'Put him in a Liverpool shirt and they'd win the league' - Carragher on title race difference-maker

Kevin De Bruyne has returned to fitness at an ominous time for Liverpool, as the Manchester City playmaker is leading his side on the comeback trail in the race for the Premier League title. 

Having been injured only 23 minutes into the opening game of the season, De Bruyne has made just four Premier League appearance so far this term but has registered a goal and three assists in only 205 minutes of action. 

It means Pep Guardiola’s men are hot on the heels of the Reds at the top of the table, with Liverpool’s lead down to two points and City have a game in hand. 

De Bruyne was instrumental yet again in City’s defeat of Brentford on Monday night, assisting one of Phil Foden’s goals in a game where the England man netted a hat-trick. 

The 32-year-old looks back to his best and, despite missing so much football this campaign, remains top of the assists charts across Europe’s top five leagues going back to the start of last season with 33. 

He came off the bench to score and assist on his first game back against Newcastle, which turned the game in City’s favour, before pulling the strings against Burnley and the Bees. 

Jamie Carragher puts the Belgian down as a Premier League all-time great and believes that he is the difference-maker in the title race. 

Speaking to Sky Sports on Monday Night Football, the ex-Red said that Liverpool would end up top of the pile if they had the player City signed from Wolfsburg for £55 million back in 2015. 

“He's been the best player in the Premier League for the last four, five years, virtually since he came back from Germany and signed for Manchester City,” said Carragher. 

“I think he's been the difference really for Manchester City. If you put him in a Liverpool shirt, Liverpool would win the league. I think that's how dominant he is.”

Carragher went on to compare De Bruyne to famous top flight players of the past, declaring that in the discussion for the best-ever foreign player in the league, the former Chelsea man beats the lot. 

“Kevin De Bruyne is going to go down as an all-time great in the Premier League,” he said.

“Cantona, Zola, Bergkamp, those three players I've just mentioned are absolutely legendary figures in the Premier League and at their clubs. He's better than all three of them.”

Meanwhile, West Ham forward Michail Antonio said: “They're not the same team without him.”

Liverpool’s title credentials took a setback over the last couple of days, first losing 3-1 at Arsenal in a performance to forget before City ate into their lead with their win at the Gtech Community Stadium.