Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Ilkay Gundogan as one of the best signings in the club’s history. The German midfielder was singled out for praise by the manager following an impressive performance in Manchester City’s hard-fought 2-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb.
Gundogan was Guardiola’s first signing when he arrived at Manchester City in 2016. However, following an injury-stricken debut season at the Etihad, the 28-year-old has established himself as a consistent performer for the Citizens, despite the fact that he plays second-fiddle to Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva.
“You cannot believe how good he is,” Guardiola said post-match.
“He is an exceptional player. He can play in different positions, with his work ethic. I missed him a lot in our first year here when after a few months an ACL ruled him out for more than six months.”
“He is exceptional. He is one of the best signings in this club’s history.”
Guardiola also reserved praise for the grit their opponents Dinamo Zagreb showed during the game. It took City until the second half to break down their Croatian counterparts, having registered 20 shots with 6 on target at the end of the game.
“We believe when you attack inside and put a ball wide and people arrive for the cross, that’s the best way to score a goal,” Guardiola said.
“It was really nice, but they defended so well. Even for the goal the defender was there. They were so good. I didn’t expect them to play so deep, because they didn’t have a shot on target, apart from one or two set-pieces.”
“But what they did in that part of the pitch was so good. They won duels and anticipated all the time. They deserve a lot of credit. That’s why it was an incredible battle.”
Manchester City will welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers as they gear up for their seventh league game of the season.
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