TITLE GOES ILKAY WAY
Gundogan puts one hand on trophy
ERLING HAALAND edged another goal closer to Dixie Dean’s scoring record at the ground where a statue of the Everton legend stands outside.
But this was a victory inspired by the brilliance of Ilkay Gundogan rather than the Nordic goal machine.
Gundogan provided two goals and an assist to ensure Manchester City moved closer to a fifth Premier League title in six years.
The phrase that has popped up recently for a player like him and a display like this is ‘clutch.’ It means delivering when the pressure is on and it really matters.
It was the final day of last season when Gundogan broke hearts of the red half of Merseyside with a brace in a comeback win against Aston Villa after Liverpool had started to believe they could pinch the title.
Now here he was at Goodison Park coming up with the big goals to dent Everton’s survival hopes and put City closer to another title.
The Toffees won’t have earmarked this as a game which could have got them closer to safety but after a spirited start and on the back of a thrashing of Brighton, there was a sliver of belief they could cause an upset. City have also got the small matter of a Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid to contend with on Wednesday. Yet it wasn’t long until the City fans were singing about Gundogan’s heroics.
It was a tight start with Haaland marshalled well by Yerry Mina in early moments. Although City boss Pep Guardiola wasn’t happy with Mina’s tactics in doing so.
If Mason Holgate had turned home after James Tarkowski headed a Dwight McNeil corner then it may have been a different afternoon. But Gundogan broke the deadlock on his 300th appearance for City. It
was a cross from Riyad Mahrez which the German superbly controlled on his thigh before an instinctive flicked finish with his back almost to goal in the 37th minute.
Then Gundogan was the provider two minutes later as he crossed for Haaland to head home. It was the City ace’s third touch of the game and it took his goal tally to 52 for the season – 11 off Dean’s record.
With, at most, six games to go for Haaland the 63 mark set by the Everton icon may even be beyond his talent. But he will run it close. Everton went into the break shaken. In a flash they’d gone from being in the fight for a point to being beaten quite handily.
They remain outside the bottom three by a point but Wolves next week and Bournemouth on the final day are more realistic opportunities to find safety. City ensured the three points that took them closer to the title just six minutes after the restart.
Gundogan stepped up to curl home a free-kick, although Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford may have done better given it wasn’t in the corner.
There is a belief that the German midfield master fancies a move to Barcelona this summer.
He’s out of contract and City are struggling to convince him to stay.
If Guardiola’s side win the Treble this season then it probably would be a glorious way to bow out in England.
That’s four goals in his last two league games after a brace last week against Leeds from Gundogan.
He’s providing the perfect parting gifts if he does head for Spain in June.