Kevin De Bruyne was in a euphoric mood after inspiring Manchester City to a 3-2 win over Newcastle in his first Premier League game for five months.
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De Bruyne delighted after comeback winBelgian scored equaliser then set up winnerPlaymaker was out injured for five monthsWHAT HAPPENED?
De Bruyne started the match on the bench after making his comeback from hamstring surgery last week against Huddersfield in the FA Cup. The Belgian was called upon in the second half as City were trailing 2-1 and he took almost no time to make an impact, curling in the equaliser a few minutes after replacing Bernardo Silva. He then set up a last-gasp winner for Oscar Bobb to complete a remarkable comeback which took Pep Guardiola's side up to second in the Premier League table.
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"I missed this. The big injury and I needed the time but I enjoyed myself and I worked hard and you know, to come in this stadium, this environment, go behind and then I think it was more willpower than anything else," De Bruyne told "I know I'm not I'm not able to do that for 90 minutes for the moment. But I know I can put in put in a shift for 20-25 minutes at full pace. I feel it in my lungs, with a cold, but it can't be any better than this."
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
De Bruyne tore his hamstring on the opening day of the season at Burnley after also aggravating the muscle in the Champions League final. City coped admirably without him but still fell behind Liverpool in the title race. However, his return comes at the perfect time for Pep Guardiola's side, who usually peak in the second half of the season.
DID YOU KNOW?
De Bruyne has contribtued to 252 goals since he joined City from Wolfsburg in 2016. His strike against Newcastle was his 97th goal for the Blues while his pass for Bobb was his 155th assist for the club.