And this season, he has taken the armband and a more senior role in the squad, especially with Fernandinho no longer around.
Last season, he memorably scored the two late goals against Aston Villa on the final day to ensure City again edged Liverpool for the title. He then nonchalantly curled in a free kick to make it 3-0.Īlternatively, in the 2020-21 season when City played largely without a striker, Gundogan was often deployed as the false nine and went through a hot streak from December to February - when he scored 11 goals in 12 games - to set the team on course for a third Premier League title.
“He can do everything,” Guardiola said of Gundogan after his two goals in the 3-0 win at Everton on Sunday that has left City on the brink of the title.Īgainst Everton, Gundogan played as an attacking midfielder just off Erling Haaland and showed his eye for goal by flicking the ball up to himself in the middle of a crowded area and deftly poking home a finish to put City ahead. In the past week, Gundogan has played three pressure-filled games in three different positions and scored four goals. Reliable, versatile and delivering when it really matters, Ilkay Gundogan is perhaps the player who best epitomizes Guardiola’s trophy-laden era at City since they arrived at the club within weeks of each other in 2016.Īnd this season, the Germany midfielder’s importance to City has magnified as the team powers toward another Premier League title and, just maybe, a trio of major trophies. Pep Guardiola’s first signing as Manchester City manager will go down as one of his best.
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