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.
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.
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.
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.
You can watch the highlights from City’s 1-3 victory against FC Copenhagen and KDB’s trio of goal contributions down below:
Manchester City staff member sacked after wearing Man United shirt to shift
Danny Jones
Man City have divided a fair few supporters after they sacked a barman for wearing a United shirt to their shift during the Manchester derby.
Although it’s not exactly surprising, the decision has ruffled plenty of feathers on both sides, as well as among neutral fans.
The Blues emerged victorious in the 197th clash between the two local rivals, winning 3-0 on an evening that paid tribute to the late, great Ricky Hatton, but another backstory looming over the fixture that caught the attention of football fans online was the City staff member who lost his job.
Working on concessions inside the Etihad Stadium before the game, the barman was made known to the official MCFC Matchday Support channel on X, who quickly confirmed he had been let go before the game even began.
In the since-deleted post, the home fan who reported the worker wrote: “Absolute joke – letting one of the bar staff in block 315 wear a United shirt on Derby Day.”
Although many City fans applauded the fast action by the club on the day, it’s fair to say that sacking him so soon that he didn’t even last until kick-off has rubbed many others the wrong way.
One Liverpool fan commented: “I hate United way more than City, but to sack him from a job because of an item of clothing is crazy. So, so poor from Manchester City, this. It’s just football lads, he’s not wearing a political or derogatory symbol. It’s literally a football team…”
Another neutral added: “Getting a minimum wage worker sacked for having a bit of fun instead of just winding him up is the absolute sad state this country is in.”
Even the ‘Out Of Context Football Manager‘ parody account chipped in, writing: “The guy’s been sacked for this. All he needed was a formal warning. I get he’s taking the p*ss – but losing a salary he might really need over this?!
While many have been even more outspoken in their response, as you can see, many supporters – be they Red or otherwise – have come up with arguably the perfect solution:
Manchester City are yet to comment on the backlash, apart from the initial confirmation that the still-anonymous staff member has been released from his position, but as for Man United, simply sticking him on the kiosks in the Stretford End could prove to be a very easy bit of positive PR.
Besides the growing frustration around the fanbase, as Ruben Amorim has yet to turn things around at Old Trafford (pressure was growing even before the derby day defeat), the Red Devils could no doubt do with some positive press for a change.
In fact, it was only earlier this year that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and the wider INEOS Sports administration sanctioned a second round of redundancies at United, with approximately 450 individuals losing their jobs.
That being said, although some have labelled the sacking of the now ex-City barman as “absolutely horrendous behaviour” for Man City, many jumped to quip back that “[United are] more likely to sack more bar staff, not hire them”, as well as simultaneously taking aim at their significant transfer spending.
Featured Images — Mataniels via X (now deleted)/The Manc Group
Sport
Salford Red Devils supporters group outline plans for the next major protest march
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils supporters trust, The 1873, have outlined details of their next major march in protest over the club’s well-publicised ownership troubles and financial crisis.
The fan group, which has mobilised on multiple occasions already this year, is set to hit the streets once again this month and in larger numbers than ever, confirming another big demonstration before their next home game this weekend.
Sharing the update with fellow Red Devils on social media, 1837 leaders are demanding “truth and accountability from the top” ahead of the peaceful protest through Salford.
They have dubbed the event ‘The Last Rally’, but we can only assume there’ll be more fan action as the weeks and possibly months of uncertainty continue.
As you can see, The 1837 are calling for like-minded supporters to rally outside another nearby amateur rugby league football team, Salford City Roosters, before marching on to a second meeting point and, ultimately, the Salford Community Stadium.
Starting in Eccles, with a stop at Barley Farm, before arriving at their club’s home ground in Barton-upon-Irwell, the plan is to gather as much awareness, support and local attention as possible.
Writing in the caption of the above post, they added: “We’ve dominated headlines. We’ve exposed bad ownership. We’ve stood together.
“A history worth fighting for. A future worth protecting. Our last chance to be heard. Don’t stay silent. Make it count.”
Following a recent meeting of the RFL and the two Greater Manchester Mayors, Andy Burnham and Paul Dennett, Salford Red Devils were given somewhat of an even further stay of execution, as it was confirmed that their ‘winding up’/administration deadline has now been adjourned until October.
Nevertheless, the majority of fans are still being kept in the dark about the exact and up-to-date nature of their rugby league club’s situation at present.
Back in June, it looked like new investors could very well still be injecting vital funds to keep key players and staff on the books, but jump to now, and it looks like they don’t know if even things like the big screen even belong to them much longer.
Salford Red Devils aren’t just in debt – our very identity is up for grabs.
The badge. The name. Even the big screen. All signed off as collateral to financiers.
Once again, the march and peaceful protest will take place this Friday, 19 September, prior to the next fixture against Wakefield Trinity.
Getting points on the board will no doubt be a big plus for all, but the game looks like it will very much serve as the backdrop to the wider ongoing saga.
Are you a Red Devils fan, and if so, will you be attending the demonstration? Better still, even if not, what do you make of the circumstances surrounding your side at the moment?
Fantastic to see the fans turn out again, Salford Red Devils will never die 1873 👹🏉 pic.twitter.com/Gne5peQK6u
Danny Jones -
14th February 2024 
