Kevin De Bruyne has admitted Liverpool's relentless pursuit of the Premier League title made Manchester City's celebratory scenes all the more enjoyable on Sunday afternoon.
Pep Guardiola's side were pushed to the finish line once again by the Reds, securing top spot by a single point for the second time in three years. City looked to be coasting to back-to-back titles at the turn of the year as they moved 14 points clear of Liverpool after beating Chelsea in January.
But Jurgen Klopp's men fought back in style to close the gap at the top of the table, breathing new life into a title race many had considered all but over. It was the Sky Blues who eventually prevailed as champions courtesy of a dramatic final day comeback, with De Bruyne recognising Liverpool's step-up in intensity in recent months forced the Citizens to take their game to another level.
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"It’s hard because Liverpool push you that far that you have to be excellent all the time. Losing points means the end. That’s why it is that hard. That makes us proud. We managed to find a way," the Belgian international told mancity.com.
There was one stage on Sunday afternoon where it seemed City's title quest was dead in the water, with former Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho firing Aston Villa into a two-goal lead at the Etihad Stadium in the second half. Asked if there was a sense of panic after the Brazilian doubled the visitors' lead, De Bruyne added: "Maybe a couple of times.
"It’s so different you can’t explain it. You try to stay as calm as possible. I think for about 10 seconds you doubt yourself, then you just go for it. 2-1 changed the whole situation for me. The stadium changes, the atmosphere, the players, then we just didn’t look back. Ilkay [Gundogan] and Zinchenko changed the game."
