The captain struck a superb brace in his 300th appearance for the club, whilst also setting up Erling Haaland to score his 36th goal of the league season.
Pep Guardiola‘s men now need a maximum of six points to become just the second club in the Premier League era to lift the trophy in three consecutive campaigns.
Gundogan, who was named Player of the Match after an influential display, scored a superbly improvised first goal, with his second coming from a direct free-kick curled into the top corner.
The captain was delighted with the crucial win. He said: “It’s the end of the season now so every game is crucial. Every game is like a final now.
“For the last three years, this place [Goodison Park] has always been very tough for us. Even more so now. We feel like this is a big win.
“I felt that I was free [first goal]. Both centre-backs were focused on Erling [Haaland].
“I saw the space. The ball was a little bit behind my run. I had to adjust and somehow, I was able to take a touch, I tried my luck and it worked out perfectly.”
The three points put City in pole position to retain our league title, with two more wins from our remaining three matches set to be enough to seal the crown.
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Along with 11 league wins in a row that’s now 22 games unbeaten in all competitions for Guardiola‘s side.
Gundogan, who has four Premier League winners’ medals, believes that the team’s experience in previous title races has been pivotal this season.
“We have a very experienced team. It’s not really a new situation for us, competing for the last few games of the season with someone else,” he declared.
“The margin for mistakes is very slim, we know that. I think that we were able to live these moments in the past helps us a lot.
“Sometimes, you have to stay calm and trust your abilities. Even though it was tough today in the first half, that is exactly what we did.”
