The midfield of Manchester City is wrecked! The Premier League winners may lose out on a fourth consecutive title as a result of their over-reliance on Rodri.

967sportsof December 9, 2023

0 3 2 minutes read

At Aston Villa, Pep Guardiola’s team was outplayed handily, and the 1-0 loss was not an isolated incident.

Guardiola has always exuded confidence, so hearing him voice such a daring early forecast caught us off guard. In past seasons, the city manager tried his hardest to keep title discussions under wraps until the trophy was mathematically assured in the hope of keeping his players focused.

With this strategy, Guardiola’s team has become the dominant power in English football and has finished first four out of the last five seasons. The spectacular scenes that accompanied their June 10 Champions League final victory over Inter, however, seem to be a thing of the past this time.

Ever since winning the triple crown that fateful night in Istanbul, the city has significantly regressed. Villa defeated the champions 1-0 on Wednesday night, moving the Citizens six points behind leaders Arsenal. However, what was most concerning about the loss was how it happened.

City only managed two efforts on goal, both in the eleventh minute, while Unai Emery’s squad managed 22 shots on goal. The visitors also failed to win a single corner. On paper, only Leon Bailey’s deflected shot in the 74th minute separated the two teams, but City was unable to match Villa’s inventiveness or intensity.

The West Midlands team showed no fear and dominated the match, as was likely the plan from the beginning when they found out Rodri would not be playing. After receiving his fifth yellow card of the year during City’s 3-3 draw with Spurs, the Spain international was suspended, and the team once again performed much below par without him.

The truth is that this season, City has grown far too dependent on Rodri. And a record-breaking fourth consecutive title may soon disappear into the distance if Guardiola doesn’t quickly mend his damaged midfield.

In addition, Rodri was suspended after receiving a red card during City’s 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on September 23. He was forced to watch from the sidelines as his teammates suffered three straight losses. They were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Newcastle, and then they lost close games against Wolves and Arsenal.

Only one goal has been scored by City in their four games without Rodri, demonstrating how crucial he is to both the defence and the attack’s ability to operate effectively. The 27-year-old is an expert at making passes under duress, and his presence is essential to City’s capacity to successfully develop from the back.

To be honest, you could never have called them a one-man show before. World-class players fill every position on Guardiola’s teams, which are typically well-oiled machines. However, after Rodri, the engine room appears to be rusty.

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