The Belgian ran the show on Saturday, grabbing a goal and two assists before entertaining the crowd with party tricks, and several videos of his showboating skills have gone viral on social media.
His mesmerising performance delighted fans around the world, but KDB insists he didn’t up his game for the visit of the Black Cats - flair just comes naturally.
Quoted in the Manchester Evening News this morning, he reflects on that Johann Cruyff-style trick.
“I don’t know if I have ever done that before!” he admitted. “It was the only way out at that moment.
When you play on the street when you are younger, you learn these tricks. In small spaces, you need these tricks to keep the ball in play.
Kevin De Bruyne
“I am not here to put on a show, I am here to win the game. If we can play in a good way that the fans enjoy, it’s even better.”
Previewing Tuesday’s clash against Leicester, De Bruyne was asked whether he felt it was the biggest league game of the season.
He replied: “They said that before Arsenal, but it is just three points if we win it, and if we lose it we are still there.
“We will try to win it but afterwards we will see. We are in contention at the top but want to go higher.
“Everyone knows how quickly things change. We are at halfway so there are still a lot of points to gain or lose.”
On the subject of City’s trip to the King Power Stadium, Foxes manager Claudio Ranieri believes there is no pressure on his side.
He told Sky Sports: “City is another fantastic test. You know my idea about this [the title bid] - we are dreaming.
“We are in good condition and in a good position with 38 points.
“Now we can continue but I want to see my players enjoy it. I don’t know why we were so nervous at the beginning [against Liverpool]. Why?
“Play football, don’t worry. If you lose, lose. That’s it. We have the time.”
Meanwhile, the Leicester Mercury claim Ranieri may be more concerned than he’s letting on, as striker Jamie Vardy may miss out through illness.
An article reads: “Vardy played at Liverpool despite feeling unwell and had to be substituted before the end of the game and looked ill as he left Anfield following [Leicester] City’s defeat.
“Despite the defeat, [Leicester] City remain top of the table ahead of the visit of third in the table Manchester City and it would be a huge blow for [Leicester] City if Vardy does not recover sufficiently.”
Ranieri conceded: “I have to look at Jamie Vardy over the next three days and see if his reaction is good or not because he played with a fever.”
Finally, with the January transfer window looming, there’s always some gossip floating about. Today, it appears everywhere because apparently, Neymar has insisted the Blues are interested in signing him.
According to Liam Corless of the Mirror: “He arrived back in Barcelona this weekend after a short Christmas break and was greeted by reporters with questions about City’s interest.”
Allegedly, Neymar responded: “Yes, yes” when quizzed whether he knew about the rumours, prompting journalists to ask if he would leave Barcelona. He answered: “I don’t know. Life is long.”
Corless adds: “His current Barcelona contract, which he signed when joining the club in 2013, has two-and-a-half years left to run.
“Negotiations over a contract extension are currently taking place, with both parties confident a deal will be reached.”
