Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - October 25, 2022. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola applauds fans.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is ‘trying to get into the heads’ of his players after making comments about Kevin De Bruyne, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.
The Lowdown: De Bruyne’s criticism
The Belgian has provided nine assists and scored two goals in 11 Premier League games so far this season, but despite this outstanding form, has recently come under criticism from the 51-year-old.
The Sky Blues boss has claimed that the midfielder ‘can be better’, stating that the player himself is also aware of that, which hasn’t gone down overly well with the former Scotland international.
The Latest: Hutton disagrees
Asked by Football Insider whether Guardiola was attempting to play mind games with De Bruyne, Hutton said:
“He is probably trying to get into the heads of other players.
“He is trying to flip it round, De Bruyne is playing this well and he can only get better. For me he is an outstanding player, he just gets better and better. The link up play that you see with Haaland and these players is pivotal to what they do moving forward.
“There could be a little bit of trying to spur him on a bit, trying to show us more but in my opinion he is one of the best midfielders in the league. There is no problem there.“
The Verdict: A key cog in midfield
Any suggestions that De Bruyne is not at his best should be dismissed, and it’s clear to see in his numbers that he is one of the most influential players at the Etihad.
During his seven-year spell, the maestro has made a remarkable 220 goal contributions and currently averages 3.3 key passes, 2.8 dribbles and 2.5 shots per league 90 minutes (WhoScored).
De Bruyne has 12 City trophies to his name, alongside two Player of the Year awards, and that number will only increase for as long as he’s a key cog in that midfield.
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