City goal glutton ‘beyond perfect’
GUARDIOLA: DE BRUYNE IS GOING TO TAKE SOME STOPPING
Pep Guardiola described Kevin De Bruyne’s form as “beyond perfect” after the Belgian scored four goals in a 5-1 thrashing of Wolves that took Manchester City another step closer to retaining the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola’s men move three points clear of Liverpool with two games to play and boosted their goal difference to seven superior to the Reds.
City need just four points from Sunday’s trip to West Ham and the visit of Aston Villa on the final day of the season to be crowned champions for the fourth time in five years.
And with De Bruyne on this form, they will take some stopping as the Belgian produced his brilliant best to blow away the hosts with a hat-trick inside 24 minutes.
“The second part of the league was beyond perfect,” said Guardiola of De Bruyne’s form. “He is so generous. He always has the sense to make an assist, but now he is more clinical. He has the sense to score goals.
“He has been decisive scoring goals, this is what makes him the greatest. Scoring four goals in the decisive part of the league right now is so important.”
City broke the news on Tuesday that they have beaten Europe’s top clubs to the signature of Erling Haaland.
However, even the Norwegian goal-scoring phenomenon would struggle to match the range of finishes off both feet dispatched by De Bruyne.
In keeping with their form in recent weeks, City looked to have dispelled any early nerves by scoring first as Bernardo Silva teed up De Bruyne to fire first time across Jose Sa.
The visitors, though, were without three key defenders in Kyle Walker, John Stones and Ruben Dias through injury and it showed.
Pedro Neto was allowed to gallop clear into the City box and picked out Leander Dendoncker to level on 11 minutes.
Parity only lasted another five minutes as De Bruyne was both creator and executioner of City’s second.
The best was yet to come from the 30-year-old as he took aim from outside the box and arrowed a shot into the bottom corner to complete a hat-trick, with all three goals scored by his supposedly weaker left foot. –