OUR PLAN ALWAYS RUNS LIKE CLOCKWORK

De Bruyne: Why do we score so many goals at the end of games? Because we wear our opponents into the ground with relentless possession

KEVIN DE BRUYNE has revealed the secret of Manchester City’s late winners – they knacker their opponents. Sergio Aguero bagged a stoppage-time clincher in Pep Time to break Bristol City’s hearts in the League Cup semi-final and the Blues have netted 13 times in the final five minutes of games this term.

They have scored six late winners after the 83rd minute, with De Bruyne (left) claiming they tire out teams with relentless possession.

“People get tired,” he said. “They put a lot of effort into defending, like a lot of teams.

“If they press or stand back, it is still difficult for them. We try to play the ball around and, you see in the last 20 minutes of games, there are almost 11 players in the box. That’s how it goes. They just have to run and, when they get the ball, they just have to play it forward and we get it straight back.

“Bristol City are a good side. They don’t want to concede a goal from an aerial duel like Sergio is winning, against guys almost two metres, but that’s the way football goes.

“We had enough chances to score more goals. In the second half, we played really well to put pressure on.” City stretched their unbeaten domestic run to 33 games with their 2-1 victory to leave them dreaming of a final appearance at Wembley, and they face the ultimate test at Anfield on Sunday.

The Blues have not won at Liverpool since May 2003 and have lost on their last four visits. But De Bruyne insists they are confident of winning.

“We don’t care about that (the defeats),” he said. “It’s just the way football goes.

With our unbeaten run, we go there to win the game.

“They will have a very strong team. They want to be there in the Champions League. We will just try to do the things we do well and see what happens.”

De Bruyne has called on his weary team-mates to make one last push against the Reds before they can enjoy a rare midweek off.

“We have some rest now,” he said. “We have five days, which will be good. It has been a tough period for four months now. Our Christmas period is four months already because we have played every three days.

“It is nice to have five days off and then almost a week before the Newcastle game to get a little bit of recovery.”

Pep Guardiola made De Bruyne captain against the Robins in a sign of his growing importance to the team. But, typically of the modest Belgian, he played down its significance. “I try to play always the same,” he added. “I don’t think it changes that much. Everybody has to take their responsibility on the field.

“We see it is more of a sign of trust, but I just tried to do the things I do well and tried to change the game in the second half.

“That was good.”

90+7 City’s Raheem Sterling shocks Bournemouth with a late equaliser – but he wasn’t finished.. The August 26 match ends 1-2 as Sterling strikes again to secure victory SERGIO THE TIME LORD Sergio Aguero scored in the 92nd minute to hurt Bristol City’s...

90 Sterling again to make it 2-0 against Shakhtar Donetsk 90+2 Sterling is the European late man again as City beat Napoli 4-2 90+6 Too late for Saints to respond as Sterling’s winner takes the score to 1-0 83 David Silva is the man to send West Ham to...