Kevin de Bruyne vowed to provide title rivals Liverpool with a “fight to the end” as Manchester City continued to apply pressure on the Premier League leaders.
De Bruyne, starting his first game since the beginning of the season, returned alongside star striker Erling Haaland as City secured a comfortable victory to remain five points behind Jurgen Klopp’s side with a game in hand.
City striker Julian Alvarez celebrated his 24th birthday by scoring two goals in the first half, while midfielder Rodri added a third less than a minute after the restart.
De Bruyne, who assisted Alvarez for his second goal, expressed City’s determination to make history by becoming the first team to win four consecutive Premier League titles.
He said in his post-match interview: “It’s a feeling that if we lose, we’re getting too far behind. We have to win. We just keep plugging away, trying to win and hopefully we come a little closer to them and fight to the end.”
City boss Pep Guardiola praised De Bruyne’s contribution after such a lengthy injury layoff, highlighting his impact on the team’s performance.
“It’s a long time, five months, that he didn’t play. He has come back with energy. He played really, really well. Him and Erling are going to help us in this part of the season.”