Kevin De Bruyne might struggle to know exactly what to make of his 2021.
The Manchester City playmaker retained the approval of his peers as he won a second consecutive PFA Players’ Player of the Year award and added another Premier League and Carabao Cup to his ample list of major honours.
But De Bruyne, who produced a hilarious viral Instagram post by dressing up as the Grinch for Christmas, must have started to wonder what misfortune was waiting to leap out at him next as the year progressed.
He overcame an injury suffered during the FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea, only to leave the Champions League final reverse to the same opponents with a broken nose and orbital bone after a gruesome clash with Antonio Rudiger.
It left De Bruyne in a race against time to make Euro 2020 but, despite impressing during the group stage for Belgium, he sustained an ankle injury during the last-16 win over Portugal.
He faced Italy with the aid of painkilling injections but the misery of a quarter-final loss was compounded by further ankle damage that left the 30-year-old sidelined for the start of City’s 2021/22 campaign.
His first Premier League start did not arrive until the 1-0 win at Chelsea in late September. Then came a debate previously unthinkable at any other time since De Bruyne was infamously branded a “£60m reject” by one tabloid when City made him their record signing in 2015
Was KDB part of City’s best XI anymore?
Transition mission
"Kevin is the best [in games like this],” Guardiola said after De Bruyne scored twice in the 7-0 ransacking of Leeds earlier this month.
“Sometimes he struggles when the team sets up deep like Wolves did, but we are so pleased.”
Those comments were interesting and perhaps ominous if you read between the lines, which is hard to resist when you get cryptic Guardiola.
It is a staple of any City season that teams will sit deep in a low-block defence, as Wolves did in the arduous 1-0 slog that preceded the Leeds game.
If you struggle in those situations, then you’re likely to struggle generally at City. Added to this, the combination of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan appeared to represent the perfect midfield blend in a team even more committed to hogging possession than any previous Guardiola configuration.
De Bruyne’s killer balls take the breath away, but they invite the moments of transition that City have been keen to avoid in 2021. It is one of the foundations of their success at this latest stage of evolution under Guardiola.
Back in the groove
Nevertheless, the past couple of weeks has shown De Bruyne is set to remain as crucial as ever.
"We’ve had six years with Kevin together. What we’ve done when he was fit… he has something unique in the world,” came a far more glowing testimony from Guardiola after De Bruyne’s fifth goal in 13 Premier League outings this term set the rollercoaster 6-3 win over Leicester in motion.
“Kevin is an exceptional player. He struggled at the beginning of the season and is now much, much better. The Leeds game was really good and Leicester he was really good all game.”
This hectic part of the fixture calendar, even before we consider the spectre of COVID-19 absences, places a strain on all teams. It makes the sort of diligent and rigorously organised defensive operation Wolves rolled out against City harder to pull off.
These more frequent moments of chaos are the ones where De Bruyne thrives and he will be vital as City aim to increase their advantage at the top of the table.
Creative king
His seven open play passes leading to a shot and eight shot-creative actions (SCAs) overall against Leeds were his highest in any Premier League game this season, according to FBref.
He followed that up with seven and five SCAs — the two offensive actions prior to a shot, including passes, dribbles and fouls won — against Newcastle and Leicester respectively.
"He is a fighter and a guy who creates goals and assists,” Guardiola added. “He has been injured some seasons for a long time and we survived.
“Everybody was involved and a part of it. That is a nice thing."
As Brentford and Arsenal await visits from the champions this week, this feels like the time when De Bruyne is once again much more than a mere part of it.
Manchester City’s Grinch is ready to leap out of the midfield melee and ruin what remains of the festive season for any opponent.
Do you think Kevin De Bruyne is back to his best? Follow the City Is Ours editor Dom Farrell on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
