Playing for Man City makes it difficult to have a bad game - Gundogan

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes the club’s system and coaching under Pep Guardiola makes it “difficult” to have a bad game.

Gundogan’s City career got off to a delayed start despite being Guardiola’s first signing at the club as he was recovering from a knee dislocation when he joined from Borussia Dortmund in June 2016.

He returned to play in 10 Premier League games in 2016-17, before rupturing a ligament in his knee in December and missing the remainder of the campaign.

Gundogan did return last season and played in 30 Premier League games, starting 15, scoring four goals and adding an assist in City’s record-breaking title campaign.

The 27-year-old midfielder is off to a fine start this season with a goal and two assists in six league appearances and credits the setup around him as making it easier to play well than poorly.

"I don't want to sound arrogant or something, I just want to be honest. I think in that team that we are playing right now, it's very difficult to have a bad game, as a player,” Gundogan told ESPNFC.

"We have a system and the team-mates on the pitch are so close to you, you get involved in so much positive and good things.

"It's quite difficult and tough and with Pep pushing you, it's difficult to have a bad game. You can have bad passes or a bad challenges, but to have a bad game a lot has to happen to have these kind of games."

Despite City’s 100-point Premier League campaign, the club met disappointment once more in the Champions League as English rivals Liverpool ousted them at the quarter-final stage.

And while Gundogan did not want to down play the club’s achievement as the first-ever Premier League centurions, he admitted a Champions League crown is needed to be considered truly great.

"The Champions League is, in terms of club football, the most prestigious one,” Gundogan said when asked what City needed to do to be considered great. “And if you don't win it you will never be named one of the greatest teams, no chance.

"So that's what you have to achieve, otherwise you will be centurions in England and I'm sure one day another team will come, I'm not sure how long it will take but some other team will come and also get 100 points in a Premier League season.

"It will not make the last season worse, it will still be special and a lot of positive and nice memories in our minds. But when you ask me how to be remembered as one of the greatest teams I think it's a fact to win the Champions League."