Ilkay Gundogan has already shown Man City why he deserves new contract

While the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne have been grabbing the headlines with their fantastic performances for Manchester City, Ilkay Gundogan has quietly gone about establishing himself as one of Pep Guardiola's go-to players in the early stages of the new season.

When Gundogan came off the bench to score two goals in a title-clinching comeback win on the final day of last season, it looked as though the German midfielder had signed off on his City career in fairytale fashion. Many speculated that he was on his way out, confusing a trip to Italy to get married with a business trip to conduct negotiations with suitors.

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Gundogan stayed though, the 31-year-old happy to enter the final year of his contract and focus on matters on the pitch. "We will see. Right now it's really just about focusing on the new season..." Gundogan replied in a Twitter Q&A when asked if he might extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium.

His pre-season preparations weren't ideal; like Phil Foden and John Stones, Gundogan was unable to travel on the pre-season tour of the US as he failed to meet entry requirements. Instead, he joined up with the U23s camp in Croatia, impressing coach Brian Barry-Murphy with his sharpness and professionalism.

Gundogan started the season opener at West Ham in place of Bernardo Silva – a tactical decision Guardiola explained – and kept his place for the 4-0 win against Bournemouth and the 3-3 draw at Newcastle. He scored in both of those matches, ghosting into the box in typical fashion and finishing from close range.

His ability to make runs into the penalty area at just the right moment was a key factor in why he was able