Rio Ferdinand believes Liverpool will be worrying about Manchester City following Kevin De Bruyne’s stylish return to action on Saturday evening.
The Belgian midfielder featured in only his second Premier League match of the season, having been out since the opening weekend with a hamstring injury, and was the difference-maker as City came from behind to beat Newcastle United 3-2.
Deployed in the 69th minute of the match with Pep Guardiola’s side 2-1 down, the 32-year-old took only five minutes to score before setting up Oscar Bobb’s winner with a brilliant ball in stoppage-time.
City have not looked the same team in recent weeks without their playmaker and will now be looking to make the most of De Bruyne’s return by going on a winning run. Of the view there is every chance this will happen, Ferdinand told TNT Sports after yesterday’s game: “Pep Guardiola, very rarely do you see him as animated as he was today. “I’ll tell you one thing, that man there (KDB), you’re back, you are back. You are the jewel in the crown, you’re back. Look at us now, watch momentum kick in now and these guys know what to do.
“These guys know when to put the pedal to the floor and it looks like now everybody is going to be looking over their shoulders and looking around and sayin, ‘they are coming’. They know how to get the job done, they have the experience, the depth, the class, the quality and the firepower. Formidable.”
Sharing his prediction as to who will win the Premier League title this campaign, Ferdinand said back in October: “I still think City will win. Arsenal are in there, Arsenal have a good chance, I can’t lie. Arsenal have got a massive chance. I’d actually like Arsenal to win it this year, I would,” Ferdinand told Vibe with Five.
“Because that would mean City don’t win four in a row. I’d actually prefer Spurs. Come on Ange, come on Ange, I am Spurs mad. This geezer’s brought something into that squad that we haven’t seen for a long time.
“They were pining for Pochettino at one point, they’ve moved on now. They’ve moved on and now they’ve got a guy who they believe in. We’re eight games in so I’m not going to get carried away, but there’s such an uplift at that football club because of what that man has done.”
