Man City are out of the Champions League after losing 5-1 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the last 16
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Jeremy Doku has tipped Man City to bounce backopen image in gallery
Jeremy Doku has tipped Man City to bounce back (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku insists the team’s standards remain high, despite a challenging week culminating in their Champions League exit.
The club now faces the immediate task of regrouping for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.
City’s European campaign concluded with a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the last-16. Following a 3-0 first-leg loss at the Bernabeu, they battled to a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, playing most of the match with 10 men.
This setback, coupled with a damaging Premier League draw at West Ham on Saturday, leaves them nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal, marking a frustrating period for the club.
Despite the recent disappointments, Doku maintains that team spirit is intact.
The Belgian international stated: "We played well. We played well with 11 against 11 and 10 against 11. We created chances. I feel like if we play like that every game we’ll put many teams in trouble. There are some good things to take out of this game to the next one."
Doku highlighted the remaining opportunities for silverware this season.
Vinicius Jr scored twice on Tuesday as Man City crashed out of the Champions Leagueopen image in gallery
Vinicius Jr scored twice on Tuesday as Man City crashed out of the Champions League (PA Wire)
"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. 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.
“We have to recover well and we’re looking forward to the next games that we have."
Attention now shifts to the Carabao Cup final, which Doku described as "a good cure" for their European woes. "We’ll do everything to win that game and to win a trophy," he affirmed.
The decisive moment in Tuesday’s Champions League tie came after just 20 minutes when captain Bernardo Silva was sent off for handling a Vinicius Junior shot on the line. Vinicius converted the resulting penalty.
Although Erling Haaland equalised and City registered 22 shots, they ultimately fell short, with Vinicius securing his second goal in stoppage time.
Doku expressed the squad’s full support for Silva. "Obviously he’s disappointed," he said.
"Knowing him, I know he takes it very personally. But even after it, we stood there, we were in the game. He’s disappointed but we’re all there for him. We know his contribution to the team is massive.
“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 that."