Manchester City ace Kevin De Bruyne has admitted that this season has been tough on his side.

The Belgian has often found himself rested by manager Pep Guardiola in recent weeks.

De Bruyne, who also went to the World Cup with his country in the winter, admits City are finding it tough to deal with the threat of Arsenal in the league.

He stated after their 3-1 win over the Gunners on Wednesday, “I think every year gets tougher because of the quality of the teams. Everyone does such good business and gets so much quality in it. It's hard to play against every team.

“Doing what we did in the last years, when we come up against every team they want to beat us. We know that, so to keep doing what we do is great but we need to keep going.

“Arsenal are exceptional. They play such good football and it is hard to play against them. They have such energy, young guys, they do what they need to do. For me, the first half they were better and the second half we were better. In the right moment we had that quality where it matters."