Jeremy Doku says Manchester City are very much still in the title race but will stay in their “bubble” for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, following criticism of the team’s performances and results in recent weeks.
Doku was on target against Nottingham Forest in the 3-0 win at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, as Pep Guardiola’s side closed the gap on league leaders Liverpool to seven points.
“They can say whatever they want,” said the 22-year-old winger of the criticism his team has received (as per BBC Sport).
“We just stay in our bubble and we’re still in December.
“If they think it’s over, let them think it’s over. We are going to look game by game, try to win as much as possible and we will see at the end.”
Doku returned to City’s starting XI on Wednesday, weighing in with an assist as well as his goal.
The Belgium international says Guardiola’s team block out external criticism and remain focused on themselves rather than what their competitors are doing.
He added: “At the end of the day, when everything goes well they’re going to hype you up. When everything goes bad, you’re the worst.
“We don’t listen, we concentrate on ourselves in our bubble. We know together we’ll be stronger.”
City entered the game against Forest on a four-match losing streak in the league, with Doku explaining how significant Wednesday’s victory was for the morale of the squad.
“We were waiting for this win,” he said. “We know it’s difficult as a team. We are used to winning so when we had some difficulties to win a game it’s difficult.
“We didn’t listen to the noise of the outside. We just kept working and grinding.”
