Kevin De Bruyne’s final Manchester derby was a forgettable one for the Manchester City playmaker.
Having announced his intention to leave the club in the summer, De Bruyne was given a rare start on Sunday, captaining his side for just the 13th time this season in a 0-0 draw with Manchester United. While much of the focus was on De Bruyne, he, along with many others, struggled to make an impact in what was a disappointing match between the two rivals.
For De Bruyne, Sunday’s game marked the first time in seven years that he failed to create a single chance in a Premier League match, despite playing the full 90 minutes.
It was the first such occurrence since a game against West Ham United in April 2018, ending a remarkable run of 88 consecutive Premier League matches where he had created at least one chance for his teammates.
While it wasn’t the ideal conclusion to his Manchester derby legacy, De Bruyne was still praised by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes after the game.
“De Bruyne made the Premier League better,” Fernandes said to Sky Sports. “If City is where it is, and United hasn’t won many trophies during this period, it’s because of Kevin De Bruyne, and he deserves all the credit.
“He’s been fantastic. Ten years in the Premier League is a lot. They’ve decided to part ways, I don’t know which side made that decision, but Kevin is still world-class, and it was a pleasure to watch him so closely. It was a pleasure to play against him.”
