ILKAY GUNDOGAN CONFIRMS HE IS STILL "CITY'S BIGGEST FAN" BEFORE TODAY'S SHOWDOWN

Ilkay Gundogan returns to the Etihad with Galatasaray but reveals he's still backing Man City to beat Arsenal to the PL title.

Ilkay Gundogan confirms he is still "City's biggest fan" before today's showdown
City legend backs former club for Premier League glory

Ilkay Gundogan, a Manchester City legend, isn’t shy about where his loyalties lie before Wednesday’s Champions League clash. Even after moving to Galatasaray, he still roots for City—he catches their games whenever he can and backs them to edge out Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Gundogan, now 35, could actually throw a wrench in Pep Guardiola’s European plans when City and Galatasaray face off in their final group match. City needs to win and hope other results fall in their favour to crack the top eight and dodge a two-legged playoff. Galatasaray aren’t out of it either—they could still grab an automatic qualification spot, but they need some luck.

After leaving City in September—his second stint with the club—Gundogan joined Galatasaray from Barcelona, even though he still had a year left on his City deal. Now, he’s chasing Champions League glory and a record 26th Super Lig title with the Turkish side.

Before the big game, Gundogan said, “I’m still a fan of this football club, this team, and this manager. I watch as many City games as I can. Even if we weren’t playing them, it wouldn’t change anything for me—so many people there are close to my heart. Honestly, I just want the best for City.”

He’s not just watching from afar. Gundogan weighed in on the Premier League title race, which got interesting again after Manchester United dented Arsenal’s hopes over the weekend. United had beaten City just eight days before, with Matheus Cunha scoring the winner for Michael Carrick’s team—two wins in two matches for them.

But Gundogan doesn’t think the title’s decided yet. Plenty of pundits are tipping Mikel Arteta to finally bring Arsenal back to the top, but Gundogan still bets on his old club. “I still believe City will beat Arsenal to the Premier League title. They closed the gap last weekend, and everyone knows once this City team gets going, they can go on a long unbeaten run. I believe in them, I believe in the manager, and I wish them nothing but the best.”

Wednesday’s match will also see Leroy Sane return to Manchester. He left six years ago for Bayern Munich, won his share of trophies, and then moved on to Turkey after his contract ended last summer. Sane’s excited for the reunion. “Absolutely. I’ve never really lost touch with some friends at the club. I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends again on Wednesday.”

ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION

Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.

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Arsenal Bag Extra £15.9m Prize Money After Historic Champions League Semifinal - Photo Credit: PA

Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.

Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.

From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.

That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.

By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.

They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.

Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.

It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.

Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.

PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.

Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.

JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL

Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.

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Oblak Demands Mentality Shift At Atletico After Crashing Out To Arsenal - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.

Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”

He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”

On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”

Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”

At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a

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