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Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer reckons Kevin De Bruyne's impact on Manchester City after returning from injury won't be good news for the Reds.
De Bruyne succumbed to a hamstring injury in their Premier League opener to Burnley in August and has been sidelined ever since. But he returned to the fold on Sunday (January 7) in their FA Cup opener to Preston North End.
His prolonged absence certainly hurt City, who are in third place of the league table with 40 points from 19 games, five off leaders Liverpool but with a game in hand. Their Carabao Cup run was ended by Newcastle United in the third round, as City lost 1-0 at the St. James' Park.
Now with the midfield wizard back, McAteer feels his return doesn't spell good for Liverpool, considering the impact he could have. On beIN Sports, he said (via beIN SPORTS on X):
"It's not good news for everybody else if you're a Liverpool fan..."
Having spent several months on the sidelines, De Bruyne might take some time to find his best form. But once he does, it will certainly help Sky Blues navigate through a challenging set of fixtures ahead of them.
Manchester City are 4-0 up against Preston in their FA Cup game.
Another Liverpool vs Manchester City title race in the Premier League brewing?
Liverpool are leading the Premier League title race with 45 points from 20 games. Manchester City are five off in third place but have a game in hand, winning which will put them within touching distance of the Reds.
It will also make the season more exciting, with the two potentially competing in another two-horse race. Recently, Liverpool and City have contested fiercely for the top-flight honour, particularly in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons, when the race went right down to the wire.
This season, neither side has been particularly dominant, dropping points in seven games apiece at the halfway mark. Nonetheless, they are still ahead of the rest of the bunch, with Aston Villa also causing a surprise with their imperious run.
It will be interesting to see if Villa can keep this up or we end up with another Liverpool versus Manchester City race for the top gong.
