Deadly duo take heat off KDB and Erling

THE stage was set. Kevin de Bruyne was roared on again by City fans when he emerged to warm up after half-time and treated to an almighty chorus when he came off the bench with half an hour to go against Huddersfield.

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

The Blues were already 2-0 up by this point but this was what many had been waiting for after having to go five months without seeing one of the best players in the world grace the Etihad.

Within seconds, Oscar Bobb chipped the ball towards the goal as De Bruyne ran in for a header into an empty net and it was 3-0. Except De Bruyne hadn't got there, Bobb's ball instead diverting off Ben Jackson and past his own goalkeeper, Lee Nicholls.

Minutes later, Phil Foden tried to play De Bruyne through in the box but saw his ball cut out. From the resulting corner, it was Foden on the edge of the box rattling in his 11th goal of the season and second of the afternoon to clinch another man-of-the-match award.

The cameras panned to Erling Haaland near the City dugout grinning away at the finish, able to appreciate and enjoy his team-mate's brilliance despite missing an eighth game in a row with his foot injury. For all the boost it felt to see De Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku, back in action, it is Foden and Julian Alvarez who have been taking centre stage this season.

It was Foden who, after a tight opening 25 minutes that saw all 10 outfield Huddersfield players close to holding hands outside the penalty box as they defended deeply and doggedly, seized upon an Alvarez shot and blasted an unstoppable effort in to break the deadlock.