The Premier League’s highly anticipated new season has barely kicked off, and already there’s a major development that could impact the title race.

Manchester City’s key midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, suffered a hamstring injury in the opening game against Burnley, and according to manager Pep Guardiola at the time, he will be “out for a while.”

That ‘while’ turns out to be four months, which is a huge blow to City.

Last season, De Bruyne scored seven and assisted 18 in the Premier League alone, with 10 goals and 31 assists in all competitions.

Key points

• Kevin De Bruyne’s hamstring injury in the opening game against Burnley is a significant concern for Manchester City, with the player expected to be out for around four months.
• The injury comes as a blow to City’s title defence, particularly given De Bruyne’s vital contributions last season, including playing through pain in the final stages of the campaign.
• The situation could provide an opportunity for Arsenal to capitalise as they challenge City for the Premier League title. 

The opening game of the season for Manchester City witnessed a significant blow as Kevin De Bruyne hobbled off after just 23 minutes due to a hamstring injury.

The situation is all too familiar for City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, who described the injury as being in the “same place and position as the Champions League [final],” adding that De Bruyne “will be out for a while.”

The game ended in a 3-0 win for City, with goals from Erling Haaland and Rodri, but the victory was overshadowed by the injury to De Bruyne.

Burnley’s boss, Vincent Kompany, expressed hope for De Bruyne’s recovery, saying, “I hope he [De Bruyne] is going to be fine. What a player he is.”

The 32-year-old Belgian midfielder has been instrumental for City, scoring 10 goals and providing 31 assists in their Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup wins last season.

He also played through the pain of a hamstring injury during the last two months of the previous campaign.

City’s newest signing, Mateo Kovacic, replaced the injured De Bruyne, making his debut in sky blue. The situation has left Guardiola reflecting and speaking to doctors about what happened with De Bruyne.

As Manchester City begins their title defence, their nearest rivals, Arsenal, will be closely monitoring the situation.

The absence of De Bruyne may have substantial implications on the title race, and it’s a situation that every Arsenal fan will be watching with great interest.