Premier League 2018-19: 5 Talking points from the Manchester City vs Huddersfield match

#3 De Bruyne’s role in the team

De Bruyne looked more threatening in the second half

In the absence of De Bruyne in the 1st half of the season, Bernardo Silva and Sterling took their game to the next level. This has resulted in a selection conundrum for Guardiola as he can’t leave out Sterling to accommodate De Bruyne in the right wing.

In this game, he played behind Leroy Sane and looked out of place in the first half as the majority of City’s play were concentrated on the right wing. De Bruyne tried shifting flanks but had little impact. In the second half, he was offered more freedom and took a more central role in the midfield.

His vision and intelligence on the ball while moving towards the opposition defence was on display in the second half. He looked at ease while playing a box to box role and his contribution while pressing to win back the ball was impressive. But Guardiola needs to finalize a single position for De Bruyne for the upcoming games.

But Guardiola needs to finalize on a single position for De Bruyne for the upcoming games.