Pep Guardiola says it is almost impossible to replace Kevin De Bruyne, who proved to be the matchwinner in Manchester City's hard-fought victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers that lifted them up to third in the table.
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The Belgium international scored in his penultimate home match for Man City before departing the club at the end of the season, boosting their hopes of securing UEFA Champions League football in 2025/26.
"I want the best for Kevin, so it cannot be possible to have done these many years without him," Guardiola told BBC Sport. "He has been an incredible player but the situation is what it is.
"It's almost impossible to replace this kind of player. It is not just the performance, it is what he means to the heart for our fans for many, many years. The success we have belongs to the players."
Wolves provided a stern test at the Etihad Stadium, hitting the post twice, but their six-match winning run ultimately came to an end.
"They are an extraordinary team," explained Guardiola. "The shape, the quality that they play, the physicality, the pace, really incredible team.
"We struggled, we suffered a lot with the chances that they had. We were fortunate like in some way we have not been this season. We were better after the goal and we did the simple things well. The result is massively important."
Man City can now guarantee a spot in the Champions League next season by winning each of their final three games.
"In terms of reaching there [the Champions League places] the result was good, focus on the next nine points and if we make the nine then we will be there so it is in our hands and let's go," added Guardiola.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +35 | 74 |
| 3 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +28 | 71 |
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
38 | +21 | 69 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +21 | 66 |
| 6 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
38 | +7 | 66 |
| 7 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
38 | +12 | 65 |