42 wins, 10 draws, 5 titles! Manchester City's fierce waist writes the myth of undefeated, and the pudding combination is absent, and there is no obstacle without him
On the evening of February 10, Beijing time, the 24th round of the English Premier League will stage a key match, with defending champion Manchester City hosting the Toffees Everton. In terms of strength comparison, Manchester City is almost a sure winner. And what reassures Manchester City fans the most is the presence of defender Rodri.
On February 6, 2023, in the 22nd round of the 202/23 Premier League season, Manchester City lost 0-1 away to Tottenham, and Rodri started the game and played the whole game. It was also the last game in which City lost so far. In the 52 weeks since, Rodri has played 52 games in all competitions for Manchester City, winning 42 and drawing 10 unbeaten, and winning five club titles including the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. I forgot to mention that he also won the UEFA Nations League with the national team.
Rodri has six goals and five assists in 28 appearances in all competitions this season, losing 2-1 to Wolves and 1-0 to Arsenal and Villa in the three games he has been suspended for red and yellow cards. In stark contrast, there have been no Kevin De Bruyne this season, with Manchester City leading the Premier League table at one point, winning all of their Champions League group stages. In the five games that Haaland has been sidelined, Manchester City has won four and drawn one.
In other words, whether it is the absence of midfielder De Bruyne or the top scorer Haaland, or even the absence of the two together, Guardiola can do it without panic. However, once Rodri can't play, even Pep Guardiola, who is known as the number one coach in world football today, will be helpless. Take Manchester City's away match with Villa in the 15th round of the Premier League this season, Rodri accumulated yellow cards and was absent, Manchester City only had 2 shots and 2 targets in 90 minutes, while Villa, who played at home, fired 22 shots on goal. Although the final score was only 0-1, it was an indisputable fact that Manchester City was held down and beaten violently. The two central defenders, Akanji and John Stones, made cameos at the back of the two, and the effect can only be said to be very average.
It should be noted that the main midfield combination of Manchester City who won the European treble last season was Rodri and Stones. However, Stones' brave play is inseparable from Rodri's bonus. Once there is no Spanish thug by his side, the British star will also fall to the dust in an instant.
What is so good about Rodri? It's not just six goals and five assists. So far this season, he has touched the ball 2,291 times and made 2,032 passes in the Premier League, both of which are top-notch in both stats, with a 93 per cent success rate, and he also ranks first in the Premier League for the number of defenders he penetrates through passes. Defensively, Rodri is averaging 2.16 tackles, 0.89 interceptions and 1.26 clearances per game, also being a solid barrier in front of the backline.
The player who can play in Pep Guardiola's tactical system to play both offensive and defensive and play freely, the last one is Busquets. In addition to the leaky defense, Rodri also has the ability to insert assists in the Champions League final last season, when De Bruyne went down early with an injury and Haaland was firmly limited by the Inter backline, he stepped forward to score the only goal of the game. This season, he has scored or assisted in 11 games, with Manchester City winning 10 and drawing one.
It can be said that Rodri is not only a strong midfielder at Manchester City, but also an all-round man, and with his presence, Manchester City does not have to worry about losing. And without him, a win for Manchester City would be a luxury. In fact, it is precisely because he is so good that it has become very difficult for Manchester City to strengthen the back, because they will involuntarily use Rodri as a standard to measure new signings, the key is, how many midfielders can be as strong as Rodri in world football today?