KDB grabbed a goal and an assist in his first match back after his hamstring injury on the first day of the season to send City 2nd.
City were behind 2-1 after Bernardo Silva had got the opener in the 26th minute but two quick goals from Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak in the 35th and 37th minute respectively, meant that Pep Guardiola’s side would go into half-time trailing to the Geordies.
De Bruyne came on in the 69th minute hoping to impact the game, and that he did as just 4 minutes later he got the equaliser with a cool finish past Martin Dubravka.
He didn’t stop there as the evergreen midfielder played a defence splitting pass to set up young Norwegian, Oscar Bobb to score the winner in the 91st minute which silenced St James’ Park.
Pep said after the game: “I’m so grumpy and upset with Kevin because his first touch was a free-kick and he couldn’t score,”
“He’s a special player, a legend. He’s stretching his mind, five months is a long time and hopefully he can help us be there until the end in the second half of the season.”
“It was weird but we took the game in our control, we arrived in small pockets really well. We conceded two goals on the transition, they are similar to Liverpool.“
“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.”
Kevin De Bruyne even said: “I’ve missed this. I had a big injury and I needed the time off but I worked hard.”
“To come here, to this stadium, in this environment – I think it was more willpower than sharpness.”
“I know I’m not able to do that for 90 minutes at the moment but I can put in a shift for 20-25 at full pace. I can feel it in my lungs with the cold, but it can’t be any better than this can it?”
Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe even exclaimed: “You hope Kevin De Bruyne is just rusty and not up to full speed, but then he comes on and… Nope. He crosses the ball so well, for the majority of the time he was on we dealt with those situations well, but for his goal we didn’t defend well enough, and for the assist at the end, that was hugely frustrating with just three minutes to see out, you thought we were almost there.”
Newcastle head to Fulham for the FA Cup fourth round on January 27 then Aston Villa on January 30 in the Premier League.
City also play in the FA Cup against Spurs on January 26 then host Burnley on January 31.
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