Man City Squad Paint the Town Red in Epic Title Celebrations, Responding to Ilkay Gundogan’s Special Request
City’s title was clinched on Saturday when Arsenal’s end-of-season implosion continued with a loss to Nottingham Forest, but they had to wait another day after the home game against Chelsea.
The Gunners’ setback prompted Pep Guardiola to make adjustments against Chelsea. There were nine overall starts, including first Premier League starts for Kalvin Phillips and Sergio Gomez.
Despite not having to win, Julian Alvarez’s cool finish underneath Kepa Arrizabalaga put the Blues ahead on 12 minutes. The game devolved into a pre-season duel, with neither team looking very eager to add to the score.
Manchester City’made it clear’ to Sky Sports that they were not to ask Ilkay Gundogan about his future during Sunday’s trophy parade, as speculation about his future at the Etihad grows.
Club captain Gundogan led the celebrations as City won their third consecutive Premier League title with a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday. The Blues were crowned champions 24 hours before the game, with Arsenal falling to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, leaving them four points behind with one game remaining.
The German international has led his City team all season, particularly in recent weeks when he scored braces against Leeds United and Everton. However, his continuous influence has only heightened the question of his future after the summer.
And for Gundogan, who has now won five league titles during his City career, Haaland has changed City’s style of play, enabling the Blues to use an extra man in their build-up play, with one extra member of the opposition so often assigned to keeping an eye on the former Dortmund star and doubling up on him.
“Our game with Erling changes,” Gundogan told Sky Sports. “We have someone in there who, most of the time, is able to attract a couple of centre backs, so most of the time that gives us one extra man in our build-up, which is always what we’re looking for and crucial to our type of football.
“When we are brave – and two great examples are our Real Madrid games, one away and one at home – we didn’t play bad in the first leg but we didn’t play great enough.
“We had one more man in the middle, and if you compare it to the second leg those two men did an unbelievable job and made it for us up front so, so easy, after they beat [Luka] Modric, and Erling gives us this quality.
“He is able to attract two defenders and that gives us a lot in our build-up.”
