Pep Guardiola mentioned that Kevin De Bruyne was pleased following the game, as he discussed the strategy behind the substitutions that he felt were crucial in helping Manchester City secure a draw against Liverpool. City initially had the lead at Anfield but conceded a penalty in the second half, putting them under immense pressure. Guardiola made a smart decision by making a double substitution, swapping out Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez for Jeremy Doku and Mateo Kovacic. De Bruyne expressed anger at being substituted and had a heated conversation with Guardiola and his coaching staff on the sidelines. Despite this, City’s performance improved after the changes, with Kovacic providing better control in midfield and Doku creating more opportunities on the left. Guardiola values De Bruyne’s mentality greatly, but he is willing to substitute him if he believes it is in the team’s best interest. Additionally, check out the player ratings for Man City, with Akanji receiving praise while Alvarez struggles. De Bruyne’s frustration overshadows the truth of Manchester City’s performance in the draw against Liverpool FC. “He is now feeling content and satisfied.” No problem,” said Guardiola. “I like it. If he is unhappy, it is beneficial. The decision was made because I was aware of what we were lacking, which was ball possession. We were not able to maintain possession with him, Bernardo Silva, and John Stones, but after making the change, we performed better.
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