Pep Guardiola could barely contain his relief as Kevin De Bruyne shone in his first start since mid-September. (Image: GETTY)
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could barely contain his relief as Kevin De Bruyne shone in his first start since mid-September, leading the team to a victorious end to a worrying slump.
With a goal and an assist, De Bruyne was the linchpin of City's triumph, the first victory in eight matches, much to the delight of Guardiola, who also had to deal with further injury problems for defenders Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake.
Debunking theories from pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville about the friction between him and De Bruyne, Guardiola praised his star player: “I'm so happy for him,” he said. “Last season he was injured for several months and this season too I am so happy that he is back. He fought a lot and he got his physique back. The minutes he played at Anfield were really good, then 75 fantastic minutes today.”
Guardiola stressed the importance of the victory for everyone associated with the club, but noted that it was just an obstacle to overcome with the challenges ahead: “We needed it, yes. The club, players, everyone had to win, but it's only one game and in three days we are at Selhurst Park The problems continue with Manu and Nathan, but we have proven what an incredible group of players we have at our side. arrangement.
Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, celebrates after Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City scored his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Nottingham Forest FC at the Etihad Stadium on December 4, 2024 in Manchester, in England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)
On a somber note, he commented on Ake's injury: “Nathan doesn't look good and we'll see tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest's Nuno Espírito Santo remained optimistic despite his side's third defeat in four Premier League matches.
The Forest manager felt the outcome of the match could have been different if Chris Wood had converted a golden opportunity when the score was 1-0. “This minute is very important,” he said.
“When we lose 3-0 and you say it was a good performance, maybe people don’t understand.”
Despite the defeat, the coach found positives in the team's record, saying: “So I won't say it was a bad performance because there were some positives for us in the match. Good Of course, there are bad things and mistakes, but we can be proud of ourselves because we tried in this match and that will allow us to grow.”
De Bruyne played a crucial role in City's opening goal after eight minutes (Image: GETTY)
The match was dominated by De Bruyne, who played a crucial role in City's opening goal after eight minutes. He headed Ilkay Gundogan's pullback towards goal, allowing Bernardo Silva to score from close range.
Although City's attack improved, their defense still looked shaky and Stefan Ortega, who started ahead of Ederson, produced a crucial save from Morgan Gibbs-White after Forest had breached the champions' defence. Wood then missed a clear chance for Forest when De Bruyne's misplaced pass found Ruben Dias, and the Forest striker shot wide one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Between these Forest chances, Josko Gvardiol missed an opportunity when played in by Erling Haaland, while De Bruyne also almost scored. De Bruyne sealed City's victory with his second goal, his first since August 24, in the 31st minute.
Doku beat Ryan Yates on the left and served to De Bruyne, who had plenty of space inside the penalty area and fired home. Doku sealed the victory in the 57th minute, receiving a pass from Haaland and skillfully maneuvering past Nikola Milenkovic to score.
De Bruyne was clearly in his element, with Matz Sels denying him a second goal with a smart save.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1984839/pep-guardiola-reveals-man-city-injury-fears-after-kevin-de-bruyne