- Written by Jess Anderson
- bbc sports
59 games. 395 days. It was the last time Manchester City midfielder Rodri tasted defeat in the blue.
City's 3-1 win over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday means the 27-year-old now has the longest unbeaten run in all competitions by any Premier League player, past or present. .
“It's difficult to understand what we've done in recent years without him. It would have been difficult,” City manager Josep Guardiola told the club's website last month.
The number of goals conceded exceeds former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho's record (58 games), and Rodri's last loss in a City shirt was against Tottenham in February 2023, but this was a result of City's commitment to the community. This includes the Shield loss to Arsenal on penalties.
During that time, City won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, with Rodri also part of the Spain team that won the Nations League.
The tenacious midfielder was signed for £62.5 million from Atletico Madrid in 2019 in the hopes of eventually succeeding former captain Fernandinho.
Like his predecessor, Rodri's role at City has tended to be under the radar, with the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne grabbing the headlines. But his importance to City's recent achievements cannot be overstated, based on statistics from players, pundits and managers alike.
“What can’t this person do?”
Josep Guardiola said Rodri was “incredible” and “the best midfield player in the world at the moment”.
A humble man with no social media, Rodri, who helped City win their fifth Premier League title (the club's second) in 2021 while studying for a business degree, is rarely praised. Not so much.
“He allows players like De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva to do what they do because he's so good,” former City forward Paul Dickov told BBC Radio 5 Live. Ta.
Guardiola said the holding midfielder “should never appear in the highlights” and said, “He should do his job.”
“The highlights must belong to others. The holding midfielder must think for the rest of the team and not expect to be appreciated. But internally? All his teammates , all of our staff know how important and decisive he is. It's very important to us,” the city manager added.
But it's the compliments he receives from his colleagues that provide the bigger picture.
“It's a real pleasure to share the football pitch with him,” Luton captain Tom Lockyer told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I don't say that about a lot of players, but he was definitely one of those players where you come off the pitch and you think, 'Wow.' When you're on the pitch with him, you think, 'What can we do?' I just think, “Isn't this person like that?''
“He's just a Rolls Royce. You thought he was going to press and kick the ball, but he wasn't. He was just teasing you and the next person receiving the pass touches the ball. We were able to get more minutes. That's what they are. “He plays a kind of game. It's very rare that he gets the ball and he just dictates everything for Manchester City.”
When it comes to individual awards, City players have a better chance of winning. But in key moments on the pitch, he is as prolific as any other player.
It is perhaps fitting, then, that it was Rodri who scored the only goal against Inter Milan in Turkey last year, giving Manchester City their first ever Champions League win and completing their historic treble.
“Thanks to him, we are a better team,” Guardiola said. “no doubt.”
Man City have won every competition since Rodri's 59-game unbeaten run began (February 12, 2023) |
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Rodri leads in passing stats
Manchester City are famous for their passing football under Guardiola, who is a master of possession.
At the heart of this is Rodri, with the Spaniard leading the list for most passes attempted and completed by a midfielder in all competitions since the start of his unbeaten run.
He has completed the most passes per 90 minutes in Europe's top five leagues this season and has started to increase his goals and assists in recent seasons, with seven goals and six assists for City this season.
City's performance without Rodri also speaks volumes.
When he was suspended for a red card against Nottingham Forest earlier this season, Guardiola's side lost all three games without him at Newcastle, Wolves and Arsenal.
“City's build-up all starts with Ederson, but Rodri gets involved at some stage, whether it's breaking out of the back four or pushing up a little bit,” Dickov said.
“The biggest compliment to him is how important his team-mates think he is. When City don't have the ball he's on fire left, right and centre, but when they have the ball he's on fire. He’s just phenomenal.”