Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola Criticizes Ilkay Gundogan’s Performance Against Newcastle

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has publicly expressed his disappointment with Ilkay Gundogan’s recent performance against Newcastle United. The German midfielder failed to impress in the 1-1 draw at St James Park, which marked one of the worst games Guardiola has seen from Gundogan in the last eight or nine years. However, Gundogan made amends by scoring in Manchester City’s 4-0 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday night.

Guardiola’s candid assessment of Gundogan’s performance came during an interview with TNT, in which he praised the midfielder’s ability to bounce back from a poor game. “Ilkay Gundogan played at a level that we know he can do it,” Guardiola said. “The game in Newcastle was not really good, maybe one of the worst I’ve seen of him in the last eight or nine years… then he played a fantastic game in the Champions League.”

Gundogan returned to Manchester City this summer after spending a year at Barcelona, and his performance against Newcastle will serve as a reminder that even top players can have off days. Despite his struggles, Gundogan remains an important part of Manchester City’s squad, and his ability to adapt and improve will be crucial as the team looks to continue its dominance in the Premier League and Champions League.