We'll all miss Kevin De Bruyne's genius - and Pep Guardiola will miss him more than most

After Chris Richards had headed in a second Crystal Palace goal from a few inches out, Pep Guardiola called James McAtee over to receive some instructions. McAtee looked at his manager, nonplussed, as if to wonder what he was supposed to do about defending that was as abject as you are likely to see in elite level football.

In truth, Guardiola had probably just picked on McAtee because he was the closest player to him. He probably did it out of instinct, he was probably barking at McAtee for the sake of it. Because Guardiola himself looked nonplussed.

Every Palace counter-attack looked like ending with a goal and only ruled out a third Palace goal inside the opening 30 minutes. Pep looked powerless. Fortunately for him, .

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And in one of his farewell gigs, the Belgian delivered a masterclass that hauled City back from the brink of another calamity. As the old line goes, form is temporary, class is permanent. And few have Kevin’s class.

The free-kick that gave City a route back into a brilliantly entertaining contest was ingenious in its conception and clinical in its execution. De Bruyne does not strike the ball, he persuades it. He coaxed this one away from Dean Henderson and in off the post and the City of old reappeared alongside the De Bruyne of old.

Fifteen minutes into the second half - with City now holding a two-goal lead - De Bruyne sped stylishly back into his vintage repertoire and beyond the Palace defence before hitting a first-time pass that Omar Marmoush somehow failed to convert.

Thanks to Henderson’s save, it will not be recorded in the statistics but it was a gem of a moment, a simple but beautiful microcosm of what De Bruyne has been and is all about.

And make no mistake, this Manchester City side will miss De Bruyne. They will certainly miss this fit and firing De Bruyne, the De Bruyne who struck a post with another finessed hit, the De Bruyne who was involved in the build-up to Marmoush’s equaliser, the De Bruyne whose assist for the Mateo Kovacic strike that put City ahead was stamped with trademark intelligence.

They will certainly miss the De Bruyne who was the talisman for a comeback that looked highly unlikely after Eze and Richards had, seemingly, put Palace in charge.

If the king is going, it is time for the princes to step up and in the shape of McAtee and Nico O’Reilly, City have two very promising individuals. To be honest, O’Reilly’s defensive acumen had looked distinctly suspect during those early Palace raids but his composed finish for City’s fifth was indicative of his self-confidence. He will be an asset.

While O’Reilly was aided by a slightly fortuitous nick off Nathaniel Clyne, McAtee had needed no fortune when registering City’s fourth. The long-range assist was from Ederson - who later limped off with what looked like a muscle pull - and McAtee dragged it cleverly past Henderson before applying a slide-rule finish.

It was the sort of skill that a certain team-mate would have appreciated and, sure enough, De Bruyne was one of the first to celebrate with McAtee. And towards the end of the game, Guardiola withdrew his captain to make sure the Etihad could celebrate one of the greatest players in the club’s history.

The acclaim was thunderous and there was just a hint of emotion on De Bruyne’s face as he was hugged by Guardiola - who certainly owed him the hug - and took his place in a bucket seat.

Reports of De Bruyne’s demise have been grossly exaggerated and even though he turns 34 in June, he will be an asset wherever he goes. The Etihad crowd will see him a maximum of three more times - they will miss him. Guardiola will miss him, the Premier League will miss him. A class act.

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