Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 7y

Liverpool are an 'extremely dangerous' title challenger - Ilkay Gundogan

Ilkay Gundogan believes that Jurgen Klopp has got Liverpool playing like his old Borussia Dortmund team and has warned that they are a major challenger for the Premier League title.

The Manchester City midfielder won the Bundesliga in his first season with Dortmund in 2011-12 -- the club's second successive league title under Klopp. He built a talented side that also included Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels and went on to reach the Champions League final the following season where they were beaten by Bayern Munich.

Klopp joined Liverpool in October 2015 and Gundogan, who followed him to the Premier League in the summer, says his former boss is having a major impact at Anfield.

"It reminds me a lot [of Dortmund], especially looking at the player types. It's all very similar," Gundogan told Bild. "And Liverpool have the giant advantage that they are not playing three-match weeks.

"Kloppo just has the gift to fascinate a team and fire it up. The way they are playing right now they are a title contender and an extremely dangerous opponent for us. Kloppo can be extremely successful at Liverpool."

City dropped off the top of the Premier League for the first time since August just before the international break when they were held 1-1 by Middlesbrough.

Klopp's Liverpool seized the opportunity to move a point clear but Gundogan says City only have themselves to blame after drawing their last three games at the Etihad.

"It's partially down to us that he's on top," the 26-year-old told Frankfurt Allgemiene. "When you draw your last three home games against opponents like Southampton, Everton and Middlesbrough and have what feels like 80 percent possession and 15 clear chances than it's also a bit disappointing.

"But of course, I notice that Jurgen does sensational work at Liverpool. The team plays great attacking football, scores a lot of goals and has a lot of quality. Liverpool are an opponent we have to take seriously."

Gundogan says he has learned a lot from new boss Pep Guardiola, who made him his first City signing in the summer.

He says both coaches set very high standards for their players but added that he had always wanted to work with Guardiola ever since he watched his Barcelona side that twice won the Champions League.

"I always knew I wanted to work with him, even when he was still at Barcelona," Gundogan added.

"If you remember how they play. Sure, they had outstanding players, but to play football like that and be successful like that, the coach also has to contribute a great share.

"I knew that I'd have a lot of fun and what I'd learn from him. It's exactly what I wanted."

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