In billing Rodri as “irreplaceable right now” Pep Guardiola inadvertently shone a light on the achilles heel of his all-conquering Manchester City team. Should the midfielder Guardiola rates as the finest in his position go down during the season’s defining phase City’s treble defence may falter, as he has no deputy who allows the side to play in their relentlessly smooth fashion.
As the team-builder supreme there is an oddness in Guardiola permitting a vulnerability that might derail City at any moment, especially as all other departments can be suitably covered. The manager’s problem is locating another midfielder who is close to mirroring Rodri’s attributes.
In goal, Ederson is understudied by Stefan Ortega, who started last year’s FA Cup final win against Manchester United. At right-back Kyle Walker can be rested for Rico Lewis – as he was for Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Copenhagen – or Manuel Akanji and John Stones, whose more regular centre-back roles are shared with Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Aké.
The last two are also deployed at left-back, a berth filled, too, by Sergio Gómez and Lewis, while in midfield, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic have all been interchangeable, as have Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Jérémy Doku, Oscar Bobb, Julián Álvarez, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland in forward positions.
The name missing is Rodri’s. Kalvin Phillips was bought to compete with the Spaniard but a season and a half later his failure to be even a credible stopgap led to him being loaned to West Ham in January. When forced to, Guardiola can turn to Lewis, Silva, Kovacic, Stones or Nunes, but recent history shows that without Rodri City plunge.
When the 27-year-old stuck his hands on the throat of Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White during September’s 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium he drew a red card and a three-match suspension. Cue defeats in all of the games City were without him. In the 1-0 Carabao Cup exit at Newcastle Phillips deputised, while in the 2-1 and 1-0 Premier League losses at Wolves and Arsenal, Kovacic and Lewis, respectively, stood in and disappointed Guardiola enough for him to substitute them. Before the reverse to the Gunners, City won 3-1 at Leipzig: Rodri was in the XI, as he remained eligible for the Champions League.
Zoom out and the wider picture illustrates his premium, too. Last Sunday’s 3-1 derby victory over United was a 59th match in all competitions when Rodri played and City were undefeated, breaking the 58-match record held by Ricardo Carvalho for Chelsea. As Guardiola states, Rodri’s presence is the high-grade fuel that propels City’s more heralded acts forward. In an Anfield cauldron that will teem with emotion on Sunday as Jürgen Klopp’s farewell enters its end phase, City’s fortunes in a seismic championship showdown with Liverpool may hinge on the Universidad de Castellón business administration graduate.
When asked about Rodri’s worth, Guardiola says: “He’s so important.”
Rodri is a leader with a desperate need to win, as shown in the Manchester derby when Haaland’s failure to pierce André Onana’s goal from beneath the crossbar brought a howl of frustration. The score remained 1-0 to United but even when City went 2-1 up and entered added time Rodri’s killer instinct moved him to pickpocket Sofyan Amrabat then play in Haaland for the clinching goal.
Here was a big-game intervention. A bigger one came in last season’s Champions League final, with his calmly taken treble-sealing goal against Internazionale in Istanbul.
The 2019 signing from Atlético Madrid would be an apt poster boy for a recruitment record that is stellar. But, as with Phillips, until a player is in the building no one can ever really be sure.
Guardiola says: “Always we try to figure out how good they will settle. He was playing in an important team. He began in Villarreal who play really well and Atlético win titles and are in Europe every season. When you take players with that environment, well educated with good managers, they have something. They have quality on the ball, but you never know. Managers and sporting directors make mistakes. There may be problems in the personal life or many reasons that sometimes it doesn’t work. He’s a top‑class player.”
With his statuesque frame, matinee-idol looks and serenity in midfield traffic, Rodri may be the Cary Grant of City. In the Anfield furnace they will need all of his cool.
