I witnessed Pep Guardiola’s brilliant response when Newcastle’s unsung hero proved him incorrect during Man City’s match against Newcastle.

I witnessed Pep Guardiola’s brilliant response when Newcastle’s unsung hero proved him incorrect during Man City’s match against Newcastle.

What a difference it makes to have a defensive midfielder who appears to be a natural fit in that position. In September, Manchester City’s Premier League match against Newcastle at St James’ Park was the first encounter without Rodri since his season-ending injury.

The home encounter on Saturday may mark the first occasion in which they have secured an appropriate replacement.Pep Guardiola supported Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis in their midfield duo at St James’. Neither has established a consistent position as a Rodri replacement, which prompted City to invest £50 million in Nico Gonzalez in January.

This was the first opportunity for City to observe Gonzalez as a number six, following an injury against Leyton Orient and a fleeting appearance against Real Madrid. It was reassuring to have a player who was aware of the responsibilities of the position.

publicly questioned whether City could physically contend with Newcastle’s midfield prior to this match. On the eve of this game, Guardiola conducted a comprehensive analysis of his own team’s deficiencies, claiming that they are too slow, too feeble, and suffer from ball control issues.

He essentially stated that City must persevere until the summer, when they will be able to “make some decisions” and begin anew. He was not dismissing this season, but he was not overly optimistic that things would improve. It is not necessarily a vote of confidence in the new signings.

However, it is possible that Gonzalez could alleviate the severity of the situation. His presence at least restored some physicality to the midfield against Newcastle, and he maintained the ball’s movement in the manner that Guardiola claimed City had ceased to do.

Gonzalez played as if he had been at the Etihad for years, rather than just days, whether it was the simplicity of passing to a Blue shirt, returning to Ederson if necessary, or the composure to play out of confined areas.

He completed more passes than any other player, with a completion rate of 97%, and he had the most contacts on the field. When he eliminated three Newcastle players from the game with a specific control and pirouette, the Etihad crowd applauded. Guardiola joined them.

And when Gonzalez threw his body in front of Tino Livramento with ten minutes remaining to halt a counter, maintaining his balance and winning the ball back, Guardiola applauded enthusiastically above his head and turned to the audience to encourage them to do the same.