Pep Guardiola hailed Kevin De Bruyne as “one of the best players in the history of Manchester City” after the Belgian scored two goals in their 4-2 victory at Crystal Palace.
De Bruyne cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early opener before Rico Lewis fired the visitors into the lead less than two minutes after half-time.
Guardiola’s men then took control, with Erling Haaland adding another before De Bruyne struck his 100th in a City shirt in the 70th minute.
Odsonne Edouard clawed one back for Palace late on, but Guardiola praised the influence of Belgium playmaker De Bruyne as City kept up the pressure on Premier League title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.
City boss Guardiola said: “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.
“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.”
De Bruyne told his club’s website: “Yeah, it’s funny. I had a conversation with Erling [Haaland] and Phil [Foden] and said the only goal I want is to score 100 before you guys.
“Erling was like 18 behind but he would probably score that in two games.
“It’s a proud moment. It means that I’ve had longevity here. It means a lot of good moments for this club.”
City have a quick turnaround before facing Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night, and their boss admitted their crowded calendar – which will also see them face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals later this month – continues to prove challenging.
Guardiola added: “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.
“The mental energy that we waste more than physicality is tremendous and that’s why sometimes that happens.”
Palace have still won just one match since Oliver Glasner replaced Roy Hodgson in February.
They showed plenty of promise, particularly in a determined first half that saw Jordan Ayew hit the crossbar, but their boss wanted more from his men.
Glasner said: “For me it’s a little bit difficult, because when you lose 4-2 I’m never satisfied or happy with the result, but I could see many positive things today in our game.
“We can see if we do our job, how we want to play on a very high level. We are competitive against any team and this gives me confidence again.”
Al Ittihad 1-2 Al Hilal: Holders into King's Cup final
Al Hilal overcame Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's red card as Saud Abdulhamid's late goal sealed a 2-1 victory over Al Ittihad in the King's Cup semi-finals.
Without Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad ultimately lacked the firepower to make their numerical advantage count in Tuesday's clash.
Former Lazio midfielder, who joined Al Hilal as part of their spending spree last year, received a straight red card in the 42nd minute.
Al Ittihad's Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah cancelled out Micheal's opener, but Abdulhamid popped up with the winner in the 81st minute.
Al Hilal are 10-time King's Cup winners, having won their 10th title last season.
The Saudi Pro League leaders, who are still without the injured Neymar, will now face either Al Khaleej or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the final at the end of May.
Data Debrief: Malcom in the middle
Al Hilal might be missing their star Brazilian Neymar, but his compatriot Malcom is delivering when it comes to playmaking.
The former Zenit attacker set up both of Al Hilal's goals, creating three chances in total and registering a pass accuracy of 92.6 per cent, better than any of his team-mates.
Vlaar: Slot is the right fit for Liverpool
Former Dutch defender Ron Vlaar believes that Arne Slot will not need time to adapt to the Premier League when he takes over as Liverpool manager.
It was reported last week that Feyenoord and Liverpool had reached an agreement in principle for Slot to take over from Jurgen Klopp next season.
The Dutchman led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021, and his attacking style of play has been likened to that of Klopp’s.
Vlaar, who played under Slot at AZ Alkmaar, is confident that his former coach will not take long to settle in on Merseyside.
“He could, but I hope not. It's quite similar to what they already have now, but it's a new coach, so they will always change some things,” he told Stats Perform.
“Hopefully it's more in the details. And I think he will show that with videos of how he wants to play for other teams. When he coached me, he used Liverpool as an example.
“I don’t know what other examples he’ll use now he’s the coach of Liverpool. I think the players are smart enough to recognise it. They have to build on some trust with each other. If he can manage that, and he can do that, then I think it will all be fine.”
Klopp, who announced he would be leaving Liverpool after nearly nine years at the club in January, has given his backing to Slot’s appointment at the club, stating that he likes his attacking style of play.
Among teams in the top ten European leagues, only Benfica, Cercle Brugge and Man City have won possession in the final third more often per game than Feyenoord (6.87) this season. Equally, only Bayern Munich and PSV have a higher xG than Feyenoord in their domestic leagues this season (82.95).
Vlaar also recognises the similarity in both coaches’ styles, saying: “I played under Arne at AZ Alkmaar, and we were high up on the pitch, pressing high, standing on halfway line so the pressure needs to be very good then from the forwards as well.
“I think that's quite similar if you look to Liverpool nowadays. So I think they’re comparable coaches. Arne Slot hasn’t achieved what Jurgen Klopp has achieved so far, but the club showed that giving Klopp some time paid off. So, I hope Arne can build on that.”
Twenty players have played in ten or more games in the Eredivisie for Feyenoord this season, with only four of them over the age of twenty-six, and Slot has been praised for his track record of improving young talent and man-management style.
“He's very open and clear. So I think everyone knows what they’re getting. It's really straightforward and he's open about it. I think that's a good thing,” Vlaar added.
“Dedicated, energetic, and he tries to help the team as much as possible. He will coach players if needed. And I think that's what he is, how he's like.
“I'm really happy for him because this is a massive club, one of the biggest clubs in the world. And that's a big step forward for him, coming from Feyenoord and going to Liverpool.”
Former Spain boss Del Bosque to oversee RFEF
Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque will oversee a new committee supervising the RFEF.
Spain, which is due to be one of six host countries for the 2030 World Cup, announced the creation of a special committee until the federation holds elections to replace Luis Rubiales.
That is despite Pedro Rocha having this week been appointed as Rubiales' replacement, though he himself is under investigation amid a corruption probe.
Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023.
The federation's former president was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.
Del Bosque led Spain to three consecutive trophies, winning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while also leading the team to their first World Cup success in 2010.
Prior to his time with the national team, he also won two Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles while in charge of Real Madrid, where he made over 400 appearances as a player.
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