The reason Rodri is Man City’s best midfielder

Man City could not extend their streak of 11 consecutive wins when drawing with Chelsea, but Rodri was at least able to protect his own record – 55 unbeaten matches.

Pep Guardiola is the person who best understands Rodri’s importance to Man City. Photo: Sky Sports

Man City have lost half of the matches in which Rodri was absent this season, including a disastɾous defeat to Arsenal. If Rodri had not been injured and suspended, the Spanish midfielder could have made a difference in the championship race.

Pep Guardiola said: “With Rodri we are a better team. There is no doubt.”

After Liverpool and Arsenal both won big victories, Man City dropped 2 points against Chelsea. But even after seeing Erling Haaland squander chances and Jeremy Doku’s dribbles being less effective than usual, there is still respect for Rodri.

Rodri took the opportunity to jump up and shoot a powerful shot from the second line. The ball hit Trevoh Chalobah and went into the net, helping Man City salvage a point. This goal is almost similar to the one the Spanish midfielder scored against Sheffield last August. No one has scored more goals from outside the box than Rodri in the Premier League this season.

Rodri was Man City’s hero in the draw with Chelsea. Photo: AFP

The ability to pass the ball is still the most prominent feature in Rodri’s playing style. However, his habit of scoring important goals also speaks to his personality. When facing pressure, Rodri is always the most determined person. Remember, this player scored the decisive goal in the Champions League final last season.

“Rodri is the best midfielder in the world today because he can do everything. He is the perfect signing for Man City. It is difficult for us to do what we have done in recent years.” here without him.

Rodri not only defends, recovers the ball, distributes the ball, regulates the pace of the match, and initiates attacks, he is also always able to score goals in important moments. Rodri is an unbelievable player,” said the Spanish strategist.

When it comes to Man City right now, the standout images are probably Haaland’s goals or De Bruyne’s assists. But watch the entire match to see how Rodri created rhythm for Man City.

The Spanish midfielder has made 1,275 passes in the opposition half this season – 400 more than any other player.

According to Second Spectrum data, Rodri made 1301 passes while under pressure. That’s almost 300 more passes than anyone else.

This is an extremely important factor because if you look at the dry statistics, you will mistakenly think that 93.2% of Rodri’s successful passes this season are safe and horizontal passes. On the contrary, Rodri is operating in tight spaces and making the most reasonable passes.

Man City is on a 55-match unbeaten streak when Rodri plays. Photo: Sky Sports

Using tracking data showing the positions of all players on the field, Second Spectrum can calculate the likelihood of completing a pass. Rodri’s pass completion rate is 86.4%.

While Man City has an average of 65.7% possession this season, the number increases to 67% when Rodri is on the field. This is the highest figure of any player with more than a few minutes of action in the Premier League this season.

Pep Guardiola does not always like statistics, he often trusts his eyes more. But even he had to be ready to accept this from Rodri. “The statistics are there. You have to look. I can say that the amount of work Rodri is doing now is irreplaceable,” Pep said.

The Spanish strategist does not completely agree that Rodri is a “scoring machine” but is still very curious. “If I had two players like him, I would love to have them. I’m pretty sure with his mentality, personality and level of competitiveness, I would find a way to play for both of them.”