MANCHESTER: The 196th Manchester Derby will be the last for longtime Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, who announced this week he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
De Bruyne will compete for the 22nd time in a City shirt against the club’s crosstown rival in a Sunday clash at Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The match also will have European implications for the Cityzens (15-9-6, 51 points).
The 33-year-old Belgian has three goals and six assists against the Red Devils (10-13-7, 37 points) across those previous 21 fixtures, with seven of those goal involvements coming in Premier League meetings.
That record speaks to a greater legacy as a foundational piece of City’s growth into a titan of English and European football. The midfielder played on six of the 10 City sides that have won league titles in club history, 13 of its 25 major domestic honors including the FA Cup and League Cup, and its only UEFA Champions League title-winning team in 2022-23.
“There’s no doubt he’s one of the greatest for sure,” manager Pep Guardiola said Friday. “The consistency in important games and not important games, every three days being there all the time. There’s no doubt.
“His assists, goals, vision in (the) final third is so difficult to replace.”
De Bruyne’s injury problems over the past two seasons are a major reason the club looks set to finally relinquish its four-year hold on the league title. City enter the weekend in fifth, all but mathematically eliminated from the title chase, but only one point back of Chelsea for a top-four finish and another guaranteed Champions League berth.
Similarly, United also have lagged expectations this season and are still mired in 13th place, nowhere close to relegation danger but well outside of contention for Europe.
The Red Devils have had almost no production from their forward. Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes leads the side with eight goals, and among strikers, Ivorian Amad Diallo has been the most proficient with six goals and six assists.
And although manager Ruben Amorim has engineered some promising stretches, including a four-match unbeaten league run prior to Tuesday’s loss to Nottingham Forest, he would trade places with City in a heartbeat.
“I think we have bigger problems than Manchester City,” Amorim said. “They had that run in that moment — but they improved. They can play in different ways, it is really hard to think how they can face us. They have maybe the best coach in the world. They have top players. But I am so focused on my team.”
City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United
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City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United
- De Bruyne will compete for the 22nd time in a City shirt against the club’s crosstown rival
- The 33-year-old Belgian has three goals and six assists against the Red Devils (10-13-7, 37 points) across those previous 21 fixtures
Race to Dubai leader Schaper chases third consecutive victory at Dubai Invitational
- Schaper joins a field that includes defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and 5-time Major champion Rory McIlroy
DUBAI: Race to Dubai leader Jayden Schaper will look to maintain his sensational early-season form when he competes at the Dubai Invitational from Jan. 15 to 18.
The 24-year-old South African is riding high after a spectacular Opening Swing that yielded back-to-back victories and propelled him to the summit of the 2026 rankings.
Schaper’s breakthrough came at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil, where he captured his maiden DP World Tour title in a thrilling play-off victory over defending champion Shaun Norris.
A chip-in birdie at the 16th and an eagle at the first extra hole sealed a memorable win that ended years of knocking on the door.
Just one week later, he demonstrated remarkable composure to defend his play-off crown at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, holing out for eagle on the second extra hole to defeat American Ryan Gerard.
“Obviously I had such a good finish to the year in 2025 — having a win back home with the family watching and then going down to Mauritius and having just another incredible week,” said Schaper.
“I’m just looking forward to the start of this run now, as the Desert Swing is always one of my favorites of the year. The weather is good and the golf courses are always perfect — it’s such an awesome place to be.”
Across three appearances during the Opening Swing, Schaper won twice and finished runner-up at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honor of Gary Player, amassing 1,348 points to dominate the season’s opening phase.
His Opening Swing triumph secured him entry into the Hero Dubai Desert Classic — the first of five Rolex Series events — and all of the DP World Tour’s Back 9 events, along with a $200,000 bonus.
The rapid ascent comes on the back of a consistent 2025 campaign where he collected nine top-10 finishes from 27 starts, establishing himself as one of the Tour’s most promising talents.
“It’s a massive boost (the back-end of 2025),” said Schaper.
“I think it’s more the belief. I’ve been out on Tour for a few years now, and to get your first win is a massive bonus. But to wait five years for your first win and then get your second the week after is such a special feeling.
“Obviously both wins came in a play-off. You always want to be in the play-off, but it’s a tougher way to win. So, it’s just a huge confidence boost to know that you belong out here.
For Schaper, the Dubai Invitational represents an opportunity to make it three wins and build momentum ahead of a season featuring a minimum of 42 tournaments in 25 countries.
“It’s my first time out there today and the course is really nice,” said Schaper.
“It’s got that desert feel, you’re kind of on the water and on the dunes — it’s really nice, I do enjoy it.
“Obviously when you come out here, you want to win every week, so that’s what we’ll try and do out here. It will be a nice boost to the season, so that’s the goal.”
The Dubai Invitational is the opening event on the Race to Dubai's International Swing and is played concurrently with a three-day Pro-Am team event, with Sunday featuring professionals only.
The bi-annual event consists of 60 professional DP World Tour golfers and 60 amateur golfers.
Schaper joins a field that includes defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, five-time Major champion Rory McIlroy, and Open champions Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari.
Also playing are multiple DP World Tour winners, including Ryan Fox and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
