Man City's Kevin De Bruyne dilemma: Pep Guardiola was right to sub assist king at Anfield as Belgian begins to show signs of wear and tear

It could be argued that were it not for De Bruyne's genius, City would have left Anfield with nothing. He recorded his fifth assist in nine Premier League appearances after picking out Stones with a short-corner mid-way through the first-half, leaving the England defender with a simple close range finish.

There are very few players in world football capable of that kind of pass, or that even possess the vision and confidence to pull it off. De Bruyne's technique is a joy to behold, and he can still conjure up something out of nothing in the tightest games, even as he edges closer to his 33rd birthday.

However, he failed to stick to the more simple requirements during the game, such as getting on the ball regularly and winning back possession. There were also too many times when his final pass let him down, which allowed Liverpool to launch several of their blistering counter attacks, and City had completely lost control of the game by the time Guardiola took him off.

De Bruyne vented his anger towards Guardiola on the touchline, before reluctantly taking a seat on the bench, and the Spanish head coach sat next to him to continue the discussion a short while later. “We need a player who keeps the ball. It’s not about pressing. It’s not about his play. We were happy with Kevin. It’s not a problem. We’re fine,” Guardiola said when quizzed on the incident.

He also promised that De Bruyne will "have a chance the next game to prove how wrong I was", with City set to face Newcastle in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, but did not specify whether he will retain his place in the starting XI. On recent evidence, it would be a risk for Guardiola to stick with the Belgium international, who is showing clear signs of wear and tear after his five-month spell on the sidelines.

Some three weeks after not "feeling comfortable" enough to come on during City's 1-0 win over Brentford, De Bruyne still doesn't look ready for the rigours of full 90 minute matches, which begs the question: would an impact sub role suit him better?

It would be no surprise if Guardiola was considering the possibility. For his winning machine to function properly, everyone has to be at 100 percent, and De Bruyne doesn't fall into that category right now. He certainly isn't lacking desire, but the way Liverpool overpowered City in midfield will be a huge concern for Guardiola, and they can't be found wanting again heading into the finishing stretch of the campaign.

“Basically, I’m a 32-year-old footballer who has been playing 15 years, made almost 700 appearances, had a couple of hamstring injuries and the surgeon told me my hamstring was like a wet paper towel. The tendon was ruptured, they needed to clean it out and it was the best decision.”

De Bruyne was refreshingly open about the injury troubles he has faced over the past year in the City Studios documentary titled ‘Return of the King’, having limped out of his team's 2022-23 Champions League final win over Inter before damaging his hamstring again on the opening day of the new campaign at Burnley.

City have handled De Bruyne's recovery perfectly up to this point, and they must continue to exercise caution if he is to get back into optimal physical condition. The veteran playmaker's best performance of the season so far came in a 6-2 rout of Luton in the FA Cup fifth round, as he provided four assists for Erling Haaland, after which he insisted he "feels good".

There was a caveat, though, as De Bruyne added: "I know if you don't play for six months and come back, you're going to get niggles everywhere else. it's normal and it's fine." The City talisman's hamstring might be holding up now, but he's feeling the strain in other parts of his body as he tries to re-adjust to the demands of three games a week for a club chasing silverware across multiple fronts.

It's also entirely possible that he will never be quite as robust or agile as he once was. De Bruyne has dealt with serious injuries throughout his career, and the recovery process gets more and more difficult with age.

In the first 25 minutes of the second half at Anfield, Liverpool laid siege to the City net. Alexis Mac Allister scored from the penalty spot to level proceedings, before Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez spurned golden opportunities to complete an epic comeback for Jurgen Klopp's side.

It wasn't until De Bruyne made way for Kovacic that City were able to stem the tide and gain the upper hand in the possession stakes once again. Kovacic had 36 touches in the final portion of the game, two more than De Bruyne managed during his much longer spell on the pitch, and brought balance in the middle of the park alongside Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Rodri.

City were fortunate not to concede a stoppage time penalty after a late challenge on Mac Allister from Jeremy Doku, but only after the winger had struck the post after a trademark jinking run in the box, as Guardiola's team were able to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool after the necessary sacrifice of De Bruyne.

In such a fast-paced contest, De Bruyne struggled to get involved as Liverpool relentlessly pressed City high up the pitch while feeding off the energy from a typically raucous Anfield crowd. He certainly wasn't helped by Erling Haaland, who fell woefully short as City's target man, but Kovacic was far happier taking the ball under pressure and made sure the visitors kept it to disrupt Liverpool's momentum.

It will have been a valuable learning experience for Guardiola, especially with a huge clash against new Premier League leaders Arsenal now looming large on the horizon at the end of the month.

De Bruyne's latest performance for City will likely lead to an increase in speculation over his future. The Belgium international has just 15 months left to run on his current contract, and The Mirror has claimed he could be in line for a one-year extension at the Etihad Stadium.

However, the report also adds that De Bruyne is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League, where he could earn a staggering £1 million per week in wages. A lucrative switch to MLS has also been mooted, with America thought to hold greater appeal to him than the Middle East, and this summer could well be the last chance for City to cash in.

In order to tie De Bruyne down to a renewal, City will almost certainly have to increase his current reported wages of £400,000 per week, which are second only to Haaland's salary. It would be easy to justify if he was still the first name on Guardiola's teamsheet and leading City's latest trophy charge, but that is not the case.

There is still an important role for De Bruyne to play over the next couple of months, because City will need his ingenuity to open up teams content to sit back with a low block. His incredible assist against Liverpool proves he can still make a difference in the biggest matches, too, but the Manchester outfit are not nearly as reliant on him as they once were - and he does appear to be in a state of gradual decline.

Maintaining harmony in the dressing room will also be essential if City are to go on and secure the title, and perhaps an unprecedented second successive treble, having also booked a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals. Guardiola may have played down De Bruyne's outburst at Anfield, but he won't want a repeat display amid a gruelling schedule that leaves him with little choice but to keep rotating regularly.

De Bruyne's status as a City legend, and perhaps the finest midfielder English football has ever seen, is set in stone no matter what happens between now and the end of the season. But like Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho and David Silva before him, he has passed his peak and must adjust his expectations accordingly.

If he does, a glorious final swansong at the Etihad is entirely possible. City fans, in particular, won't want to see De Bruyne phased out while he still has so much to offer.

His main job now, though, is to set an example to the club's younger players like Foden, Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb, with a view to eventually handing over the creative reins permanently. It's time for De Bruyne to admit he has lost a step, before it's too late.