Kevin De Bruyne brilliantly ignores Man City spat to Pep Guardiola delight

Oh, Kevin De Bruyne. How Manchester City will miss their king.

What threatened to be one of the ugliest afternoons in Pep Guardiola's time at the Etihad was transformed by the talisman, with De Bruyne triggering a remarkable turnaround that gives them three vital points in their hopes of securing Champions League football for next season.

After half an hour, it didn't look like Europe would be on the cards for the Blues never mind the elite competition. Hopelessly exposed for Eberechi Eze to roll in the opening goal, they defended awfully from a corner to go two-nil behind, saw Ismaila Sarr blast a very good chance over the bar and then Eze offside by just millimetres as he smashed in a third.

It said a lot for the chaos that had engulfed City that even when they won a free-kick 25 yards out from goal, Dias and Mateo Kovacic spent the build-up to it arguing about what had gone before. Dias ducked as it was hit, and as he looked up De Bruyne did what De Bruyne has done time and again over the last ten years and bailed the Blues out.

De Bruyne was right on the money - focused on the football regardless of what was going on around him. Here was the focus City had been missing.

The atmosphere in the ground changed instantly, the angry impotence that had swirled around the stadium replaced by a recognition of De Bruyne's brilliance and a reminder that this game may not actually be over. The fans sensed something, the team sensed something, and the game changed.

McAtee should have levelled the game a minute later, flashing a header wide from six yards out, but it barely mattered. Another City storm saw McAtee cross to the back post where De Bruyne headed back and eventually Omar Marmoush rifled in his sixth league goal