Pep Guardiola in agreement with Jurgen Klopp on Newcastle ace Allan Saint-Maximin

Pep Guardiola has followed Jurgen Klopp in heaping praise on Allan Saint-Maximin after Manchester City’s Premier League draw at Newcastle.

Ilkay Gundogan gave City a fifth-minute lead but Newcastle quickly regrouped and equalised when Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross was finished by Miguel Almiron.

The former Nice star set up goals for Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson, and was brought down for a free-kick which Kieran Trippier sent into the top corner of City’s net.

Until Sunday Pep Guardiola had won all 10 of his previous Premier League meetings with Eddie Howe but after their 11th encounter resulted in a 3-3 draw of the highest calibre at St James’ Park, the Manchester City manager’s praise for his Newcastle counterpart proved unstinting.

Guardiola’s side escaped with a point, with Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva clawing them level, before a Trippier red card was downgraded to yellow following a VAR check. Saint-Maximin was the star of the show, though, and the comments from the opposition manager reflected as much.

“Saint‑Maximin was so good,” Guardiola told BBC Sport after the match. “He’s a difficult weapon.”

It echoes comments from Klopp back in the 2020-21 season, when the German described the 25-year-old as “a proper footballer”.

Saint-Maximin hasn’t always been a direct goal threat, scoring just 11 times in more than 80 league games. City had no answer for him on Sunday, though, and John Stones went into the book for the foul which set up Trippier’s goal.

The result means City will not end the weekend atop the Premier League table, with Arsenal at the summit after comfortably beating Bournemouth. Newcastle, meanwhile, are in sixth place after a win and two draws from their opening three games.