Tijjani Reijnders has issued a bold message surrounding the Premier League title race with Arsenal ahead of the weekend’s clash with Manchester United.
City currently sit six points behind the league leaders and arrive at Old Trafford off the back of three consecutive Premier League draws against Sunderland, Chelsea, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
While those results have somewhat slowed momentum, there remains a sense that performances have been stronger than the points return suggests, and that consistency could quickly swing the race back in their favour.
Recent weeks have seen Pep Guardiola rotate his squad heavily, managing both fitness levels and form during a congested run of fixtures, alongside an injury-hit defence. There is also a wider belief inside the club that City are still building towards their best football, and with key fixtures approaching, the coming weeks are seen as pivotal.
Speaking as part of a new and exclusive interview with The Times’ Paul Hirst, Tijjani Reijnders has admitted that both he and his teammates are “confident” of catching Arsenal in the race for this season’s Premier League title.
First, admitting to a new outlook on his position within the Manchester City squad since joining from AC Milan last summer, Reijnders said, “If you look at our team and how many games we play, it’s almost impossible to play every game.
“That’s something that changed for me, because to be honest I was a bit spoilt the last three or four seasons, where I played every game.”
And looking to the ongoing title race in the English top-flight, the Netherlands international insisted, “We have to keep the pressure on Arsenal, so it’s very important for us to win this game and get in the right flow again.
“We are pretty confident [of catching Arsenal], to be honest. We all feel like we are really growing this season and that’s a good sign. I think we have the feeling that we’ve not reached our ceiling yet.”
Manchester City will travel to Old Trafford this weekend, and take on a potentially rejuvenated Manchester United side now operating under the leadership of stand-in head coach Michael Carrick.
Comparing the clash in Manchester with that of Milan’s derby, Tijjani Reijnders said, “Everything about the Milan derby was intense. I remember my wife saying one year, ‘Can we go out for dinner on Thursday?’ I was like, ‘Are you crazy?! Saturday is the derby! We can’t go out for dinner.’ Everything about the build-up, the experience, it’s so intense.”
On whether he would be wining and dining ahead of the Manchester derby, Reijnders insisted, “No, I’ll be keeping a low profile. United will get new energy [from the change in management]. They’ve had a lot of changes and their players will want to prove something to their fans so we have to be ready and we really can’t underestimate them.”
Tijjani Reijnders’ comments underline the mindset Manchester City are trying to maintain as the title race enters a decisive phase, and despite dropped points in recent weeks, the belief internally appears strong that Arsenal’s lead can still be reeled in through sustained pressure.
The derby at Old Trafford now takes on added importance, not just for local pride but as a potential catalyst for Manchester City’s title push. A victory would close the gap psychologically, if not immediately in the table, and could provide the momentum Pep Guardiola’s side have been searching for.
With a demanding schedule ahead and Arsenal showing few signs of slowing down themselves, Manchester City’s margin for error is shrinking. However, as Reijnders suggests, there is a growing feeling that this squad has another level to reach.