Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola was full of praise for midfielder Kevin de Bruyne after the Belgian notched up two goals in a 4-2 win against Crystal Palace.
De Bruyne, 27, completed 100 goals for the Premier League giants as he helped his team make a comeback after being one goal down inside the first five minutes.
A brace from De Bruyne and goals from Rico Lewis and Erling Haaland secured an important win for the Cityzens as they prepare to travel to Spain, where they will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Talking after the match, Guardiola heaped praise on De Bruyne saying he is one of the best in Man City’s history.
“Today Kevin won the game. Without Kevin today maybe we would not be able to win, so when we talk about tactics, about managers, having players like Kevin in these kinds of games, it’s easy,” Guardiola said.
“I listen to him on the bus, in the locker room, in the training session, (he) laughs, and we are safe. His body language dictates a lot how he is, and all the players, but especially Kevin.
“How many years has he been with us, nine years, 10 years? The numbers, the presence, the consistency have been amazing. He’s one of the best players in the history of Manchester City.”
City’s calendar is jam-packed as they have three important matches, total four, within the next 14 days including the Champions League quarter-final against Madrid and the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
“We were not solid like we normally are in terms of organisation, transition, but especially we gave away the first goal, but this is more a consequence for the fact that three days, three days, three days,” Guardiola added.
“The mental energy that we waste more than physicality is tremendous and that’s why sometimes that happens.”