Man City secured an impressive win over their title rivals in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday
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Manchester City celebrate victory in the Carabao Cup final (Ben Whitley/PA).open image in gallery
Manchester City celebrate victory in the Carabao Cup final (Ben Whitley/PA). (PA Wire)
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Manchester City midfielder Rodri believes their Carabao Cup final triumph over Arsenal could significantly influence the Premier League title race, despite trailing their rivals by nine points.
The 2-0 victory at Wembley on Sunday not only secured the season's first major trophy but also provided a crucial morale boost following their midweek Champions League exit to Real Madrid. Rodri suggested the win has restored belief within the squad.
"A lot, a lot," Rodri stated when asked about the potential impact on the title race. "That’s why I told you it’s a game not only for this title but to show that we can beat them."
He added: "The Madrid game was pretty tough but the team has recovered. We knew it was a very important game not only because of the cup but also because we had to face the best team in the league."
Rodri believes his side’s Carabao Cup triumph could have a bearing on the title raceopen image in gallery
Rodri believes his side’s Carabao Cup triumph could have a bearing on the title race (PA Wire)
The two title contenders are set to clash again in a potentially pivotal Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium on April 19.
Before then, City has just two fixtures scheduled, with a postponed match against Crystal Palace yet to be rearranged, while Arsenal face a busier schedule of four games.
Rodri acknowledged the disappointment of European elimination but highlighted a silver lining.
"It’s clear we didn’t want to go out of the Champions League but we went out and now we have to take the positives, we have more time to prepare for the games," he explained. "There’s still a lot to do but that’s something to take into account – but we also have to celebrate this."
Despite weathering an early storm at Wembley, City largely dominated the final, taking control with two quick headers from Nico O’Reilly after the hour mark.
Nico O’Reilly’s two goals sealed victory for Cityopen image in gallery
Nico O’Reilly’s two goals sealed victory for City (PA Wire)
Rodri praised his teammate, noting, "I felt like they dropped a bit physically, we detected it and we wanted to go for them. You can tell when you have players who are good in the area and Nico O’Reilly has again shown his potential."
Looking ahead, Rodri concluded: "Now we need to rest, go back for the next round of internationals and come back with the optimism that we still have two more competitions to fight for."