Gary Neville has blasted Kevin De Bruyne after the midfielder went down in the penalty area during Manchester City’s clash with Leicester City. Neville claimed De Bruyne tried to deceive the referee in the incident, which saw him hit the deck under a challenge from Leicester’s Jannik Vestergaard.
Despite the appeals from City players, referee Michael Oliver waved play on. A subsequent VAR check confirmed the decision, as replays showed little to no contact between the two players.
The match, held at the King Power Stadium, was crucial for Manchester City as they looked to end their winless run and climb back up the Premier League table. City had taken the lead early, thanks to Savinho’s first league goal for the club. The winger capitalized on a rebound after Leicester’s backup goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk parried Phil Foden’s shot.
However, the controversy arose on the half-hour mark when De Bruyne went to ground in the penalty box. He was challenged by Vestergaard, but replays showed that De Bruyne went down with minimal contact, if any. Neville, commenting during Sky Sports’ live coverage, wasn’t shy in his criticism.
QUOTES:
Neville expressed his thoughts on the incident bluntly:
“He went down too easily,” Neville said. “You can tell, it was awkward the way he fell. You can see he dived from up here. He probably should be booked, really, he’s tried to con the referee.”
While Neville made it clear that he thought the Belgian midfielder had exaggerated the challenge, he added a more forgiving note: “I wasn’t fully against one of my teammates diving, though, so I’ll just leave it there…”
Despite the controversy, De Bruyne played a pivotal role in Savinho’s opening goal. The Belgian, back in the starting lineup for the first time since December 15, helped create the chance with a well-placed volleyed pass to Foden, who then shot towards goal, setting up Savinho’s follow-up.
RECALL:
De Bruyne’s return to action was welcomed by manager Pep Guardiola, especially given the midfielder’s struggles with injuries over the past year.
Guardiola had made it clear before the match that he was excited to have De Bruyne back in the starting XI and hoped he would perform at his best.
“We want the best of our players to be fit and play well,” Guardiola said. “We are happy to have Kevin back. Hopefully, he can play like he does.”
CITATIONS:
This analysis and commentary were shared live during Sky Sports’ coverage of the Leicester vs. Manchester City match.
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Manchester City’s upcoming fixtures: After their much-needed win against Leicester, City will look to build momentum in their next Premier League games. Stay tuned for analysis and predictions for their upcoming fixtures.
Kevin De Bruyne’s fitness updates: With De Bruyne back on the pitch, keep an eye on how he performs in the next few matches and if he can help turn City’s season around.
Gary Neville’s latest comments: Neville, as always, remains outspoken. Keep up with his analysis of key moments throughout the Premier League season.
