With the return of Gündoğan, Sports Context takes a look back at a remarkable moment from the 2021/22 season
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With the return of Gündoğan, Sports Context takes a look back at a remarkable moment from the 2021/22 season
Ilkay Gündoğan, after a season playing for Barcelona, is making his way back to Manchester City, and his return brings to mind one of the most iconic performances of his career. On May 22, 2022, City faced Aston Villa in a match that would go down in the club’s history and the annals of the Premier League. This fixture, played on the final day of the 2021/2022 season, was a must-win for the title. Manchester City, sitting at the top of the table, needed a victory to secure the crown, but any slip-up could hand the trophy to Liverpool, who were playing Wolverhampton at the same time.
The drama was palpable from the start. In the 37th minute, Matty Cash put Aston Villa ahead, complicating City’s situation. The anxiety heightened in the 69th minute when Philippe Coutinho, with a brilliant solo effort, doubled Villa’s lead to 2-0. At that moment, it seemed as if the title was slipping away from Pep Guardiola’s men. However, City displayed immense resilience and embarked on a comeback that would be etched into Premier League folklore.
In the 76th minute, Gündoğan, who had just come on as a substitute for Bernardo Silva, headed in City’s first goal from a Raheem Sterling cross. Just two minutes later, Rodri levelled the match with a precise strike from outside the box, reigniting City’s title hopes. The decisive moment came in the 81st minute, when Kevin De Bruyne, in a moment of brilliance down the right flank, found Gündoğan unmarked in the six-yard box. The German midfielder made no mistake, slotting it home to complete the incredible turnaround and put City 3-2 up.
The final whistle confirmed it: Manchester City were Premier League champions for the fourth time in five years. The heroic comeback against Aston Villa secured the title with 93 points, just one point ahead of Liverpool, who beat Wolverhampton 3-1 but had to settle for second place. This game became one of the most dramatic and emotional moments in recent English football history, with Gündoğan’s crucial performance being a key factor in that triumph.
Now, with his return to the Etihad Stadium, Gündoğan brings not only the experience from his stint in La Liga but also the fighting spirit and ability to deliver in critical moments, as he so brilliantly demonstrated on that unforgettable afternoon in May in Manchester.
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