He was quite a lot down on the levels he has been showing, but that is maybe because now teams see him as more of danger and set up to stop him, which of course leads to more space for others to play.
Whether he plays well or poorly, he always does the basics well and at the moment the way we set up suits him. I don't think it suited him when we have David in the team, not his fault that but you play to strengths and David was a strength. Now we are playing more to his strengths which is carrying the ball forward and arriving late (aka Lampard) in the danger area. He took his goal beautifully, a sign of growing confidence and at the moment is quite rightly one of the first names on the team sheet. I also think it helps him having Bernardo in the side, because of Bernardo's work rate and clever movement.
It is all interlinked though, the way we set up has brought the best out of him, the solidity at the back, the sliding into a back three when Rodri or Ferna drop back, the full backs moving into midfield to create overloads, all these create space and Gundogan is superb when there is space as he generally he moves the ball with so much intelligence. One of the criticisms he used to receive was his tendency to pass backwards or slow play down. He is still doing the same thing but now because of the way we are set up , it is working properly. A pass backwards allows space to be created and slowing it down allows for movement to happen. Not everything has to be done at 100mph. An example yesterday was Kev, a pass went backwards, then sideways and Keb just casually ambled into space, he didnt sprint, he just walked as the pass backwards had Palace had them trying to play their back line higher and all of a sudden by hardly moving at all the space was there and Kev found Raz with a lovely pass.
Football is a simple game and at the moment we are making it look simple, my only concern is i wish we would score more fucking goals.
