The Belgian midfielder is singled out for praise by a City legend, while John Stones has expressed his delight with fellow Yorkshireman, Kyle Walker’s start to life in sky blue.
We’ll begin with our in-form playmaker, who has been compared to the great Colin Bell by 1976 League Cup hero, Peter Barnes.
Writing for the Daily Mail, the ex-winger opined: “Colin Bell was the best I ever played with, but Kevin De Bruyne is as good as Bell if not better — and that’s a hell of a statement coming from me.
“He’s the total player. When he plays well — and he does most weeks — Manchester City play well. He can make anything happen.”
Barnes goes on to laud City as the best team in the country, in a column well worth a moment of your time on this Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Stones has expressed the belief that the Blues’ dressing room environment combined with Pep Guardiola’s football philosophy is bringing the best out of right-back, Walker.
Quoted by Goal the England international said: “The way he gets up and down the pitch is why for me he’s probably the best in the world and I keep telling him that.
“Kyle has fitted in straight away. It was the same for me when I came, I just fitted in straight away. The boys were great and I think that’s why he’s playing as well as he is.
“He wants to keep winning, keep on keeping clean sheets and getting better. That’s why he’s the player he is and the person he is, he wants to keep on getting better.”
Up next at the Etihad Stadium are Serie A table-toppers, Napoli and defender Raul Albiol is in no doubt as to the threat posed by the home side.
Speaking in the Italian media following the 1-0 victory over Roma, he said: “There’s a long way to go yet, we must stay calm and focus on recovering our energy to face the best team in Europe right now, Manchester City.
“I hope it’ll be a great game. Naturally, as a defender, I can’t hope for it to end 4-3, but everyone is waiting for these two teams who attack and score a lot of goals.”
That’s your lot for today, Blues, but we’ll be back with more of the same tomorrow.
