR
As per multiple outlets, the Cameroonian goalkeeper is supposedly being ‘rested’ for the match and has not travelled as part of the squad, with journalist Chris Wheeler reporting that manager Ruben Amorim wants him to “clear his head”.
Amorim was keen to offer some protection for his go-to shot-stopper, arguing that he has made “more mistakes” than Onana during his time at the club, reassuring that he remains “really confident” in his abilities in the post-match interviews immediately after the European disappointment on Thursday night.
Wheeler also went on to note that the former Ajax number one has been struggling with issues off the pitch also, as it was reported that his family recently suffered a violent robbery and have subsequently needed 24-hour security protection.
That being said, Onana’s omission from the matchday squad means that second keeper Altay Bayindir, who has made just six appearances for United (two of which were clean sheets), will make his Premier League debut against Newcastle.
It’ll be interesting to see whether he rises to the challenge, especially given the reverse fixture, which saw a 2-0 defeat against the North East side at Old Trafford late last year.
He put in quite the performance in the FA Cup against Arsenal.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe won’t be in the dugout for the face-off, which could give the Reds a slight advantage; alternatively, it could have an entirely adverse effect as the home side will no doubt look to show solidarity.
It’s also worth mentioning that United’s last goal at St James’ Park came back in December 2021, when Edinson Cavani was the scorer.
Do you think he deserves a run as the first-choice goalkeeper, or should it be a case of seeing how he fares against Newcastle before making a decision? Better yet, it is thought he is still in contention for the second leg against Lyon, but who would you go with?
A release date for the Freddie Flintoff documentary has been confirmed
Danny Jones
The release date for the upcoming Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff documentary has been revealed, and it’s coming a lot sooner than many expected.
Simply entitled Flintoff, the documentary has been highly anticipated among UK audiences, especially given events in recent years.
Landing on Disney+ only, the film will follow his glittering cricket career as well as his return to the sport and the public after a life-altering car crash whilst filming Top Gear in 2022.
Much to our surprise, it’s all ready to go and is dropping next month.
— What’s On Disney Plus (@disneyplusnews) April 11, 2025
The Disney+ doc will run for approximately 90 minutes and follow on from his recent BBC series, Freddie Flintoff‘s Field of Dreams, which saw him start to open up about the difficult period and recovery publicly for the first time.
An eye-opening and candid show in its own right alongside the inspiring story of a teen cricket team being coached by the Lancashire and England legend, he won even more hearts when the second season launched last August.
It’s no surprise that there is a third instalment on its way next year.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time he’s been the subject of his own documentary, as the 47-year-old also released a BBC One called Freddie Flintoff: Living with Bulimia, charting his personal struggles with the eating disorder and mental health even prior to the trauma of his crash.
You can see a snippet of the one-off show down below.
The Preston-born all-rounder has confessed he still suffers from PTSD following the incident, detailing struggles with anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks of the crash, insisting that it “changed my life forever.”
All that being said, we’re glad to see that he’s continued to overcome numerous obstacles and remains an extremely funny and personable figure, as well as an eternal icon of British sport that so many admire.
As for Disney’s Flintoff film, the documentary will be available exclusively on the streaming platform in the UK and Ireland from Friday, April 25.
Danny Jones -
12th April 2025 
