Ilkay Gundogan scored twice for Manchester City against Leeds on Saturday, but missed a penalty which nearly cost the Citizens dearly. The German midfielder had the chance to complete his first career hattrick, but could only fire his penalty onto the post leaving Pep Guardiola furious on the touchline. Despite this, City held on for a 2-1 win, with Gundogan putting in a brilliant man of the match display.
Gundogan explained the penalty incident, saying: ‘First he [Guardiola] showed to Erling [Haaland] that he was quite mad about that and then also he had a go at me. It is what it is at the end. The moment Erling grabbed the ball, I was sure he was going to take it but he looked out for me. I checked with him a few times to make sure he was sure. He was certain to hand the ball to me. I was confident to score. I can’t even remember if the keeper saved it or it was the post? We should have scored a third. This is sometimes how it is that they go on the counter and score.’
The result means City now have four points clear of title rivals Arsenal having played the same number of games. On the title race, Gundogan added: ‘The best warning is today. But we have an experienced team and have had these kind of run-ins in recent years. We know what to do to keep the momentum going and winning games. Nothing more but also nothing less.’