Guardiola thrilled to see delightful De Bruyne back at his absolute best

ANY team in the world would miss Erling Haaland but it certainly helps when you’ve still got Kevin De Bruyne to call upon.

The prolific Haaland missed his first Premier League game because of injury so De Bruyne stepped up to be both Manchester City’s team leader and match-winner.

Few other players could have got his 49th-minute free-kick up and down to score via the inside of the post and it capped a brilliant all-round performance that took his side to the top of the table.

Midfield opponent James Maddison stated afterwards: ‘He’s the best player in the league.’ Few would disagree.

De Bruyne (below) is leading the Premier League for assists this season but that still hadn’t been good enough for manager Pep Guardiola who claimed recently the Belgian wasn’t at his ‘top level’.

Yesterday, he most definitely was, with Guardiola excitedly saying: ‘He’s back, he’s back.’

The Manchester City boss then sought to clarify his stance: ‘Kevin can do the free-kicks, that we know. To be at his top, he needs to be on the move, he is not like Bernardo who can stop in one position.

‘Today Kevin was back and we needed him. We have been with each other seven years and know each other so well. Apart from sleeping together, we have done everything!

‘I will always respect what he’s done for me, for the club, but I have the duty, it is my job to say I want more. We need this Kevin.’

Leicester, who had kept three clean sheets in a row, defended doggedly with three-centre halves among 10 men behind the ball.

It meant the visitors dominated statistics for possession, shots and corners yet Leicester, hovering just above the relegation zone, also had the occasional chance, most strikingly when Youri Tielemans produced a cracking volley that Ederson tipped onto the bar.

They came out of their shell late on after two strikers came off the bench and might have levelled in injury-time when Kelechi Iheanacho scuffed a finish and a clearance from John Stones hit team-mate Ruben Dias on the back and flew for a corner.

Guardiola made a point of going over to the travelling fans at the end and joining in the celebrations, clearly delighted to have got over the line. He also mischievously grabbed Maddison at the end and asked him why he only started expressing himself in the last 15 minutes — though he was quick to deny it was a dig at Leicester’s cautious tactics.

‘The best thing I could tell my players is don’t get frustrated but I would never judge another team’s tactics, it is our duty to adapt.

‘Today Leicester didn’t want to attack, they didn’t want to press so there was no space. We don’t know how Haaland would have done against five at the back and four in front. Bournemouth was the same game and he struggled.’

Rodgers had no regrets about leaving it until the final 20 minutes before giving it a go.

‘They are the best team in the world and they’ve punished better teams than us if they are given space,’ he said.

Julian Alvarez was tasked with replacing Haaland, who injured his foot against Borussia Dortmund in midweek and will be held back from City’s final Champions League clash with Sevilla but might return next weekend against Fulham.

Foxes goalkeeper Danny Ward was equal to anything thrown at him in the first half. Then De Bruyne had his big moment.

From 25 yards, the Belgian magician somehow curled his shot beyond a jumping Caglar Soyuncu before it dipped quickly enough to clip the post and go in.

The Foxes tried to rally but City held on comfortably to return to the summit of the Premier League.