Pep Guardiola says he is pleased that Kevin De Bruyne was upset about being substituted in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool.
Liverpool and City shared the points on Sunday – a result that keeps Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
John Stones opened the scoring at Anfield before Alexis Mac Allister equalised from the penalty shot just a few minutes into the second half.
De Bruyne was outstanding in the first half, assisting Stones’ goal, creating chances, and making opportunities for himself easily.
The equalizer shifted the momentum in favor of Liverpool, and with control of the game slipping, Guardiola made the bold decision to substitute the Belgian genius in the 69th minute for Mateo Kovacic.
That decision did not sit well with De Bruyne, who could be seen having a serious conversation with his manager as he left the pitch and sat on the substitutes' bench, with the conversation continuing for several minutes.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola explained that the substitution was tactical and emphasized that he and his player were still on good terms.
Asked about De Bruyne’s frustrations, the City boss told Sky Sports: ‘That’s good. He has a chance next game to prove me wrong!
‘We need a player who keeps the ball. Its not about pressing. Kovacic is really good at that.
‘We were happy with Kevin. It’s not a problem. We’re fine.’
Watching the game for Sky Sports, Manchester United legend Roy Keane agreed with Guardiola’s tactics, saying: ‘I think it was the right decision.
‘Kevin was off it a little bit, but we can’t praise him enough. He’s a world-class player. He was disappointed. Pep gave him a pep talk!
‘No one likes to be taken off, but Pep’s job is to consider the bigger picture of achieving a result for his team. They’ll no doubt recover from it.’
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