Carra names only player with better delivery than De Bruyne
Kevin de Bruyne’s delivery is second only to Kieran Trippier’s in the Premier League, according to Jamie Carragher.
De Bruyne has been the Premier League’s standout player this season, scoring three goals and assisting a further six from midfield in 12 games.
The Belgian is a leading candidate to be named Player of the Year, and Carragher believes his accuracy in shooting and crossing from range is crucial.
“It’s vital to have someone in your team who can do that,” he told Sky Sports. “Think of Paul Scholes at Manchester United, Frank Lampard at Chelsea or Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. Top teams need someone who can score from 25 yards because they will always come up against packed defences.
“City beat Leicester’s tight, boxed-in defence with some unbelievable football for their first goal on Saturday. It was just genius. But that’s not the type of goal you’ll score every week, so you need someone who can hit them. Players like that are few and far between, but De Bruyne can do that for City.
“He’s also so difficult to stop in terms of his assists because he can move in and out of different positions with his current role. He’s playing just to the right of a midfield three where he can slip players in but by moving five or 10 yards to the right he’s in a crossing position and there’s no better crosser of a ball in the Premier League, perhaps with the exception of Kieran Trippier at Tottenham.
Midwives are jealous of Kieran Trippier's delivery.
— Football365 (@F365) November 1, 2017
“But while you normally associate crossing with getting to the byline and someone powering in a header, De Bruyne crosses along the floor, whipping it in with so much pace. Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero will thrive off that.”