"That separates him from the rest" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta explains why Manchester City star is one of the best players in PL history
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hailed Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne as one of the best players in Premier League history. He lauded the Belgian's technical abilities and highlighted why he rates him above others.
On Friday, April 4, De Bruyne announced his imminent departure from Manchester City with an emotional farewell letter across his social media handles. The 34-year-old's contract at the Etihad is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, making him a free agent in the summer.
In a press conference ahead of the Gunners league clash with Everton on Saturday, Arteta was questioned about De Bruyne. He explained why the City star is one of the best players in Premier League history, praising his playmaking skill.
Arteta said (via Tribal Football):
"(He’s) Up there. I don't know if he's the one, the two or the three, but for me he's one of the best players in the history of the Premier League, without a question about that. I've never seen, I've never played with a player that can execute that precisely at high speed. He can be running at 33, 34 kilometres an hour and play the ball 30 metres through two people to the perfect spot. I haven't seen anybody else do that at that pace."
When asked if he would have liked to play with De Bruyne during his career, the Arsenal manager replied:
"Yes, I would have loved that. I was lucky that I was part of a team that he was very much involved in. What I think makes him special, apart from obviously that technical ability, is how strong he is here because Kevin, he always wants to take the risk, he's willing to make things happen and when the things don't go for him, he still continues to try that way and I think that separates him from the rest."
Arteta shared the dressing room with De Bruyne during his time as an assistant manager at Manchester City. He left the Cityzens in 2019 after he was appointed head coach at Arsenal.
Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, will go down as one of the best-ever playmakers to grace the English Premier League. He won six league titles with City and has recorded 70 goals and 118 assists in 280 league appearances. The Belgian is second on the Premier League's all-time assist providers, only behind Ryan Giggs (162).
How has Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne performed against Arsenal?
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has faced Arsenal 22 times across competitions. This is the joint-most appearances he has made against any club in his career, the other being Chelsea.
In 22 meetings against the Gunners, the Belgium international has recorded 13 wins, three draws, and five losses. Additionally, he has scored eight goals and created five more while playing against the north London outfit.
It remains to be seen if the 34-year-old will continue his career in Europe. He has been hugely linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
