Is Man City's Kevin De Bruyne the best player in the Premier League?

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  • The Belgian was outstanding in Man City's 7-2 thrashing of Stoke.

    Kevin de Bruyne was instrumental in Manchester City’s 7-2 victory over Stoke on Saturday, providing three assists in an comprehensive win for Pep Guardiola’s side.

    With the spotlight firmly on the Belgian international, we ask: Is De Bruyne the best player in the Premier League?

    What side are you on in our debate?

    Share with us your thoughts by using Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.

    JAMES PIERCY, SAYS YES

    Fallow years in the Champions League means the Premier League’s marketing team have admitted defeat in branding the competition, “the best in the world”. However, what England’s top flight always prides itself on is being, “the most entertaining”. And there is no player more entertaining right now than Kevin De Bruyne.

    Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen have all enjoyed excellent starts to the season but unless you are a follower of their respective teams, have any of those individuals made you wide eyed with wonder, or stand with applause with the same regularity as the Belgian? Watching sport at the highest level should be about fantasy, beyond what we consider the norm.

    Even more so considering how expensive it is for fans each week, whether attending matches, via TV subscriptions or the ludicrous fees clubs charge supporters for replica shirts. Against that backdrop, and with the sport itself elevated far beyond it’s more humble roots, we deserve something of the spectacular.

    De Bruyne may not be the fastest, strongest or most athletic but he has that something special. An almost undefinable gift of being able to do the unexpected, the unique. His pass for Leroy Sane’s goal against Stoke on Saturday was, to the passing eye, nothing outrageous.

    But successive replays enable you to appreciate just how perfect it was. A 30-yard through-ball, bisecting a defence and slowing down at the precise point Sterling placed his standing foot on the ground to swing his left foot. As good as the most delicate of iron shots to leave the ball two yards from the pin.

    But it’s not just his final ball, it’s his interplay; how he manoeuvres around the pitch, conducting the general ebb and flow of the game. Seeing space and team-mates’ runs that you don’t actually notice yourself until the pass finds them. He may not score that many, but leave that to the strikers. De Bruyne is an artist; he makes football more interesting.

    MATT JONES, SAYS NO

    It’s difficult to put forward Kevin De Bruyne as the best player in the Premier League when he hasn’t even been the best player in Manchester City’s midfield this season. The Belgian is undoubtedly brilliant and his form in the sky blue shirt since arriving from Wolfsburg in August 2015 makes a mockery of Jose Mourinho jettisoning him from Stamford Bridge when Chelsea manager in January 2014.

    He’s one of the Premier League’s shining lights, yet has still been put in the shade by the mesmerising David Silva. The Spaniard leads the league with six assists, De Bruyne’s two for Gabriel Jesus and Leory Sane in the 7-2 mauling of Stoke hauling him up to joint second.

    Silva averages 79.9 passes a game – 10 more than De Bruyne, whose pass completion of just 84.7 per cent ranks him 56th in the league, behind Silva (90) as well as fellow midfielders Bernardo Silva (89.5) and Fernandinho (89.6).

    Silva has made 639 total passes compared to De Bruyne’s 555. The only key statistic in De Bruyne’s favour, marginally, is key passes, averaging 3.3 to Silva’s 3.1. That City defenders John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi top the pass per centage and most passes made lists respectively slightly skew the statistics in favour of defenders – especially those that play for the bigger clubs who bully possession.

    But with De Bruyne playing in a newer, deeper role, he’s also seeing more of the ball in less pressurised areas of the pitch, so you’d expect his stats to be higher. De Bruyne’s six goals and assists (5/1) is bettered by Sergio Aguero (6/3), Raheem Sterling (6/2) and Leroy Sane (4/3).

    This is without extolling the merits of players outside the Etihad – Romelu Lukaku has plundered seven goals in eight games while Harry Kane, who has six after finally finding his feet in September, is out for a hat-trick of Premier League top scorer awards. Christian Eriksen (three goals, two assists) and Alvaro Morata (six goals, two assists) also have grounds for this accolade.

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