Jeremy Doku is hoping to win the EFL Cup with Manchester City as they seek a response from their embarrassing Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid.
The Cityzens suffered a 5-1 aggregate defeat to the Spanish giants, after losing the second leg clash at the Etihad Stadium 2-1 on Tuesday night.
However, they must now quickly move on from that defeat and focus on their upcoming EFL Cup final against league rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s side face the Gunners after seeing off Newcastle United in the semifinals and will be hoping for a win to cover up for their midweek disappointment.
“It’s a good cure,” Doku said.
“We’ll do everything to win that game and to win a trophy. The next four games are very important. We now have to recover for Sunday and go game by game.”
Manchester City could still end the season with three trophies despite their elimination from the Championship League.
They face Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals next month, while they are also in contention to win the Premier League, although they are currently nine points behind Arsenal with a game in hand.
With eight games left to play for City this season, they must avoid any further slip-ups including in a title-deciding clash against Mikel Arteta’s side next month.
“There’s still a lot to play for. We’re still in three competitions, three trophies to win. If we do that it’s still going to be a great season”, Doku added.
“Of course we’re disappointed with the Champions League. It’s always a nice trophy to have. But there are some lessons to take out of these two games [against Real Madrid]. We have to recover well and we’re looking forward to the next games that we have.”
Manchester City will be eyeing their first EFL Cup triumph since the 2020-21 season when they face Arsenal in this season’s final at Wembley on Sunday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
