Kevin De Bruyne was unhappy to be substituted as Liverpool's match against Manchester City reached a decisive moment.
De Bruyne was furious after being replaced by compatriot Jeremy Doku after 69 minutes of Sunday's Premier League match.
He openly questioned the manager's decision as he left the pitch, his displeasure evident for all to see.
De Bruyne (32) suffered a splintered season after straining his hamstring in the Premier League opener against Burnley.
Hamstring issues have plagued the playmaker in recent times, with his 2023 season severely torn during the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
He made a strong comeback against Newcastle in January, scoring a goal and providing an assist, but since then his return has not gone as smoothly as he had hoped.
Rather than returning straight to the squad, De Bruyne has had his playing time reduced as Phil Foden has been starting to take up De Bruyne's usual position.
That's not to say De Bruyne hasn't had his moments – he dished out five assists in a game just a few weeks ago in a cup tie against Luton – and on Sunday he provided a first-half assist for John ·The assist sent by Stones is also when De Bruyne shows his best creativity.
But Guardiola thought it was appropriate to replace him in the final 20 minutes of Sunday's game, but he did not accept it.
Speaking on Sky Sports' coverage of the match, Roy Keane backed the manager's decision to replace the midfielder.
Roy Keane loved Kevin De Bruyne's reaction when he was substituted 😅 pic.twitter.com/ngo5dP81DV
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 10, 2024
“I'm enjoying this,” Keane said.
“I think it was the right decision. He was a little bit off.
“Pep is the manager and he has to look at the big picture.
“We can't praise Kevin De Bruyne highly enough, he's obviously a world-class player.
“He was disappointed. Pep gave him a pep talk in the past. But I liked the way he (Pep) answered afterward. Look, next time he can show me how disappointed he is…”
“Nobody likes to be taken away,” Keane continued. “But Pep's job is to look at the big picture and try to get his team the right result and no doubt they will bounce back from it.”
After the game, Guardiola said he “loved” De Bruyne's reaction and said he would have a chance to “prove” how wrong he was in the next game.
“That's good. The next game he has a chance to prove how wrong I was. It's not a problem. It doesn't matter.”
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