The Egyptian's bolt from the blue was a late contender for goal of the season but the departing De Bruyne failed to leave with a bang
This was supposed to be all about Kevin De Bruyne but Omar Marmoush made it all about himself with a truly stunning goal which kickstarted his team-mate's farewell party and put Manchester City on track for a top-five finish as they beat Bournemouth 3-1.
Marmoush let fly from 40 yards with a blistering strike which flew in off the post to give City a deserved lead after they made a rampant start, looking to make amends for losing the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. It was a goal that De Bruyne would have been proud of but the Belgian will be cursing the fact he could not leave with a goal, especially after hitting the crossbar after being presented with an open goal.
Evanilson nearly punished City down the other end before Bernardo Silva scored the second after a brilliant piece of play from Ilkay Gundogan. Mateo Kovacic was sent off for City for hauling down Evanilson but Lewis Cook was then also dismissed for a brutal foul on Nico Gonzalez.
The midfielder shook off the challenge to score City's third, which came after Rodri had come off the bench to make his first appearance after tearing his knee ligaments back in September. Daniel Jebbinson scored a consolation goal for Bournemouth in injury time but it could not puncture the celebratory mood as City bid farewell to their greatest player ever and practically booked their place in next season's Champions League in the process.
GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…
AFPGoalkeeper & Defence
Ederson (4/10):
Played with fire when he casually sent the ball straight to Marcus Tavernier and was grateful to Dias for blocking the shot. Made an early straightforward save from Justin Kluivert but should have done better with Jebbinson's late goal.
Matheus Nunes (6/10):
Gave City the width they badly lacked at Wembley which helped pin the visitors back. Had a wayward strike, trying and failing to replicate Marmoush's worldie.
Ruben Dias (6/10):
Made a silly early mistake when he gave the ball to Evanilson. Partly compensated for it with his brave block on Tavernier, bailing out Ederson. But then he was too slow and too weak to stop Jebbinson scoring at the end.
Manuel Akanji (6/10):
More comfortable back in central defence than at right-back at Wembley.
Josko Gvardiol (5/10):
Had a positive first half and involved in City's frequent attacks down the left side. Loses marks for his hospital pass which forced Kovacic to take out Evanilson, getting sent off for his efforts.
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Kevin De Bruyne (5/10):
It must have been an emotional night for him but the truth is the occasion got to him. Or he was still tired from Saturday. Either way, he signed off with a rusty display. Only he will know how he missed the open goal and his passing was sloppy. His best moment was his cross for Haaland.
Mateo Kovacic (6/10):
Gave City the midfield control they lacked in the final. He was not far from scoring in the first half in a front-footed display. But he loses marks for getting sent off, even if Gvardiol was largely to blame for putting him in the situation.
Bernardo Silva (8/10):
Gave a battling performance which backed up his fighting talk after the final. Also got the all-important second goal after his team-mates kept missing sitters.
Ilkay Gundogan (8/10):
Conjured a lovely piece of skill to set up the second goal. Moved the ball around thoughtfully throughout, suggesting he could have had a bigger impact in the final had he started.
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Omar Marmoush (8/10):
What a way to respond to his penalty miss in the final. His goal was one part awesome quality, the other sheer audacity. Each time it was replayed on the big screen, the crowd's coos got louder.
Erling Haaland (5/10):
Couldn't get a goal from a De Bruyne assist, which is what the crowd wanted. It nearly came when the Belgian curled in a high cross to the back post but he opted to throw his foot into the air rather than head it and bungled the opportunity. His hold-up play was also lacking.
Subs & Manager
Nico Gonzalez (6/10):
Got a brutal introduction to the game when Cook clattered into him. Did well to shake off the pain and score his first Premier League goal.
Rodri (N/A):
The crowd's roar when he came on said it all. How they have missed their lynchpin this season. And he extended his unbeaten run in the Premier League to 36 games.
Oscar Bobb (N/A):
Brought on in added time.
Jeremy Doku (N/A):
Another late adition.
Jack Grealish (N/A):
Came on in added time for what should be and probably will be his final appearance at the Etihad Stadium
Pep Guardiola (7/10):
Picked a suitable line-up this time, restoring natural holding midfielders. His team were dominant and he used his substitutions to give De Bruyne the ovation he deserved, give Rodri the comeback reception he deserved and to give Grealish one last smattering of minutes.
