Phil Foden responds to Nico O’Reilly’s Man City declaration
Manchester City academy graduates Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly were particularly enthused by their side’s big 3-0 win over local rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
After Pep Guardiola’s men defeated Ruben Amorim’s side, Foden dedicated the win to boxing icon and Manchester City fan Ricky Hatton, who passed away before the fixture.
The England international’s headed goal put Guardiola’s side in the driving seat at the Etihad Stadium, before Erling Haaland’s second-half brace put Man United to the sword.
Meanwhile, Football Insider have exclusively revealed that Newcastle United are set to offer Tino Livramento a new contract, amid interest from Man City.
Phil Foden responds as Nico O’Reilly declares that Manchester is blue
Manchester City’s 3-0 rout over Man United saw the Etihad Stadium outfit end their previously poor run of form as well as emphatically claiming local bragging rights over the Red Devils.
Prior to their victory over Amorim’s side, Guardiola’s men had endured consecutive defeats at the hands of Tottenham and Brighton.
Meanwhile, O’Reilly posted on Instagram on 14 September: “Manny’s blue!”
Foden responded excitedly by commenting with two heart-eye emojis.
Nico O’Reilly lays down a marker at Manchester City
O’Reilly enjoyed a breakout season at the Etihad Stadium last term, notching five goals and two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions.
| Nico O’Reilly stats | Premier League 2025/26 |
| Appearances | 3 |
| Starts | 1 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
However, just nine of those outings came in the Premier League, while Man City slipped away from title contention and into an eventual third-place finish.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old’s appearance against the Red Devils marked his first top-flight start of the campaign, and he put in a solid performance at left-back.
By playing so well in one of Man City’s biggest games of the season, O’Reilly laid down a marker that he can be trusted by Guardiola as the North West outfit vie for success in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
The academy graduate will hope to feature when his side face Napoli in their opening Champions League game on Thursday, 18 September.
Meanwhile, Man City have another vital Premier League fixture when they travel to Arsenal on Sunday, 21 September.