Kevin De Bruyne’s final Manchester derby last Sunday was one to forget, but he was instrumental in a memorable first half against Crystal Palace.
De Bruyne last week announced he would be leaving Manchester City at the end of the season, bringing to an end a glittering spell in which he has established himself as one of the club’s all-time greats.
His final mission in the Premier League with City is to ensure they do not miss out on Champions League qualification, hopes of retaining the title having long since disappeared.
City’s prospects of finishing in the top five appeared set to suffer a hammer blow midway through the first half after goals from Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards gave in-form Palace a 2-0 lead.
They would have fallen 3-0 behind had Eze not strayed offside during a free-flowing Palace attack, and De Bruyne punished the England winger as he hauled City back into the game.
Having cracked the woodwork with a long-range effort prior to Eze’s disallowed goal, De Bruyne bent a 33rd-minute free-kick in off the post with Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson completely helpless.
De Bruyne turned provider three minutes later as City levelled matters, cushioning James McAtee’s cross back for Omar Marmoush to fire beyond Henderson.
The only disappointment for De Bruyne was that he wasted a chance to make it 3-2 late in the first half, but City would have been in a significantly worse position if not for the brilliance that has defined the Belgian’s career in Manchester.
