And despite winning their first eight games under his charge to record the club’s best-ever start, the German midfielder believes his boss will push them even further, to become English football’s dominant force.
Gundogan, then at Borussia Dortmund, witnessed Guardiola’s impact first hand at Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich after four years of success with Barcelona.
Taking over in 2013, Bayern tasted defeat in the German Super Cup, but went 23 games unbeaten, winning 21 times, and then lost just two of their opening 26 matches in the following campaign.
In another strong start last season, paving the way for a hat-trick of league titles, Bayern won 12 successive games after another German Super Cup defeat.
“Maybe we are in a good way to have that, but it doesn’t come automatically,” said Gundogan on City’s start creating a similar aura of invincibility. “We need to work for that. It’s not a gift from outside that you get and then you have it.
“It’s just a thing of working and earning things. Then, maybe it’s possible. It’s really nice to work with him, to be honest. He’s a very nice guy and he just tries to make us better and better.
1 goal. 1 assist. I'm back and just getting started! #ACE16 #ZNE #FindFocus @adidasfootball @adidasUK pic.twitter.com/KY8lNWaA2h
— Ilkay Gündogan (@Guendogan8) September 18, 2016
“He’s focused on so many details, not just on the field also off the field. It’s just fun to work with him and his staff. It’s a big impact for us as players. We can just learn from him. He achieved so many things in his career ‘til now. We can just be happy to be his player.
“Pep’s teams want the ball, he wants them to dominate the games. He has just tried to teach us, we try to do our best, but it’s working really well. There will be games where we suffer, that are not successful, so we need to be prepared for those games as well.”
Gundogan insists there is more to come from the team, and himself, after marking his league debut with a goal in Saturday’s fine 4-0 win over Bournemouth.
Following his own summer move from Dortmund and recovery from a knee injury, it has been a great start, but the 25-year-old said: “I want to become better over the next weeks ‘til I’m 100 percent.
“I watched games on the TV, watched from the stands, I tried to analyse the games for myself – that’s made it easier to come in and play.
“It’s not easy, it’s really difficult. The opponents are very good, they make us work a lot to achieve these wins. Every single game has its own problem and we need to deal with them.
“I think there is still potential to get better, but every single game is a new one starting from zero.”
One player who has gone from being a zero at Chelsea, where he barely played, to a hero at City is Kevin De Bruyne.
And Gundogan added: “He’s an amazing player, I know him from my days in Germany. The last season he had in Wolfsburg before he joined City was also amazing. He’s having a big impact for us so we are very happy to have him.”
With changes expected as City prepare for the defence of the League Cup with a third-round tie at Swansea on Wednesday, captain Vincent Kompany, an unused sub against Bournemouth, could figure after his injury troubles.
But he said: “I don’t know. For now, I’m just happy to be back.”
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