Ilkay Gundogan ‘personally very disappointed’ as Manchester City lose ground in Premier League top-four race | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has reflected on the Blues’ 2-2 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The reigning English champions have lost ground in their bid for a top-four league finish after taking one point out of a possible four in recent meetings with Nottingham Forest and Brighton.

Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush were on the scoresheet as City went ahead twice but were held to a 2-2 draw by Fabian Hürzeler’s Seagulls at the Etihad Stadium.

City have nine games left in their fight for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League – which would qualify as the bare minimum but all the while best-case scenario in a what has been Pep Guardiola’s worst season in Manchester.

“I feel personally very disappointed. After twice in front and playing quite well, it’s a bit frustrating to not get three points,” said Gundogan, Guardiola’s first City signing, as City lost another opportunity to claim three points.

Gundogan returned to City in a dramatic full-circle moment after leaving the Blues to join his dream club Barcelona after winning a historic treble with his current club in 2023.

However, the German has struggled to replicate his heroics from the 2022-23 season since his return to Manchester City but is likely to stay at the club beyond the summer if he activates a appearance-based extension clause entered into his contract.

Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva – both of whom have been Guardiola stalwarts – have been linked with possible exits come the end of the season, when Manchester City are expected to rebuild under the stewardship of incoming director of football Hugo Viana.

A failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League would gravely damage City’s recruitment prospects in the summer transfer window, with Guardiola reported to be keen on signing Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso and Atalanta midfielder Ederson.

Gundogan played the full 90 minutes against Brighton at the weekend and set up Marmoush to give the hosts a 2-1 advantage prior to the interval, which counted for nothing when an own goal from January signing Abdukodir Khusanov levelled proceedings 150 seconds into the restart.

“We were able to limit their (Brighton’s) possession. Second half, after conceding, it felt like we dropped in confidence and belief. We dropped a little and gave away easy chances. It’s important to stay calm. Of course, mistakes happen even at this level,” Gundogan added.

“We need to expect the best from everyone every single day. I thought we had a good week of training. We want to transmit that power and energy into the game. Sometimes it isn’t enough.”

Gundogan and Manchester City will be keen to end an underwhelming season on a high by going all the way in the FA Cup as they next face Bournemouth in a quarter-final tie after the international break.