Ilkay Gundogan slams Manchester City’s ‘inexplicable’ collapse against Feyenoord ahead of Liverpool showdown | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has expressed his frustration and disbelief at the 3-3 draw against Feyenoord, having taken a three-goal lead in the game.

Tuesday night’s result left Pep Guardiola’s side feeling perplexed, with the midfielder pointing towards the ‘inexplicable’ nature of goals conceded. Despite a dominant performance for much of the match, City’s inability to secure a win has left them, once again, searching for answers.

The game was largely a tale of two halves for Manchester City, or perhaps even a tale of the first 75 minutes, and the final 15 minutes as the hosts looked to bounce back from five successive losses across competitions.

After taking a 3-0 lead, the Premier League champions appeared to be cruising to a comfortable victory. However, Feyenoord mounted a strong comeback, scoring three unanswered goals to level the match.

Manchester City leadership group member Ilkay Gundogan reflected on the goals conceded after the contest, admitting that Pep Guardiola’s side could only blame themselves for the outcome.

“The goals we conceded I think are inexplicable, in terms of the way we conceded them. There is only ourselves to blame. The situation, I don’t know, the way things are going right now, it is a bit inexplicable,” Gündogan said.

Despite the frustration, the 33-year-old was quick to point out that football can be unpredictable, and sometimes even against seemingly weaker opposition, the team will face challenges.

However, the manner in which they lost the three points against Feyenoord was particularly tough to accept.

“Sometimes you will struggle in some games, no matter who the opponent is. Even when you play at home against a side you should dominate, you will concede chances because every team is good enough right now to create something.

“But then 75 minutes, 3-0 up and controlling the game, then ugh, giving it away so easily. They also were ruthless. It is probably more us to blame but they just punished us in every situation they got, scoring three goals. Obviously it is very tough to take,” Gündogan reflected.

The former Germany international acknowledged that moments like these are an inevitable part of football, and it is more how a team responds to adversity that defines its character, in a stern message ahead of a blockbuster showdown with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Gündogan stressed the importance of facing up to such challenges head-on and learning from mistakes. “Football sometimes creates incredible moments and difficult moments that you have to face,” he said.

“You only get through it when you face it, when you accept it, when you get challenged and you try to do your best to get out of this situation as quickly as possible. We have to look at ourselves and try to do the things we can do better, as quickly as possible.

“We take it, stay humble, head down and try to put in the work in the next few days and prepare as good as possible for a tough game,” Gündogan concluded.

Despite the tough result, Ilkay Gündogan’s mentality reflects the determination and resilience that has helped Manchester City succeed in recent years. With a demanding fixture schedule ahead, the team must learn from the mistakes made against Feyenoord and look to improve.

As Manchester City look ahead to the remainder of the UEFA Champions League group stage and their Premier League fixtures, Gündogan’s words will serve as a reminder to the team of the importance of self-reflection, humility, and hard work as they aim to get back on track.