THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
WHY RAYAN CHERKI DESERVES TO START MANCHESTER CITY’S MUST-WIN REAL MADRID REMATCH
Rayan Cherki’s creative cameo wasn't enough to save City’s title hopes as focus shifts to the Real Madrid UCL clash.
Pep Guardiola, as always, has shown he’s willing to face criticism head-on, especially when it comes to his tactical choices. After Manchester City’s recent draw at the London Stadium, all eyes turned to his handling of Rayan Cherki. The young substitute’s influence on the game starkly contrasted with the lacklustre performance of the starting lineup.
That draw against West Ham was a blow to City’s title hopes, putting them nine points behind the league leaders. Guardiola decided to deploy Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush on the wings to support Erling Haaland, but that front three failed to break down a stubborn West Ham defence. The game’s momentum shifted in the second half when Cherki came on alongside other subs like Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. Cherki’s creativity and close ball control started to open up opportunities that hadn’t been there in the first hour, although City still couldn’t find the winner.
In the post-match analysis, Guardiola didn’t shy away from owning up to his decisions. He called his starting lineup a “bad selection” and openly accepted the criticism. He explained that the problem partly comes down to balance: earlier in the season, playing Erling Haaland alongside players like Doku or Cherki made the team feel unsteady, lacking the Premier League stability required.
Still, despite the dropped points, Guardiola remains hopeful. He sees City as a team developing, one that has grown quite a bit but is still a work in progress. He defended starting Semenyo, recognising the stability brought by players like him and Nico O’Reilly on the wings. At the same time, he praised Cherki’s unique impact, especially when coming off the bench late in games, even if the young player doesn’t always have the pace.
As the Premier League frustrations settle, City’s focus now shifts quickly to their upcoming Champions League showdown with Real Madrid. Facing a 3-0 aggregate deficit, this midweek tie promises to be a stern test, demanding all the tactical acumen Guardiola can muster.
