City end the year top of the Premier League table, having clinched another league title, a fourth successive Carabao Cup and also having reached the Champions League Final for the first time.
Pep Guardiola’s men have also rewritten the record books throughout the year, breaking new ground and continually raising the bar.
Though there has been plenty of cause for celebration, with games coming thick and fast, there is often little time for players to reflect on their accomplishments.
However, as the calendar year draws to a close, Gundogan has looked back on another unforgettable period for the Club, admitting he has been pleasantly surprised by the manner of which the Champions have excelled.
“It sounds impressive,” he reflected. “I didn’t even know all of these stats to be honest.
“I knew it was quite a remarkable year but the records make it sound incredible.
“[We have kept momentum] by not doing too much special stuff. If you look back, it has obviously been a special year but I feel like we have just done what our potential and capabilities are with what they provide us.
“By trying to reach them every single day, every single training session and then the games, it just gives us always the best possible chances of winning games.
“Going into a winning streak, similar like we did at the end of last year and now again, I think it is just being aware of the responsibilities that you have, your abilities that you have.
“Also, the manager who is guiding us and gives us instructions for all of the games. And also the mix of players that we have.
“We always have really good chances of winning games and that is all we are doing. It sounds really simple but it isn’t always as simple as it sounds, but that is always the guideline for us.
“It is over. The year is over. From tomorrow, we start a new one and we start with a very tough challenge with a big task.
“We will try to make it as close as possible to this year, even though we know it is going to be very difficult.”
Guardiola’s men kick off 2022 with a New Year’s Day trip to Arsenal, who have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in recent games.
Gundogan noted the form of Mikel Arteta’s side, declaring the Gunners will be full of confidence, but hopes the Champions can continue our momentum to start the year with a bang.
“They are doing really well,” he added. “Their manager is obviously someone that we know really well and I would say they probably play a similar type of football to what we play.
“It is going to be a big challenge for us I think. They are full of confidence at the moment, they have won a few games in the last few games and they are a little bit behind us in terms of having won their games and gaining points.
“It is going to be very difficult. It is always very difficult to go to the Emirates anyway to play Arsenal, but even more this time. It is a challenge again and hopefully we can start the year well.”
Though City will end an unforgettable 2021 topping the Premier League table with an eight-point lead, Gundogan also warned against complacency with plenty of football still left to play, including games in hand for our title rivals.
“[It’s] eight points but [Liverpool] have one more game,” he said.
“I still feel like it is a race. I don’t think after halfway that anything is done yet.
“We need to try to do the same stuff that we did in the last few weeks. Then at one point, we are going to drop points again and we need to be ready to go again from there.
“The best thing we can do is try to focus on ourselves and go again, game by game and take all of the steps that are necessary to stay on top as long as possible.
“One thing is to be [focused] as a team, but then also individually. Individually we have to because if you are out of form or you lose your focus, you are not going to play.
“We have a lot of talent in the squad and a lot of players so you have to take your responsibility to make sure that you are always at your best level to get the chance to play a lot of games.
“It helps us that we have a lot of amazing players so every single game you need to be on top, if not and you struggle, you might see yourself off the pitch for a few games.
“Be ready, every single game and if every single person does that then we are a team that can target all of the different competitions because we will always be ready to go and able to win a lot of games.”
While the English festive football calendar is traditionally packed with fixtures every few days, this year has seen numerous matches postponed across the country due to COVID-19.
Gundogan admits it has been a challenging period but asserts the mood in the City camp has been upbeat with the players doing their utmost to continue our impressive run of form, whilst ensuring the safety of all involved.
“In general, especially from a sporting perspective, I think the mood is really good,” he continued
“We have had a really great year and some really nice moments that we have shared together on the pitch.
“Obviously, life is still not what we want it to be at this point. Everyone is still struggling because of COVID-19 and that is what makes it still a bit difficult to deal with.
“I feel like, especially in the Premier League, all of the teams are struggling right now with the situation and the most important thing is that everyone is healthy and everyone is safe. That is the priority right now.
“It is strange and it is a weird situation to be in. Everything is out of our hands as players and we don’t really have much influence on other decisions that are taken.
“[In terms of training] it is quite normal. Once you are out on the pitch, it is very normal. Indoors we need to be a bit careful, especially the last few weeks even more.
“It still feels strange but I think it has more of an effect on private lives. Me as an example, I try to avoid going out completely, whether it is for groceries, going to a restaurant or for a coffee.
“I try to minimise that as much as possible because of the fact I don’t want to put myself or any members of family and friends at risk.
“At the end of the day, our responsibility is about trying to take care of ourselves and trying not to get the virus, trying to protect ourselves, the people here working at the Club and also our families back home. This is the main priority.
“As long as we don’t have the virus, we come to work, we train, we try to put in all of the effort and all of the work.
“It is not always easy with the little breaks that we had in the whole year and going again every three or four days.
“It is tough, challenging but it is the way it is. As always in life, you try to make the best situation and that is what we are trying to do.”
