Manchester City are a great team but they somehow just keep getting better and better.
You might have thought players would, even if just subconsciously, rest on their laurels somewhat after claiming a remarkable treble but that hasn’t been the case at all.
Instead, Manchester City still could feasibly do the unprecedented and win back-to-back trebles.
They remain just a single point of Premier League leaders Liverpool ahead of the massive meeting on Sunday, are into the final eight of the FA Cup and booked their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Pep Guardiola’s side cruised past FC Copenhagen with another 3-1 win, going through 6-2 on aggregate, thanks to goals from Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.
It was a perfect night for City who were able to rest the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker completely while also giving Rodri a needed break.
The Spanish stalwart was withdrawn at half-time but he was still able to make his mark in the first half and show a growing quality to his game.
Rodri adds yet another quality to his game
Rodri set up the third goal with a fantastic bit of play.
The 27-year-old won back possession on the halfway line before lofting a pitch-perfect pass over the defence to Haaland, who cut inside and fired home.
The assist was a truly sensational pass and is becoming more and more common from Rodri, who is giving more and more to the team with every passing season.
It’s already clear he is absolutely pivotal to the City side. Rodri has now won his last 60 matches in a row for City, a remarkable record, but even more startling is how the side does without him.
Rodri has missed four games through suspension this year and City have lost every single one of them.
He is the glue that holds the team together, the metronome that makes them tick. The crucial cog in the machine.
But now he’s doing even more.
Man City’s most important player
Rodri has already been adding goals to his game for a while and crucial ones at that. You can’t get much more important than a Champions League final-winning strike.
But setting them up has been a gradual improvement year on year. It was Rodri’s 10th assist of the season which shows how much of an attacking asset he has now become.
He got just two in his first campaign, which increased to five the next season before going back down to two.
Last season Rodri set up seven goals but he has already beaten that tally by reaching double figures for the first time.
In fact, only De Bruyne and Alvarez have set up more goals than him this season.
Rodri continues to get better and better and so do City as a result.
