Pep Guardiola opens up on heated exchange with Kevin De Bruyne during Liverpool draw
Associated PressPep 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 that Arsenal stay top of the Premier League on 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
The City manager 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.
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 told Sky Sports when 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.”
Premier League table after Liverpool vs Man City
| Position | Team | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Arsenal | 28 | 20 | 4 | 4 | +46 | 64 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 28 | 19 | 7 | 2 | +39 | 64 |
| 3 | Man City | 28 | 19 | 6 | 3 | +35 | 63 |
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, while Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield next time out.