Man City have perfect ‘cure’ for Real Madrid woe as Arsenal loom
Manchester City were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night and now face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
Jeremy Doku spoke to the media after Manchester City’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid
Jeremy Doku has challenged Manchester City to respond to their Champions League heartache in perfect fashion by lifting the Carabao Cup this weekend.
City were beaten 2-1 by Real Madrid on Tuesday night having been reduced to 10 men midway through the first half when Bernardo Silva was sent off for handball on the line. Vinicius Jr converted the penalty and, after Erling Haaland levelled before the break, the Brazilian added a stoppage time second for the visitors to complete a 5-1 aggregate success.
It means City’s European campaign is over for another season, and, with their Premier League chances hanging by a thread given Arsenal’s nine-point lead at the top, the chance to beat the Gunners and lift the first silverware of the campaign at Wembley on Sunday is a huge opportunity.
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“That is a good cure to this game,” said Doku. “We will do everything to win that game.
“There is still a lot to play for, there is still three trophies to win. We do that, it is going to be a great season still. Of course we are disappointed with the Champions League, it is always a nice trophy to have but there are some lessons to take out of these two games. We recover well and look forward to the next games that we have.”
The message from the City camp after the midweek defeat to Real was one of pride, with the Blues producing a positive performance in the second leg despite the early red card. And Doku feels the tie will stand City in good stead for the future.
“We played well, 10 against 11, 11 against 11, we did well and created chances. I feel like if we play like that every game you will put many teams in trouble. There are some good things to take out of this game for the next one.
“We can be proud of our performance, playing against a big team like that 10 against 11 and still performing like we did, still putting them into trouble – not every team can do it.
“Unfortunately we didn’t win, but we can look each other in the eyes and be proud of each other. We will recover now, try and win the game on Sunday and be in the Champions League for next season.”
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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.