Another big match and another brilliant performance from Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan. Photo: Getty Images/Will Palmer
As the ball fell from the fertile summer sky, the heat from some of Wembley's pre-match flares still toasted the air, only Ilkay Gündoğan had a clear idea of what would happen next. As soon as Stefan Ortega's long clearance was off Victor Lindelöf's head, the Manchester City captain, a man whose natural timidity belies a steel rod, waited for it to fall on his right boot and whipped it at David De Gea before he could blink . . Cause havoc as his incredulous teammates throng to greet the figure who saves his best strokes until it matters.
Kyle Walker is the first to recognize the immeasurable value of the Gandogan. Before Real Madrid's surgical selection for the Etihad, he made a telling remark describing the midfielder's ability to peak at perfect moments: «I joked with Gundo that over the past few months he is turning into the best Zidane. Sometimes you have to shine, and he always does it at the end of the season.”
Rarely has a truer word been spoken. For not only Gundogan's temperament on the highest stage reminds Zinedine Zidane in his prime, but also his playing technique from the summer. His magnificent strike just 12 seconds later resembled Zidane's thunderbolt for Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final, masterfully executed. He didn't finish either, taking a Kevin de Bruyne mid-air free kick with his left foot, this time more sloppy but still with precision, to reclaim an advantage City would never concede from. Someone who can volley with both feet in the FA Cup final against Manchester United? No wonder Guardiola considers him a player of pure gold.
Gundogan's goal
The paradox is that this could be Gundogan's last appearance for City in England. With Barcelona offering him a two-year deal and City so far only willing to grant him a one-year extension at the age of 32, the likelihood of his departure has shifted in recent months. In addition, it was an occasion to emphasize the invaluable value of his contribution. City used to dare to hope that they could easily replace him with Jude Bellingham. But now that the 19-year-old English prodigy is ready to sign for Real Madrid instead, attention is turning back to Gundogan and a valuable asset that City could lose.
Pep Guardiola made no secret of his duty to Gundogan here. The man of the match received the longest hug of any City player from his manager when the sky blue ticker tape fell. The bond the two share is palpable: after all, Gundogan was the first player of the Guardiola era to sign from Borussia Dortmund in June 2016. Seven years later, he was still entrusted with his duties under the most oppressive pressure. And for good reason, given his pedigree. The first Manchester derby in this match and the second treble in the history of English football is at stake? Where others might cringe, Gundogan embraces expectations and takes his game to the next level.
The connection between Pep Guardiola and Ilkay Gundogan was clearly visible after the victory at Wembley. Photo: Reuters/Carl Recine
The numbers speak for themselves. If you look at Gundogan's goal timing over the last three seasons, you'll see that he has an uncanny ability to start slowly but finish with a devastating sprint. No goals in September since 2019? Who cares when he's got 13 in those crucial March-May periods? In his last six games, he has made six and has been the provider of two more. Not content with scoring twice against Everton in a match City needed to win to fend off Arsenal in the title race, he appeared on the double at Wembley to ensure his club completed their second double of their own. under Guardiola in just four years. . Even if Erling Haaland failed to realize his chances, Gundogan made sure that City did not interfere.
After the final whistle, he was as modest as ever, despite making the crowd cheer with the audacity of his first goal, the fastest ever in an FA Cup final. «We know how we want to play from the start and we're aiming for that to go to Erling and try to get the second ball,» he said. «Obviously it was a good hit.»
Yes, you can say that. It was enough to convince Guardiola of the benefits of Gundogan's stay, admitting he relied on Tsiki Begiristain, City's director of football, to negotiate a longer contract with the man of the day. You felt when Guardiola hugged every member of his team and his backstage staff as if everything fell into place. City weren't at their best in this final, but the quality superiority over United was so obvious that Sir Alex Ferguson looked like he'd just chewed a wasp.
Ferguson dominated at one point. strength, builder of dynasties. But that account today undoubtedly belongs to Guardiola, who tactically castrated United in the same way he made Real Madrid look like rabble. He wasn't what one would call traditionally dressed for the day, ditching the suit in favor of a green «P» sweatshirt, but he hardly cared about Wembley's sartorial protocols. He prefers to be at one with his players, living every shot, coordinating every attack, challenging every questionable decision, and bringing this all-conquering team to a standard of excellence that no one else can live up to.
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