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Gundogan appeared to have opened the floodgates at the half-hour mark, but Ruben Dias’ own goal two minutes before half-time proved costly as City’s problems in front of goal continued into a goalless second half.
City have won just five of their first 12 league games of the season, a far cry from the combined 198 points they recorded in two title-winning campaigns with Guardiola in 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Even last season when they finished second behind Liverpool, City scored 102 league goals, but the stale dominance that has characterized a lackluster campaign was on display all night as they struggled to break through West Brom’s deep defense.
“We had great years where we played great football in the past, so we set a high standard,” Gundogan said. “All over Europe, all the great teams are struggling with tight matches and it is not going to get any easier in the coming weeks.
“That is an explanation why it is not always as easy as the expectations that people have of us. We are not machines, but we also know when we have not played our best game.”
City could have moved within three points of leaders Tottenham and Liverpool, who meet on Wednesday. Instead, Guardiola’s men climb to fifth place on goal difference, still five points off the top.
“You have to win these games, we know it, so we are losing points,” Guardiola admitted. “The top of the league is not far, but you have to win games. We are still in early December and there are many games to play.”
City enjoyed 77 percent possession and had 26 shots on target, but not until a late flurry of crosses from Kevin De Bruyne produced two impressive saves by Sam Johnstone to deny that Gundogan and Raheem Sterling were open to West Brom.
“We created enough to win the game. We did everything, but in the end you have to score,” Guardiola added. “We have to be optimistic that in the end we will score goals.”
West Brom had the first big chance of the game when the ball bounced off Joao Cancelo in the way of Karlan Grant and forced Ederson to make a good save to his left.
City’s poll was finally rewarded in the half hour when Sterling reached the baseline and his court was fired home from the edge of the area by Gundogan.
But the hosts shot themselves in the foot by conceding for the first time in seven games two minutes before the break as they failed to clear a free kick into the box and Semi Ajayi’s shot was deflected into their own net by Dias.
It was one-way traffic after the break when City set up camp in the middle of West Brom, but it lacked the imagination or the pace to open up to visitors.
De Bruyne was the most likely candidate to provide the inspiration his team needed, but twice Johnstone on West Brom’s goal denied the Belgian with low saves to his left.
Guardiola drew City’s all-time top scorer, Sergio Agüero, off the bench during the final 15 minutes, but the Argentine’s lack of sharpness after a series of injury problems showed he amply cut off the kind of opportunity he so often has buried.
Johnstone’s heroic deeds in injury time to deny Gundogan and Sterling earned his team a valuable draw that puts them within two safety points.
