City’s agony as Gundogan faces lay-off
RELIEF for Pep Guardiola but agony for Ilkay Gundogan, who could miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury in Manchester City’s win at the Etihad last night.
The £20million signing was hurt when he launched into an awkward challenge on Watford’s Nordin Amrabat. Gundogan, who had surgery on a dislocated right kneecap in May and did not make his City debut until September, went down holding the same leg.
He tried to play on after lengthy treatment but limped off before the interval and there are fears he could miss the rest of the season with ligament damage. ‘It’s so, so sad for Ilkay Gundogan,’ said Guardiola of a player who missed the entire 2013-14 campaign with Dortmund after back surgery.
‘We’re going to miss him for a long time — many months. The doctor supposes he has (ligament damage). It doesn’t look good. He fears the worst news. He’s so sad. He wanted to try (to play on) but he put his hand up and said it wasn’t good.’
The injury overshadowed City’s first home win in the Premier League for 88 days on a nervy night at the Etihad.
Guardiola had taken the blame for his team’s troubles and insisted he was not immune to the sack, but Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva scored to end a mini-crisis at the Etihad.
Zabaleta’s goal in the 33rd minute was his first in the Premier League in more than two years. Nolito started the move, sliding the ball out to Kevin De Bruyne on the left.
The Belgian’s burst of pace gave him the space he needed to clip over a cross that avoided everyone and landed perfectly for Zabaleta at the far post. The Argentine side-footed the ball into the ground and beyond Heurelho Gomes.
‘As a full-back you go into a game thinking you have to defend, but when you have the chance to go forward and attack the space, it is good,’ said Zabaleta. ‘It was a great cross from Kevin De Bruyne and a good finish for a full-back!
‘It was not the prettiest game but we had determination to win the game. We had the clean sheet we’ve been talking about and were solid defensively.
‘We were really good at the back and we took our chances. We deserved to win.’
There is no doubt City were helped by facing a tame Watford side who were happy to defend deep for long periods and did not trouble Claudio Bravo until late in the game.
Etienne Capoue brought a rare save from the City goalkeeper after Miguel Britos had got his head to a free- kick midway through the second half, but their best chance arrived in the 83rd minute when Amrabat got down the right and put in a great cross for Odion Ighalo, who guided his first-time effort inches over from eight yards out.
Silva made sure of City’s victory two minutes later to calm an increasingly restless Etihad crowd, who had earlier seen Raheem Sterling clip the bar with a rising shot after a surging run to the edge of the penalty box.
Sebastian Prodl was caught in possession on the halfway line and City broke forward quickly. Silva exchanged passes with Sterling before taking aim and burying his shot past Gomes.
So three points for Guardiola and only a third clean sheet in the League this season. What a pity it came at such a price.