Former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan has offered a blunt assessment of his old club’s recent struggles, attributing their drop in form to a loss of “desire” and competitive fire.
Despite dominating English football in recent years including four straight Premier League titles and a historic treble last season City have stumbled in the 2024–25 campaign. A poor run of form in November and December saw them fall down the table, and they now sit sixth with just seven league games to go.
In an interview with ESPN, Gundogan suggested that City’s problems go beyond injuries or tactical missteps. Instead, he believes the team has lost the hunger and aggressiveness that once set them apart.
“I feel like in a lot of games from our side maybe we gave sometimes a bit too much importance to tactics and didn’t really pay attention much on behaviour,” Gundogan said.
“Having that determination, that desire, aggressivity. Like simple things that are part of the game, but maybe sometimes you just think too much about positioning yourself or whatever. You might forget the other things that are kind of normal or should be normal at least.”
Gundogan pointed to City’s recent FA Cup quarter-final win against Bournemouth a hard-fought 2–1 comeback as a turning point that showed signs of renewed spirit.
“Honestly, in the last few games I see a certain change, especially that uncomfortable, very uncomfortable game against Bournemouth… I think it was just unbelievable.”
With Champions League qualification now at stake, City must finish strong. Gundogan’s comments serve as a reminder that mentality not just tactics could be the key to whether they secure a top five finish or fall short of expectations. Their next test comes against Crystal Palace, a match that could reveal if the team has truly rediscovered its edge.
