Nico O’Reilly’s brace helped Manchester City beat Newcastle United 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium and reduce the gap on Arsenal to two points after 27 games.

O’Reilly cemented his place in City’s starting XI last year and has shown huge signs of improvement as he is now thriving in a new, more advanced role that is sure to please manager Pep Guardiola.

Nico O’Reilly’s brace: From defender to left wing

Nico O’Reilly’s brace did come when the young Englishman started against the Geordi side, lining up on the left wing.

O’Reilly is a midfielder who has primarily played as a left-back for Guardiola’s side since breaking into the starting XI.

However, O’Reilly started on the left wing on Saturday, with Rayan Ait-Nouri at left-back.

This highlights that their roles are reversed from the one against Liverpool, with Ait Nouri playing on the left wing and O’Reilly at left-back.

The 20-year-old Englishman has repeatedly shown the urge to rush into the opponent’s half as a left-back in the past games, which also shows his attacking instincts.

His solid presence at the top of the pitch allows City to better retain possession and becomes another great attacking option.

O’Reilly has played 60 games for Manchester City and scored 11 goals. That’s a good goalscoring ratio, especially for a defender/midfielder early in his career.

Aside from his undoubted skills, what’s most striking about O’Reilly is his physicality, which adds another dimension to his game. One of Nico O’Reilly’s two goals was a header, using his length to put his side ahead.

Nico O’Reilly’s brace made the title race even more exciting as Manchester City and Arsenal were evenly matched with just two points separating them.

The Englishman has made the most of his role as his side compete for a seventh Premier League title in nine seasons.

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Nico O’Reilly’s brace: Versatile, useful for England

With the World Cup taking place this summer, Nico O’Reilly’s brace saw the 20-year-old do his bit to secure a place in the England squad heading to North America.

England should have Luke Shaw, who has excelled at Manchester United this season, as their first-choice left-back, but O’Reilly shouldn’t be too far behind.

His versatility and ability to play in attacking positions should also increase his utility for the Three Lions.

He makes his first two appearances for the national team in 2025, which should be the start of a long and successful international career.

However, the Englishman’s main challenge now is to help his club win multiple titles this season.

City Citizens face the Gunners in next month’s Carabao Cup final, which should give them another opportunity to add to their trophy cabinet and steal the title from their Premier League title rivals.

O’Reilly has made 39 appearances this season, making him one of City’s most frequently used players.

At this stage of his career, he should be playing as many games as possible, but Guardiola could consider resting him occasionally to avoid injury or fatigue to City’s new key players.

Main photo

Credit: IMAGO/Professional Sports Pictures

Record date: February 22, 2026