When shows of solidarity go too far

Man City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan suffered a knee injury earlier in the week, bringing his first season with the club to a premature end. This has undoubtedly been a difficult situation to process for Gundogan, so before Sunday’s match against Arsenal, his teammates lined up in his №8 shirt as a show of solidarity.

The lads walk out in @IlkayGuendogan shirts to show solidarity with their team mate. Get well soon, Ilkay! #mcfc pic.twitter.com/1IW7a0mIBH

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 18, 2016

It was a lovely gesture, but it also created a bit of confusion since this level of tribute is usually reserved for someone who suffered a bit more than an injured knee.

https://twitter.com/ElijahRedDevil1/status/810528098357800960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Regardless of Gundogan’s status, the desire to honor him seemed to galvanize City, as they came back from a 1–0 halftime deficit to beat Arsenal 2–1. After the match, Gundogan expressed his appreciation on Twitter and also took the opportunity to assure every that he is still alive.

Thanks to my teammates 👏👏🏽 & of course – congrats to my boys to this crucial win against #AFC👍 PS: Don't worry – I'm still alive 😉 #MCIARS pic.twitter.com/det9q7C8Wp

— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) December 18, 2016

Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had to come off 13 minutes after entering the match due to a muscle injury, so look for Arsenal to build a statue for him outside the Emirates to try and inspire a Boxing Day win against West Brom.