“Extraordinary” Nico O’Reilly: Man City’s Wembley hero should be a frontrunner to solve Thomas Tuchel’s England conundrum

Manchester City have been crowned EFL Cup champions courtesy of a deserved 2-0 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal in the final at Wembley Stadium – a win inspired by one of their own.

As have many of the Premier League’s elite, the Citizens have spent fortunes on building a star-studded squad to challenge for silverware, but when they needed someone to step up and deliver the goods at the home of English football, they had someone who did not cost a penny to thank!

Nico O'Reilly, who celebrated his 21st birthday the day before the final, is most definitely a rising star at the Etihad Stadium. Since bursting onto the scene midway through last season, the academy graduate has established himself as one of City’s most influential players and one of the most adaptable assets is Pep Guardiola’s squad.

The Manchester-born youngster developed as an attacking midfielder in City’s academy, but he was utilised as a marauding left-back in the early stages of his senior career and that is exactly where he excelled against Arsenal at Wembley.

Neither City nor Arsenal truly found their rhythm in a tense first 45, but the Citizens stepped up their intensity and eventually overpowered the Gunners with a relentless second-half performance, inspired by two headed goals in the space of just four minutes from O’Reilly.

Showing his knack for being in the right place at the right time, O’Reilly broke the deadlock on the hour mark when he capitalised on Kepa Arrizabalaga’s fumble and threw his body in front of Martin Zubimendi to nod home from close range.

The towering 6ft 4in starlet then arrived again at the far post to power home Matheus Nunes' cross with another header - his eight goal of the season for City - sparking wild scenes in the Sky Blue end as Guardiola sprinted down the touchline in celebration.

O’Reilly is the first man since big-game player Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score two goals in an EFL Cup final, while he has also joined Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, David Silva and Rodri in scoring two goals in major cup finals for City during the Guardiola era.

“Oh Nico O’Reilly! Oh Nico O’Reilly!”

“Unbelievable feeling. To win a final, to beat this team (Arsenal), we know how good they are. We need to build on it now, it’ll give us momentum, and buzzing with today,” O’Reilly told reporters after claiming his much-deserved Man of the Match prize.

“A bit of disbelief to see the fans celebrate like that when I scored my goals. Really a good feeling. And a great weekend, a great birthday weekend.

“My whole family came today. They’re all in the stand, they’ll be buzzing and I can't wait to celebrate with them.”

On timing his runs into the box, O’Reilly added: “Since I was a kid, I always played midfield and was always arriving in the box and scoring goals. To bring it into a senior level and the highest level, it’s good for me and brings goals to my game. It’s a great feeling.”

Guardiola was full of praise for O’Reilly at full time, saying: "Wow! He started to play when (Rayan) Ait-Nouri was injured, he impressed a lot. He played as a holding midfielder in Newcastle, and he was unbelievable against Joelinton, (Sandro) Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes.

"When he plays in the pocket, his natural position, every cross is there. In aerial actions he's really strong, especially offensively. Defensively that has to improve.

“I've been surprised even for me his season so far. It's been extraordinary."

Nico O’Reilly: A rising star who could be indispensable for both Man City and England

The night belongs to O’Reilly, and he produced his heroics in front of England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who has included the City star in his latest Three Lions squad ahead of friendlies against Uruguay and Japan later this month.

O’Reilly will certainly head into the international break with a spring in his step and should be confident in cementing his place as England’s first-choice left-back for this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Eighteen months ago, few would have envisaged O’Reilly being in the conversation for an England call-up, let alone attempting to nail down a starting spot for a nation fancied by some to progress deep into the tournament, but City’s No.33 could well be England’s No.3 in just a few months’ time.

Lewis Hall, Djed Spence, Tino Livramento and Dan Burn are the other left-back options in Tuchel’s latest squad, but Hall is the only natural fit for the role among the quartet. Indeed, left-back has become something of a problem position for England, but O’Reilly is proving he can be the solution.

O’Reilly’s capacity to operate effectively at both left-back and in midfield positions makes him a strong contender to be selected in Tuchel’s final squad. In the high-stakes environment of a major tournament, such tactical flexibility is an invaluable asset for any squad member.

Despite his youth and modest tally of two senior England caps, O’Reilly has already proven he has the physicality and tactical intelligence to thrive at the highest level. Having been polished by one of the best coaches around in Guardiola at City, gaining further insight from a manager of Tuchel’s calibre will also be key to his continued progression.

The sky is the limit for O’Reilly, who is becoming an increasingly integral player for Man City, and could soon be equally as important for England if Tuchel decides to put faith in the youngster and select him as a starter for the World Cup.