Kevin De Bruyne's Remarkable Return Strikes Fear into Manchester City's Title Rivals

Kevin De Bruyne's return from injury has been nothing short of remarkable, and it is a statistic that will strike fear into the hearts of Manchester City's Premier League title rivals. After missing five months with a serious hamstring injury, De Bruyne made his long-awaited comeback last month. Many City fans were concerned that he wouldn't be the same player after such a lengthy absence, but he has quickly put those doubts to rest.

Since returning to action, De Bruyne has made seven appearances, scoring one goal and providing seven assists. In fact, he has registered an assist in four consecutive Premier League matches, showcasing his incredible playmaking abilities. However, it was his performance in the Champions League that truly highlighted his impact.

In his first Champions League appearance since his injury, De Bruyne scored a goal and set up two more as Manchester City defeated FC Copenhagen 3-1 in the first leg of their last-16 tie. This impressive display has solidified City's position as heavy favorites to advance to the quarter-finals for the seventh consecutive season.

What makes De Bruyne's achievements even more remarkable is that he has achieved the feat of both scoring and assisting in two of his seven post-injury appearances. This is more than what Premier League stars Martin Odegaard, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Lucas Paqueta, Kai Havertz, James Ward-Prowse, and Joelinton have combined this season, despite De Bruyne missing five months of action.

Currently, Manchester City sits in second place in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Liverpool but with a game in hand. Both Arsenal and Liverpool had hoped that De Bruyne's absence would give them an advantage in the title race, but the impressive performances of Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez, among others, have kept City on track to win their fourth consecutive title. With De Bruyne back in top form, City's rivals have every reason to be terrified.