Pep Guardiola: City Might Have Fared Better with Rodri

Pep Guardiola has expressed uncertainty over the severity of Rodri’s injury after the midfielder was forced off in the 21st minute during Manchester City’s dramatic draw with Arsenal. Rodri clutching his knee in pain, left the pitch just moments before Riccardo Calafiori scored to level the match. Guardiola substituted Mateo Kovacic in place of Rodri, who appeared to twist his knee in a tussle with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey during a corner.

“I don’t know yet, I haven’t asked the doctors,” said Guardiola. “Rodri is strong. He left the pitch because he felt something, otherwise he would have stayed. He’s the best holding midfielder in the world, potentially a Ballon d’Or winner and I’d love for him to win it.” Reflecting on the match, Guardiola hinted that City might have had a different outcome had Rodri remained on the field.

Since joining City in 2019, the team has won 74% of games when Rodri plays compared to 64% when he’s absent. With Rodri off, defender Ruben Dias frequently stepped into a central midfield role accumulating 136 touches, many near Arsenal’s box—an unconventional tactic for the defender. Arsenal known for their strong defense after conceding only 29 goals last season, held firm in the match.

They managed to stay solid even after Leandro Trossard received a second yellow card just before halftime. Down to ten men, Arsenal defended their 2-1 lead with determination throughout the second half. Guardiola acknowledged that the absence of Rodri might have altered their tactics.

“With Rodri, it may have been different,” he said. “But Arsenal stayed strong mentally and defended well. We created chances, but Arsenal blocked them and their goalkeeper, Raya, made key saves.” Pep Guardiola congratulated Arsenal for their resilience but praised City for their performance despite the setback.