Manchester City fans had a reason to celebrate on Sunday, as their star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne made his long-awaited return from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him for five months. The Belgian playmaker came off the bench in the second half of City’s 5-0 FA Cup third-round win over Huddersfield Town and wasted no time in showing his quality, setting up Jeremy Doku for the fifth goal with a clever cross¹².

De Bruyne, who was voted the Premier League Player of the Season in 2022-23 after leading City to a historic treble, had suffered the injury in the opening game of the season against Burnley. His absence was a huge blow for Pep Guardiola’s side, who struggled to replicate their dominant form from last season and fell behind Liverpool and Chelsea in the title race. Despite having the likes of Kovacic, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish in their squad, City missed De Bruyne’s creativity, vision and leadership in the midfield³.

However, with De Bruyne back in the fold, City have a renewed hope of catching up with their rivals and challenging for multiple trophies in 2024. The 30-year-old admitted that he was “nowhere near” his best yet, but said he was happy to be back on the pitch and help the team⁴. Guardiola, who was cautious about rushing De Bruyne back too soon, praised his impact and said he would be “back soon” to his full potential⁵.

De Bruyne’s return is a timely boost for City, who face a crucial month ahead with games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham in the Premier League, as well as the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Juventus. The three-time defending champions will need De Bruyne’s magic to overcome these tough opponents and keep their hopes of retaining their crown alive. As ESPN India put it, De Bruyne’s assist on Sunday was a sign that he was “back to send the rest of the Premier League home, alone”⁶.

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