One To Watch: Bobb has a bright City future after Newcastle heroics

Oscar Bobb was Manchester City's hero on Saturday as he nicked a late winner to secure a vital 3-2 win at Newcastle.

It was the second goal of an impressive campaign for the 20-year-old, who made his first-team debut in September and has featured increasingly often since.

Now that he is a regular contributor, we analyse whether he has a genuine shot at becoming a first-team star at the Etihad.

Academy aces

Signed as a 15-year-old from Valerenga in Norway, Bobb is one of a handful of first-team players proving that City's renowned academy is truly coming into effect.

Phil Foden has been held up as the prominent example for several years but Bobb and Rico Lewis both look comfortable playing for the European champions.

And at a time when complying with Financial Fair Play regulations has never been so crucial, having a functioning academy could prove vital.

It will either produce ready-made first-team players on the cheap or at least churn out talent ready to be sold for pure profit — like the reported £42.5million fee City received from Chelsea for Cole Palmer.

Breaking through

The pre-season of 2023 saw Bobb elevate his status from promising to established.

The forward took advantage of uncertainty surrounding the futures of Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez to feature plenty during City's preparation for the new campaign — and his manager was suitably impressed.

Guardiola said: "I knew from the information last season he was the best player by far in the academy. 

"And we saw in the preseason, 'Oh, this guy is special, this guy is good'."

So good, indeed, that City were prepared to sell Palmer weeks later.

Ready to contribute

Bobb's versatility increases his usefulness for Guardiola, who has fielded the youngster in all three positions across the frontline this season.

And it was the role he is seemingly least familiar with — on the left-hand side of a front three — from which he scored City's winner on Saturday.

Guardiola said: "He can play in five positions — striker, right wing, left wing and in the pockets."

As he adapts to first-team football, that ability to slot into City's side when senior players are absent makes him a good option.

Next steps

Bobb will know the next step is to nail down one or two specialist roles rather than become a jack of all trades if he is to carve out a serious career at the Etihad.

And Guardiola is aware that, like Palmer, Bobb will soon become keen to feature more prominently.

He said: "Oscar has got something that is the most important thing. His team-mates rely on him.

"It's more important than relying on the manager. When the team-mates can say, 'OK, this player can play with us'. That is the best success.

"We have another player for many years if he decides to stay as for now he is happy with his minutes.

"But after two or three years they want more and it's natural, it's completely understandable. Maybe I don't give them the minutes and they decide to go."

City are next in action at Tottenham in the FA Cup on January 26th and their young talent will hope for a chance to impress in football's oldest tournament.