Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku backs team after Champions League exit
Winger Jeremy Doku insists Manchester City’s spirit remains unbroken after their Champions League elimination by Real Madrid on Tuesday, as attention quickly turns to Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola’s side were beaten 2-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate following a battling performance with 10 men at the Etihad Stadium.
The English champions came into the second leg facing an uphill battle following a heavy 3-0 defeat at the Bernabeu last week.
Their task had already been complicated by a recent Premier League draw with West Ham, leaving them nine points adrift of current leaders Arsenal.
Focus shifts to Wembley showpiece
Despite the deflating European exit, the Belgian international believes domestic success is still well within reach for the club.
“We played well with 11 against 11 and 10 against 11, and created chances,” the attacker stated.
“I feel like if we play like that every game we’ll put many teams in trouble.”
“There’s still a lot to play for, we’re still in three competitions, three trophies to win, and if we do that it’s still going to be a great season.”
Silva receives dressing room support
The hosts suffered a massive setback just 20 minutes into the contest when captain Bernardo Silva was dismissed for handling a shot on the goal line.
Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior converted the resulting penalty to extend the visitors’ aggregate advantage.
While prolific striker Erling Haaland levelled the scoreline on the night, Vinicius struck again in stoppage time to permanently seal the tie.
Doku stressed that the Portuguese midfielder has the unwavering backing of his team-mates despite the costly red card.
“Knowing him, I know he takes it very personally, but even after it, we stood there, we were in the game,” he added.
“He’s disappointed but we’re all there for him because we know his contribution to the team is massive.”
