Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has admitted this season’s title battle with Liverpool is a ‘nerve-wracking’ affair for him and his teammates.
City are currently top of the table with 80 points after 33 games but are being closely pursued by Liverpool, who sit in second on 79.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have managed to chase down Manchester City in the second half of this campaign, and a recent win in the FA Cup semi-final could have handed them something of a psychological boost.
At the minute, the two sides are matching each other step for step, with Liverpool briefly returning to the top of the table this week before Manchester City secured a win over Brighton to leapfrog them once more.
It’s set up a tense end to the season, and Gundogan admits that pressure is something he and his Manchester City teammates are aware of.
“It is a very exciting and nerve-wracking race for us as well as for the fans,” he told Sport1.
“As Liverpool are incredibly strong and win every game, we are almost forced to stay focused and not allow ourselves to slip up.
“That keeps the tension high throughout. You play football for situations like that. It could well be that we have to win all the games until the end in order to become champions.
“If we continue to do that over the next few weeks, we’ll be able to take our lead to the finish line.”
Another title success this season would be Gundogan’s fourth since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in 2012.
He’s very much a key player under Pep Guardiola and has earned that trust, playing a key role in the last few seasons.
That’s seen him win three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup four times, and finish as runners-up in the Champions League last season.
His contract at the Etihad is set to expire next summer, at which point he will be 32-years-old, and he’s admitted he would be interested in a move elsewhere.
“Turkey is naturally interesting because of my roots,” he added.
“I also like the USA; I’ve been there several times on holiday. At the moment, however, I’m not thinking about it.
“I still have a contract in Manchester until 2023, I’m very happy there both athletically and privately, and I can theoretically imagine ending my career at City.”
