Ilkay Gundogan believes that Manchester City's most experienced players can feel pressure just as much as the youngest members of the squad as the Blues continue to struggle through a difficult campaign.

Injuries have derailed Pep Guardiola's side this season and meant that Gundogan's return from Barcelona has not gone to plan. The 34-year-old midfielder has played more than expected as teammates have fallen down around him, but found it difficult to find his best form in a team that has lost their confidence and rhythm in a damaging set of results.

City were set to make it four wins in a row in all competitions on Tuesday night as they led Brentford 2-0 after 82 minutes, only to concede two late goals that left them deflated. That leaves them with just four victories from their last 17 matches ahead of a crucial end to the Champions League group phase this month.

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Guardiola has leaned on his senior players, preferring to use their experience of defending the legacy they have built to get them out of their slump. However, they have been unable to turn the tide and City are looking to make Omar Marmoush their third signing of an unexpectedly busy January window.

Speaking on The Ranveer Show, Gundogan opened up on the pressure as a top footballer when things aren't going well. The midfielder does not accept that experience makes things easier necessarily as everyone deals with things differently.

"Everyone is living with a lot of pressure. I feel like some are better in terms of not allowing the pressure to get to them, some are not, but there are always phases," he said.

"When everything is going well you never really think much, and I had those phases a lot at Man City because we had a lot of periods where everything was smooth and going well and you feel full of confidence and it doesn't matter who the next opponent is, you're going to win the game. But sometimes you have phases that are not going that well.

"They say sometimes the more experienced players should be able to deal better with it and I don't always agree. Every situation is different and sometimes you have periods that are difficult, even when you are 33 or 34 years old. There's not always a big difference between an 18- or 19-year-old and a 33- or 34-year-old because you allow that pressure to get to you and it's difficult to deal with it."

City players are still convinced that Guardiola can lead them back to their best, having achieved so much success together in recent years. The club have started the process of rebuilding the squad, yet the manager still believes the current team can achieve things once their injury crisis eases.

However, the players still have to have that fire burning to want to rise to the next challenge. Gundogan is fully committed to the fight, and says it is difficult for others to help you maintain your level if the individual desire is not there.

"Winning first is obviously difficult but winning so many times year by year is so challenging. We were the first team to achieve 100 points, winning the Premier League four times in a row is remarkable, the only team after Man United in English history to win the Treble - I just feel we have done a lot to be remembered in the future," said Gundogan.

"I don't like to think about that because I love to live in the future and still keep going for everything, which is already tough enough, and maybe one day when I am retired and lie by the pool I can maybe think about it and be proud sitting with friends and family. For now, I still have a lot of things that I would like to achieve with this special club.

"You need to find for yourself your personal drive to go again. [Pep] helps you and the people around the club help you a lot but if it's not coming from yourself at one point it's not that easy to be honest with you.