If Manchester City are to beat Arsenal on Wednesday night, then it will obviously require a big performance from the whole team.
That responsibility will fall particularly on their midfield lynchpin, Rodri. Given his importance both in and out of possession, the 26-year-old Spanish midfielder is the key to shutting down Arsenal and allowing City to play.
Despite Guardiola’s persistent tinkering, Rodri has played every league game bar one and is sure to start against the league leaders. He is an exceptional footballer in almost all areas of the game, and will need to showcase this ability again tonight.
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Passing ability
As with almost all Guardiola players, he is incredibly comfortable in possession, with a pass completion percentage of almost 92 per cent, from an average 96.7 passes per game. This impressive pass accuracy comes through all ranges of passing, with a long pass completion percentage of 83pc.
Arsenal are sure to start the game fast and seek to hurt City early, in much the same way as they tried to do when they faced United last month. When Rodri gets onto the ball in the early exchanges, his possession retention, will help City ride the inevitable early Arsenal storm.
Rodri’s accurate long-range passing can be utilised more as the game develops and if City seek to hurt Arsenal on the break. Accurate long balls forward to Haaland may be a tactic Guardiola seeks to deploy, especially after Saliba lost ten out of ten aerial duels against Brentford.
Even if City maintain their patient approach to build-up, a quick switch out to Grealish and Mahrez can effectively exploit any shape left by Arsenal.
Chance creation
Rodri’s ability on the ball is not merely holding possession, he is effective with it, ranking in the 97th percentile for progressive passes, making nine passes into the final third per 90.
As he regularly plays the ball from deep, his actions rarely lead to direct goal involvements, but he does have four assists and two goals in the league this season.
If he is able to find de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Haaland when they pop up in spaces, this could provide the breakthrough, against an Arsenal defence which has only conceded 18 goals this season.
Set pieces
One defensive area in which Arsenal have shown vulnerabilities in recent weeks has been in defending set pieces. At Goodison Park, as Arsenal lost only their second league game of the season it was courtesy of 6ft-1in James Tarkowski from a corner.
At the Emirates as Brentford held Arsenal, it was the inability to deal with a set piece which gave Ivan Toney an open net to equalise into.
Rodri at 6ft 3in is a real presence in the box, highlighted by his header from a corner against Aston Villa. With Arsenal showing fragilities in defending set-pieces, Rodri becomes a real offensive threat for City.
Defensive actions
Against a team of the quality of Arsenal, Rodri will have significant defensive responsibilities, but he is more than qualified to be entrusted.
When the ball is on the floor, he is effective in the tackle and rarely loses challenges, averaging less than one challenge lost, per game. Although, the number of interceptions and tackles he makes, does not appear impressive, the possession which City hold, reduces his defensive role.
With the pressure of a top-of-the-table clash there are likely to be more loose balls than City usually play. Fortunately for City this is another area where Rodri excels, ranking in the 99th percentile for ball recoveries.
Even though this clash is likely to be played mainly along on the ground, with only Arsenal having played fewer long balls than City this season, Rodri still wins 75pc of his aerial duels.
Rodri is clearly an exceptional player defensively, but against Arsenal he may be outnumbered at times and will need support from his midfield partner, likely Bernardo Silva.
Both Xhaka and Ødegaard tend to pop up between the defensive and midfield lines and Rodri will need help from Silva to shut them out.
If Rodri plays well and receives adequate assistance, then he can shut out Arsenal and hurt them when he gets onto the ball.
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