Manchester City 3-1 Leicester City: Hits and Flops from the encounter | Premier League 2019-20

#1 Kevin De Bruyne – Hit

De Bruyne (R) was wonderful

A week ago, Kevin de Bruyne turned in a virtuoso display against Arsenal as he ran the show and turned the Gunners’ defence and midfield inside out. Subsequently, he left the onlookers gaping in awe at his incredible ability to keep churning out decisive attacking moments.

And, on Saturday, the Belgian continued in the same vein, although he just fell short of the astronomical standards he had set for himself at the Emirates. In the first half, the midfielder orchestrated proceedings in the middle third and saw an awful amount of possession.

Unsurprisingly, he kept creating chances for his teammates while he also grazed the outside of the post with a side-footed snap shot from the right edge of the penalty box. Furthermore, he also conjured a sublime through-ball in the opening period when he picked out Sterling with an inch-perfect pass over the top.

After the break, the Belgian grew from strength to strength and roamed all across the attacking third in search of space. Consequently, he became a nightmare to mark as Ndidi was often left chasing shadows. And, in the 69th minute, the Belgian weaved his magic on the inside right channel before he drilled a low cross across the box, a pass that was ultimately finished off by Jesus.

Thus, through the contest, de Bruyne had only strengthened his burgeoning reputation as the best midfielder on the planet. Consequently, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the Etihad let out a collective gasp when he clutched his calf in the 90th minute.

Fortunately, though, he came off with what looked like a cramp, meaning that the Sky Blues’ worst fears were allayed. After all, if City are to pull off the most improbable of title heists, they need their Belgian talisman fit and firing on all cylinders.