February was dominated by one team, Manchester City, and one player: Ilkay Gundogan. So it was no surprise to see him win the player of the month award his fantastic streak richly deserves.
Gündogan has been on the rise for months now, and February was simply the peak of what is frankly the form of his life. After a scintillating January, a month in which he scored five goals in six games, Gündogan only progressed on his form by taking part in six goals (four scored and two assisted) in just three games. This included two league-winning performances against Liverpool and Spurs, one straight after the other, scoring two in both games to push City far and away from any competition at the top of the league.
After suffering from coronavirus at the start of the season, Gündogan has seen a majestic resurgence in form and statistics. He has placed himself at the top of Guardiola’s team-sheet, scored twice as many goals as ever has in one Premier League season, and staked his claim as one of the world’s best midfielders. But what has prompted this transformation into the unstoppable Gündogan we see today?
Ilkay Gündogan’s rise can partly be attributed to a change in system on Guardiola’s behalf. Without Aguero for most of the season, Pep has had to rely on Gabriel Jesus to lead the Manchester City line. Although he is a good player, he does not fit the same archetype as Aguero: his attributes lie in linking play around the box rather than being a complete ‘9’ who only looks to score goals.
This left a gap in the Guardiola system. He needed another player to push up the pitch, to be in and around the box, able to latch on to the build-up play and poke the ball home. That was where Gündogan came in.
Although he was positionally in centre-midfield, Gündogan’s new birth saw him pushing much higher up the pitch when City were in their attacking phase. The vast majority of Gündogan’s goals see him playing as almost a ‘9’ in itself, pressing forward with the ball for a direct shot or latching on to crosses into the box. In fact, the way he is playing in the situations is reminiscent of Aguero himself. What makes it all the more impressive is that, as well as pushing forward and playing as a de-facto striker, Gündogan is fulfilling his role as a box-to-box midfielder at the same time.
It takes a unique type of player to be able to play two positions at once – the kind of player well worthy of winning player of the month and one who is guiding his side to another Premier League title: Ilkay Gündogan.
