Manchester City gave Kevin De Bruyne a memorable send-off with a 3-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday, marking his final appearance at the Etihad Stadium. Goals from Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva, and Nico Gonzalez helped City climb to third place in the table.
With 68 points and one game left, City now sit two points ahead of Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa in the tense race for a top-five finish and Champions League qualification.
Both teams ended the match with 10 players after City’s Mateo Kovacic received a red card in the 67th minute, followed by Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook in the 73rd.
But the night belonged to captain De Bruyne, who played his emotional farewell game at the Etihad after an outstanding 10-year career at the club. He joins an elite group of City legends who have been honored with murals, including Yaya Toure, Joe Hart, David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, and Ilkay Gundogan.
Despite the celebrations, De Bruyne had a shocking miss in the first half—he hammered Marmoush’s cross off the underside of the crossbar from close range and could only hold his head in disbelief.
“I said I just have to be there, it’s going to come,” De Bruyne reflected on the miss. “It’s terrible. There’s no excuses. My son is going to be very tough on me today.”
He was substituted in the 69th minute to a standing ovation, hugging teammates before lingering on the pitch to celebrate and wave goodbye as a tribute video to “King Kev” played around the stadium.
Since joining City in 2015, De Bruyne has lifted 16 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League. Widely regarded as one of the league’s greatest midfielders, he has been central to City’s success but has battled injuries in recent seasons. At 33, he admitted feeling “a little bit [of shock]” that City did not offer him a new contract, yet believes he still has plenty to offer in the Premier League.
Marmoush opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a stunning 30-yard strike that dipped just inside the top-left corner. Silva doubled the lead in the 38th after Gundogan’s cut-back found the Portuguese midfielder, who calmly slotted it in at the near post. Gonzalez sealed the win in the 89th minute with a deep run before curling the ball past goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Bournemouth’s Daniel Jebbison pulled one back seconds before the final whistle.
Also making a notable return was midfielder Rodri, who came on as a late substitute to a standing ovation. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was playing his first game since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September.
