There was more penalty drama for Manchester City as the Premier League leaders visited reigning champions Liverpool on Sunday.
Gundogan skied his spot-kick at an empty Anfield, although it would not prove a costly miss as City ran out 4-1 winners to extend their advantage at the summit.
Pep Guardiola will no doubt be keen to correct a remarkable failing in his outstanding side's game, however.
City's record from 12 yards features in our quirky facts from the weekend's top-flight action.
Sterling's penchant for pens wasted at City
As Gundogan, who later scored twice, blazed over in front of the Kop, it meant City have now accounted for four of the past six Premier League spot-kicks to miss the target - including three against Liverpool (also Riyad Mahrez in October 2018 and Kevin De Bruyne in November 2020).
City are five points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand but could be in an even more commanding position if they were more clinical from the spot.
In Raheem Sterling, City boast the player who has won more penalties (21) than any other in Premier League history, the latest seeing Fabinho trip the former Liverpool forward.
Sterling is unlikely to ease his side's penalty woes, however, having scored just one of his four attempts in the competition.
Only two players in Premier League history have a worse record after taking at least four penalties, with Mike Newell and Juninho Paulista each missing all their four attempts.
Nick Barmby, like Sterling, netted one of four. No player in the competition has ever taken five or more penalties and converted fewer than two.
Lloris longevity leading Ronaldo and Messi
Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris made his 500th top-flight appearance in the 2-0 win over West Brom, keeping his 173rd clean sheet.
Since his Ligue 1 bow for Nice in March 2006, no player has appeared more often in Europe's top five leagues than the World Cup-winning France goalkeeper.
Second on the list over that span is another goalkeeper still going strong in Inter's Samir Handanovic on 493 games, coincidentally also registering 173 clean sheets.
And the two biggest names of all sit third and fourth, Cristiano Ronaldo on 484 appearances just ahead of Lionel Messi's 480.
Karim Benzema (463) makes the top 10, while David Silva (448), Sergio Ramos (446) and Sergio Aguero (443) are all in the top 20.
Saints star not quite the free-kick king
James Ward-Prowse's latest free-kick goal came in a losing effort for Southampton at Newcastle United, but he nudged further up the all-time Premier League standings.
The spectacular effort at St James' Park was the England international's 10th direct free-kick strike in the competition, becoming the ninth player to that mark.
Ward-Prowse has scored with 13.9 per cent of his 72 direct free-kick shots, while 37 per cent of his 27 Premier League goals have come via this method.
Only Laurent Robert (11 of 23 goals for 47.8 per cent) and Sebastian Larsson (11 of 26 goals for 42.3 per cent) netted a greater share of their goals in the competition direct from set-pieces.
Ward-Prowse still has some way to go to match David Beckham's record of 20 free-kick goals, however. Thierry Henry (12), Gianfranco Zola (12) and Ronaldo (11), along with Robert and Larsson, are the others still above the Southampton star.
His tally of four this term trails only Beckham in 2000-01 and Robert the following season (both five) over a single campaign.
Erling Haaland aware of the weight of Man City’s Champions League expectations
Erling Haaland admits the pressure is on as he prepares for Manchester City’s Champions League date with destiny.
The Premier League winners face Inter Milan on Saturday night bidding to claim the European crown for the first time.
Victory would not only end years of frustration and near-misses in pursuit of the continent’s top club prize but complete a glorious treble.
City’s outstanding season, which has also included winning the FA Cup as well as a fifth domestic league title in six years, has been fuelled by the goals of Haaland.
The prolific Norwegian has scored 52 times in an outstanding first season at the Etihad Stadium and is well aware the club hope he proves the final piece in their jigsaw.
“Of course I feel pressure,” the 22-year-old said. “I would lie if I said I didn’t.
“It’s true – they won the Premier League without me, they won every trophy without me. So I’m here to try to do a thing that the club has never done before and I’ll do my best.”
Winning the Champions League is also the chief reason manager Pep Guardiola was brought to the club.
Victory for him would end a 12-year wait to reclaim the trophy since the second of his two triumphs as Barcelona boss.
“It’s absolutely a dream,” said the Catalan. “What has happened in the past is in the past. It’s an incredible competition.
“Inter Milan is bigger than us in terms of history but what’s important is at 10pm Istanbul time we do the best performance possible and that can make the difference.”
Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who left the field injured in City’s final defeat to Chelsea two years ago, admits winning the competition has become an obsession as well as a dream.
“Maybe it’s both,” said the Belgium international. “Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top.
“If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.”
City have a fully-fit squad for the clash at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, which was also the venue for Liverpool’s remarkable victory in 2005.
Nerves and tension are likely to increase in the build-up to the match but defender Ruben Dias feels the team are ready to thrive in such circumstances.
“We love the pressure, we love it,” he said. “The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused.
“That’s what these kind of games need and we need to embrace it. It’s another time for all of us to step up to the occasion.”
Vermes: Sporting Kansas City unlikely to sign Ronaldo
Sporting Kansas City are unlikely to make another move to try and sign Cristiano Ronaldo in an attempt to compete with Inter Miami bringing in Lionel Messi.
That is according to SKC coach Peter Vermes.
Sporting were interested in signing Ronaldo after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner left Manchester United late last year.
However, the MLS side could not make a deal work that would compete with the offer Ronaldo received from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
It was confirmed this week that Messi would be joining SKC’s league rivals Miami, but Vermes shrugged off the chance of signing Ronaldo.
“No, he’s wrapped up for two years on a significant amount of money. I think the transfer fee would be a little out of our range,” he said ahead of SKC’s meeting with Austin FC.
“At the time when we were thinking about doing that deal, [Messi going to Miami] was in the back of our head, because there was talk of him going to Miami at the end of the world cup. It could have been – could have, should have, would have – those are all kinds of things in life. The fact that [Messi] is coming is tremendous.”
Vermes explained he is thrilled to see Messi come to MLS, comparing the Argentine to NBA icon Michael Jordan.
“I thought when David Beckham came to the league he had an incredible impact on our league, and the notoriety that got worldwide, he helped achieve a new bar in how people perceived our league,” he said.
“Messi’s the best player in the world, so to be able to have the best player in the world playing in the league that you’re involved in, that’s tremendous. It’s a huge opportunity for our league, it’s great in so many ways and from the fans’ perspective too. It’s like watching Michael Jordan play basketball – he’s from another planet that guy, when he plays.”
Kevin De Bruyne and Pep Guardiola: Champions League is City dream and obsession
Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne admit winning the Champions League has become both a dream and an obsession for Manchester City.
City stand on the brink of glory as they prepare to face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday.
Guardiola’s side are strong favourites for a game that could not only see them crowned European champions for the first time but complete the treble.
The Premier League winners are hoping to put years of frustration behind them after several near misses in their pursuit of the prize they covet most.
De Bruyne gave his feelings on the matter when he was asked if victory was a “dream” or an “obsession” as City held a pre-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Friday.
“Maybe both, it depends who you ask,” said the Belgium playmaker. “Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top.
“If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.”
“To compete every year is amazing, and I’ve been able to compete against the best, but we’ve got a chance to close that if we are good enough.”
City have reached the knockout stages of the tournament in each of Guardiola’s seven seasons as manager but they are yet to fulfil their ambition.
Their runners-up finish two seasons ago, when they were beaten by Chelsea in the final, is the closest they have come.
Guardiola, who won the competition twice as Barcelona boss, said: “It’s absolutely a dream, yes.
“To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire.
“It’s a positive word for the desire and will to win it. It is of course a dream for us.”
City’s outstanding season has been fuelled by the goalscoring of Erling Haaland.
The prolific Norwegian has netted 52 goals in an outstanding first campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland admitted this week has was brought to City to win the Champions League and Guardiola – whose two previous successes came in tandem with Lionel Messi at Barcelona – hopes he proves the final piece of the jigsaw.
Asked what he would advise managers hoping to emulate his achievements, Guardiola said: “Have good players – have Messi, have Haaland. This is my success. I’m not joking.
“Every manager who has had success has had strong institutions and exceptional players. I’ve never scored a goal as a manager.”
Haaland actually goes into the game having scored just once in his last seven outings but this is not a concern for Guardiola.
“I don’t have doubts,” he said. “If you have doubts about Erling scoring you are a very lonely person.
“Tomorrow he will be ready to help us win the Champions League.”
Haaland has formed a potent attacking partnership with De Bruyne.
De Bruyne was cheekily asked at the press conference if it had been “love at first sight” between the pair.
De Bruyne said: “No. I’m happy with my wife!”
Elaborating more, he added: “You have a feeling with a player and I understand what he wants. It clicked really well. He’s scored at an incredible rate and settled really easily.”
De Bruyne has been chasing Champions League success with City since 2015.
He said: “We have been consistent, we have been good enough, but we need to find a way to win the first one. It would be immense for the club and the fans, something amazing.”
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