Manchester City lost for the fourth game in a row on Saturday against Brighton in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola suffered a fourth consecutive loss for only the second time ever in his managerial career – and it was another deserved defeat for Manchester City.
It was a decent first-half performance that saw Erling Haaland score his 15th goal of the season. But City gave up all control in the second-half, as Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley scored to give Brighton the victory.
Brighton were able to impose themselves much more after the break.
And key to their victory was the introduction of Carlos Baleba at half-time.
The highly rated young Cameroonian really impressed for the Seagulls, and is a player top clubs will surely be clamouring to sign next summer.
Ahead of the game, Baleba spoke about City’s own holding midfielder Rodri – and it’s clear the Spaniard is a big influence for him.
Brighton star Baleba lauds injured Man City star Rodri
Manchester City will be without Rodri for the foreseeable future after he suffered an ACL injury earlier this season.
For now, it is all about trying to navigate without him – and so far, Guardiola has not found the winning formula, just like last season when Rodri missed a handful of games through suspension.
At this point, it is so clear how important Rodri is to City. And his incredible quality is not lost on Baleba, who admits the City maestro is someone he looks to learn from.
He said (via Sky Sports): “Attack, defend, box-to-box midfielder.
“I don’t think so (on the two being comparable). Even so, Rodri is the best player in the world at the moment! He’s won the Ballon d’Or and I’m still learning from him – I’m like a schoolkid compared to him. I just learn from him and other players.
“My game’s inspired by a lot of people who I’ve admired since I was a kid. Kevin De Bruyne, Paul Pogba, Thiago Alcantara, Xavi, Andres Iniesta – so many others. So I’ve got the knack of doing something with the ball at my feet, I’m still working on that.”
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Baleba will soon be a household name, he must study Rodri
It is nice to hear praise from Baleba for Rodri, who is clearly someone the youngster looks up to.
Realistically, Rodri is going to be someone who many defensive midfielders look up to given how good he is in all facets of the game.
Players would be foolish not to try and follow the example of a man who has just won the Ballon d’Or.
Baleba looks a serious talent for Brighton, who picked the midfielder up from Lille for just over £23 million in the summer of 2023. The Seagulls’ scouting network appears to have landed them another player who will eventually sell for huge money.
It will be interesting to see if he is someone City might look at. The 20-year-old would do well to watch as many clips of Rodri as possible to further his development.
