Manchester City hero Nico O'Reilly believes that their win over Arsenal at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final will trigger a momentum shift in the Premier League title race
Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly with the trophy
Nico O'Reilly was the hero for Manchester City(Image: Rob Newell/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Nico O'Reilly says Manchester City “smelt blood” at Wembley - and are now ready to hunt Arsenal down in the title race. City struck a “big blow” in their fierce rivalry with Arsenal by winning the first trophy of the season in the Carabao Cup final.
And now O’Reilly says City have the belief that they can overtake Arsenal in the title race, with the Gunners due to come to the Etihad on April 19. When asked if they could smell blood, City’s match-winning hero O’Reilly said: “Yeah 100 per cent. The blood never went - we’ve always smelt blood.
“We’re confident in ourselves, we know we can do it, they’ve got to come to our place which is a tough place to come to as everyone has seen this season. So we do smell blood and we’ve got to keep going. It does a lot for us, build momentum and just push on now. Obviously it’s a big blow for them. They were going for everything, just as we were.”
City are nine points behind Arsenal in the title race but do have a game in hand on the Gunners and next month’s showdown at the Etihad is shaping up to be a title decider. City have hunted Arsenal down in the title race in two of the past three seasons and both are still in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.
But clearly City have experience and the know-how of overcoming Arsenal which must be playing on Gunners manager Mikel Arteta’s mind. Arsenal are still in the hunt for three trophies.
Pep Guardiola masterminded another win over managerial rival Arteta and O’Reilly says the City boss’s determination and approach rubs off on the players. O’Reilly added: “Just his winning mentality. He wants to win everything. He wants us to work hard every day.”
O'Reilly believes that the Wembley win can act as a springboard for City and a momentum shift in their efforts to chase Arsenal down again.
He said: “100 per cent, it is a blow for them and we need to build on it and get some momentum from this win now. As soon as the international break is over we need to kick on and fight hard.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Dejection for Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Final match Arsenal and between Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Arsenal missed the opportunity to win their first trophy in six years(Image: Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
View 3 Images
“We have a game in hand in the Premier League, we have to play them at our place. We are still in the FA Cup, Liverpool is a tough tie and we know that so we need to do everything we can to keep going.
“We have some great leaders, players who have won a lot so they definitely help us young players through it all who haven't been in situations like us before in title races and won many trophies so it is definitely very important to have them around.”
O’Reilly says they will just focus on themselves but he says the narrative around the Arsenal-City rivalry will be huge now and winning the final could be a huge boost. He added: “Definitely, this competition is huge in English football. In the semis we beat the holders, today we beat Arsenal who are top of the league. It is a great competition, great games and to play at Wembley is always amazing and special so let's kick on now.
Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City celebrates
Nico O'Reilly scored two headers in four second-half minutes (Image: Getty Images)
View 3 Images
“You know what it is like with social media and stuff like that. We just need to focus on ourselves, the changing room is happy, everyone is happy with each other and we need to keep going. Who knows, I don't know how Arsenal are feeling. Obviously they will be upset they haven't won a trophy. We will keep going.”
O’Reilly celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, won the Carabao Cup on Sunday and now has the World Cup to look forward to.
He admitted he has to pinch himself at times and added: “A little bit, as I said it is a great feeling but I am not going to get ahead of myself or anything like that because there is a lot to play for and a lot to do so I will just knuckle down and keep going. Perfect weekend, couldn't have asked for much more. Now we can celebrate a bit and get ready for the international break.”
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
England's 2026 World Cup kits
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
Content Image