Can the return of Rodri turn the tide at Manchester City?

No team has dominated English football in the way that Manchester City have over the past decade, with Pep Guardiola overseeing 6 of City’s 8 Premier League titles and delivering glory in the domestic cups, as well as the coveted Champions League.

However, the 2024-25 season has been nothing short of calamitous for the Blues, both on and off the pitch, and City look to be a side in need of inspiration.

At the start of the campaign, most betting sites had City down as pretty much dead certs to land another Premier League title, or at least compete for one, with punters having to look for sportsbook promos to get a decent price on the blues.

It has not transpired that way however and City are way off the pace in the league, with a race on their hands just to conquer the Champions League places at the end of the campaign.

Pinpointing where it has gone wrong for City this season isn’t definitive but the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri since September 2024 has certainly felt like a significant one.

The talismanic Spaniard is rumoured to be edging towards a return for City though and could his presence be transformative for City between now and the end of the 2024-25 season?

Reliable Rodri

Winning the Ballon d’Or remains the biggest individual accolade anybody can have bestowed on them in world football and Rodri was awarded the gong in October 2024.

Staving off competition from Real Madrid speedster Vinicius Jr, Rodri was recognised for his role in helping City win another Premier League title and for seeing Spain clinch the 2024 European Championships in Germany.

Patient and precise on the ball, tough in the tackle and a domineering physical presence in the middle of the park, City’s record without Rodri has been very poor in recent seasons but he has seldom found himself out of Pep Guardiola’s side.

His partnership with the likes of Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne has long made City one of the easiest sides to watch in the Premier League, with their metronomic passing style often drubbing sides into submission.

City have struggled to fill the void left by Rodri, as any side would, and his presence, or more pertinently the lack of it, has hindered City’s ambitions this season.

New boy Nico

Playing the pivot in any Pep Guardiola side has never been an easy task, with Guardiola himself one of the finest exponents of the midfield role in his playing career.

High standards are par for the course with Pep and City as a club and with results spiralling out of control before Christmas 2024 and City clearly way off the pace, they dipped into the transfer market to line their squad.

Omar Marmoush provided a much-needed spark in forward areas, whilst Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov look to be defensive stalwarts for the future.

Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez was also identified by City as a Rodri replacement and whilst it remains to be seen how the two players will fit together into City’s system, there is no denying the obvious likeness between the two players.

Languid and combative, Nico will (like Rodri) need time to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League but he looks to have the credentials to be an important player for City, now and in the future.

Pep Guardiola has long spoken of his love for midfielders, once stating he would play 11 midfielders in his side if it was accepted and with Rodri and Nico in the side, City could have a very different look about them moving forwards.

Rodri to the rescue?

Lifting the gloom at the Etihad shouldn’t be too difficult, as just the presence of Rodri would give all at the club a boost and there is still plenty to play for this season.

First and foremost, City need to be playing Champions League football next season and finishing in the top 5 in the Premier League should see City battle it out with the best in Europe again next season.

The FA Cup eluded City last season, where they suffered a painful final loss to Manchester United, but it looks to hold extra significance this term and they are 3 games from lifting the famous old trophy once more.

An interesting add-on to this season is the FIFA Club World Cup, hosted in America, which City are the defending champions of – having lifted the trophy in 2023, following their Champions League triumph.

Hosted at the end of the Premier League season, plenty of teams could have tired legs coming into it but for City and for Rodri, it could be the perfect opportunity to return to action and lift some much-needed silverware.

28.04.2025