Jamie Redknapp has slammed Ilkay Gundogan after the Manchester City midfielder’s leggy display in his side’s 4-0 loss to Tottenham.
The defending Premier League champion, seeking to stop the rot after four losses in a row, fell behind early after a well-taken brace from James Maddison.
And it only got worse for Pep Guardiola’s side after the break as Pedro Porro’s goal – followed by Brennan Johnson’s late strike – condemned City to their fifth loss in a row.
Much has been made of the absence of Ballond d’Or winner Rodri in midfield and it proved telling once again, with Ange Postecoglou’s bossing the game in the middle of the park.
Gundogan, who returned to the Etihad this summer at the age of 33, was paired alongside Rico Lewis in midfield but turned in a poor display on Sunday night.
And the German came under fire from Redknapp at full-time who felt the former Barcelona midfielder was struggling to keep up with his Tottenham counterparts.
‘Man City are off it at the moment,’ he said on Sky Sports. ‘They are short and things aren’t quite clicking in midfield with that balance.
‘Gundogan couldn’t get around the pitch today – he couldn’t get near anybody and his focus wasn’t right.’
Analysing Maddison’s first goal, Redknapp criticised Gundogan again, adding: ‘What happens with Gundogan and Maddison is one of the most basic parts of midfield play.
‘When somebody runs without the ball and they go in behind you just have to follow your man and Gundogan just makes one of the most elementary mistakes in football by not following [his man].
‘All he has to do is mark that run but [instead] he puts John Stones in a really bad position.
‘Gundogan has to follow that run and that’s a really poor from him. He just couldn’t match Spurs’ energy in midfield all game.’
The defeat leaves City five points behind Liverpool in the league table, although Arne Slot’s side can extend that lead to eight points should they beat Southampton on Sunday.
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