Pep Guardiola gives Kevin De Bruyne injury update after Man City win over Arsenal

The Manchester City midfielder was taken off in the 81st minute of Manchester City’s victory.
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Pep Guardiola has revealed Kevin De Bruyne was replaced late on against Arsenal with a slight ‘niggle’.

The midfielder was outstanding on Wednesday and played a pivotal role in Manchester City’s 4-1 Premier League victory, one that leaves them in pole position to win the title. De Bruyne linked excellently with Erling Haaland all night and regularly bypassed the Norwegian in the final third.

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De Bruyne scored two goals after breaking beyond the Arsenal backline, while his cross was headed in by John Stones in the latter stages of the first half. Speaking after the game, Guardiola described De Bruyne as ‘unstoppable’ but revealed he asked to come off in the latter stages of the game.

“Kevin told me he had some niggles in his legs and asked for the substitution,” revealed the City boss.

On De Bruyne’s link with Haaland, Guardiola added: “It’s a game where we can be more patient with the ball but when you play there, this game against Arsenal is who wins the second ball. He is a master.

“Winning the balls, they come really well for the second. When you can win it, we make contact with Kevin - the threat of Erling and Kevin is so important. But there was less time to play these type of balls. They went man to man all the time.

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“When we can find Kevin and he can run, because they make high pressing, he’s unstoppable. We know that.

“The game belongs to them. I didn’t teach how they find each other in training. Footballers, more natural things can happen than you expect. All the time when Kevin has the ball, Erling knows he can run and give it. The opposite side as well. It happened many times.

“Kevin is a master of the assist with or without Erling. Erling scores goals all the time with or without Kevin. But being together, when teams press so high and those balls with space behind, they are so dangerous and we use it.”