Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes has named one of Manchester City’s stars as the toughest opponent he has faced in the Premier League.
For over a decade now, Manchester City have routinely given opponents a torrid time on the pitch.
For instance, Eric Dier recently spoke about how scary he found the late-2010s City side, to the point he could name the entire team from that time.
Now, Bruno Guimaraes has listed one of City’s top talents ahead of his Arsenal and Liverpool counterparts when it comes to difficult opponents.
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Bruno Guimaraes says Rodri is the most difficult Premier League opponent he has faced
Sky Sports interviewed Bruno and asked him who was the toughest opponent between Rodri, Declan Rice and Alexis Mac Allister.
Bruno didn’t hesitate, opting for Rodri as his first-choice and saying: “For me, he’s one step ahead of everyone on the pitch.
“He knows when you come in, he has to pass one touch. He’s able to control the ball to turn his body very fast. He protects the ball well. He scores important goals. For me, he’s an unbelievable player.
“What I appreciate about him the most is when he has to control and when he has to pass the ball, you never ever get close to him because he’s, like I said, one step ahead of you always.”
What Pep Guardiola wants from Rodri this season
Rodri spent most of the 2024-25 season sidelined due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered last September.
More recently, Rodri has been recovering from a groin setback sustained during Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup last-16 defeat to Al Hilal in June.
Rodri missed the Premier League season opener against Wolves, but Pep Guardiola confirmed ahead of the Tottenham game that the Spaniard would be available again.
Guardiola also told reporters at his pre-match presser that he was eager for Rodri to build consistency, which should come as he returns to match fitness.
“I just want consistency with Rodri, that’s all,” Guardiola said.
“I don’t have any doubts about his potential or his quality. Still, so far, he is the best player in the world.
“[Next month] there will be a new [Ballon d’Or winner] but it is still him.
“It’s just the consistency [which will come] with training and games and after that everything will be fine.”
