Let`s be honest, nobody really expected him to depart quietly, did they?
After all, being a major force at the Etihad for a decade means his final farewell wouldn`t be a hushed affair.
While Kevin De Bruyne has never courted controversy off the pitch, he has consistently generated excitement *on* it with moments of genius for Man City.
Friday night was a prime example; he joined Lionel Messi as the only player to reach 250 goal involvements while managed by Pep Guardiola.
So, an evening that began with fans surprised by Pep`s comments hinting he might leave when his contract expires, concluded with the spotlight on a player whose departure is certainly imminent.
Admittedly, it`s not by his own choosing. De Bruyne`s ten-year stint as an Etihad favorite is ending because his manager decided against offering him a contract extension.
But the growing realization for the fans who idolize the Belgian (so much that a statue seems likely) is that his time at the club is drawing to a close.
And De Bruyne, playing his penultimate match at the stadium he`s called home since 2015, is certainly living up to the saying “leaving them wanting more.”
A couple of weeks prior, he showcased this by scoring one goal and setting up three others in a dominant 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, their FA Cup final opponents.
Against Wolves, he scored the deliberate, side-footed – though perhaps slightly mishit – opener that broke the stalemate in a rather dull game.
He was the key player in an otherwise unimpressive performance from Guardiola`s reigning champions, who somehow secured another crucial win needed to finish in the top five.
To be fair, there was little sign of them achieving this until De Bruyne netted, ten minutes before halftime, while City struggled to find their rhythm.
Fans who chose to stay away for the first six minutes, protesting the long wait for more season tickets, didn`t miss any exciting moments.
Certainly no thrilling attacks from the team that has dominated the league for the past four years, but is now unsure of securing a Champions League spot.
In fact, Wolves had the first clear opportunity to take the lead when Jean-Ricner Bellegarde beat the offside trap inside City`s half.
He could have shot but chose the safer option of passing to Marshall Munetsi for what should have been an easy tap-in.
Well, it *should* have been the safer option. But Bellegarde`s pass was overhit, and a stretching Munetsi couldn`t reach it, wasting the chance.
Did that near miss spur City into action? It did lead to another close call… but again, it was created by Wolves, not City.
Matheus Cunha might well be playing regularly in Manchester next season, potentially as the star striker Manchester United reportedly wants to sign.
He offered a glimpse of his capabilities with a diagonal run into the box, which ended with the ball falling fortunately to Rayan Ait-Nouri.
The Algerian`s initial shot hit the post, but his follow-up from the rebound was heading in before Josko Gvardiol cleared it off the line.
Finally, the stuttering City side increased the tempo. Nico O’Reilly forced a save from Jose Sa with a powerful rising drive.
And then, 35 minutes in, came the moment everyone wanted… from the player they hoped would deliver.
Jeremy Doku`s quick burst took him to the byline, where he deliberately pulled the ball back for the brilliant Belgian.
De Bruyne has certainly struck many cleaner shots during his ten years as an Etihad favorite, but this one still found the net despite a bounce just before. You could almost call it a fortunate ricochet goal.
Nevertheless, they all count, and after a first half that was far from spectacular, City was quite happy to take the lead.
Not that it signaled an imminent flurry of goals, or anything remotely similar. There were still moments of anxiety.
None more so than Cunha`s unexpected snapshot that struck the upright.
Ultimately, City held on as their fans showed their support for Guardiola by chanting his name louder and longer than ever in the final minutes.
However, that was nothing compared to the thunderous ovation they gave De Bruyne when he was substituted five minutes before the end.
And with good reason. They didn`t need anyone to tell them who had bailed them out once again.
