After 24 minutes, the Belgian earned his first City hat-trick and secured 200 goal involvements across all competitions, before adding a fourth on the hour-mark.
And Wright-Phillips was amazed at the quality of the midfielder’s display.
“De Bruyne had this game by the scruff of his neck.” said the former City winger on Matchday Live. “He controlled the game in every aspect.
“When he had the ball he dictated along the front. He knew when to slow it down. He was finding passes that most people didn’t see.
“If you give this man space whether he’s scoring or not he will find a way to cause serious problems like he did all night… it was magical.”
Wright-Phillips was joined by another former City cult hero Shaun Goater, who agreed with his former teammate’s sentiments.
“What a player,” said Goater. “Every time I watch him play he goes to another level.
“He does things you can’t ignore. He made passes with his back towards the players, and you think, ‘has he got eyes on the back of his head?’
“This guy is a phenomenal player. He’s a joy to watch.”
According to Wright-Phillips, De Bruyne’s performance demonstrated the Belgian’s effect on the rest of Pep Guardiola’s men and resulted in some of the best football the squad has played all season.
“When you score a goal, and your team is playing the way you’re playing already, anything is possible,” he said. “If Kevin comes on the pitch like that the rest of the players will follow.
“He drives the whole team forward. He leads by example, and I think the players around him have risen to the occasion.”
Goater was quick to agree, adding: “De Bruyne gets the ball, and he strikes it clean. But it was wonderful because everyone was involved and really applied pressure.
“We played such a high standard of football. How we moved the ball in every department, it was some of the most beautiful football I’ve ever seen.”
With the win, City are now three points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table and only require four more points to secure the Premier League title.
However, Wright-Phillips believes that City will need to remain focused on the next match with a tough trip to West Ham to come on Sunday.
“It will be a really hard game, especially because it’s at West Ham,” said Wright-Phillips. “They’re a very balanced team and they’re good at set-pieces.
“They’ll have a lot for us to deal with, but the fact that we’ve won the last two games puts us in a much more positive position.
“I think we still have enough, playing the way we played today, to still come away with something.”
