The Manchester City boss coped with Sergio Aguero’s three-match ban with very few problems, but he will have his work cut out to replace the influential Belgian
Manchester City boast so many different attacking options these days they barely seemed to notice the three-match suspension of Sergio Aguero, who has scored 11 goals in his six other games this season.
Without Aguero, City swept aside Manchester United, thrashed Bournemouth and got past Swansea City in the EFL Cup with two teenagers – one a deep-lying midfielder and one a left-back – deployed as playmakers. Naijabet.com
Pep Guardiola, it seems, has an answer for every conundrum – but even he might miss Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian is facing around a month on the sidelines after tearing a hamstring in Saturday’s Premier League victory against Swansea City – where he won a penalty and set up Raheem Sterling.
Although Fantasy Premier League managers will have enjoyed six De Bruyne assists this season, the penalty win at Swansea and the shot which came back off the post to set up Kelechi Iheanacho in the derby do not count as assists in Opta’s rankings. Still, the stats collectors credit him with four – and that’s more than anybody else in the league.
But that’s not even close to being the only area in which he excels. City have been the best team in England at this early stage of the season; they have won all their games, scored the most goals and have the best goal difference.
And, while Aguero is scoring goals for fun, Fernandinho is controlling matches in midfield, Sterling looks a man reborn and David Silva is back to his best, De Bruyne could well be the Blues’ most important player.
He has had more shots (18), more shots on target (8), more assists (4), more chances created (20), more big chances created (5), more successful passes ending in the final third (131), and more crosses (15) than any of his club-mates.
There is one stat which also highlights how decisive De Bruyne has been. He has played one more game than Silva in the league, but both men have touched the ball 426 times. It shows that Silva has a lot more of the ball in his time on the pitch, but, although he has been in fine form himself, his output has not matched the Belgian’s.
Defensively, De Bruyne has also been busy: he has 35 recoveries, behind only Aleksandar Kolarov (37) and Fernandinho (42). Silva also has 35, which goes to show how Guardiola’s playmakers are pushed to win the ball back high up the pitch (and that Silva has reached that tally despite playing one game fewer).
The two men also have six interceptions each – which is topped only by Fernandinho, Kolarov, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, all players with greater defensive responsibility.
The 25-year-old has also run 66.56km, second only to Fernandinho’s 67.18km. He’s also up there with some of the league’s top runners, such as Jordan Henderson (69.79km), Georginio Wijnaldum (67.25km), Nemanja Matic (67.29km) and N’Golo Kante (68.7km).
Indeed, when compared to the rest of the league, De Bruyne is certainly holding his own.
As well have having the most assists, he has the second most shots on target (18) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic has 23 – the third most chances created (20) – Dusan Tadic has 21 and Jason Puncheon 22 – and the joint most big chances created – 5, with Yannick Bolasie.
He is well on his way to becoming the most devastating player in the Premier League. City’s season fell apart when De Bruyne missed 10 weeks through injury in February and March, and now Guardiola must find a way to cope without him.
