Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has heaped praise on the 'outstanding' Ilkay Gundogan after the Man City captain starred in Sunday's 3-0 win at Everton.
City established a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with a comfortable victory at Goodison Park, Gundogan's brilliant brace coming either side of Erling Haaland's clinical header. The German international opened the scoring on 37 minutes, taking Riyad Mahrez's cross under control in the box before a brilliant improvised flick past Jordan Pickford.
Haaland doubled his side's lead two minutes later, leaping highest to head home Gundogan's pinpoint cross. And the Blues captain put the icing on the cake five minutes after the break, clipping an inch-perfect free-kick past a helpless Pickford. It was yet another leader's performance from the 32-year-old, who was named man of the match at full-time and received plenty of praise from Keane.
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"What an outstanding player," the former Reds man told Sky Sports. "We mentioned Sean Dyche will be disappointed with the defending [for the first goal], but once it goes in there his first touch is brilliant and his second one is even better. What a player this guy is, absolutely brilliant. The way he times his runs into the box, what a magnificent finish. Brilliant."
Sunday's trip to Goodison Park was earmarked by City's rivals as the potential banana skin, coming between the two legs of their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola once again made several changes for the game, but kept the influential Gundogan in the starting line-up.
And the German once again highlighted his quality, not only chipping in with the goals but dictating the game from midfield, with former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira describing him as one of the league's best midfielders.
"He’s really a top player," Vieira added. "That is just showing his palette on the free-kick - the quality, the technical ability - to just put the ball where he wants to. He highlighted it quite well, defenders are so concentrated on Haaland and that gives him and the offensive midfielders the opportunity to get inside the box and to score those goals. He’s really smart, timing his runs to get inside the box. He is one of the best in the league."
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