Redknapp blasts Ilkay Gundogan, Man City flop ‘so wrong’ vs Tottenham
Ilkay Gundogan was hammered for his first half performance for Man City against Tottenham as Jamie Redknapp accused him of failing to do the basics of midfield play.
Pep Guardiola started the German veteran in the middle due to the injured Rodri and Mateo Kovacic being unavailable, and was quickly punished by Spurs as a result on their way to a stunning 4-0 win.
The first goal came in the 13th minute, when Dejan Kulusevski outpaced Josko Gvardiol down the right and delivered a perfect cross for James Maddison to side-foot the first of two early strikes into the bottom left.
Gundogan failed to track his man as the scorer was left unmarked to finish the move and Redknapp slammed him for his lack of defensive awareness.
The Sky Sports pundit said (6.25pm): “This for me, you’ve obviously got no Rodri, no Kovacic. What Gundogan does here is really basic. It’s so wrong.
“You can see James Maddison’s gonna run. You’ve now got to match that run. John Stones has got a problem here, he’s got Solanke, and when he passes him off it’s too late.
“You can’t afford to do that, just go and match the run.”
When asked if the Ballon d’Or winner would have done better he replied: “Well anyone would, you don’t have to be Rodri to do it. That is part of the detail of being a central midfielder player.”
Redknapp later added (6.27pm): “I think Gundogan has really struggled in there, he hasn’t been able to deal with the intensity of this match.”
Pep Guardiola gets Man City midfield choice wrong
Football Insider Opinion
Since rejoining Manchester City on a free transfer from Barcelona in the summer, Gundogan has struggled to replicate his previous form.
Despite a solid record of 61 goals and 39 assists in 319 appearances for City, the veteran midfielder has only managed one goal and one assist in 15 matches since his return.
The Germany international has yet to score in the Premier League this season and has not created a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates. This highlights his lack of consistent threat in the final third, which has been crucial for Man City, especially as they have struggled to score more than one goal in their last three league matches, and evidently his defensive work is falling short as well. Given this, Gundogan should be firmly relegated to the bench.
Gundogan’s failure to track Maddison might seem like a minor error, but it speaks to a broader issue: City’s lack of consistency. The absence of key players like Rodri and Kovacic may be part of the explanation, but it cannot fully account for the team’s collective dip in form.
The mental sharpness, fluidity, and dominance that Guardiola’s side once commanded now seem to be missing, leaving them vulnerable in crucial moments.
The Citizens have now lost all of their last five games leaving them five points off Liverpool who are top, with alarm bells ringing at The Etihad.
In other news, Leeds have made an audacious bid to land a Man City sensation.
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