This was the weekend that Liverpool principally secured the Premier League title (once more) and the underside three despatched themselves packing again to the Championship (once more).
And so with that in thoughts, our Participant of the Week is …
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester Metropolis)
📸 PAUL ELLIS – AFP or licensors
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“These might be my closing months in a Manchester Metropolis shirt,” Kevin De Bruyne wrote through his social media accounts simply 10 days in the past.
Rumours had been circulating since January that the Belgium worldwide was set to depart the Etihad as soon as his contract expires on the finish of the present marketing campaign.
The information although, on that Friday morning, nonetheless hit followers in east Manchester like a tonne of bricks.
It is not exaggeration to say that the previous Chelsea and Wolfsburg man is the perfect midfielder within the Premier League and probably its best international import.
Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah acolytes will in fact argue for his or her favorite, however the truth that De Bruyne is even amongst that dialog tells you the way influential he has been over the previous decade.
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De Bruyne has been a participant of supreme approach, intelligence and sophistication over the previous 10 years and all of that was on show as Metropolis beat Crystal Palace 5-2 this weekend.
It was De Bruyne’s world class free kick that set Metropolis on the trail to victory with the reigning champions having struggled to stem the waves of Palace assaults within the opening half hour.
Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards had given the south London membership a two-goal benefit earlier than De Bruyne’s sensational strike from the sting of the realm turned the tide in Metropolis’s favour.
Pep Guardiola’s facet equalised simply earlier than half time after which took the lead after the break as De Bruyne turned calmly inside the realm and teed up Mateo Kovačić for his or her third.
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That the Croatian playmaker went straight over to De Bruyne in celebration informed you all you wanted to know concerning the help and of his reverence amongst the Metropolis squad.
James McAtee would cap off the victory with Metropolis’s fifth late on and when requested after the sport whether or not the English teen may probably fill the boots of De Bruyne, coach Pep Guardiola was incredulous along with his response.
“No-one can do what Kevin has executed,” stated the Metropolis boss.
“Kevin has a singular expertise, a imaginative and prescient within the go. When the gamers are up entrance and Kevin has the ball, they know they’ll run as a result of the ball might be delivered.”
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Metropolis followers now have three extra alternatives to take pleasure in this best of skills earlier than he slips off into the sundown as a real all-timer.
📸 Justin Setterfield – 2025 Getty Pictures
