Gundogan keeps up the tempo

LONDON • If Manchester City keep up their blistering form and wrest back the English Premier League title from Liverpool for their third triumph in four years, individual accolades will likely follow.

Kevin de Bruyne is the reigning Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year but midfield teammate Ilkay Gundogan is the front runner to claim this season's award after picking up the scoring slack.

The Belgium international was recognised for his 13-goal haul in the league yet his German counterpart is just two strikes shy of matching that tally, with 15 top-flight fixtures still to be played.

Gundogan kept up his form, scoring twice as Premier League leaders City beat Tottenham 3-0 on Saturday to maintain their title bid in impressive fashion.

They have won 16 successive games in all competitions and the 30-year-old has been central to that record-breaking run with 11 goals in his last 12 league outings.

Inventive and alert, Gundogan, who has scored more goals than any other player across Europe's top five leagues since the start of the year, looks a different player to the steady but unspectacular presence he had been before this term.

His hot streak also means City have barely been affected by the absence of their record goalscorer Sergio Aguero, who has made just two league starts, and de Bruyne, another absentee.

In the opening few months of the term, much was made of City's lack of cutting edge, which Pep Guardiola sought to correct by playing Gundogan further forward from his usual deep-lying position.

Having witnessed Gundogan control the centre of the park while at Borussia Dortmund to deny Bayern Munich - then coached by Guardiola - the 2011-12 Bundesliga title to working with him for the past four campaigns, the Catalan was confident he had the intelligence to adapt.

The tactical tweak has paid off with a career-best 13 goals in all competitions. City's third goal at the Etihad was encapsulated by Gundogan's predatory instincts - he latched on to a long punt by Ederson before holding off Davinson Sanchez and scoring, leading Guardiola to sing his praises.

"I said many times he could play as a striker, like a false nine, and people laughed," said the City boss. "I understood why because he didn't do it here. But he has the sense to arrive at the goal... He has the tempo to arrive there. He is so good in these moments.

Goals Ilkay Gundogan has this year, the most in Europe's top five leagues.

"He won the award for player of the month (in January). If he keeps playing this way in February, he is going to win it again."

City are the only English team still competing on four fronts, including both domestic Cups and the Champions League - and can yet win an unprecedented quadruple this season.

They may even do so without a designated first-choice penalty taker. Guardiola's side had missed three of their previous six Premier League penalties this season and were close to making it a fourth time as Hugo Lloris got a hand to Rodri's opener from the spot.

While the Spain midfielder opened his account for the season after a near year-long drought, Guardiola hinted that goalkeeper Ederson could be next in line for penalty duties as no one has proven reliable from 12 yards out.

"If he can play that pass from 70 yards (for Gundogan's second), he can shoot from 12," he said. "His quality of the shot is good."

REUTERS