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Kevin De Bruyne entered the match against Newcastle, a match that the opposing team was winning and in a title race where Manchester City was at risk of falling behind. Despite not playing in the Premier League for five months, De Bruyne scored his first goal of the season within five minutes and assisted Oscar Bobb in scoring the winning goal in injury time, completing a remarkable comeback and putting City just two points behind Liverpool. It’s no surprise that Pep Guardiola praises De Bruyne’s ability to win games, as this game was being lost without him and won with him. De Bruyne’s presence on the team is a key factor in City’s anticipated improvement in the second half of the season, showcasing his exceptional skills and class that sets him apart from other talented players.
His cameo amounted to a three-point turn on the road, for De Bruyne and City: surely their best away result in the division this season – even while an eighth defeat in 10 games leaves Newcastle in an unflattering 10th position – and a test passed in a classic of visceral excitement.
The game was played at a fast pace and featured impressive goals, with City showcasing moments of brilliance and a quick and powerful comeback from Newcastle. De Bruyne’s final goal sealed the fate of Newcastle’s slim chances of qualifying for the Champions League. Despite putting up a strong fight and looking capable of defeating the Club World Cup champions, Newcastle were hindered by injuries and lacked strong substitutes, unlike City who had the luxury of bringing on De Bruyne. It was ultimately a second substitute, Bobb, who secured the win, but it was the vice captain who ignited the team’s success.
Guardiola’s team showed vulnerability against Newcastle. It wasn’t just the two goals scored by Isak and Gordon that revealed defensive issues. However, the City manager had a secret weapon. He brought in De Bruyne, who immediately took a free kick but it was blocked by the opposing team. Despite this, De Bruyne managed to score soon after.
Oscar Bobb scored a last-gasp winner for Manchester City
The vice captain of the city’s team assisted a goal 17 minutes into his return last week. He scored another goal even faster in his first game since August. He received a pass from Rodri, advanced and kicked the ball into the net from 20 yards away. He then made an impressive pass over the Newcastle defense, which was met by Bobb with a clever move to deceive Kieran Trippier. This time, Trippier was not at fault, as he had been in some previous games. The back-up goalkeeper, Martin Dubravka, made numerous saves, but still ended up conceding a goal, similar to what happened during their game at Anfield 12 days earlier.
Newcastle’s record against City now stands, ridiculously, at just eight points from the last 99 available. And yet there was an evenness to this before the champions eventually pulled away. Newcastle began at speed, City exerted their authority and then United hit them with a swift one-two. City’s pressure told eventually in the second half as Bobb delivered his first Premier League goal.
At the beginning of the game, a strike was not allowed and this had an impact on the match as Ederson got injured while trying to prevent Sean Longstaff from scoring. However, the goal was not counted. Instead, City was the first team to score.
Although he is not known for scoring many goals, Bernardo Silva has the ability to score impressive ones. His first goal in this match was beautifully executed, as he effortlessly met a cross from Kyle Walker with a backheel flick. He nearly scored another spectacular goal with a powerful half-volley from outside the box, but Dubravka made an excellent save to tip it onto the crossbar.
Kevin De Bruyne ignited Manchester City’s performance and helped secure three points.
However, Newcastle retaliated with an intense and uncontrolled fighting style that posed a danger of tearing City apart. Newcastle’s fast-paced offense was able to exploit City’s weak defensive line. Miguel Almiron was a dynamic force on the right, Gordon was a nuisance on the left, and Isak displayed a blend of physicality and skill.
The Swede scored his fifth goal in four games in a stunning manner. Bruno Guimaraes passed the ball over the City defense, Isak made a clever move and placed the ball into the far corner. While Jeremy Doku may have been initially at fault, Fabian Schar showed more willingness to tackle. However, Ruben Dias gave away the ball for the second goal. Dan Burn passed to Gordon who sprinted towards the goal and showed great accuracy in bending the shot past substitute goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Some may argue that Walker did not defend the scorers closely enough.
City displayed determination, resilience, and, ultimately, De Bruyne’s precision. Dubravka made three impressive saves, stopping Alvarez twice and foiling Rodri’s attempt to maneuver through and score. Alvarez and the impressive Phil Foden both missed shots. As a result, Guardiola turned to De Bruyne, who ended up being the game-changer.
Source: independent.co.uk
