Arsenal's recent acquisition Eberechi Eze has identified Manchester City icon Kevin De Bruyne as the most challenging opponent he encountered during his Premier League career.
The Belgian Maestro's Unmatched Quality
During an appearance on GOAL's Beast Mode On podcast with Adebayo Akinfenwa, the Crystal Palace graduate didn't hesitate when asked to name his toughest adversary. Eze immediately selected De Bruyne, praising the Belgian midfielder's exceptional football intelligence and sustained excellence.
"I'm gonna say Kevin De Bruyne," Eze revealed. "To play the way he was playing, to do the things that he was doing for that amount of time - yeah, not easy. You can tell that he's a high-level thinker."
The attacking midfielder expressed particular admiration for De Bruyne's problem-solving abilities on the pitch, noting: "These are the type of players I've looked up to from young, so definitely a special player." He added that facing the City legend felt like competing against someone who "had solutions to problems I hadn't even given him yet."
Paths That Nearly Crossed at Manchester City
Interestingly, the two players nearly became teammates during the summer of 2024. While De Bruyne was entering the final year of his Manchester City contract amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, Eze emerged as a potential creative replacement at the Etihad.
Having established himself as one of the Premier League's most effective attacking midfielders at Crystal Palace, Eze became part of internal discussions at City. However, the South London club resisted approaches for their star player after already losing Michael Olise to Bayern Munich earlier that window.
This decision led to Eze remaining at Palace for the 2024-25 campaign, where he played a crucial role in their FA Cup triumph over Manchester City, before ultimately securing his move to Arsenal the following summer.
Diverging Destinies in Serie A
While Eze headed to North London, De Bruyne remained at City for one final season before departing on a free transfer after his contract expired. The 34-year-old Belgian completed his move to Serie A champions Napoli in the summer of 2025, marking the end of his trophy-laden decade in Manchester.
During his remarkable tenure at City, De Bruyne collected six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the Champions League, cementing his status as one of the league's greatest ever midfielders.
The transition to Italian football proved immediately successful for the veteran playmaker. De Bruyne scored four goals in his opening eight appearances for Napoli, quickly becoming central to their attacking structure and demonstrating he remained a force in European football.
Unfortunately, his strong start was abruptly halted by a serious thigh injury sustained while scoring a penalty in Napoli's 3-1 victory over Inter last month. The setback is expected to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the calendar year, presenting a significant challenge for the defending Italian champions.
