A player who has been a revelation since coming back to the Premier League in 2015, Kevin De Bruyne looks set to have a significant impact when the Manchester City star returns from injury.
City have certainly missed his influence on the field towards the end of 2023 and his return will give everyone at the Cityzens a lift as they go in search of more silverware in 2024.
De Bruyne Absence Felt
Suffering another hamstring injury at the start of the season, De Bruyne’s lengthy spell on the sidelines has had an impact on Pep Guardiola’s team. City, who are 6/4 in the betting odds to win the Premier League title for a fourth successive season, suffered three defeats in their first 17 games of the campaign. Punters considering backing City to finish top of the pile once again can find betting offers to get the most value out of getting behind the Cityzens, while betting tips can provide insight into stats and form in England’s top flight and beyond. Those looking to back City might also be aware they only lost five league games in total on their way to the title last season. No side has managed to win the top-flight English crown for four consecutive years and City are certainly being made to work hard to become the first club to do it.
The loss of De Bruyne back in August was a hammer blow and news that the Belgian international required surgery meant City knew they would have to be braced for a spell without their talisman. City managed to cope initially without the former Chelsea midfielder but hit a spell where they went four games in the Premier League without a win over November and December. While it was only one defeat in that time, City just seemed to be missing that extra bit of quality to turn their draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur into wins. That extra quality is exactly what De Bruyne’s return will bring to the reigning English and European champions.
City A Different Beast With De Bruyne
Looking at the stats since De Bruyne’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium in 2015 until his injury in August 2023, City have managed to win 72.6% of games in the 277 he’s started in all competitions. That win percentage does dip to 71.9% in his absence which might sound little, but many of those games will have come against weaker opposition when Guardiola will have taken the chance to rest one of his key assets. When fit and available for the big games, De Bruyne might well be the first name on the team sheet for this star-studded squad and his influence is significant.
With the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool looking set to challenge for the Premier League title this season, a returning De Bruyne is a potential ace up the sleeve for City. Neither Arsenal nor Liverpool have had such a key player sidelined for them and the Gunners and Reds won’t be able to sign a player of De Bruyne’s quality in the January transfer window. That should give the Cityzens the edge as they approach the business end of the season.
City have missed De Bruyne and they will be hoping his return can spark the form needed to break new ground and win their landmark fourth consecutive top-flight title.
