Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan praises ‘intelligent’ Kai Havertz ahead of Arsenal showdown

Ilkay Gundogan has reserved peculiar praise for Kai Havertz up of Manchester City’s clash with Arsenal, highlighting his chap countryman’s calmness and ‘intelligence’ some connected and disconnected the pitch.

The reigning Premier League champions play big to past year’s runners-up successful what promises to beryllium an explosive contention astatine the Etihad and Havertz is apt to play a cardinal relation for the visitors this weekend.

Havertz has played up beforehand successful each 4 of Arsenal’s matches successful the apical formation this term, notching up 2 goals and an assistance for the northbound London giants, who beryllium 2nd successful the array down Pep Guardiola’s men.

And portion Havertz dropped backmost into midfield for the Gunners’ goalless gully with Atalanta successful the Europa League, with Gabriel Jesus starting up top, the German is expected to instrumentality to Mikel Arteta’s onslaught to look City.

Far and distant the astir important extremity of Havertz’s vocation came successful the 2020/21 Champions League last arsenic Chelsea defeated City 1-0 to get their hands connected the biggest prize successful European nine football.

However, the 25-year-old is inactive yet to people against Guardiola’s broadside successful the English apical formation and helium volition nary uncertainty beryllium looking to enactment that close successful Manchester connected Sunday afternoon.

Asked astir Havertz up of the heavyweight clash, City midfielder Gundogan told Sky Deutschland: ‘Kai is simply a precise down-to-earth and calm but besides a precise analytical idiosyncratic who is intelligent and tin enactment definite things into perspective.

‘I deliberation that’s thing that Arteta besides appreciates astir him and wherefore helium plays specified a cardinal relation astatine Arsenal.’

Gundogan was ever assured Arteta would spell connected and go a apical manager aft witnessing first-hand the Spaniard’s talents arsenic Guardiola’s adjunct astatine City.

Asked if Arteta is idiosyncratic helium looks up to arsenic a relation model, Gundogan replied: ‘Mikel is simply a precise astute idiosyncratic who truly knows what helium wants and what helium has to bash to execute definite things.

‘It was wide to maine erstwhile I archetypal met him that this was the way helium would take. I’m not amazed that he’s doing truthful good with Arsenal and that they play shot astatine specified a precocious level.

‘Pep’s power is evidently precise large due to the fact that Mikel worked with Pep for a fig of years. That’s wherefore their benignant of play is precise similar. That’s wherefore this duel is possibly much absorbing than different duels.

‘He’s truly doing a large occupation and conscionable extended his declaration a fewer days ago. So he’ll enactment with Arsenal for a fewer much years and I’m definite they’ll beryllium successful contention for titles successful the years to come.

‘If I could travel a akin way to Mikel successful the future, that would beryllium a changeable of luck.’

Erling Haaland has enjoyed a barnstorming commencement to the caller season, netting 9 times successful City’s opening 4 league games, and Gundogan believes Guardiola deserves large recognition for the striker’s continued development.

‘He [Haaland] has immense charisma. When you people truthful galore goals, that aura grows adjacent more,’ the five-time Premier League victor added.

‘He combines astir everything a apical striker needs. He has a apical decorativeness – some with his feet and his head. He is tall, physically strong, tin usage his assemblage and is fast.

‘I judge that successful the past 2 years with Pep helium has go adjacent much intelligent successful his decision-making and successful the mode helium plays. He has taken a wide measurement guardant successful that respect.

‘You can’t inquire for overmuch much from a striker and successful the extremity the goals talk for themselves.

‘To people 9 goals successful the archetypal 4 games is an unthinkable fig of goals.’

After conscionable 1 twelvemonth with La Liga giants Barcelona, Gundogan secured a instrumentality to the Etihad implicit the summertime – and Oasis prima Noel Gallagher reached retired to the German aft the determination was confirmed.

‘Noel Gallagher sent maine a substance connection and was precise blessed that I came back,’ helium explained.

‘He besides sent maine a precise bully and affable connection erstwhile I decided to permission a twelvemonth ago. So the connection was conscionable arsenic bully erstwhile I came back.

‘I anticipation that I tin get tickets for adjacent year, they are precise fashionable close now. But for Manchester it is of people thing highly special.’

For much stories similar this, check our athletics page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest quality connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE : New Joao Pedro wounded update from Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler

MORE : Alan Shearer’s Premier League predictions including Man City vs Arsenal

MORE : Arne Slot reveals Alisson wounded interest up of Liverpool’s clash with Bournemouth

This tract is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.