Manchester City owed their 3-2 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday to the immediate impact of Kevin De Bruyne, who came off the bench. The match started with City losing goalkeeper Ederson to injury within the opening minutes, but they rebounded, taking the lead with a goal from Bernardo Silva. However, Newcastle quickly surged ahead with two goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon towards the end of the first half.
Facing difficulties in their pursuit of an equalizer, Pep Guardiola turned to De Bruyne. The Belgian needed just five touches to score, and in the dying moments of the game, his remarkable pass set up Oscar Bobb to tap in the late winner.
The early minutes saw Newcastle celebrating a goal by Sean Longstaff, but the offside flag and a subsequent VAR check nullified the goal due to Isak’s premature run. Ederson’s injury, incurred during Kyle Walker’s attempt to block the shot, led to Rodri and Phil Foden urging Guardiola to substitute the goalkeeper.
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After the adjustments, both teams had their share of possession and attacked at every opportunity. City patiently worked for their opening goal, with Walker delivering a cross to Silva, who flicked it into the bottom corner.
Despite City’s control, Isak equalized with a well-timed run and a brilliant finish. Shortly after, Gordon tormented Walker to put Newcastle ahead at halftime.
The pace slowed in the second half, with Newcastle focusing on containing City. De Bruyne, brought in as a substitute, made a significant impact. His precise strike from the edge of the box found the bottom corner with 16 minutes left. In the 91st minute, De Bruyne’s exquisite pass set up Bobb, who rounded the goalkeeper to seal the dramatic victory just when a draw seemed likely.