2. Positional knowledge
Gundogan knows the left eight role better than anyone in world football right now, so much so that Pep trusts him explicitly in every big game they play.
He knows how to score and create, but he also knows how to defend space, cover ground without burning himself out and take up clever positions to create more attacking room for his side to play in.
In seven years at City, Gundogan has predominantly played against low blocks and has become an expert in stretching and working teams to pull them out of position and create space early in games to break them down and open the game.
While there are other left-eights out there, few have his positional understanding, or the experience in Arsenal’s playing style, and against opponents who will defend in such a deep, disciplined way.
Arsenal have struggled at times against deep-lying defences this season, and having an intelligent technician of that ilk with experience of how to break them down could be key.
Continued on the next slide…
#MCFC</a> + other options. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#AFC</a> additionally pushing hard for Rice & Mount + renewed efforts to secure Nwaneri <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://twitter.com/TheAthleticFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@TheAthleticFC <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://t.co/HHJY2QRmsF">https://t.co/HHJY2QRmsF
<p>— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1660539191237672960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 22, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>1. Winning experience</h2>
<p>People often confuse experience with a winning mentality and think adding older players will bring a street-wise element to teams. It’s a forced narrative that’s completely untrue, as it is about the kind of experiences players have gained, rather than the number of games they have played.</p>
<p>Gundogan is a player who fits into the winning experience category. At Dortmund, he won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, and in seven years at Man City has won five Premier League titles, four Carabao Cups and an FA Cup, and could still add the Champions League to his repertoire this season.</p>
<p>During this silverware crusade, Gundogan has averaged 47 games per season for City and has added 57 goals in a total of 301 games, with nine to date this season, with four coming in his last two starts.</p>
<p>His end-of-season form has been key to getting City over the line, and it is also the thing that Arsenal have <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/16/5-key-features-of-the-sum-up-the-title-charge-for-arsenal/">lacked. He has known exactly what it takes to see out a run-in, and he has been the player who has led the charge. That winning experience could be crucial to Arsenal next season if they can pull this deal off.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 Positional knowledge </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-134653" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1066,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1488915370.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1066" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1488915370.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1488915370-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1488915370-1536x1023.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"></p>
<h2><strong>2. Positional knowledge</strong></h2>
<p>Gundogan knows the left eight role better than anyone in world football right now, so much so that Pep trusts him explicitly in every big game they play.</p>
<p>He knows how to score and create, but he also knows how to defend space, cover ground without burning himself out and take up clever positions to create more attacking room for his side to play in.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I never advocate for signing ageing players, but İlkay Gündoğan would be a shrewd addition for <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/Arsenal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#Arsenal</a> on a free. He knows the left 8 role inside out, is a leader who wants to be a coach and he’s averaged 47 games a season for the last 5 years. A wise head in a young squad. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/afc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#afc</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://t.co/OOIIccneRx">pic.twitter.com/OOIIccneRx
<p>— Adam Keys (@adamkeys_) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://twitter.com/adamkeys_/status/1614233336569909249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>January 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>In seven years at City, Gundogan has predominantly played against low blocks and has become an expert in stretching and working teams to pull them out of position and create space early in games to break them down and open the game.</p>
<p>While there are other left-eights out there, few have his positional understanding, or the experience in Arsenal’s playing style, and against opponents who will defend in such a deep, disciplined way.</p>
<p>Arsenal have struggled at times against deep-lying defences this season, and having an intelligent technician of that ilk with experience of how to break them down could be key.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 Leadership </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-134651" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1661,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1492168445-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1661" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1492168445-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1492168445-768x498.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1492168445-1536x996.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1492168445-2048x1329.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"></p>
<h2><strong>3. Leadership</strong></h2>
<p>Arsenal are losing <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/16/will-granit-xhaka-remembered-arsenal/">Granit Xhaka</a> this summer, which will leave a huge hole in the dressing room, and on the pitch. However, Gundogan has all of the above qualities, and the leadership qualities to not only replace, but upgrade on Xhaka.</p>
<p>Like Xhaka, Gundogan is doing his coaching badges and has strong ambitions to become a coach, which Mikel Arteta likes; another player who will coach on the pitch and carry out his instructions to the letter.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unreal feeling! 🤩 What an honour to lift this trophy for this amazing club & what an honour to captain this awesome squad! 💙🏆🎱©️💪🏼🥇⚽ <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://t.co/mtuzxcsUxc">pic.twitter.com/mtuzxcsUxc
<p>— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://twitter.com/IlkayGuendogan/status/1660355070788075520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 21, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Arsenal currently have this in Jorginho and Martin Odegaard, so adding a leader like Gundogun who can do that on the pitch, and bring the drive, discipline and level-headedness required off the pitch would help the team through critical moments.</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="azwND0SXU7"><p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/time-to-question-mikel-artetas-arsenal-project/">Why it’s time to question Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal project</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="“Why it’s time to question Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal project” — Pain in the Arsenal" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/time-to-question-mikel-artetas-arsenal-project/embed/#?secret=NIu99H1fta#?secret=azwND0SXU7" data-secret="azwND0SXU7" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div>
<p>While he may be 32, he is in the best shape of his life, and Arsenal are aiming to win the Premier League, so adding someone who has had that experience, and played a key role in it, would be perfect for the squad, especially on a free transfer, which would enable the club to add <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/04/arsenal-interest-mason-mount-smith-rowe/">Mount and <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/05/22/3-reasons-ilkay-gundogan-perfect-arsenal/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/04/28/how-arsenal-midfield-could-look-next-season/">Rice as well.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
