On the night of October 29th, Manchester City beat Leicester City by a narrow 1-0 margin on the road. Facing the tight defense of the Blue Foxes, City lacked the striker killer Harland and once fell into a goal drought, but fortunately there was the midfield master De Bruyne. It was his textbook free kick that helped City lock up the three points. After the game, Guardiola praised De Bruyne, saying that the tacit understanding between them needs no comment.
Harland congratulated De Bruyne on his goal, and the pair's rapport has been on display several times this season. Despite Harland's absence, De Bruyne won a valuable free kick for City in the 49th minute.
De Bruyne's precise shot sent the ball in a perfect arc in the air, heading straight for the dead center. The Leicester City goalkeeper was unable to prevent the goal from coming despite his heroic save. This goal not only shows De Bruyne's exquisite skills, but also highlights his decisiveness in critical moments.
Guardiola spoke highly of De Bruyne, stating that the two have worked together for many years and the understanding between them needs no elaboration. De Bruyne also said that with or without Harland, City are capable of winning the game. The win puts City temporarily ahead in the standings.
Since the 2017-18 season, De Bruyne has scored 19 goals from outside the Premier League penalty area, an impressive statistic. A world-class midfielder, De Bruyne's goals come not only from teammates' passes, but also from his individual ability to shoot from distance. His goal share ranks among the top of all players with over 50 goals in the Premier League, fully demonstrating his all-round strength.
