Barcelona-bound Ilkay Gundogan's 10 most iconic moments that prove he is a Man City legend

Gundogan was the first signing of Pep Guardiola's tenure, but he missed the start of the 2016-17 season through injury. However, when he finally returned to full fitness, he made an instant impact, winning a penalty in his first appearance, in a 4-0 Champions League rout of Borussia Monchengladbach, before opening his City account on his Premier League debut three days later, against Bournemouth.

Gundogan made a perfectly timed run into the area before coolly slotting home, which would eventually become a very familiar sight at the Etihad...

City had been humiliated by Lionel Messi in their Champions League group-stage meeting with Barcelona in October 2016, with the Argentine scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at Camp Nou.

It initially appeared that the No.10 might run riot again when he opened the scoring in the return clash at the Etihad. However, Gundogan then got to work, turning in a low cross from Raheem Sterling to level the game and then sealing a stunning 3-1 win after pouncing on a loose ball in the area.

Gundogan left the pitch in tears and Guardiola was "so sad" after the German suffered knee ligament damage in a 2-0 win over Watford in December 2016. The manager feared that one of his key men would be out of action for "several months", and so it proved. Gundogan only returned to action in September of the following year, but when he did, as a substitute in a 6-0 demolition of the same side at Vicarage Road, he was given a rapturous reception by the visiting supporters.

"It was very good," Gundogan admitted afterwards, "because it had been a long wait, nine months now. I'm a little proud of myself, because that was not my first long-term injury, so it was a long way that I had to fight back."

It quickly became clear that City were one of the finest exponents of possession football the English game had ever seen, and Gundogan was integral to the way in which they hogged the ball. In a historically-dominant 1-0 win over Chelsea in March 2018, he broke the Premier League's individual records for most attempted passes (174) and most successful passes (167) in a single game. The previous record-holder? Naturally, another City legend - Yaya Toure.

Gundogan is made of stern stuff, as already underlined by the way in which he recovered from his serious knee injury, but he also showed his mental strength after recovering from an atrocious first-half penalty miss at Liverpool in February 2021.

Not only did Gundogan belatedly break the deadlock by following up a Phil Foden shot that Alisson had failed to hold, he also restored City's lead to help secure the club's first win at Anfield since 2003.

The two-goal salvo at Anfield came during a remarkable run of form that played a pivotal role in City running away with the 2020-21 title. After the turn of the year, Gundogan, now being deployed in a more advanced attacking role by Guardiola, scored 10 times in 12 games, which saw him make history by becoming the first-ever City player to win back-to-back Premier League Player of the Month awards.

"I am very proud to win this award again," he said of his twin triumph, "but I am most proud of being part of this amazing team."

City were in very real danger of blowing the Premier League title when Gundogan came off the bench with just 22 minutes remaining in the final-day clash with Aston Villa on May 22, 2022. Guardiola's men were surprisingly 2-0 down and struggling to create any clear-cut openings.

Gundogan's arrival changed everything, almost immediately dragging his side back into the game by turning in a cross from Kevin De Bruyne. Then, after Rodri had levelled, Gundogan produced his 'Agueeerrrroooo' moment, converting yet another brilliant ball from his Belgian team-mate to spark pandemonium at the Eithad and leave Guardiola in tears after City had once again pipped Liverpool to the title by a solitary point.

Gundogan produced one big goal after another as City held off Arsenal's brave title bid to win their third championship in a row. After bagging a brace in the 2-1 win over Leeds, he then made the crucial breakthrough against Everton on the day that effectively ended the Gunners' challenge.

It was a fantastic bit of improvisation too, with Gundogan controlling an awkward cross from Riyad Mahrez on his knee, before ingeniously flicking the ball into the bottom corner with his right foot while facing the wrong way.

Gundogan then teed up Erling Haaland for City's second before ensuring victory with a sublime free-kick, prompting Guardiola to purr, "He shows again and again his quality and his importance. He can do everything."

If ever there was an attacking midfielder to track, in a derby, at Wembley, it was Gundogan, and yet Manchester United made the mistake of leaving him unmarked to open the scoring with a brilliant volley in the 2023 FA Cup final after just 13 seconds of play.

Erik ten Hag's shell-shocked side managed to haul themselves level courtesy of a soft penalty, but Gundogan hadn't gone away, and he won the game for City with another effort from outside the area early in the second half. Guardiola enthused afterwards, "The season he has had is exceptional." No arguments, there.

When Fernandinho left City in the summer of 2022, Gundogan was elected the club's new captain by his fellow players, which told us everything we needed to know about just how highly he was respected by not only his coach - but also his colleagues.

Gundogan responded to that show of his faith by leading the team to a historic treble, which culminated in him becoming the first City player to lift the Champions League trophy. It was a most fitting ending to a truly remarkable spell in Manchester.