Guardiola praises returning De Bruyne and special Bobb.
Pep Guardiola is familiar with Kevin de Bruyne's magic, so he was not surprised to see the Belgian inspire Manchester City to a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday, moving his team two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The Spaniard, however, was not only waxing lyrical about the returning Belgian after a thrilling victory; he also had kind words for Norwegian youngster Oscar Bobb, whose goal from De Bruyne's assist secured the points in stoppage time.
Bobb's first Premier League goal capped a thrilling comeback for City, which had taken the lead through Bernardo Silva but then conceded two goals to a resurgent Newcastle side.
De Bruyne came off the bench in the 69th minute for his first league appearance since being injured on the first day of the season, and he equalized five minutes later.
Bobb, who came on in the 82nd minute, demonstrated incredible footwork to capitalize on De Bruyne's pass.
When asked to summarize de Bruyne's impact, Guardiola joked, "I'm a little upset and grumpy with him because he didn't score from the free kick!"
"When opponents are more tired, Kevin and Oscar provide another pace at the end."
"Oscar's was a fantastic goal for the control. We were really impressed in pre-season, I knew from information for the second team he was special."
"When Kevin has the ball and we have runners, Kevin is unique in the world but the finish by Oscar, I am so, so happy for him."
Bobb joined City's youth ranks from Valerenga in 2019 and has been given an opportunity this season.
"Amazing feeling. Just watching from the bench, it was a high tempo match. The manager told me to come on and score so thankfully I could," Bobb said.
"It's a lifelong dream and to do it with the best team in the world, I can't describe it. This win is for the fans."
Bobb will undoubtedly play a role in City's pursuit of a fourth consecutive league title, but the 32-year-old De Bruyne's return from a hamstring injury could prove pivotal.
The five-time Premier League winner said he used the time away to improve his game.
"I don't know what to expect, I've never experienced this. I worked really hard and had to change a couple of things," he said.
"When you play all of the time, it's very hard to change things. I'm not someone who stands still. I enjoyed myself being able to do things I could never do. I worked hard to come back."
SportsLigue