Kevin De Bruyne returned to Premier League action looking a little heavier, but no less sharp, as he produced one of his trademark performances to dismantle Arsenal 3-0.
But how was De Bruyne's overall display?
Key Moments
De Bruyne was just impossible to track for Arsenal for the entirety of the contest against a team who offered largely minimal resistance.
The Belgian's influence was felt in every area of the pitch, from testing Bernd Leno regularly - no-one hit more shots, nor had more shots on target in the contest - but also his position between the lines allowed City to up the tempo in moments when it dropped.
De Bruyne also recorded match-high statistics for completed dribbles and second for touches inside the area and he was able to dictate the performance rather more easily than his opponents would have liked.
⚽ And he also helped to solidify his position as City's regular penalty taker, slotting home coolly from the spot after Riyad Mahrez had been fouled and David Luiz was sent off.
In truth City didn't even need their key playmaker in order to see the game out, replacing De Bruyne on 70 minutes as the game wound to a conclusion.
But despite his early exit he still recorded FC's Man of the Match award, just edging out team-mates Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling.
Man City 3-0 Arsenal: Full Player Ratings and Statistics
〽️ Rating Week-on-Week
✔️ IMPROVEMENT
De Bruyne didn't actually receive a rating for his performance in the League Cup final as he came on as a second-half substitute, so anything here was a move upwards.
But his 8.1 FC Rating for the contest sets the marker for the run for a player who in all likelihood will not win the league this year but whose assists tally and overall displays should have him in the conversation for the player of the year.
Key Stats
De Bruyne match stats
| Statistic | Value | Notes |
| FC Rating | 8.1 | ⭐ FC Man of the Match |
| Mins Played | 70 | |
| Touches | 76 | |
| Completed Dribbles | 3 | Joint Rank #1 |
| Big Chance Created | 1 | |
| Touches In Box | 4 | Rank #2 |
| Shots | 5 | Rank #1 |
| On Target | 3 | Rank #1 |
| Goals | 1 | Penalty Goal |
Kevin De Bruyne 
Chelsea 
Liverpool 
Man Utd 
Man City 
Barcelona 
Arsenal 
