CRYSTAL PALACE 0
MANCHESTER CITY 1
Manchester City - Iheanacho 90'
Man of the match - Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
LONDON // When it became apparent that Kevin de Bruyne would be joining Manchester City from Wolfsburg, after a saga that had threatened to run until the final few hours of transfer deadline day, there was some doubt as to how the Belgium international would fit in with the squad.
After four wins from four and a quartet of virtually flawless performances, Manuel Pellegrini’s side seemed ideally balanced, a group of top-class players functioning well as a unit in a way they were unable to do at times last term.
Key to their fine form before the international break was David Silva, the Spanish playmaker who was moved infield into his favoured No 10 role.
Silva has regularly been used as a wide attacker under Pellegrini, who had no room for a central playmaker in his favoured 4-4-2 configuration in 2014/15.
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The departure of Edin Dzeko in the summer, however, saw the Chilean revert to a 4-2-3-1, with Silva magnificent playing behind the striker in each of City’s victories in August.
It was widely assumed that De Bruyne, capable of playing wide but far more effective in the hole, would have a significant fight on his hands to play in his preferred position.
As it happened, though, he would not, at least in the short-term. Silva was ruled out of yesterday’s visit to high-flying Crystal Palace with an ankle problem, while Raheem Sterling was also left out after picking up a knock.
With Aguero – who was partnered by Wilfried Bony up top at Selhurst Park in a return to 4-4-2 – withdrawn through injury after 24 minutes, the way was paved for the former Chelsea man’s debut.
If De Bruyne was feeling the pressure, there were little signs of it during the next 65 minutes. City were slightly disjointed with both Aguero and Bony up front, but De Bruyne instantly knitted the visitors’ play together, linking the midfield with the attack.
Neat and tidy in possession, he kept the ball well and took up some good positions between the lines. In James McArthur and Yohan Cabaye, Palace fielded two box-to-box midfielders rather than a designated holding player, meaning there were gaps for City to exploit in front of the hosts’ defence.
De Bruyne, whose spatial awareness is one of his biggest strengths, took full advantage.
The first major chance he laid on for a teammate fell to Jesus Navas, who horribly scuffed his left-footed shot into the side netting after rounding Palace goalkeeper Alex McCarthy early in the second half.
It was a poor miss, but De Bruyne’s first-time ball to pick out the Spaniard in space was both well-timed and perfectly weighted.
Much of De Bruyne’s good work came from the left-hand channel, with the 24-year-old midfielder constantly rotating with Samir Nasri, who took up central positions when De Bruyne drifted wide.
That fluidity of movement made things difficult for Palace, who struggled to get a grip on either of the evasive attackers.
The variety of De Bruyne’s passing was another positive for Pellegrini to take from the first glimpse of his new charge.
Willing to keep things simple when the situation called for it, De Bryune also showed his ability to deliver incisive through-balls, including two wonderful passes to Kelechi Iheanacho – the 19-year-old striker who netted the winner in the final minute – and Yaya Toure in stoppage time.
Silva remains the main man at City, with his performances so far this season meaning he is almost certain to reclaim his place in Pellegrini’s XI when he returns to fitness.
Nonetheless, De Bruyne showed yesterday that he has a great deal to offer this City team in the coming months.
The abundance of options at Pellegrini’s disposal is likely to give the City boss a significant headache during the coming weeks.
As he looks down on the rest of the Premier League from the top of the table after five wins from five, Pellegrini will probably conclude that it is a relatively tolerable ailment to have.
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