Pep Guardiola expressed relief as Manchester City ended their winless streak with a commanding 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
The reigning champions had spiraled into turmoil during a seven-game drought – six losses and a stunning 3-3 draw in which they squandered a 3-0 lead.
With four of those defeats coming in the Premier League, City’s hopes for a fifth consecutive title took a significant hit. However, they appeared rejuvenated, decisively brushing aside Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
“We needed it,” City manager Guardiola said. “The club, the players, everyone needed to win.
“But it is just one game, and in three days we are at Selhurst Park, where it has always been difficult.
“We played well. We still conceded some transitions and missed some easy things, losing passes that you have to avoid, but in general, the most important thing was to break this routine of not winning games – and we won.”
Kevin De Bruyne, making his first start since September after recovering from a pelvic injury, made a significant impact on a side that appeared revitalized.
His powerful header was turned in by Bernardo Silva for the opening goal, and the Belgian followed up with a thunderous strike to make it 2-0.
The 33-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, delivered a strong response to recent speculation about a rift with Guardiola.
“I’m so happy for him,” Guardiola said of De Bruyne’s performance. “Last season he was injured for many months, and this season as well.
“I’m so happy he’s back. He fought a lot, he worked, and now he’s back with his physicality. The minutes he played at Anfield were really good, and today he played 75 fantastic minutes.”
Jeremy Doku sealed the victory by finishing a rapid counterattack just before the hour mark, but City’s win was tempered by injuries to defenders Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji.
“For Nathan, it doesn’t look good, and Manu has struggled a lot over the last two months. We will see,” Guardiola said.
“Phil (Foden) has bronchitis, but when he doesn’t have a fever, he will be ready.”
Despite City’s dominance, Forest had their moments, and manager Nuno Espirito Santo found reasons for optimism.
“When you lose 3-0 and say it was a good performance, maybe people don’t understand, but I will not say it was a bad performance,” Espirito Santo said.
“There are positive things for us in the game. Of course, there are a lot of bad things and mistakes, but we had chances.
“We didn’t achieve, but I think we come out proud of ourselves because we tried. For sure, this game will allow us to grow.”