Sports Mole takes a closer look at Kevin De Bruyne’s impressive record within the FA Cup for Manchester City earlier than Sunday’s semi-ultimate towards Nottingham Wooded space.
Manchester City supporters are savouring every moment they’ve left to watch club record Kevin De Bruyne strut his stuff in Sky Blue earlier than he leaves the club at the high of the season.
The soon-to-be 34-one year-extinct will bring the curtain down on a glittering 10-one year profession at the Etihad Stadium when his contract expires at the high of June, although there is a likelihood that he might per chance perhaps compete at this summer season’s FIFA Club World Cup earlier than he departs.
On the domestic entrance, De Bruyne has at the very least 5 games closing for Man City, who’re bidding to compose within the high 5 of the Premier League to stable Champions League football for subsequent season, as neatly as in discovering the FA Cup.
Pep Guardiola‘s side are gearing up for his or her record seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-ultimate at Wembley Stadium where they will face Nottingham Wooded space within the semi-finals on Sunday, with both Crystal Palace or Aston Villa expecting the victors within the showpiece match to be held on Would possibly per chance 17.
Whereas academy graduate Nico O’Reilly has arguably been Man City’s standout performer on this season’s FA Cup, De Bruyne is anyone who has excelled in England’s most prestigious cup opponents over time.
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De Bruyne loves enjoying within the FA Cup!
Since joining Man City from Wolfsburg in 2015, De Bruyne has celebrated winning 19 trophies across seven assorted competitions, in conjunction with two FA Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023.
The Belgian playmaker changed into named Man of the Match after starring in Man City’s thumping 6-0 victory over Watford within the 2019 ultimate – the joint-greatest in discovering in FA Cup ultimate history – while his 2023 success changed into allotment of the club’s historic treble-winning campaign.
De Bruyne has made a total 33 appearances within the FA Cup, scoring 10 needs and registering 18 assists, enjoying a straight away feature in extra needs than any other participant within the opponents (from the first round onwards) since his arrival in England a decade within the past.
His nearest challenger is Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min who within the identical length has contributed to 26 needs (14 needs, 12 assists), while Phil Foden is third on the checklist with 21 plot contributions (12 needs, nine assists).
De Bruyne might per chance possess increased his impressive plot and attend tallies had he not skipped over seven FA Cup games thru hurt, while he has additionally watched on as an unused substitute on eight situations over time.
Cheeky at Cardiff, unprecedented versus Watford
In his first season as a Man City participant in 2015-16 below former boss Manuel Pellegrini, De Bruyne conducted good as soon as within the FA Cup, coming off the bench to rating his first plot within the opponents in a 3-0 away in discovering over Norwich City within the third round, earlier than lacking the fourth and fifth rounds thru hurt.
De Bruyne then took allotment in 5 of City’s six FA Cup ties within the 2016-17 season when Guardiola’s side reached the semi-finals, although right here’s the top campaign wherein the playmaker changed into unable to make contributions with a single plot or attend.
Man City’s No.17 cheekily rolled a free kick below a jumping Cardiff City wall in a 2-0 fourth-round in discovering in South Wales in 2017-18, but the Electorate were horrified by third-tier outfit Wigan Athletic (1-0) within the fifth round.
Both De Bruyne and Guardiola celebrated their first FA Cup triumph in 2018-19, although, with the Belgian chipping in with two needs and 5 assists across four matches, in conjunction with one plot and one attend at some stage in a 35-minute cameo look off the bench within the aforementioned in discovering over Watford within the ultimate.
De Bruyne changed into both injured or benched for the first three rounds of the 2019-20 FA Cup, but he returned for the 2-0 quarter-ultimate in discovering at Newcastle United wherein he netted a first-half of penalty, earlier than City suffered defeat to Arsenal by the identical scoreline within the semi-finals.
The Belgian wore the captain’s armband as he teed up Bernardo Silva for his second plot in a 3-0 third-round in discovering at home to Birmingham City in 2020-21, earlier than lacking the subsequent two rounds attributable to hurt, but he returned to rating a late second in a 2-0 quarter-ultimate in discovering at Everton. City as soon as more suffered semi-ultimate heartache, although, this time to De Bruyne’s former side Chelsea (1-0).
Man City’s attend king continues to thrive within the FA Cup
In 2021-22, De Bruyne assisted three needs across two 4-1 victories over Swindon Town and Fulham within the first and second rounds respectively, earlier than converting a penalty in City’s fifth-round in discovering towards Southampton (one other 4-1 in discovering). He changed into then left on the bench because the Electorate misplaced 3-2 to Liverpool within the semi-finals.
De Bruyne then conducted a key feature in City’s triumphant 2022-23 FA Cup campaign, scoring a satisfying long-range curler in a 3-0 fifth-round in discovering at Bristol City earlier than helping two needs in a 6-0 thrashing of Burnley within the quarter-finals, and both of Ilkay Gundogan‘s iconic volleys within the first-ever all-Manchester derby FA Cup ultimate (a 2-1 in discovering for City over Manchester United).
Man City’s attend king space up one other 5 needs within the 2023-24 FA Cup, in conjunction with four in an action-packed 6-2 victory towards Luton Town within the fifth round – De Bruyne assisted the first three of Erling Haaland‘s 5 needs scored at Kenilworth Avenue.
This season, De Bruyne has contributed to some needs (two needs, one attend) in as many FA Cup appearances, first and major netting the winning plot as a substitute in a 2-1 comeback victory over League One side Leyton Orient within the fourth round.
De Bruyne then assisted an equalising plot from O’Reilly earlier than scoring City’s third as Guardiola’s men came from at the aid of as soon as more to beat Plymouth Argyle 3-1 at the Etihad within the fifth round.
After drawing a clean, albeit having conducted neatly, in City’s 2-1 quarter-ultimate in discovering at Bournemouth final month, De Bruyne will be hoping to add to his tally of FA Cup needs and assists when he leads the Electorate out at Wembley towards Nottingham Wooded space this weekend.
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