Ilkay Gundogan returned to Manchester City to see a ruthless performance led by Erling Haaland against newly-promoted Ipswich. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Ruben Dias of Manchester City and Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrate after 2nd goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Ipswich Town FC at Etihad Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Manchester, England.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Plenty has changed at Manchester City in the last 14 months, yet the sight of Ilkay Gundogan jogging onto the Etihad pitch felt like nothing had changed at all. Erling Haaland was crashing in penalties and rounding goalkeepers, Kevin De Bruyne is still running the show, and the Blues defence are still susceptible to conceding direct goals.
John Stones was even back in midfield. It felt just like the 2023 run-in with most of City’s main protagonists in their familiar roles.
City beat Ipswich in four first half minutes, a ruthless welcome to the Premier League despite falling behind. Even with that early shock, they were never in danger of losing this game. The story was all about Gundogan on Saturday, and that story all started with a call.
Pep Guardiola had cornered Gundogan in the tunnel of the Camping World Stadium in Orlando during a storm delay last month and quizzed him on a lack of contact over the previous year. “You didn’t text. You were my neighbour and you didn’t text once,” the manager joked.
Gundogan looked a little sheepish, but for Guardiola when the message finally came it was well worth the wait. Gundogan is back at the Etihad after a whirlwind week that saw him quickly jettisoned at Barcelona and he knew exactly who to call when thinking of his next move.
The last time Gundogan wore the sky blue of City, he was hoisting the Champions League trophy high into the Istanbul sky. City’s botched contract negotiations saw the German leave without a proper goodbye – on Saturday he got a hero’s welcome back.
It was a low-key welcome at first with the stands filling up. Jack Grealish joined in the applause and quickly joined in dishing out the punishment as Gundogan messed up his first touch back on the Etihad pitch during a rondo. When he emerged to warm up in the second half he got an ovation, and the whole stadium was singing his name when he made his second debut in the second half. ‘Gundo’s coming home’, the new chant.
If Gundogan was the pre-match excitement, however, the scale of his challenge to get back in the City squad was made apparent within 15 mad minutes at the Etihad.
Sammie Szmodics’ run into the box wasn’t spotted and he stunned the Etihad in the opening seven minutes, squeezing a shot under Ederson, yet within four minutes the Blues were level as Haaland dispatched a penalty won by Savinho.
Ruben Dias had wrestled the ball from former City goalkeeper Aro Muric when the penalty was given, before shoving the Kosovan away from the spot and taking the heat from Haaland. Goal dispatched, City raced back to get the game restarted and were quickly ahead when Savinho dispossessed Muric and Kevin De Bruyne slotted into an empty net from distance.
Another quick celebration and another goal followed a minute later. De Bruyne’s ball over the top was headed round Muric by Haaland and half-volleyed into an empty goal from a tight angle. Muric was rocked and the Etihad was rocking.
Gundogan left City as captain – yet Dias and De Bruyne have stepped up in his absence and were leading by example against Ipswich as the German watched on. Dias was relishing his battle with another old teammate in the energetic Liam Delap.
Even at 3-1, Guardiola wasn’t happy. A speculative ball forward to Doku and clumsy first touch elicited a frustrated reaction from the boss who wanted an easier, more composed attack. He’s never happy but he never has been – he used his programme notes to remind fans City are starting from zero again this season, albeit with a potential dig at their critics that ‘nobody is taking our achievements away from us’. City paraded their fourth title in a row along with the Club World Cup in a pre-match show of strength.
Gundogan can claim a key role in those trophies but he wasn’t at City when they were won. He may have looked on and wonder where he fits in – this City side have changed since he’s been away.
John Stones played the second half as a holding midfielder when Kovacic went off with a knock, and Bernardo was brilliant again in a deeper role. He is at his best in the middle, even if he doesn’t make the headline contributions. And City are always better for him being in the thick of things.
Kovacic played well once again, while Lewis continued his good summer drifting inside. De Bruyne’s goal and assist make him undroppable while this was a squad that didn’t contain PFA Player of the Year Phil Foden, missing with injury.
Gundogan’s leadership has also been replaced. Dias’ penalty antics and the quick celebrations led by De Bruyne and Haaland show a ruthless streak at City which has only grown in the last year. Haaland’s rare goal from outside the box to complete a tenth City hat-trick was given the lengthy celebrations his achievement deserved.
Returning hero Gundogan emerged with 20 minutes left to give the fans what they wanted, playing in a midfield pair ahead of Stones with Kevin De Bruyne – picking up where he left off in Istanbul.
It was like he had never been away. But he knows more than anyone else that City don’t stand still. He will have to earn his place back in the XI like anyone else.
