“It’s not that I find joy” – Jeremy Doku reacts as Arsenal hand Manchester City title race lifeline

Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku has issued his verdict on Arsenal slipping up in the title race at the weekend after losing to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.

A week on from gaining bragging rights over cross-town rivals City, Manchester United and Michael Carrick silenced their doubters by claiming a surprise 3-2 win at the home of the title favourites – reducing the Gunner’s lead at the top of the table to four points.

City have made a slow start to 2026 and only earned their first Premier League victory of 2026 against Wolves on Saturday as Omar Marmoush returned to the scoresheet and notched his first goal of the league season, with Antoine Semenyo doubling his side’s lead with a third goal in his first fortnight in Manchester City colours.

The jury remains out on whether Pep Guardiola’s side can cope with their long list of absentees as the season progresses but their shrewd recruitment of Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January has given the dressing room a much-needed lift as they vie for silverware on four fronts.

After missing last week’s UEFA Champions League defeat to Bodo/Glimt in Norway, Jeremy Doku returned to action against Wolves as he came on in the second-half alongside Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, both of whom were rested at the weekend.

Doku is set to start for City in a monumental group-stage decider against Galatasaray and the 23-year-old winger will want to impress against the returning Ilkay Gundogan and co as competition heats up in the wide attacking areas.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of City’s final group-stage clash, Doku was asked for his two cents on Arsenal’s slip-up against Manchester United that hands the Blues renewed hope in the title race.

“It’s difficult to say; it’s not that I find joy,” the Belgium international said. “I didn’t watch the game (Arsenal vs Manchester United), honestly, I didn’t. But I saw they lost.

“I know there’s a lot of games in this competition and (Manchester) United, we lost against them but they played very well. We weren’t at our best.

“There are a lot of games, we just need to focus on ourselves, need to do our job. “We still play them (Arsenal) as well. So a lot of things will happen. I wasn’t really focussed on that, but if they lose it’s better for us, for sure.”

Manchester City will face Arsenal in a monumental Premier League contest on April 18 but Guardiola will be reminding his players – many of whom have been recruited in the last year and have not been involved in title races – that they would be best served by taking it game by game in the coming months.

Regardless, the Blues have plenty of winning experience in their ranks and Guardiola will be counting upon his leadership group – comprising club captain Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Ruben Dias and Haaland – as well as Gianluigi Donnarumma – can help steer a new-look dressing room to silverware.