Gundogan: Pep’s the real star of City show
BLUES BOSS AS A MASTER TACTICIAN
ILKAY Gundogan insists Pep Guardiola is the real star of City’s outstanding start to the season.
Kevin de Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus have been hailed as City have built up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League and cruised into the knockout stages of the Champions League.
But Gundogan insists that rather than a star-studded squad, it is master tactician Guardiola who deserves credit for creating one of the most feared teams in Europe.
“Maybe Pep has the biggest share of our good run,” said the German international.
“He finds solutions for every opponent and every single situation and cares about every detail.
“This makes everything a lot easier for us.”
City are unbeaten in all competitions this season.
The 3-1 win against Arsenal on Sunday saw them extend their lead over Jose Mourinho’s United to eight points, with the derby still to come next Ilkay Gundogan month. But it is the swashbuckling style of City that has earned most plaudits this season, with Guardiola’s team looking capable of breaking Chelsea’s record of 103 Premier League goals in one season.
With 38 goals in 11 games so far, City are on course to score an incred- ible 131 if they continue at this rate.
Guardiola is adamant they cannot maintain such form for an entire campaign - but Gundogan believes the style for the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has implemented is almost impossible to stop.
“The way we play stands out on its own,” he told SPOX. “Very attractive, very quick, many opportunities, many goals.
“Right now, it’s great fun to watch us play.
“We are way more dangerous in front of the goal now. Our strikers make a goal from almost every opportunity.
“In combination with our good passing game and dominant football, it is easier for us to dominate the opponents.
“At some point in the game, the opponent has to react and then we receive even bigger open spaces, we can use.”
City face Leicester when they return from the last international break of the year, with Guardiola identifying November as a crucial month.
“I am not worried about December,” he said. “Our main problem last season was November.
“We had four games, three at home and were not able to win any.
“We won against Arsenal and hopefully we can keep that level in the next months.”