Manchester City's top 5 underrated players of the Premier League era

#3 Edin Dzeko

Edin Dzeko celebrating a goal for Manchester City

Former Manchester City player Edin Dzeko was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1986.

He came through the youth ranks at Bosnian club Zeljeznicar, and made his senior debut for them in 2003. Like a few other top strikers of his generation, Dzeko has enjoyed a late-blossoming career. He has represented Manchester City, AS Roma and VfL Wolfsburg, among others.

The Bosnian and Herzegovinian played 191 games for Manchester City, scoring 72 goals and providing 44 assists. Dzeko is renowned for his physical strength, aerial ability and two-footedness. He is a unique striker, as he provides as many assists as he likes to score goals.

During his time with Manchester City, Dzeko won two Premier League titles and one FA Cup, among other honours. He scored a scintillating 72 goals in 117 starts for the club.

Edin Dzeko has also made 118 appearances for Bosnia and Herzegovina, scoring 60 goals and providing 23 assists. Dzeko ranks first in both goals scored and appearances made for his country.

He currently plays for Inter Milan, and has scored a respectable 11 goals and provided five assists in 25 games.

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#2 Ilkay Gundogan

Ilkay Gundogan posing with the Premier League trophy

Ilkay Gundogan was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, in 1990. He came through the youth ranks at VfL Bochum, and made his senior debut for them in 2008. After a notable and successful spell with Borussia Dortmund between 2011 and 2015, Gundogan moved to Manchester City for £20 million.

The German international has made 230 appearances for City, scoring 43 goals and providing 33 assists. Gundogan is an intelligent, well-rounded midfielder. He often plays as an attacking midfielder or wide playmaker.

With City, the German has won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups, among other honours. He has been one of the most underrated players under Pep Guardiola.

Gundogan has also represented Germany on 54 occasions, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists. He has been an integral part of Guardiola's midfield this season, helping City emerge as frontrunners for the Premier League title.

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#1 Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure posing with the Premier League trophy

Yaya Toure was born in Bouake, Ivory Coast, in 1983. He came through the youth ranks at ASEC Mimosas, and made his senior debut for Beveren in 2001. Mainly deployed as a box-to-box midfielder, Toure also played as a defensive midfielder. He notably represented the likes of Monaco, Barcelona and Manchester City.

Toure played 316 games for Manchester City, scoring 79 goals and providing 49 assists. He began his career as a striker, but later became a box-to-box midfielder, and excelled in his new position. He had incredible finesse, agility and ball control for his 6' 2" frame. Toure was exceptional in driving forward with the ball, and developed a knack for scoring goals at City.

With the Cityzens, he won three Premier League titles and one FA Cup, among other honours. The midfielder was named Manchester City's Player of the Year for his spectacular exploits in the 2013-14 season. Toure scored 20 goals, and provided nine assists in 35 league games that campaign.

The Ivorian has also represented his nation 97 times, scoring 19 goals. He won the Africa Cup of Nations with his country in 2015. Toure recently had a relatively unsuccessful spell in China with Qingdao Huanghai, and is currently without a club. He is one of the greatest African players of all time.