1 week Ago By [email protected] (David McDonnell)
Pep Guardiola is not a manager to let sentiment cloud his judgment. But it was hard to escape that conclusion over his decision to start Kevin De Bruyne and hand him the captaincy on his 22nd and final Manchester derby. De Bruyne had not started a Premier League game since City's 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool on February 23.
But 48 hours after he announced he was leaving City after a decade of unprecedented success, De Bruyne – arguably the greatest player in the club's history – led Guardiola's side out at Old Trafford. In his emotional and heartfelt statement confirming his departure, De Bruyne said “whether we like it or not, it's time to say goodbye. As football players, we all know this day eventually comes”.
If anyone doubted the wisdom of City's decision not to hand De Bruyne a contract extension when his deal expires at the end of the season, this game underlined why it is the right call. In an uninspiring derby, De Bruyne was not particularly poor, but his insipid performance underlined just how much his influence on City has waned and why he is not being retained. This game was the first time De Bruyne had failed to create a single chance in a Premier League game in which he played the full 90 minutes since April 2018 against West Ham.
A tame shot at Andre Onana after 18 minutes was followed by a failed attempt to put Omar Marmoush through on goal two minutes later. The kind of delivery that had an unerring ability to find its intended target in his prime, De Bruyne's intention was read by Diogi Dalot, who blocked the pass. De Bruyne tried a similar pass a couple of minutes before half-time, with Phil Foden the intended recipient, but once again failed to find his City team-mate.
There were moments when De Bruyne threatened to illuminate a drab afternoon, such as when he got in behind Patrick Dorgu early in the second-half, only to deliver a cross that went out of play. When his touch let him down in the 57th minute and the ball ran away from him, De Bruyne's frustration got the better of him and he tripped Dorgu. And when City won a free-kick 25 yards out just after the hour mark, it was not dead-ball specialist De Bruyne who forced a decent save from Onana, but January signing Omar Marmoush.
As De Bruyne said in his farewell message, time waits for no man, even Premier League legends. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
.
