Tijjani Reijnders has issued a message to Arsenal, indicating that Manchester City is still very much “on the hunt” for the Premier League title.
In recent weeks, City has intensified the challenge for the top spot by narrowing Arsenal’s lead to just four points, following wins against Liverpool and Fulham.
Pep Guardiola’s squad also advanced in the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over League Two side Salford on Saturday, maintaining their momentum across various competitions.
Reijnders stated: “The atmosphere is positive, but it was also good previously. Naturally, we’ve dropped some points, but we are still in pursuit and will keep pushing forward.”
“We’ll see how things go, but if we continue this way, who knows what can happen?”
City had a commanding 8-0 victory against Salford in their previous meeting in the third round last year, but the latest match at the Etihad Stadium was a more subdued affair.
The match saw City take the lead early with an own goal from Alfie Dorrington in the sixth minute. After that, they settled into a more reserved approach.
Salford managed to create some pressure, with former Liverpool midfielder Ben Woodburn and Brandon Cooper coming close to scoring before halftime, but City remained composed.
Marc Guéhi, who recently joined from Crystal Palace, came on as a substitute and sealed the win with his first goal for the club late in the match.
Reijnders played the entire match, having been one of nine players rotated in by Guardiola.
He remarked: “They didn’t want a repeat of last season’s game, so for them, it was mainly about defending. It was challenging at times to find gaps and create opportunities, but the most important thing is that we’ve advanced to the next round.”
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This is Reijnders’ first season at City after a £46.5 million transfer from AC Milan last summer.
At 27 years old, he commented: “Fortunately, I’ve already played many games and the coach has allowed me to adjust. I really enjoy it here. I like the Premier League, and especially I’m fond of the team I’m playing with now.”