Manchester City experienced midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has opened up on the reasons behind the club’s poor performances in the 2024-25 season.
It has been a disappointing season for the club by their usually high standards as they currently sit in sixth on the Premier League table, battling to qualify for the Champions League.
Guardiola’s men have struggled to defend their Premier League title with inconsistent performances, allowing Liverpool to dominate all season.
Man City crashed out of the Champions League in the playoff stage against Real Madrid, and they are currently 21 points behind table toppers Liverpool.
Gundogan has blamed the team’s lack of desire for the reason for their poor showing this season.
He said: “I feel like in a lot of games from our side maybe we sometimes gave a bit too much importance to tactics and didn’t really pay attention much on behaviour; behaviours of ourselves.
“Having that determination, that desire, aggression. Like simple things that are part of the game, but maybe sometimes you just think too much about positioning yourself or whatever. You might forget the other things that are kind of normal or that should be normal at least.”
Man City suffered a terrible dip in form in November, and December, Gundogan is confident that the team is gradually getting back their old form ahead of the business end of the season.
He said: “Honestly in the last few games I see a certain change, especially that uncomfortable, very uncomfortable game against Bournemouth in the FA Cup. The way they play — aggressive, physically strong — and the way we behave there away at their place, especially after also conceding the first one, I think it was just unbelievable.”
“Maybe people don’t give much credit to that because people tend, especially in our society and also in football society right now, they tend to credit more of a beautiful goal, a beautiful assist or beautiful actions by a single player,” he said.
“They don’t credit anymore so much working for the team, having the right mentality and to be there, fighting for each other, staying close to each other and doing everything together.
Gundogan returned to the club in the summer after departing in 2023 to join Barcelona.
He is yet to score in the Premier League since his return, racking up 27 appearances with three assists.
Gundogan enjoyed a successful first spell at the Etihad, where he made over 300 appearances and won five Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups, and the Champions League.
He was appointed as the club captain in 2022, he led the team to a continental treble in the 2022–23 season, before departing the club to join Barcelona.
Manchester City will be hoping to revive their Champions League hopes with a win against Crystal Palace on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium.
