The importance of being Oscar at City

ON a day when he recorded a record-breaking 250th Premier League win, saw Erling Haaland continue his own eye-watering goalscoring form and watched Rodri limp off with a new injury setback, Pep Guardiola probably wasn't expecting a question about Oscar Bobb after watching City beat Brentford.

- By TYRONE MARSHALL

In fact, Guardiola had to ask his inquisitor for confirmation of who he was asking about before going on to give a revealing answer on the young Norwegian's development this season, which hinted at a rapidly changing status in the City squad.

This is arguably the campaign Bobb would have expected to have last year, having starred in preseason only for a leg break on the eve of the Premier League kickoff to wreck his season. Aborted attempts to return last year and a quiet summer left plenty of questions about the 22-year-old heading into this term and he was linked with a move away.