Guardiola commends Gundogan for his resilience following a poor performance that was his worst in almost a decade.

Pep Guardiola couldn't help but praise one of his star players, Ilkay Gundogan, after his impressive performance in Manchester City's Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava. Despite having what was considered one of his worst games in nine years during their previous match, Gundogan bounced back and scored a goal in City's 4-0 victory.

The floodgates were opened by Gundogan's goal in just eight minutes, with Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, and James McAtee adding to the scoreline later in the match. It was a much-improved display from the German, who seemed out of sorts in their last game against Newcastle United. With Rodri's season-ending injury, Gundogan is expected to step up in the holding midfielder role, and Guardiola was pleased to see him performing at his usual level.

"We know he has a strong mentality," Guardiola said in an interview with TNT Sports after the match. "His performance in Newcastle was not up to par, but this happens sometimes. This is why he needs to play. He is so intelligent in his position as a holding midfielder and he played a fantastic game today."

Guardiola also congratulated the team on their overall performance, saying, "We knew we had a job to do and we did it. This group of players is fantastic and we played a good game with a lot of chances. It's our first three points in the competition."

The City manager also praised academy graduate James McAtee, who scored his first senior goal for the club in this match. "Everyone adores him," Guardiola said of the 21-year-old. "You could see the reaction of the players, everyone loves him. He has the quality to break through teams that defend deep, and he showed that today with his goal and other chances he created. He may not be a regular player, but in many games, he will help us. I can always count on him when he plays like he did today."

City will now turn their focus back to the Premier League as they face Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Guardiola's side will be looking to continue their good form and maintain their position at the top of the table. It was a special night for the team, with Gundogan and McAtee both putting in impressive performances and contributing to the victory.

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