Pep Guardiola said he was relieved Manchester City had ended their recent miserable run with a comfortable 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Kevin De Bruyne, returning to the starting line-up for the first time in more than two months, was the star of the show as the Belgian helped himself to a goal and an assist at the Etihad.
Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Docu were also on the scoresheet on a night when Guardiola’s side, despite displaying some defensive frailty, showed glimpses of their former selves.
Boss 😁 pic.twitter.com/S4jvsT5a7e
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And the City boss was understandably delighted to see his side back to winning ways.
“We won, we won. We definitely needed it,” Guardiola said.
“We won, we put on a performance that was really good.”
The result moves City up one place to fourth in the table, although Guardiola was quick to stress that he is taking it one game at a time.
Asked if this was a sign that the old city was back, Guardiola said: “I don’t know, we have to prove it again.
“It’s only one game, but it’s important to break this streak.”
“I’m happy I was able to do 70 minutes”
Kevin De Bruyne breaks down his goal for his return to the City squad #PLonPrime #MCINFO pic.twitter.com/3gH82rNHXh
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On De Bruyne’s performance, Guardiola added: “He (De Bruyne) was excellent, especially in the first half.
“When he’s fit he’s so important to us. He has an incredible influence on our team.”
Speaking about returning to the starting line-up after such a long time out, De Bruyne said: “I’m trying to manage it a bit. But when I’m on the field, that’s what made us do what I did, but sometimes it’s my downfall.
“In the second half I tried to manage it a bit more and control it a bit. I’m happy I was able to do 70 minutes. That’s a big improvement over what I’ve been doing lately.”
Meanwhile, Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo was dignified in defeat but admitted missing some good chances may have ultimately cost his side.
“Many lessons to learn,” he said.
“We faced a very good team. We should have done better with the chances we had that could have changed the momentum of the game.
“But overall the team fought, the team fought, but City are hard to stop.”
Next up for City is a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Forest return to Manchester with a visit to Old Trafford.
