Kevin De Bruyne Talks POTY, Mohamed Salah Comparisons Before Liverpool vs. City

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has made his case to be crowned Player of the Year despite the remarkable campaign being enjoyed by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. 

Speaking ahead of the meeting between the two teams in the UEFA Champions League at Anfield on Wednesday, De Bruyne was quizzed on whether he would be named the Premier League's best player after his dominant term at the heart of Pep Guardiola's sky-blue juggernaut, per Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail.

"In one way I believe I deserve it, because I have been very consistent in my form," he said. "I am very happy with myself, I am very pleased with how I have played and I didn't expect to be this good this season to be honest. There is almost no game where my standard has dropped, so I have been very constant."

De Bruyne's main challenger for the gong is almost certain to come in the form of Salah, who is the division's top goalscorer with 29 goals from 31 appearances.

The City man was full of praise for the Reds star, who joined the Merseyside club from Roma in the summer, although he wouldn't be drawn on comparisons between the two.

"I played at the weekend like a defensive midfielder, so how you can compare me to an inside forward? I have no idea," said the Belgian. "But Salah has been outstanding, his record speaks for itself. It's just the way it goes. Luckily I don't have to make the decision."

Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

De Bruyne was applauded off the pitch on Saturday against Everton at Goodison Park by the home supporters as he helped mastermind another routine City win. As we can see courtesy of Squawka Football, the midfielder has been the creative force behind this City team:

The statistics De Bruyne boasts in terms of goals don't measure up to Salah's, but he's arguably been the most important player in one of the most impressive teams English football has ever seen.

Entrusted with playing in a deeper position by his manager, De Bruyne is much more involved in the buildup than he has been previously in his career. The Belgian utilises his passing range, intelligence and ability to dribble forward with the ball to set the tone for City.

Nevertheless, former Norway international Jan Aage Fjortoft believes the prolific form of Salah should give him the edge:

The fact that De Bruyne has serious competition for this prize outside of his team-mates is testament to the Egyptian's form since returning to the Premier League. Although as the City man noted, he's been remarkable from Week 1 of the season and helped his side race away at the top of the pile.

De Bruyne has already won the League Cup this term and is on the cusp of winning the Premier League title. You sense both men will be much more focused on the Champions League than individual accolades for now, as the winner of the quarter-final tie will fancy their chances of going all the way in the competition.