“Unbelievably happy” - Pep Guardiola reacts to Ilkay Gundogan’s return after Manchester City 4-1 Ipswich Town

Pep Guardiola mentioned that Ilkay Gundogan is very excited to be back at Manchester City after playing his second match for the team against Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Manchester City faced a difficult beginning in their match against The Tractor Boys, giving up a goal in the early minutes due to a defensive mistake.

But City soon recovered and got back on track. Savinho's strong performance led to a penalty, which Erling Haaland calmly scored, tying the game just five minutes after falling behind.

The city quickly dominated the game, with goals from both Kevin de Bruyne and Haaland coming in quick succession to put them ahead 3-1, leaving the Premier League newcomers shocked.

Haaland kept up his impressive performance in the second part of the game, scoring his third goal and completing a hat-trick.

At the same time, Ilkay Gündogan made his comeback to Manchester City by coming on as a substitute. He had recently rejoined the club after leaving Barcelona on Friday.

In an interview with Sky Sports following the match, Guardiola revealed that he had hesitated about adding the German midfielder to the team for the game against Ipswich. This was because the player had only joined the squad the day before.

But, he believed in the 33-year-old and mentioned that Gundogan was very eager to start his second spell at Manchester City.

Guardiola expressed his gratitude for the warm reception he received and mentioned that he was very happy.

"I was unsure about substituting him into the game. We have been friends for a long time, and he is fully aware of his responsibilities. I am thrilled that he has returned."

The comeback of Gundogan provides a big lift to the number of players City has in the midfield. Rodri has not been able to play for Guardiola’s team in the first few games of the season, but Mateo Kovacic has done well in his place.

The player from Croatia had to leave the field at Etihad Stadium due to his injury on Saturday evening. This could potentially create an opportunity for Gundogan to start in the team's next game.

Guardiola's team is heading to London to play against West Ham in their last match before the September international break.