While the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne have been grabbing the headlines with their fantastic performances for Manchester City, Ilkay Gundogan has quietly gone about establishing himself as one of Pep Guardiola's go-to players in the early stages of the new season.
When Gundogan came off the bench to score two goals in a title-clinching comeback win on the final day of last season, it looked as though the German midfielder had signed off on his City career in fairytale fashion. Many speculated that he was on his way out, confusing a trip to Italy to get married with a business trip to conduct negotiations with suitors.
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Gundogan stayed though, the 31-year-old happy to enter the final year of his contract and focus on matters on the pitch. "We will see. Right now it's really just about focusing on the new season..." Gundogan replied in a Twitter Q&A when asked if he might extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium.
His pre-season preparations weren't ideal; like Phil Foden and John Stones, Gundogan was unable to travel on the pre-season tour of the US as he failed to meet entry requirements. Instead, he joined up with the U23s camp in Croatia, impressing coach Brian Barry-Murphy with his sharpness and professionalism.
Gundogan started the season opener at West Ham in place of Bernardo Silva – a tactical decision Guardiola explained – and kept his place for the 4-0 win against Bournemouth and the 3-3 draw at Newcastle. He scored in both of those matches, ghosting into the box in typical fashion and finishing from close range.
His ability to make runs into the penalty area at just the right moment was a key factor in why he was able to score 13 league goals in 2020/21 – City's top scorer that year – and is why Guardiola often turns to him when coming up against teams who are likely to defend compact and deep.
Even when not on the scoresheet he can prove the difference – his introduction from the bench against Crystal Palace on Saturday helped enable City to overwhelm their opponents, the German linking up superbly on the left side of the pitch with Foden and Julian Alvarez. It was Gundogan's superb vision and passing range that enabled him to set-up Erling Haaland's third goal.
Away from the pitch, the new club captain plays an important role too. Last season Gundogan took training sessions with the under-16s as part of his UEFA B License course, the youngsters benefitting hugely from his wealth of experience.
"He has been so important so far not just in terms of goals and assists but many, many things," Guardiola said on Tuesday. "Gundo has been so important, like Kevin and Bernardo and many other players."
On the pitch and off it, Gundogan is clearly someone who makes City tick. Having showed he is clearly still up to the task of playing elite-level football, City would be mad not to try the utmost to get him to extend his stay.
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