Nico O'Reilly rise epitomises 'new' Manchester City in EFL Cup triumph vs Arsenal

Manchester City are EFL Cup winners for a ninth time after beating Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday, claiming their first trophy in the competition since 2021. Those watching might have expected a team built by Pep Guardiola, overflowing with attacking excellence throughout the squad, to be celebrating a goal from Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo or Rayan Cherki. But the steep rise of Nico O'Reilly from squad player to one key first-team member over the past 12 months embodies how the Catalan has changed his view on football.

Gone are the days of diminutive playmakers playing tiki-taka football at City. Their fans watched in wonder when David Silva and Sergio Aguero toyed with the opposition for much of the 2010s. But modern football has undergone a dramatic transformation; it's all about versatile powerhouses with incredible athleticism and an ability to do several jobs at once. Declan Rice does that job for Arsenal, and O'Reilly is City's utility man who can do just about anything. His performance spoke to his incredible work rate, defensive resilience and, to the delight of City, his timing of runs into the box.

His quick-fire double within four minutes, just after the hour mark, stunned Arsenal into silence. It had been an even - if unspectacular game - at Wembley in the first 45 minutes, dominated by flying challenges from Piero Hincapie and Abdulkodir Khusanov. But City had shown signs of threatening in the wide areas and Arsenal failed to react in time to halt the threat. The opening goal arrived when Cherki crossed from the right and Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to catch the ball, instead watching it squirm out of his gloves towards O'Reilly, who headed into the empty net.

The sheer determination to get there ahead of Martin Zubimendi was clear to see. He even started on the backfoot, having to re-adjust his shape before stretching his neck out to nod home. Only four minutes later, Arsenal were punished with a similar goal. Matheus Nunes raced down the right flank and floated in a cross to find O'Reilly at the far post, and there was no doubt he would find the net again to spark wild celebrations.

Manchester blue runs through his blood

Winning the cup final will mean everything to O’Reilly, who is Manchester born and bred. Growing up in Collyhurst, he revealed that he has a tattoo with the digits “0161” imprinted on his skin, a tribute to his hometown’s landline dialling code.

“That’s where I grew up – Manchester. It’s me, how I became who I am today," he told The Guardian. "Growing up there, I really enjoyed it. I used to go out and play football every day with my friends. I’m still in touch with a lot of them. We still get along, I speak to them here and there. I’m from Collyhurst but recently moved away. I loved living there."

It's a testament to his maturity and character that no one ever seems to be mention O'Reilly's age when discussing his ability. But it's so easy to forget that he only celebrated his 21st birthday on March, 21, the eve of the final at Wembley.

Incredible market value rise

He has had to wait patiently for his chance to break through at the Etihad, when he could've easily gone elsewhere in search of regular football like his friends Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers did with Chelsea and Middlesbrough (and later Aston Villa) respectively. Now, that patience is being rewarded. Incredibly, this time last year, his market value was just €7 million. Advance 12 months and now, it's €50 million. If that doesn't encapsulate his incredible rise to prominence, not much else will.

Only Tijjani Reijnders has played more games than O'Reilly's 43 appearances this season and he's contributed eight goals and five assists. He took his chance in the Club World Cup last year and hasn't looked back. Originally slated as a left-back, Guardiola has moved him back into central midfield - his preferred position - and reaped the benefits.

O'Reilly's performances at club level led to him making his senior England debut in November when he played the entirety of the 2-0 World Cup qualifier win against Serbia. Last week, he was selected in Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad and will surely get another chance to impress at Wembley ahead of the World Cup, which starts in June. Performances like this will only strengthen his argument to command a starting place.

The Premier League title might not be heading to the Etihad Stadium this season, but O'Reilly's brilliance has at least guaranteed he will win one trophy this season with the EFL Cup in the bag. At 21 years of age, he is capable of winning many, many more.