'No-one can do what Kevin has' - De Bruyne shines as Man City exit nears

Kevin de Bruyne has three more Manchester City games to play at Etihad Stadium, selection permitting.

That means three more opportunities for City's fans to offer him a standing ovation, as they did when he was replaced by Jeremy Doku three minutes from the end of a 5-2 victory against Crystal Palace.

Three more opportunities for De Bruyne to acknowledge those supporters and wave from the pitch to his children, who watched him produce a masterclass in the manner of old.

A decade of service is coming to an end.

In word and deed, De Bruyne is determined his time at City will not close with a whimper.

"I want to go away with a Champions League [place] for this team because they deserve it," De Bruyne told BBC Match of the Day.

"We've been in the Champions League for the nine or 10 years I've been here, so I hope we can do that for the team next year. I'll just try to play good football like I've always done."

The problem is De Bruyne has not played good football this season.

It is one of the reasons Guardiola and outgoing technical director Txiki Begiristain decided not to offer the 33-year-old a contract extension when his current deal expires on 30 June.

It is still not clear whether De Bruyne will remain at the club for their Club World Cup campaign, which might not finish until mid-July.

Rolling back the years

Kevin de Bruyne has won 16 trophies during his 10 years at Manchester City

Sadly for Crystal Palace, he chose them to remind us all what he is capable of.

With City trailing 2-0 and seemingly heading for defeat, De Bruyne led the recovery mission.

The Belgian hit the woodwork before pulling a goal back by deceiving goalkeeper Dean Henderson with a free-kick that went in off a post.

The history books will show Ilkay Gundogan was credited with the assist for Omar Marmoush's equaliser. But it was De Bruyne's nod-back Marmoush buried after Gundogan had failed to get proper contact on it.

De Bruyne definitely teed up Mateo Kovacic for City's crucial third goal at the start of the second half, calmly rolling a pass perfectly into the Croat's path on the edge of the area when many, less aware, colleagues might have panicked and made the wrong decision.

He should really have had another assist when he set up Marmoush but Henderson repelled the Egyptian's close-range finish.

"It is the kind of performance Kevin has done in many games, for many years," said Guardiola.

"Unfortunately, for 18 months he could not do it because of the injuries and surgery, but [today] he played fantastic. The gratitude I have for him is huge."

Even Palace manager Oliver Glasner appreciated De Bruyne's talent. He just wishes he had not been on the receiving end.

"Every manager loves to see a player like him with intelligence," he said. "He moves and always finds the space - it is how he scores and creates chances."

His feet do the talking

De Bruyne's goal was his first in the Premier League since early December

De Bruyne is not a shouter or screamer. He is not in the Roy Keane or Patrick Vieira mould of captains, the type who drove their team on through a mixture of intense demands and doing their own job really well.

He is not athletic in the way Steven Gerrard used to be.

But he can create something from nothing through a combination of awareness and execution. He is a player who sees opportunities others do not.

Then he is capable of delivery. It takes him to a level of the game removed from virtually anyone else.

It is why, while the debate is futile and there can be no 'winner', he has to be in the conversation about the best player of a Premier League era which is now in its fourth decade.

And it is why, when asked if James McAtee, who scored on his first Premier League start, might fill De Bruyne's boots next season, Guardiola's response was dripping with incredulity.

"No-one can do what Kevin has done," said the City boss.

"Kevin has a unique talent, a vision in the pass. When the players are up front and Kevin has the ball, they know they can run because the ball will be delivered.

"He is not a vocal leader. But in nine years, he has been there every three days."

'Let's see where I end up next'

Soon, he will not be there. De Bruyne's future is unknown.

There have been plenty of rumours around Major League Soccer (MLS) and, most recently, Inter Miami, although in some ways the idea of De Bruyne in the same team as Lionel Messi seems a waste.

De Bruyne has no reason to play second fiddle to anyone, not even one of the handful of players widely accepted as being the best ever.

He will reach his conclusion in his own quiet way. De Bruyne certainly thinks he still has something to offer.

"It's been a hard year but I've been pain-free for the last six weeks and that makes a massive difference," he told TNT Sports.

"I don't know how I'm going to feel [in my last game] - I've been here so long, my kids were born in Manchester and lived their whole life here. It's going to be different for them. I think they're a bit scared.

"But if I can play football and my family's happy, I'm good. I don't know what will happen next but I want to play on, so let's see where I end up."