Pep Guardiola has insisted that there is no issue between himself and Kevin De Bruyne after the Man City star reacted angrily to being substituted off during the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
John Stones’ first-half strike was cancelled out by an Alexis Mac Allister penalty after the break as both teams shared the points.
It means thatArsenalstay top of thePremier Leagueon goal difference following their 2-1 win over Brentford.
Neither side could find a way to claim victory in a breathless end to the game, yet a flash point away from the action arose when De Bruyne was visibly frustrated with being taken off the pitch.
Pep Guardiola: Man City ‘happy’ with Kevin De Bruyne
TheCitymanager brought on Mateo Kovacic for De Bruyne in the 69th minute with the score level at 1-1.
De Bruyne made no effort to hide his frustration as he angrily gesticulated towards the bench, with words exchanged on the touchline during a heated conversation.
Roy Keane enjoyed Kevin De Bruyne’s reaction to being taken off 😅pic.twitter.com/ngo5dP81DV
Yet speaking after the game, Guardiola was quick to smooth things over as he insisted that there were no issues between himself and De Bruyne.
“That’s good,” the City boss toldSky Sportswhen asked about De Bruyne’s frustration. “He has a chance next game to prove me wrong!
“We need a player who keeps the ball. It’s not about pressing. Kovacic is really good at that.”
“We were happy with Kevin. It’s not a problem. We’re fine.”
Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the league on goal difference alone with just 10 games left to play this season.
Man City welcome Arsenal to the Etihad after the international break on March 31, whileLiverpoolhost Brighton at Anfield next time out.
Matt Hobkinson was a Senior Sports Writer at Dexerto. Matt is a dedicated football and Formula 1 fan and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the sports. He has previously worked at PA Media, Manchester Evening News, Chronicle Live, Leeds Live and others covering the region’s football clubs and sports stars.
