Manchester City suffered a 0-2 defeat to Manchester United in the 198th Manchester derby, plunging the team into a recent slump.

This marks Manchester City's second consecutive defeat in seven matches across all competitions since the start of January 2026. Facing criticism, Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who has had a standout season, stepped up to encourage the team.

Ahead of Manchester City's crucial Premier League match against Wolves at home, Reijindez made it clear that the team must stop their losing streak immediately, and the secret to winning lies in returning to their roots.

“We must master the fundamentals and win matches; that’s the most important thing and the source of our energy,” Reijindes said in an interview. “We had a winning streak at the end of 2025, and we are fully capable of doing it again. Although our momentum is currently stalled, I am confident that we can regain our form as soon as possible.”

Regarding the defeat at Old Trafford, Reijindez did not shy away from the team's painful emotions: "We were all devastated, after all, everyone wants to win the derby."

"But fortunately, the tight schedule leaves us no time to wallow in self-pity. We have a game every three days, and our top priority now is to take all three points and put that loss behind us."

Despite the team's recent struggles, Raikinders' debut Premier League season has been nothing short of spectacular. Since joining from AC Milan in the summer of 2025, the Dutch international has quickly adapted to English football, contributing 6 goals and 7 assists in 32 official appearances.

Apart from the Premier League match against Wolves, Manchester City still have hopes of winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League titles, but at the league level, they desperately need a victory to boost morale.

Image source: Internet/Manchester City official website