Kevin de Bruyne is determined to ensure that he does not leave Manchester City in the rare position of having missed football from the Champions League after orchestrated his 5-2 victory against Crystal Palace.
The Premier League has five qualifying places for the Champions League this season and City has unfogged Newcastle United and Chelsea, which play both Sunday, in the top four with a categorical victory.
However, after 21 minutes, it seemed that City would suffer a huge setback as a goal from Ebelechi Eze and Chris Richards gave Palace an advance of 2-0.
Eze had the ball in the net for a superb third party, only for the goal to be properly excluded for offside, which turned out to be a turning point in the game.
From Bruyne, after hitting the post before Eze’s refused effort, half reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute by gathered a free kick in the post, then to Omar Marmoush for the equalizer three minutes later with a cushioned head that allowed Egyptian to go wild.
He then dismissed for Mateo Kovacic to reach 3-2 two minutes after restarting, and other goals from James McATEE and Nico O’Reilly insured points.
De Bruyne announced last week that he would leave the club at the end of the season and, following his exceptional exhibition, he clearly indicated what he wanted to offer the club as a separation gift.
“I think we started well, we had a few chances and from nowhere, we are 2-0 behind and it could have been three,” BBC Match of the Day told Bruyne.
“The answer was good. I thought that overall, we were playing almost a good game, but we were chances and they jumped. The reaction was really good and in the end I think we deserve to win.
“I think it was important to mark as quickly as possible and to change the feeling of the game a little. I did not think that we were playing so badly, but the score was not good at all. We left from there.”
“I want to go with a Champions League for this team because they deserve it. We have been in the Champions League for nine, 10 years that I have been here, so I hope we can do it for the team next year and I will just try to play good football as I have always done. ”
City has played in the Champions League in each of the last 14 seasons, but their hopes extending this sequence to a 15th campaign are still in danger despite the victory.
They are two points ahead of Chelsea and Newcastle. Chelsea welcomes Ipswich Town on Sunday before Newcastle took Manchester United in St James’ Park. The Magpies then welcome Palace in their match in hand on Wednesday.
“We will see the job tomorrow, it will be so tight. It will be until the end. Six games have left, difficult matches,” said Manager Pep Guardiola about the Champions League race to match the day.
On the projection of De Bruyne, he added: “The Kevin that we have known for many years. I know he fought last and a half last year. It is free without pain and completely different. The way we played helped him a lot with incredible runners, young guys, files.
“I would say that we played a very good game. We were 2-0 and we created a lot and I said at halftime that we were playing well.
“Our momentum was launched by a free kick from Kevin and after that, we played a very good match since we were 2-0 and considering how Crystal Palace was in the last games.”
