Manchester City hero Nico O’Reilly believes victory over Arsenal at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final could change the momentum in the Premier League title race.
Nico O’Reilly was a hero at Manchester City (Image: Rob Newell/Getty Images)
Nico O’Reilly says Manchester City “smelled blood” at Wembley and are now ready to corner Arsenal in the title race. City won their first trophy of the season in the Carabao Cup final, dealing a “huge blow” to their fierce rivalry with Arsenal.
And O’Reilly said he believed City could overtake Arsenal in the title race with the Gunners due to visit the Etihad on April 19. Asked if he could smell blood, City’s game-winning hero O’Reilly replied: “Yes, 100 per cent. The blood never went away. We’ve always smelled blood.”
“We’re confident in ourselves and we know what we can do. As everyone has experienced this season, it’s a tough spot for them to come to our spot. So we smell the blood and we’ve got to keep going. That’s very good for us and we just have to build momentum and push on now. Obviously it’s a big blow for them. They were as committed to everything as we were.”
City are nine points behind Arsenal in the title race, but with a game remaining against the Gunners, next month’s showdown at the Etihad is shaping up to be a title decider. City have edged Arsenal in the title race in two of the past three seasons, both still in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
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But City clearly have the experience and know-how to beat Arsenal, and that must be motivating Gunners manager Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are still aiming for three trophies.
Josep Guardiola is the mastermind behind another victory over managerial rival Arteta, and O’Reilly says the City manager’s determination and approach is having an impact on his players. O’Reilly added, “Just his winning mentality. He wants to win everything. He wants us to work hard every day.”
O’Reilly believes victory at Wembley could be a springboard for City and change the momentum in their bid to chase down Arsenal again.
“100 per cent, it’s a blow for them. We now need to build on this win and build momentum. We need to kick off as soon as the international break is over and fight hard.”
Arsenal missed out on winning their first trophy in six years (Image: Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
“We have Premier League games coming up so we have to play them at our place. We are still in the FA Cup but Liverpool are a tough draw and we know that so we need to do everything we can to keep winning.”
“We have great leaders and players who have won a lot of games, so it’s definitely very important to have them around because they will definitely help the young players who haven’t been in the situation we were in before in the title race and haven’t won as many trophies.”
O’Reilly says they will only focus on themselves, but says the narrative around the Arsenal-City rivalry is only going to get bigger from here on out and a win in the final could be a big boost. He added: “Without a doubt, this competition is huge in English football. In the semi-final we beat the holders and today we beat league leaders Arsenal. It’s a great competition, a great game and playing at Wembley is always great and special, so let’s start now.”
Nico O’Reilly scored two headers in four minutes of the second half (Image: Getty Images)
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“You know what social media and stuff is like. We just have to focus on ourselves. The changing room is happy, everyone is happy with each other and we need to keep moving forward. You never know how Arsenal feel, but it’s clear they’re upset that they didn’t win the trophy. We’ll keep moving forward.”
O’Reilly celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, won the Carabao Cup on Sunday and is now looking forward to the World Cup.
He admitted he needs to pinch himself every now and then, adding: “A little bit, like I said, I feel great, but I’m not going to get ahead of myself and I’m not going to do anything like that. I’ve got a lot to play and a lot to do, so I’m just going to buckle up and keep moving forward. It’s been a perfect weekend. I couldn’t have asked for more. Now we can celebrate a little bit and get ready for the international break.”
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