Nico O’Reilly is relishing a push for Club World Cup glory with Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s team have relinquished the Premier League title to Liverpool this season, though they are into the FA Cup final and are well set to qualify for the Champions League.
City will have a busy summer, too, given they will feature at the newly expanded Club World Cup.
The tournament will take place in the United States across June and July, with a lucrative prize pot on the line.
And O’Reilly insists City will be taking it seriously.
“It should be really good – it’s going to be a huge competition over in America and it will be a good experience,” said O’Reilly, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season.
“Anything trophy-wise we want to win. It’s just the way we are as a team. We definitely want to win it and we’ll try our best to win it.”
Before the Club World Cup rolls around, City must ensure they finish in the top five of the Premier League, while also looking to win the FA Cup.
They face Wolves on Friday, and have reportedly been boosted by the return to training of star striker Erling Haaland.
City beat Wolves thanks to a last-gasp John Stones goal earlier this season, and Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has scored six goals in his last six Premier League appearances, conceded it was a hurtful defeat.
“It was a sad end to the game [at Molineux], and I felt like that was the first half of our season, every game ended in a bad way, even though we played a good game,” said the Wolves striker, speaking to the club’s official media channels.
“We had a 1-0 lead for a long time, and then they snatched all three points at the end, so that was annoying. Going into this game, it’s going to be tough. It’s one of the best teams in the world, great players, but we want to be ourselves, and we have to see after the game how it’s gone.
“We can go there to win if we play a really good game, but we can also play a good game and lose. So, the most important thing for us is to keep on going and try to be ourselves, not changing anything, and that’s the message from the gaffer, to be ourselves, not trying to be different.
“We want to keep the ball, try to go there and create something and be dangerous, but at the same time, we need to watch that they don’t run over us with the good players.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester City – Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne could feature in his penultimate home game at the Etihad Stadium.
The Belgian has been involved in 10 goals in just nine Premier League appearances against Wolves, scoring five and assisting five. They are one of two teams he has 5+ goals and 5+ assists against in the competition, along with Crystal Palace (five goals, nine assists).
Wolves – Matheus Cunha
Cunha could well be playing for City’s rivals Manchester United next season, with speculation mounting over a move to Old Trafford.
He has been involved in 21 goals in the Premier League this season, scoring 15 and assisting six. It is the second-most goal involvements for a Wolves player in a single campaign, after Raul Jimenez in 2019-20 (17 goals, six assists).
MATCH PREDICTION: MAN CITY WIN
City have won their last three Premier League games – only once this season have they won more consecutively, doing so in their first four matches of 2024-25.
Since completing the double over City in 2019-20, Wolves have lost eight of their last nine Premier League games against them (W1).
City have won eight of their last nine Premier League home games against Wolves, with the exception being a 2-0 loss in October 2019.
Wolves have, though, won each of their last four Premier League away games. They last won more consecutive league games on the road in October 2013 (five in League One), while they last did so in the top-flight in April 1980.
Overall, they have won each of their last six Premier League games, the joint-longest winning run of any side this term. Only once have they ever won seven in a row in the top-flight, doing so in September/October 1946.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man City – 66.6%
Wolves – 15.2%
Draw – 18.2%
