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Manchester City Must Keep Leroy Sane

By Dan Larsen

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 24: Leroy Sane of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on April 24, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 24: Leroy Sane of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on April 24, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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Despite being on the periphery of the squad by the end of the year, Leroy Sane had another great season for Manchester City in 2018-19.

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Leroy Sane of Manchester City evades Andros Townsend of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Selhurst Park on April 14, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Leroy Sane of Manchester City evades Andros Townsend of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Selhurst Park on April 14, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /

Leroy Sane may not have started as much for Manchester City during the second half of the season as many had hoped for. However, Sane still had an incredible season yet again.

In 47 appearances this season, Sane scored 16 goals and had 18 assists. His 16 goals put him fourth on the team once again, behind only Sergio Aguero (32), Raheem Sterling (25), and Gabriel Jesus (21). With Kevin De Bruyne out of the picture due to injury, however, Sane finished tied for the team lead in assists with Raheem Sterling.

Leroy Sane played a critical role in City’s title defense. In their pivotal home game against Liverpool on January 3rd, Sane scored the go ahead goal that gave Manchester City a 2-1 win and put them back within four points of the league lead at the time.

Sane also scored a crucial goal to put Manchester City 2-0 up in the Manchester Derby in April that killed off the game and put City within three games of the Premier League title.

His most impressive game, however, may have been City’s 3-2 first leg win over his former club Schalke in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.

City’s opened the scoring in the first half off a David Silva tap in. The team then preceded to concede two cheap goals to Schalke just before the half to go down 2-1. Things began to look even bleaker when Nicholas Otamendi picked up a rash second yellow card to get himself sent off early in the second half. City were in need of big moment. Sane stepped up to the plate.

Sane came on as a sub with just minutes remaining and scored one of the best goals of the 2018-19 season on a long-range free-kick to tie the game 2-2. City would get another from Raheem Sterling, just seconds before added time, to win the game 3-2, and put themselves in prime position to advance to the quarterfinals for a second consecutive season.

Sane would follow up the impact he had in the first leg with one goal and three assists in the second as City hammered Schalke in their home leg.

Thus, even though Sane’s season may have ended with him on the edges of the team, he was still a major factor in their treble-winning season, and their taking a quadruple challenge further in a calendar year than any other English side.

Where does this leave us with Sane now?