Kevin De Bruyne has earned the right to hold Man City to ransom

When Phil Foden fired home from 25 yards to secure his hat-trick in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Aston Villa, it felt like the world was watching the changing of the Manchester City guard.

Kevin De Bruyne, absent for much of the season so far due to injury, remained an unused substitute for the visit of Villa. He watched on from the bench as someone nine years his junior took the game by the scruff of the neck and kept alive the champions' title charge.

Though the midfielder has shown himself to be as fiery as his trademark red hair in recent years - you really should let him talk - it's hard to imagine him taking such a performance from Foden personally, a la Michael Jordan.

De Bruyne said on Saturday that Foden does keep him 'on his toes'. But on the basis of the Belgian's outstanding display in their 4-2 victory away at Crystal Palace, you'd be forgiven for thinking that his junior's heroics did indeed rattle him to a snider degree.

The 32-year-old was the best player on the Selhurst Park pitch by a million miles. Eagles manager Oliver Glasner joked pre-match that if he didn't think his team had a chance, he may as well go sight-seeing in London. In hindsight, he should probably have gone for a stroll through the West End.

Palace took an early lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta, but that only served to wake a sleepy City from their slumber.

With a wicked swing of his right boot, De Bruyne hauled the visitors level from just inside the 18-yard box, picking out the very top corner of Dean Henderson's net. He would provide an assist for an extremely grateful Erling Haaland midway through the second half before icing the game with another goal moments later.

At a time where City - whose other starters featured Rico Lewis, 19, Oscar Bobb, 20 - seem to be getting younger and younger, it was their old head who remained resolute and dragged them to three points in one of the Premier League's loudest atmospheres.

Post-match, manager Pep Guardiola said to TNT Sports: "In the first half we did mistakes but we made a comeback and Kevin De Bruyne won the game with his actions, his assists, his goals and everything. We won the game with him.

"I didn't know that he enjoyed scoring goals more than assists but I keep pushing him to say we have to win games. He has won many games for us, no doubt. It was really good for his performance."

The problem moving forward for City is how they resolve De Bruyne's uncertain future. 90min understands he will receive a huge offer from the Saudi Pro League this summer and is one of the division's two priority transfer targets alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, while his City contract is up in 2025.

City might see it in their best interests to sell an ageing star while they still can. They have been efficiently ruthless with many of De Bruyne's predecessors and former teammates. He might be seen as no different.

There is a cultural significance around De Bruyne that's different, however. When 90min recently ranked the best Premier League players of all time, he came in at number five. No other City regular (Frank Lampard does not count) finished in the top 15. De Bruyne didn't score the goal that won the club their first title in a generation nor was he part of that loveable first wave of Etihad Stadium superstars, but he is undoubtedly the face of City in the Premier League era, perhaps their greatest player of all time.

It's an argument De Bruyne should be making to the club in any contract negotiations - he's earned the right to be demanding and firm in any talks over a new deal. He may only be a bit-part player wheeled out for the biggest occasions moving forward due to declining fitness, but he is as big and important as any other figure at the club.

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