Bobb completes classic comeback as Manchester City deny Newcastle
There is often a danger of long heralded comebacks turning into anticlimaxes but Kevin De Bruyne is simply not the sort of footballer to fall into that particular trap.
Not content with scoring a sublime equaliser five minutes after stepping off the bench in the second half, Manchester City’s Belgian playmaker then re-ignited Pep Guardiola’s title hopes by creating the stoppage time winner for Oscar Bobb.
It was De Bruyne’s first Premier League appearance since the season’s opening day. Since then there has been a hamstring to repair but, on this evidence, the Belgian is fully restored to former glories.
If only Eddie Howe had possessed a similar calibre of substitute at the end of an afternoon when Newcastle revived much of their old verve but still ended up suffering a sixth defeat in seven League games.
City arrived with their bags already packed for an impending warm weather training break in Abu Dhabi featuring plenty of downtime by the Arabian Sea. Perhaps Pep Guardiola’s players were, mentally at least, on the beach already as they began in distinctly kamikaze fashion.
The game had barely kicked off before Newcastle’s on-rushing Sean Longstaff directed a shot into the back of Ederson’s net after meeting Alexander Isak’s cross and although Chris Kavanagh disallowed it for offside that decision was subjected to a VAR check. On this occasion the technology agreed with the referee but it was both a tight decision and a prime example of City’s high defensive line proving unnecessarily high risk.
In the fall out, Ederson was caught accidentally on a knee as he collided with both Longstaff and Kyle Walker, the latter having slid in as he forlornly attempted to deny the midfielder. After several minutes of treatment, City’s goalkeeper, rose, rather unsteadily, to his feet. By now Guardiola must have been regretting the assistant’s initial failure to flag for offside, dictating that Longstaff was committed to pursuing that chance, but worse was to follow.
Almost immediately a less than mobile Ederson directed a clearance straight at the diligently pressing Miguel Almirón and only the combined failure of Almirón, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon to capitalise on the stranded goalkeeper’s plight subsequently spared City the concession of a goal.
After Ederson subsequently sunk to the turf he was swiftly replaced by Stefan Ortega and, almost imperceptibly, City settled into imperious passing mode for a while. At this stage Phil Foden was starting to pose Howe’s players questions they could not always answer, softening them up to the point that Jeremy Doku resembled a jet cutting through cloud as he held off all midfield resistance to pick Walker out on the right.
All that remained was for the England full-back to cross to Bernardo Silva to elude Martin Dubravka courtesy of a highly audacious heel flick.
Yet despite plenty of compellingly sustained passing cameos, City were never quite in control with that ultra high defensive line leaving plenty of space for Howe’s forwards to run into it as the game retained an edgy end to end excitement.
Sure enough, seconds after Dubravka had done very well to touch Silva’s half volley onto the bar, Fabian Schär won a tremendous challenge before playing Guimarães in. The Brazilian’s ensuing, gloriously defence bisecting, pass left Isak onside.
The Sweden striker still had an awful lot to do but Isak retained admirable composure to turn a thoroughly wrong footed Walker before sending a shot curving well beyond Ortega’s grasp. Quite rightly, Schär also received his fair share of the congratulations, before kick-off the Switzerland centre-half was serenaded by the giant “Everyone needs a Fabian Schär” banner that assumed pride of place in the Gallowgate End.
In a different context, a Gordon is similarly useful – and particularly against a defensive line as high as City’s. Indeed the applause for Isak’s equaliser had barely subsided before yet more inviting space opened up behind Walker. This time Gordon was the player onside and, having cut inside after haring down the left, took heed of the instructions from all four stands urging him to “shoot” by curling the ball past a once again unprotected visiting keeper.
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If Foden’s capacity for causing Dan Burn considerable bother meant Howe could not relax, Guardiola must have half wondered if the newly fit, freshly ‘glowed up’ and bouffant playmaker De Bruyne should be instructed to step off the bench and have a go at playing centre-half. The Belgian could hardly have been less assured than Rúben Dias and Nathan Aké has seemed at times.
Although City’s – and Walker’s – second-half concentration levels increased appreciably,in the 69th minute De Bruyne made his long awaited entrance, replacing Silva.
His first act was to take a free-kick. It was blocked but, suddenly, Newcastle looked a little nervous.
And with very good reason. A little earlier Julián Álvarez had missed a sitter but five minutes after stepping onto the stage De Bruyne showed him how to finish by collecting Rodri’s pass and almost nonchalantly passing a beautifully weighted shot through Schar’s legs and into the bottom corner from just outside the 18 yard area.
As the Belgian had waited to come on Guardiola had spent several minutes whispering apparently detailed tactical instruction in his ear and now Manchester City’s manager was leaping around his technical area and punching thin air with untrammelled abandon.
Newcastle were tiring and, in stoppage time, De Bruyne’s exquisite pass prefaced his fellow substitute Bobb scoring the winner.
Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal and the rest can only fear what might happen when City’s Erling Haaland returns from his foot injury next week.
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