“The hunger is maybe not as it was” – Manchester City star questions ‘desire’ from teammates after worrying form

Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan has questioned his teammates' desire to win games amidst the club's recent form.

By the Cityzens' high standards, a record of three wins in their last six games across competitions is enough to sound the alarm bells. This includes a 2-1 loss against Brentford just before the 2022 FIFA World Cup break and a 1-1 draw against Everton on New Year's Eve.

Apart from these two disappointing league results, Pep Guardiola's side were eliminated at the hands of Southampton in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Thursday (12 January).

Speaking after the team's 2-0 loss against the Saints at St. Mary's, Gundogan, who played the full 90 minutes with the captain's armband, said (h/t GOAL):

“In the last two weeks, I feel like something was missing, something’s off. With the quality we have, we always have to win games. At the moment, it feels like there's a special ingredient missing; the performances, the desire, the hunger is maybe not as it was in recent years, so hopefully [the loss to Southampton] will be a wake-up call for us."

"Hopefully, it was the right wake-up call for us. If it is it's something good we can take out of the game. We need to start the hard work again, be humble because things won't come to us automatically.”

Manchester City, who have won the EFL Cup six times since the 2013-14 season, are now active in just three competitions.

They currently trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by five points after 17 games. City confirmed their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup following a 4-0 win against Chelsea earlier this month. Meanwhile, they are primed to face RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League next month.

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The schedule does not get easier for Manchester City

Manchester City are in for a couple of rough weeks. They are scheduled to face the in-form Manchester United in the local derby on Saturday at Old Trafford (14 January).

Five days later, they are in line for another tough league game when they host manager Antonio Conte's Tottenham Hotspur. A fourth-round FA Cup tie against Arsenal is sandwiched between league games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Spurs, respectively.

This could be a make-or-break time for the Cityzens, domestically. Manchester City have won at least one domestic title in each campaign since manager Pep Guardiola's debut 2016-17 season at the Etihad.

Triumph in Europe, however, will make up for any potential disappointments elsewhere. Manchester City are yet to win the UEFA Champions League, with a runners-up position in the 2020-21 campaign their best finish to date.