A Manchester City legend showed he can still inspire his team at the Vitality Stadium | OneFootball

As Manchester City picked up a crucial 2-1 win over Bournemouth yesterday to book an FA Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest there were plenty of positives for Pep Guardiola’s side to take from yesterday’s match. Nico O’Reilly put in a match-winning cameo off the bench. Pep Guardiola’s side also showed that they remain capable of playing in the manner that their manager expects. Their dominance of the second half was reminiscent of Manchester City at their best.

But as the game unfolded Kevin De Bruyne also showed that he can still inspire his team to victory. De Bruyne’s determination to not see his team lose stood out throughout yesterday’s match. De Bruyne chased down loose balls like a man possessed. He led Manchester City’s press in typical De Bruyne fashion. The fight that is so often underappreciated in De Bruyne’s game was a crucial factor in their victory.

There were also the flashes of quality in De Bruyne’s performance that we have become accustomed to seeing from him. It was his driving run and quality through ball that set up Nico O’Reilly to provide the assist for Erling Haaland’s equaliser. That piece of play was exactly the piece of quality Manchester City needed from De Bruyne. It came at a moment they needed, and it helped set the tone for their second-half domination.

Summary.

But what Kevin De Bruyne’s performance showed is that he can still inspire his team. Manchester City needed him to perform yesterday. De Bruyne did just that. He showed that there is still life in his legs and he will have a crucial role to play in his team’s chase for silverware and Champions League qualification. If Kevin De Bruyne can play like he did at the Vitality Stadium over City’s remaining games you do feel that they will achieve their goals to close the 24/25 season. He remains that important to his team and that stood out during yesterday’s match.