Pep Guardiola has urged Kevin De Bruyne to focus on the “simple things” to get back to his best.
The Belgium playmaker has not been at his most dynamic as Manchester City have struggled to match the high levels of consistency they have produced in recent years.
It remains relative, with the inspirational De Bruyne still having registered 17 assists in 34 appearances in a side chasing three trophies this term – three more assists than he managed in 45 games last season.
Yet with Guardiola having started him on the bench for three of the last seven Premier League games, the manager clearly feels the levels of one of his big-name stars have fallen.
Guardiola said: “It’s been a difficult season, I would say, for all of us, me included, (because of) the World Cup and many things.
“I’m not going to discover Kevin. Kevin has an ability to do it. What I’d like – I spoke many times to him – is to go to the easy principles and do it well.
“He has an incredible ability to make an assist, to score goals and see passes like no-one else, but I always have belief they will increase and will get better when the simple things, like don’t lose the ball, the mobility, the incredible capacity to be active in the movement, to do it again better and better, the rest will come along.
“It’s like Erling (Haaland). I don’t want him to just score goals and the rest I don’t care. He will score and he will be involved in the game.
“With Kevin it’s the same. When the simple things are done perfectly and we are in the right moment, the actions to create incredible passes that he – only he – can find, it will be easier, it will be better.”
Guardiola’s comments come on the back of Jamie Redknapp’s claim that Martin Odegaard has now usurped De Bruyne as the Premier League’s best midfielder.
“Normally we would say Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfield player, not just in the Premier League but the world. But something isn’t quite right. He isn’t playing as many games as he’d like.
“But Odegaard does this thing where – all great players possess it – it’s like time stands still when he has the ball.
“Most players [would rush the shot today], especially midfield players as we’re not used to getting in those situations.
“But the calmness that he possesses, he’s scored four or five goals like that with that left foot. He’s the captain, he’s the leader.
“Yeah, for me he’s number one [in the Premier League]. And he’s leading that team.
“The other thing he does as well, when he hasn’t got the ball he goes and presses it. He’s the first one, the first point of defence, he goes and presses and then all of a sudden it catches. He does it so well.”
Phil Foden struck twice as Manchester City eased into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 win against Bristol City, while 2021 winners Leicester suffered a shock 2-1 defeat against second tier Blackburn.
Pep Guardiola’s side were never in danger of a giant-killing in the fifth round tie at Ashton Gate thanks to Foden’s brace and a late strike from Kevin De Bruyne.
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City will hope for another boost when Premier League leaders Arsenal, two points ahead of the champions, face Everton in their game in hand.
De Bruyne returned after missing two games through illness, while Kalvin Phillips started for only the second time since joining City from Leeds last year.
City took a seventh minute lead when Riyad Mahrez crossed to the far post, where Foden fired into the roof of the net.
Phil Foden put on a show. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Foden doubled City’s lead after 74 minutes as Julian Alvarez flicked towards Foden, who produced another clinical finish past Max O’Leary.
De Bruyne got the visitors’ third from long-range in the 81st minute to ensure the smoothest of nights for the six-time FA Cup winners.
It was an impressive game for Foden and one that meant a lot given the adversity he has faced, with the Manchester City star opening up on the “lowest parts” of his career post-game.
“I am feeling much better in my feet,” Foden said, reflecting on injuries and time spent out of the team.
“You know it is not easy sometimes when you play with discomfort in your feet.
“I feel 100 per cent fit now and comfortable so hopefully I can come back into the team and help them as much as possible. It has definitely [been frustrating], it has been one of the lowest parts of my career but everyone goes through them, it’s how you react.”
LEICESTER ‘BULLIED’ AND BOOED OFF AFTER SHOCK DEFEAT
Leicester were booed off by angry fans after Blackburn ended the Foxes’ bid to reach a second FA Cup final in three seasons.
Brendan Rodgers led Leicester to the club’s first ever FA Cup triumph in 2021, but Rovers punished woeful defending from the Premier League side to shatter their hopes of emulating that run.
With Leicester 14th in the top-flight, just three points above the relegation zone, Rodgers made six changes to the side beaten by Arsenal at the weekend and paid the price for his gamble.
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side, fourth in the Championship, are into the last eight for the first time since 2015.
Rovers took the lead when Tyrhys Dolan curled home from the edge of the area in the 33rd minute.
Blackburn won the match 2-1. (Photo by DARREN STAPLES / AFP)Source: AFP
Sammie Szmodics made it 2-0 to Blackburn seven minutes after the break following good work by Sam Gallagher.
Kelechi Iheanacho netted from Harvey Barnes’ pass in the 67th minute, but Blackburn held on.
“Leicester are a strange team they suffer some real poor results and performances and then they can go on a run,” former Everton midfielder Leon Osman said on BBC Sport.
“They are a team in transition but performances like tonight will always worry a manager, they were bullied by at times by a Championship team here and they will need to get that out of their system.”
As for Blackburn, Osman said based on Wednesday’s game, they are “onto bigger and better things”.
“They showed all the different styles of how to win a game and dominated Leicester at all of them,” he said.
“They have group of young players who are going to develop and it is really enjoyable to see.”
It was a disappointing result for Leicester. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
FULHAM’S STUNNING 13-YEAR FIRST
Manor Solomon scored for the fourth time in four game as Fulham beat Leeds 2-0 at Craven Cottage to make the last eight for the first time since 2010.
Fulham, who have exceeded all expectations to climb to sixth place in the Premier League this year, took the lead through Joao Palhinha’s superb 25-year curler in the 21st minute.
Palhinha’s strike came after Georginio Rutter thought he had scored his first goal for Leeds when he tapped home after Marek Rodak had palmed the ball into his path.
But referee Chris Kavanagh ruled it out for a foul in the area and VAR did not intervene.
Israel forward Solomon, on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, finished off Leeds in the 56th minute, curling in from the edge of the area after playing a one-two with Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Fulham can still dream of a first FA Cup final appearance since 1975.
Fulham celebrates after scoring. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But it was a first defeat for new Leeds boss Javi Gracia, whose side won 1-0 against fellow strugglers Southampton in the Premier League last weekend.
Brighton won 1-0 at second tier Stoke to reach the quarter-final for the third time in the last six seasons.
The Seagulls, who beat holders Liverpool in the fourth round, remain in the hunt for a first FA Cup final appearance since 1983.
Brighton landed the decisive blow in the 30th minute when teenage forward Evan Ferguson met Kaoru Mitoma’s pass with a close-range finish.
Among the four remaining fifth-round ties on Thursday, League Cup winners Manchester United host West Ham, while Tottenham travel to Sheffield United.
No matter how big the point buffer had become between Arsenal and Manchester City, there was an eerie feeling Pep Guardiola’s side were never out of the title race.
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Although City’s $AUD174m man Jack Grealish conceded Arsenal “were the better team” and played “a lot better than us”, three clinical moments for Guardiola’s side highlighted the chasm between the title-chasing pair.
First it was Takehiro Tomiyasu’s undercooked backpass that allowed Kevin de Bruyne to swoop in and lob Aaron Ramsdale from outside of the box.
Gabriel then needlessly dragged down Erling Haaland in the box to give away a penalty, although the Brazilian was bailed out by VAR as the Norwegian was inches offside.
But there was no technology to bail out Gabriel when he carelessly gave the ball away to Bernardo Silva which eventuated in Jack Grealish scoring the go-ahead goal with Haaland adding the killer blow just 10 minutes later.
With the evident difference in overall class and quality, The Telegraph’s Jason Burt believed the contest “felt like men against boys”, with the result perhaps proving to be “ominous” in the ensuing title race.
Although Arsenal have a chance to claw back top spot thanks to a game in hand, the momentum isn’t quite there.
Mikel Arteta’s troops have now dropped eight points from three games, a figure larger than the number of points dropped from the preceding 19 fixtures.
Had they beaten relegation-threatened Everton, they also could have extended their lead at the top to 11 points at one stage after City’s loss to Spurs just two games ago.
Instead, a loss to the Toffees followed by a draw against Brentford left the door ajar for City to creep back in, and creep back in they have.
“That’s why Manchester City’s thoroughbreds were always going to hunt down Arsenal’s hopefuls.”
The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare likened City’s inevitable dominance to that of a certain Serbian tennis player who may initially appear shook, but roars back to life.
De Bruyne makes Arsenal pay for blunder | 00:54
“Trying to compete for a title with this City team feels a lot like trying to beat Novak Djokovic over five sets,” Eccleshare said.
“The way it changes so quickly and suddenly the challenger is gasping for air and thinking hold on I had a decent lead not long ago, what the hell just happened?”
With Arsenal’s lead at the top now momentarily gone, The Independent’s Miguel Delaney predicted “this might now be the beginning of the run everyone has been waiting for” from City.
“That is no real shame for Arsenal given how they have overperformed already this season but this match had the feeling of where they went to the limits against City and just didn’t have enough,” Delaney wrote.
Title implications aside, City’s victory was their 11th-straight Premier League win over the Gunners, with Arteta presiding for six of those defeats since taking charge in December 2019.
Of course, they have all come against Arteta’s managerial master, Guardiola.
Earlier contests between the two English titans with Arteta and Guardiola in opposing dugouts have all ended with City having their hand raised, but there was something slightly different about this one that hints the tide is slowly turning.
Mikel Arteta is yet to beat Manchester City in the Premier League as Arsenal boss. (Photo by Ian Kington / IKIMAGES / AFP)Source: AFP
For starters, City had their lowest share of the possession count (36 per cent, to be exact) in a Premier League match since Guardiola took over.
Chelsea has spent €611.49m ($A946.83m) on transfers since their ownership takeover this season (per Transfermarkt), but the Blues’ dire run continued in a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash.
Dortmund speedster Karim Adeyemi struck in the 63rd minute on a brilliant counter-attack, racing the length of the pitch before rounding the keeper and rolling the ball into the net just 16 seconds after a Chelsea corner was taken at the other end.
The Blues bombarded the hosts in the second stanza, but simply couldn’t find the back of the net as their scoring woes continued.
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Chelsea struck the bar through Joao Felix in the 37th minute, before defender Kalidou Koulibaly had a shot brilliantly cleared on the line by former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can 12 minutes from time.
The London side were also unlucky not to earn a penalty when Kai Havertz was taken down by centre-back Nicklas Sule in the box – who already tugged the shirt of the Blues forward outside the box. Sule appeared to miss the ball in his lunging tackle.
The Blues finished with a whopping 21 shots without scoring a potentially crucial away goal.
Dortmund’s German midfielder Emre Can (L) made a stunning clearance on the line.Source: AFP
Archie Winter said on Stan Sport: “They must be wondering how they haven’t scored again … Chelsea must be wondering if some sort of voodoo forces are against them right now.”
“It’s just crazy that they didn’t (score),” Socceroos great Craig Foster said.
Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand said on BT Sport: “Chelsea spent all this money in the last couple of windows and didn’t get a number nine in the team, that’s a problem.”
He added: “That’s something he (coach Graham Potter) will think ‘we’ll get that at some point’ … they got undone by a clinical bit of finishing which they didn’t have in their own team.”
It was Dortmund’s seventh win in as many matches in 2023, while Chelsea has won just once from their last nine matches in all competitions.
Tensions rose in the second period, with ten players earning bookings – and with Mason Mount and
The Blues sit 10th in the Premier League, 20 points off Manchester City and Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Benfica closed in on booking their place in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Club Brugge in Belgium.
A Joao Mario penalty handed the Portuguese league leaders the lead six minutes into the second stanza, before David Neres doubled their lead in the dying minutes.
Manchester City shrugged off the uncertainty caused by a series of Premier League charges to close to within three points of Arsenal at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday (AEDT).
A cloud is hanging over the English champions after the Premier League hit the club with more than 100 charges alleging breaches of financial rules dating as far back as 2009.
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If found guilty, City could face a severe points deduction or even relegation from the top flight.
But City boss Pep Guardiola came out swinging in defence of the club’s hierarchy as he pointed the finger at jealous Premier League rivals for the accusations and his players followed him with a show of defiance on the field.
Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez all struck before half-time at the Etihad to edge ominously into Arsenal’s rear-view mirror ahead of a clash between the two on Wednesday.
Arsenal still have a game in hand, but City will now move to the top of the table should they win at the Emirates in midweek.
The Gunners’ 1-1 draw at home to Brentford on Saturday opened the door for City and unlike last weekend, when the defending champions missed the chance to pounce with defeat away to Tottenham, this time they made no mistake.
Guardiola also learned his lesson from an experimental line-up at Spurs. Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Kevin De Bruyne and Gundogan were restored to the starting line-up and City looked much more like their old selves.
The City support made their feelings known before kick-off as the Premier League anthem was booed and a banner raised saluting the lawyer the club have hired to defend the charges.
Just four minutes in they had something to cheer as Rodri rose highest to power home a header from Mahrez’s corner.
Jack Grealish was in the mood to do some damage against his former club and only a brilliant finger-tip save from Emiliano Martinez denied the England international from finding the top corner.
Much was made of City’s reluctance to hit Erling Haaland early in a feeble surrender to Spurs last weekend and the Norwegian was a far more persistent threat in behind the Villa defence.
Haaland, who joined City for $90m (AUD) in the off-season, created the second as his pace beat Martinez to De Bruyne’s ball over the top and he picked out Gundogan at the far post for a simple finish.
Grealish then lured Jacob Ramsey into a clumsy challenge to win a penalty, which Mahrez slotted home as Haaland surprisingly stepped aside.
That decision was perhaps explained by Haaland’s withdrawal at half-time as he appeared to be nursing a thigh issue, which will be a concern for Guardiola.
So too will be his side’s defensive record as another clean sheet was spoiled when Douglas Luiz robbed Bernardo Silva and freed Ollie Watkins to fire into the far corner on the hour mark.
Villa substitute Jhon Duran then smashed against the bar in stoppage time, but a second-half rally was too little, too late for Unai Emery’s men.
Erling Haaland has subbed off at half time. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
RASHFORD’S HOT STREAK CONTINUES AS RED DEVILS BRUSH ASIDE RIVALS
Marcus Rashford extended his hot streak with the late goal that inspired Manchester United’s 2-0 win against old rivals Leeds on Monday.
After Rashford scored to spark United’s comeback from two goals down in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Leeds, Rashford tormented the Yorkshire club once again.
Rashford netted with 10 minutes left at Elland Road to make it four successive Premier League games with a goal for the England forward, who has scored in eight of his last nine appearances in the competition.
Following Alejandro Garnacho’s frustrated reaction to being substituted on Wednesday, the Argentine teenager made amends as he came off the bench to seal United’s hard-fought victory five minutes after Rashford’s goal.
United’s win was just their second in their last five league games, although they have now lost just once in their last 17 matches in all competitions.
Erik ten Hag’s side moved up to second place, although Manchester City would go back above them if they beat Aston Villa later on Sunday.
More importantly, United are seven points clear of fifth placed Tottenham in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.
The clash was marred by offensive taunts from the stands, with Leeds fans singing about the 1958 Munich air crash that killed several United players and their rivals in the away end responding by chanting about the deaths of two Leeds fans in Istanbul in 2000.
Rashford heads home the opener against Leeds. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Fourth bottom Leeds are without a win in their last nine league games and would drop into the relegation zone if Everton beat Liverpool on Monday.
Since sacking Jesse Marsch on Monday, Leeds have seen their move for Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola blocked by his club, while Feyenoord’s Arne Slot and West Brom’s Carlos Corberan ruled themselves out of contention.
Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear insists the search is “well advanced”, but Michael Skubala was in charge for a second game on a caretaker basis.
Amid a cacophonous noise at Elland Road, Leeds made a frenzied start, with Crysencio Summerville firing over after a mistake from United left-back Tyrell Malacia.
In keeping with the aggressive tone of one of English football’s bitterest rivalries, there were early bookings for Summerville and Leeds team-mate Junior Firpo for a pair of crude fouls.
In the midst of a frenetic clash littered with fouls, Bruno Fernandes’s attempt to chip Illan Meslier was halted by a block from Robin Koch, with the United midfielder’s appeal for handball waved away.
Summerville was denied by David De Gea when he tried to poke home at the near post.
Fernandes wasted a golden opportunity when he ran clean through on goal after Max Wober’s mistake, only to shoot straight at Meslier.
Garnacho sealed the win for United. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Summerville carried the main threat for Leeds and he forced a good save from De Gea soon after the interval.
United were on the back foot and Luke Ayling went close with a shot that deflected narrowly wide off Luke Shaw.
After scoring United’s equaliser against Leeds in midweek, Jadon Sancho had been rewarded with his first league start since October, but the England forward was largely anonymous and came off after an hour.
United defender Diogo Dalot almost ended the stalemate with a fierce strike against the bar from the edge of the area.
De Gea had to make a smart save with his foot to deny Summerville’s drive from a tight angle before United finally made the breakthrough in the 80th minute.
Shaw whipped over a teasing cross and Rashford found space to thump in a powerful header from 10 yards, with the forward’s 21st goal this season surviving a VAR check for offside.
Garnacho put the result beyond doubt five minutes later when he surged into the area and shot past Meslier via the near post.
But that was not the only glaring omission, with Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte both on the bench as well, while Phil Foden was not even in the squad, though Guardiola admitted that was down to illness.
It follows from Joao Cancelo’s rushed transfer out of the Etihad in January while the signs indicate that not all is well under Guardiola right now.
That is what Aston Villa legend, and talkSPORT pundit, Agbonlahor insisted on The Sports Breakfast, saying: “Everyone keeps saying, ‘Manchester City are going to hit a run of form’, what if they don’t?
“I feel like the Premier League now, there are no easy games, you look at Arsenal going to Everton, they probably thought, ‘Oh new manager, but we’ve got enough, [Bukayo] Saka, [Gabriel] Martinelli, we’ll get a result’, but no they don’t.
“Manchester City, Pep [Guardiola] tried to play some of his fringe players, keep his best player on the bench [Kevin De Bruyne], they go and lose to Spurs.
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De Bruyne was brought on with 30 minutes to go vs Spurs
AFP
Haaland toiled against Spurs while Guardiola has dropped the likes of Dias, Laporte and De Bruyne
“Last night, Manchester United probably thought, ‘Leeds at home, no manager, no win this year in the Premier League, oh we’re 2-0 down.’
“Something’s not right there [at City], you look at the body language, watching the game and Kevin De Bruyne’s body language on the bench, he didn’t seem happy did he?
“[Erling] Haaland must have thought when he saw the team sheet, ‘Where’s Kev? I need Kev, no-one else looks forward!’”
But cameras picked up De Bruyne on the bench looking miserable while earlier in the season, it looked like he and Haaland had forged an instant connection.
The 31-year-old has 11 assists in the Premier League this season – more than anyone else.
PREMIER LEAGUE
De Bruyne did not look happy on City’s bench
Getty
De Bruyne could not make an impact against Spurs after coming on off the bench
However, Guardiola insisted that his absence from the starting XI was a tactical decision, despite that appearing to stifle City’s creativity against Spurs.
“Well I would say more focus will be on today than yesterday, of course when the team top of the league drops points,” he said before kick-off.
“But nothing changes, we have to do our job and that’s why all day I was thinking about what you have to do.”
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Kevin De Bruyne sits fifth in the all-time Premier League assists list on 95, but doesn’t hold a candle to Steven Gerrard as a midfielder, according to Jermaine Pennant.
De Bruyne has Frank Lampard (102), Wayne Rooney (103) and Cesc Fabregas (111) in his sights, but is still way behind Ryan Giggs (162) in the assists stakes.
He told talkSPORT: “If you put Gerrard in this team now… Gerrard was the complete midfielder. He could defend like a centre-back, he could score goals and finish like a striker, he could ping like Scholes. He had everything to his game.
“That’s why I’m edging to Steven Gerrard. It’s close.”
When asked for his top four, he added: “I’d picked Gerrard, Scholes, KDB and then I might stick in Frank at fourth.”
He added: “You put Kevin De Bruyne in a very average football team, like you did in the World Cup and everyone was saying ‘where has De Bruyne gone’, he can’t do what Steven Gerrard did in an average team.
“You put Kevin De Bruyne in an average team, like you saw in the World Cup, and he goes missing.
“Steven Gerrard was playing in an average Liverpool team.”
Pennant also had a little dig at Chelsea legend Lampard, adding: “I’ve never rated Lamps. He’s a good player, don’t get me wrong, but he just scored goals.”
De Bruyne was criticised for his comments and performances for Belgium at the World Cup, but has returned to domestic action in flying form, having found the “fire” necessary according to manager Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola said after the 3-2 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup: “Today he was outstanding. Kevin has had eight years here, you know him like me – he has to find the right fire inside of himself, just to be a little bit, I would say grumpy or upset to play his best. That is his energy inside of him. When this happens, what a player: run, provide assists, score goals, he is more than a player.
“I know it is not easy to find every three days this consistency but today he had something inside that says I am going to it, I want to fight. When this happens it is Mr Kevin De Bruyne, what can I say, eight years he has done everything for this club, an absolute legend. He will be remembered for ever as one of the greatest, greatest, greatest players of this club.”
