Kevin De Bruyne wants to deliver Champions League qualification to Manchester City as a parting gift to his club of the last 10 years.
The Belgium playmaker certainly looked like a man on a mission in sparking City's remarkable fightback against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.
After City fell two goals behind inside 21 minutes, the 33-year-old De Bruyne curled a free kick in off the post to begin the comeback and had a hand in goals by Omar Marmoush and Mateo Kovacic in the first half. James McAtee added a fourth — off a pass from goalkeeper Ederson, who later came off injured — before fellow academy product Nico O'Reilly wrapped up the win.
It was a display showing the enduring quality of De Bruyne, who announced last week he would be leaving City at the end of the season, and he was given a standing ovation after being substituted in the 87th minute.
''I want to go away with a Champions League (place) for this team because they deserve it," he said. ''We've been in the Champions League for the nine, 10 years that I've been here so I hope we can do that for the team next year."
The victory lifted City — the winner of the last four Premier League titles but a shadow of its former self this season — into fourth place above Chelsea and Newcastle, who have games in hand in the race to secure England's five Champions League spots. That's where all the drama lies for the remainder of this campaign.
City moved two points behind third-place Nottingham Forest, which conceded in stoppage time to lose 1-0 at home to Everton. Aston Villa won 3-0 at already-relegated Southampton to climb to fifth and stay a point behind City. Chelsea and Newcastle are a point further back.
Any realistic chances Arsenal had of winning the title disappeared weeks ago and the second-placed Gunners were held 1-1 by Brentford, leaving them 10 points behind Liverpool.
