Ilkay Gundogan is so hot right now.
He is the most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 37, and it’s not even close.
A massive 242,000 FPL managers have already joined the Gundo Hype Train, at the time of writing. Next on that list are Shaw and Fernandes, with almost half that number of transfers (around 123,000 each).
You’ve seen his amazing goals. You’ve read the stories that he’s going to leave, meaning… Pep might start him every game now… question mark? You’ve marvelled at the FPL points he’s been putting up.
So, should we be joining the masses and getting Gundogan?
The Case For
As far as I can see, there are five main reasons to get Gundo.
1) He’s Currently Unstoppable
Gundo has been an absolute monster recently:
- He scored 19pts in Gameweek 36, more than any other player
- He scored 13pts in Gameweek 35
- He’s got the 2nd best form among FPL midfielders, behind only Salah
- He’s got the 5th best form overall, behind only Salah, Trent, Haaland, and Kane
His first goal against Everton was an absolute worldie:
Ilkay Gundogan with a goal of the season contender vs Everton. What a beauty 😍💫#EVEMCI
— Reyi (@Reinaldodcg9) May 14, 2023
His free kick wasn’t bad either:
Ilkay Gundogan makes it 3-0 to Manchester City with a sublime free-kick.
He's on a hat-trick for the second successive #PL game. #EFC | #MCFC | #EVEMCI
🎥 @SkySportsPL pic.twitter.com/vCJR23iCmj
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 14, 2023
Obviously, you can’t score wonder goals every single game. There are two encouraging trends here, though:
- He’s on set pieces in the first place
- He’s getting into the box, in dangerous positions
2) He’s Done It Before
This isn’t the first time Gundo has smashed FPL. It seemed like City might struggle when Aguero and De Bruyne both got injured a couple of years ago.
Well, it turns out – as well as being a great midfielder – he’s also an amazing false nine. He ended up with 13 goals that season.
We all dismissed it when the run started. Pretty quickly he became an absolute must-own, and those who were slow to realise got punished.
3) He’s Cheap
Gundo will almost certainly rise from his current price of 7.4. Even if he does, that’s still pretty damn cheap.
Here are all the midfielders who are currently more expensive than Gundogan:
Gundo is the best value of that lot right now, and it’s not even close.
Is he a sure thing? No, but none of them are except Mo. Kev has been rotated, Bruno hasn’t lit the world on fire recently, Son’s up and down, Saka’s been rubbish for ages now, Foden gets rotated.
You get the point.
Gundo is in better form than any of these guys except Salah, and carries no more risk than any of the others.
4) He Doubles
Gameweek 37 is the last double gameweek of the season.
Load up on it. Take a hit if you need to.
City’s fixtures aren’t amazing. They play Chelsea at home, then Brighton away. But… they’re still City (see below).
Maybe he doesn’t start both games. But he’s as likely to do so as any doublers except maybe Bruno (who’s far more expensive, and in mediocre form), and the Brighton midfielders (who aren’t in good form).
5) He Plays for City
As usual in the second half of the season, City have decided to just smash everyone. They’ve currently won 11 league games in a row.
Do I hate it, as a fan of competitive balance (and, yes, of Arsenal too)? You bet. But the numbers are the numbers, and the fact is that Gundo is a first-choice starter for the best team in the league.
The Case Against
I can only come up with two real arguments against getting Gundo.
You can probably guess what the first one is.
1) It’s Pep!!!
How many times do we need to be hurt before we learn our lesson?
How many times have we already been hurt this very season (Foden, Walker, Mahrez, Grealish, etc.)?
Right now, Gundo seems about as nailed as you can get for Pep (if your name is Erling Haaland or Ederson). He’s started 12 of the last 14 games. But we’ve been here so many times before. It wouldn’t shock me in the slightest, especially after a Champions League game midweek, to see Gundo benched next weekend.
2) Short Sample Size
Not to be a party pooper, but… it’s been two games.
Prior to his four goals in those games, Gundo had four goals all season.
He also blanked in six of his eight games before this mini-run.
This isn’t Kevin De Bruyne, who is a near-guarantee to churn out assists – plus a few goals – when he’s fit. Gundo has had amazing streaks, like the one two years ago, but he’s not a consistently dangerous FPL player.
Jury’s Verdict
Obviously, Pep Roulette gives me some doubt. Even if he doesn’t start both games in the double though, I’d be shocked if he didn’t start two of their final three games.
Gundo’s not usually an explosive player, but we’ve seen that he can be before, and he’s obviously in amazing form. He also plays for the best team in the league, and is excellent value.
As a doubler, I prefer him to the Brighton players. He’s better value than Bruno too. If we learn that Rashford is fit then I’d still rank him higher, but he seems risky coming off the injury.
Also… come on, it’s fun! It’s the end of the season, and this guy is smashing in worldies!
(Note: If you’re still actually fighting for your league, pay more attention to my serious analysis, not to ‘it’s fun!’).
Overall, I like it