The Belgium midfielder has four assists from the opening three games of the season but was not happy with his performance against Bournemouth
Kevin De Bruyne may already be top of the tree when it comes to Premier League assists this season, but the Manchester City midfielder says he is still to find his best form.
The Belgium international took his tally to four assists for the campaign when he set up Sergio Aguero’s opener in the 3-1 victory over Bournemouth on Sunday.
But De Bruyne revealed that he was not happy with his own performance at the Vitality Stadium and does not expect to produce his very best until returning from next month’s international break.
“[The assist] that doesn’t really matter,” he said. “A lot of people talk about that but I just don’t think I played the best game.
“It’s one of those games, August, for me, I’m just trying to find a rhythm and then September is easier.
“I think the first two games we played better, yesterday was more tough, but I think it’s normal when you play against a team that plays 5-4-1, it makes it more tougher, you need to be more patient but in the end you need to win games in different manners and I think that’s what we did.”
His assist for Aguero was his 50th in the Premier League and saw him set a record as the quickest to the landmark , with it coming in just his 123rd appearance – beating previous record holder Mesut Ozil by 18 matches.
“It’s always nice to have something like that in the books,” he added. “It doesn’t really matter but maybe in 20 years back I can look back and say I accomplished something.
“This one was very lucky but they all count. It makes me happy because I tried to find my team-mates and if they score I get the assist, so it’s like a co-operation, I try to provide them and they score it!”
De Bruyne also revealed that he has spoken to Vincent Kompany to offer his support after his former team-mate’s difficult start to his managerial career.
Kompany left City in the summer after 10 years at the club to take over as player-manager at Belgian club Anderlecht.
But he has endured a tough start, failing to win any of his opening five matches in charge and prompting assistant Simon Davies to take over responsibilities on matchdays.
Kompany is trying to implement a new playing style inspired by three seasons working under Pep Guardiola, and compatriot De Bruyne has backed him to be a success long-term.
“I spoke with him a few times, he’s enjoying it,” he said. “The games that I saw I think they’re playing really well, they’re missing a striker for the moment but I think he had a very tough job.
“I think he had like 50 players at the beginning of the season and had to let 25 players go, and he gained 10 players, it’s nearly impossible. And then put another philosophy into it, it’s very difficult.
“Obviously he didn’t start well in terms of points but I can understand it a little bit because he is trying to play a style that we did and obviously we had growing pains, so I can understand that.
“Football is a business where you get points but I think he will get time. In Belgium only one is relegated so I don’t think he needs to worry about that! If he gets the time that will be nice.”
There has been some criticism of Kompany, with former Anderlecht striker Marc Degryse claiming “he thinks he is God”.
But De Bruyne insists it will take time for Kompany to turn things around, adding: “He’s been a manager for like two months, so what do you expect? To go there and win every game? It’s not like this in football.
“I think there’s a lot of people who want him to fail, because to do this job, to be player and a manager, some people don’t like it but I know Vinny pretty well and he probably won’t care what people say about it.”
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